Croydon residents can give their views from today (Tuesday) on council plans to renew its scheme that requires privately-let properties to be licensed.
Until 9 March, members of the public can give feedback to Croydon Council on its proposals to renew the landlord licensing scheme introduced in October 2015.
The council created the borough-wide scheme so landlords rented out properties that met key housing, environmental and safety standards, and it now covers over 35,000 homes.
Landlord licensing teams monitor these properties based on a combination of proactive inspections, online checks, responding to tenant complaints or answering public queries.
Most issues, from fixing appliances to ensuring fire safety, can be and are resolved by the council’s landlord licensing teams without needing an improvement notice or prosecution. However, landlords who let unlicensed properties or fail to take appropriate action are fined or prosecuted.
Since the scheme began, the council has:
• Received over 35,000 licence applications
• Inspected more than 11,000 properties
• Banned 66 properties from being let
• Fined or prosecuted 33 landlords.
In October magistrates fined a landlord and two related companies after a council prosecution for failing to apply to license a New Addington flat or answer requests for information. The council also issued them with an improvement notice for having no smoke detectors and defective electrics.
Other prosecutions include two people fined £4,000 each for letting a damp and mouldy Croydon house and a landlord fined over £6,000 for renting out a flat with inadequate fire safety measures.
Under legislation introduced since Croydon’s existing scheme came into force, final Government permission is now needed for any new licensing scheme if it covers more than 20% of a borough.
With the current borough-wide scheme due to end on 30 September 2020, Croydon Council’s cabinet agreed in October to consult on several options around renewing the scheme for another five years. These options range from another borough-wide scheme to one covering part of it.
“Our landlord licensing scheme has raised living standards for thousands of local private tenants, and we want to renew it so they continue to have good-quality homes.
“Whether you are a private landlord, their tenant or an interested neighbour, I urge as many local people as possible to take part in our consultation to help shape our proposals before we submit them for Government approval.”
Councillor Alison Butler, deputy leader and cabinet member for homes and Gateway services
To view the consultation, which is being run on the council’s behalf by specialist consultancy ORS, visit the council website.
