A council will next week vote on a new licensing scheme covering 5,000 private rentals – with the expectation being that this will be approved.
Great Yarmouth council says the scheme will include new measures to inspect properties, and will replace a previous scheme restricted to just 1,500 homes.
Paul Wells, a Conservative councillor and portfolio holder for licensing, says the scheme will enable the council to tackle alleged health hazards and overcrowding.
”We would be able to systematically inspect properties to make sure things like gas and electric certification are up to date, rather than simply reacting to complaints as we currently do. Where necessary, we could refuse to issue a licence and hold people accountable” he says.
Landlords complained that the initial proposal from the council involved quarterly inspections of the properties which could invade tenants’ privacy, and they suggested that the cost of the scheme will be passed on indirectly to renters through rents.
The council now says the inspections will be held every six months with the license cost for five years being dropped to £694 from £784.
If the councillors give the scheme the go ahead on December 2, it will be introduced in 2026.
This article is taken from Landlord Today