Haringey Council is launching a new additional HMO licensing scheme despite less than half the respondents to its consultation agreeing it was a good idea.
The London borough’s current scheme ends in May, and landlords will pay a £1,331 fee for its five-year replacement.
A council report shows that 178 landlords and agents responded to the consultation, of whom 66% disagreed with extending the scheme, along with 54% of the 35 private tenants who took part. The proposal was supported by just under half of all respondents to the survey (47%), while 40% did not believe that the conditions would lead to an improvement, with most of these (30%) strongly disagreeing.
The majority of landlords and agents (80%) disagreed that the £1,331 fee was reasonable. Landlords felt that they were being penalised for a small number of bad landlords and some questioned the authority’s resourcing capacity for enforcement.
The NRLA also argued that a smaller, evidence-based scheme focusing on key problematic areas would most likely have a greater impact as resources would be focused rather than being spread too thinly across a wide area.
However, Haringey insists that its scheme allows it to more closely regulate the landlord industry, supporting good local landlords and taking legal action against those who let sub-standard properties.
Councillor Sarah Williams, cabinet member for housing services, private renters and planning, says: “Nearly half of Haringey's population are renting privately, and it is estimated that a quarter of these homes are not being adequately maintained. The health and safety of our residents will always be at the top of our agenda and this is another step forward towards their welfare.”
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