LANDLORDS needing to apply for licences as part a scheme to improve private sector rented housing have until next month to benefit from discounted fees.
Leicester City Council introduced selective licensing in three areas of the city 18 months ago, requiring privately-rented homes to be licensed to help safeguard tenants and support landlords to make sure their properties of a decent standard.
The scheme is in operation in three main cluster areas of the city which have a high proportion of private sector rented properties - one cluster area comprises parts of Westcotes, Fosse, Braunstone Park and Rowley Fields wards, while another includes Stoneygate, and a third cluster includes part of the Saffron ward.
Landlords in those areas must apply for licences. If they do so before Tuesday 9 April 2024, they can still benefit from a range of introductory discounts before the application fee is increased from £1,090 to £1,290.
Currently, various discounts are available including for charitable organisations, properties with good energy efficiency and landlords who are accredited or have multiple properties. All discounts will end on Tuesday 9 April.
The scheme will run until October 2027, after which it will be reviewed. The fee covers the entire period of the scheme.
Since the scheme was launched, over 3,900 properties have been licensed, or are in the process of being licensed.
In over two-thirds of these cases, the council has had to ask applicants to carry out works to their properties to meet required standards.
Selective licensing places conditions on landlords to ensure issues such as gas and electrical safety, installation of smoke, fire and carbon monoxide alarms are adequately dealt with, along with matters such as repairs and maintenance and tenancy.
The scheme also has community and environmental benefits including supporting the reduction of anti-social behaviour by ensuring properties are well-managed and have appropriate waste disposal arrangements in place.
Under the new scheme, landlords are legally obligated to be licensed and failure to do so could result in fines up to £30,000.
Deputy city mayor Cllr Elly Cutkelvin, who leads on housing and neighbourhoods, said: “Selective licensing is a vital tool in raising standards in the private rented sector for all.
“The scheme has now been running for almost 18 months. In that time, we’ve already addressed a range of safety issues which landlords needed to sort out to ensure their properties meet a suitably high standard.
“Landlords who have not yet applied need to do so. If they apply before April 9, they will still benefit from a discounted rate.”
Money from the licensing scheme is ringfenced for operating and enforcing it in the three target areas.
For more information on selective licensing in Leicester, visit www.leicester.gov.uk/your-community/housing/landlords/selective-licensing/