Brighton & Hove City Council has set its controversial new selective licensing scheme live, which now covers 17 of its 23 wards.

The scheme will initially cover some 2,100 rented properties in the Kemptown, Moulsecoomb & Bevendean, Queens Park and Whitehawk & Marina wards, where evidence demonstrates a clear link between poor property conditions – although the authority admits that landlords and agents “generally disagreed” with the scheme during a consultation, arguing that this could lead to fewer rental properties.

Second stage

Brighton & Hove is also to seek Secretary of State approval for a second stage of selective licensing in six months' time to cover 13 wards and a further 9,500 properties in Brunswick & Adelaide, Central Hove, Goldsmid, Hanover & Elm Grove, Hollingdean & Fiveways, Preston Park, Regency, Rottingdean & West Saltdean, Round Hill, South Portslade, West Hill & North Laine, Westbourne & Poets Corner and Wish.

A new additional licensing scheme for smaller HMOs has also been approved by city councillors, covering about 2,200 properties and set to launch by the summer. The previous five-year city-wide scheme ended last year, which it says resulted in improvements made to management, building and safety standards that benefitted about 5,500 tenants.

Multiple benefits

Councillor Gill Williams (pictured), chair of the housing & new homes committee, says. “Too often we hear from residents in private rental accommodation about their poor experiences – introducing licensing in these four wards will allow us to raise standards. 

“We’ve already seen the benefits property licensing brings for better managed and safer homes. It can also benefit landlords by putting us in a better position to help them improve and maintain their properties.

“We also know we have work to do ourselves to improve the safety and quality of council-rented homes – and we have increased investment to achieve that.”

landlords.”

The licence fee for the selective scheme will be £670.

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