All landlords in Barking and Dagenham must get a licence from April after the council became one of the first to introduce a large-scale scheme without government approval.

It had been waiting for the go-ahead from the Housing Secretary, but changes in the English Devolution White Paper, which took effect on 23rd December, mean the London borough’s scheme can launch on 6th April, replacing the previous initiative, which ended last summer.

The selective scheme is set to cost landlords £950 but the authority says it wants to support and recognise compliant landlords and, after a property inspection, discounted fees of between £200 and £250 will be offered to those who demonstrate best practice.

A council spokesman tells LandlordZONE that through its three designated areas, the new selective licensing scheme will cover the majority of the borough’s remaining privately rented housing stock, excluding statutory exemptions. Overall, the scheme will cover 28.8% of the borough’s housing stock, equating to 21,307 properties.

Additional

The council’s new additional licensing scheme also came into force last week, meaning that smaller HMOs housing three or four people must now be licensed, at a cost of £1,400.

The PRS is the fastest-growing housing tenure in Barking and Dagenham, encompassing nearly a third of all homes but the authority reports that it continues to face challenges, including deprivation, antisocial behaviour, and substandard housing conditions.

It says it has made significant progress in improving property standards and addressing poor management practices through previous licensing schemes by conducting more than 8,000 property inspections, identifying hazards in more than half of these homes and taking action to improve conditions.

Enforcement

Councillor Syed Ghani, cabinet member for enforcement and community safety, says licensing is an important tool that allows it to ensure landlords in the borough provide good quality homes for their tenants and tackle unscrupulous practices.

He adds: “I’m really pleased that the scheme has been approved for the whole borough, and I’m encouraged that so many residents expressed their support during the consultation.”

Barking and Dagenham’s consultation found that 55% of respondents either agreed or strongly agreed that all HMOs should be subject to property licensing, regardless of size.

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