The ‘property portal’, a national landlord register, that the government recently introduced in the Renters’ Reform Bill should operate in conjunction with selective licensing schemes rather than replacing them, according to the Centre for London think tank.
The Centre for London advocates for a system where a national landlord register and selective local licensing collaborate, considering they serve different purposes. The national register should be transparent, flexible, and supportive of local authorities, thus enabling them to quickly identify landlords and focus resources on enforcement.
Jon Tabbush, a senior researcher at Centre for London, stated, “The Renters’ Reform Bill has the potential to be the biggest step forward for tenants’ rights in a generation, but it won’t be enough by itself to tackle the worsening problems within London’s private rented sector.”
The Centre for London’s research illustrates the benefits of central government and councils collaborating to identify and effectively manage rogue landlords. This is especially important given the rising number of Londoners relying on the rental market for their housing needs.
The research suggests that current constraints on councils hinder their ability to improve housing standards. Thus, the Centre for London believes there is a need for wider use of selective property licensing to safeguard tenants. Approximately 20% of privately rented homes currently fail to meet basic housing standards.
The report proposes that local authorities should have the power to design and implement selective licensing schemes regardless of the size of the scheme, with the justification that councils are best suited to address housing issues within their areas.
The Centre for London highlighted successful cases where London councils improved housing conditions through selective licensing and called on the government to further invest in local authority housing enforcement personnel, potentially through increased funding for apprenticeships and graduate traineeships, as well as the establishment of a Housing Skills Centre for future enforcement staff.
Cllr Khevyn Limbajee, Cabinet Member for Community Safety at Waltham Forest Council, said, “Too many private rental tenants in London experience unsafe conditions in their homes. Waltham Forest’s property licensing schemes have resulted in the improvement of thousands of properties and protected people against problems including disrepair and dampness, falsified gas safety certificates, and dangerous building work.”
Despite successful examples of property licensing schemes in the capital, the Centre for London argues that their use is restricted by current central government legislation, including a requirement for Secretary of State approval for selective licensing schemes covering over 20% of a borough.
The government’s recently proposed Renters’ Reform Bill, and specifically the plan for a national landlord register, aims to enhance the private rented sector with more stringent regulations. The Centre for London supports these measures, but stresses that a property portal cannot replace selective property licensing and should instead supplement it.
The Centre’s research indicates that licensing schemes offer more extensive protections to tenants compared to the proposed national landlord register. Licensing schemes allow councils to legally enforce housing standards, even inspecting privately rented properties without notice.
Rokhsana Fiaz OBE, Mayor of Newham, said, “We know that London is in the grip of an ongoing housing crisis and Newham’s residents are at the sharp edge… We have 37,000 people on our housing list, 7000 households in temporary accommodation and over half of our residents now live in the private rented sector making them especially vulnerable in the face of the cost of living crisis.”
