Lambeth councillors in London have voted to extend the borough’s selective licensing scheme to 23 of its 25 wards.

The authority’s first scheme came into force in September in the Knights Hill, Streatham Hill East, Streatham Common and Vale and Streatham St. Leonards wards.

More than 1,000 landlords applied for a £923 licence in the first month, but the council is urging more to sign up. It reckons there is a need for a larger scheme and cites evidence that one third of the 144,985 homes in Lambeth are in the private rented sector, with over 9,446 of these predicted to have a serious home hazard.

A report says selective licensing is also in line with the council’s borough plan commitments “to ensuring that Lambeth is a borough that is fit for the future, that people want to call home and is one of the safest boroughs in London by 2030”. It adds: “In terms of the private rented sector, this includes not only tackling rogue landlords, tackling property conditions but also assisting those that need help.”

Take advantage

Cabinet member for safer communities, councillor Mahamed Hashi (pictured), says some landlords take advantage of tenants, or don’t know what their responsibilities are. “That is why it’s important that the full range of powers is not only available to the council, but readily used,” he explains.

“We are committed to working with good landlords, helping them understand the legislative requirements, but we’re also committed to tackling those landlords that refuse to provide safe and healthy housing for tenants in Lambeth.”

Housing Secretary Angela Rayner will now need to give her approval for the council’s extended scheme.

When Lambeth first introduced selective licensing, it backtracked on many onerous conditions such as making landlords obtain satisfactory proof that occupiers belong to a single household and producing a written action plan outlining procedures for dealing with anti-social behaviour.