Brighton & Hove is widening the reach of its selective licensing scheme to take in a further two areas of the city.

Launched across four wards - Kemptown, Moulsecoomb & Bevendean, Queens Park, and Whitehawk & Brighton Marina - in 2024, landlords in Regency and Central Hove wards will now also have to pay £740 for a selective licence from October.

It has so far received 5,114 licence applications for the existing scheme and estimates that another 7,274 properties will need a licence in the two new wards. The council plans to eventually cover all 13 areas of the city.

Postive

Brighton & Hove reports that it has seen a positive impact in the first four areas it was introduced, with rents within the four wards remaining “relatively stable”. It has also made improvements since its launch to reduce application processing times, including issuing licences before inspection and increased staffing.

Councillor Gill Williams, cabinet member for housing, says that with nearly a third of households in Brighton & Hove privately rented, the scheme has the potential to have a huge impact on people, the quality of their housing and the security they feel.

“It is also about providing support and guidance to local landlords, the overwhelmingly majority of whom want to provide secure and high-quality housing to their tenants,” adds Williams. “It really is a win-win. It has been great to see the impact it has already had, and I look forward to seeing that positive impact being felt across the city as it is rolled out further.”

A comprehensive review of the impact of the initial scheme is scheduled for 2029.

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