{"id":8428,"date":"2017-12-14T10:15:26","date_gmt":"2017-12-14T10:15:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.buyassociation.co.uk\/?p=8428"},"modified":"2017-12-14T10:15:26","modified_gmt":"2017-12-14T10:15:26","slug":"landlord-licensing-affect","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.buyassociationgroup.com\/en-hk\/2017\/12\/14\/landlord-licensing-affect\/","title":{"rendered":"Landlord licensing: What is it and how could it affect you?"},"content":{"rendered":"
Liverpool is the only city in the country to run a compulsory Landlord Licensing scheme, but other areas are subject to selective licensing, too.<\/strong><\/p>\n Since 2006, local authorities have had the power to enforce a selective licensing scheme in their area, typically if there is a problem with low housing demand<\/a> or where antisocial behaviour is an ongoing and serious issue – but thousands of law-abiding landlords are unaware that they exist, according to experts.<\/p>\n There is no comprehensive, country-wide list of areas that are affected by the selective licensing, so landlords must check with their individual council<\/a> to see if they are affected.<\/p>\n Where an area is covered by the scheme, landlords must submit an application to obtain a licence, with fees payable of around \u00a3400 – depending on the area – and the local authority may request proof of safety certificates<\/a>, existing smoke and carbon monoxide<\/a> detectors, and tenancy agreements<\/a>.<\/p>\n Some of the areas operating a selective licensing scheme include certain parts of Blackburn, Blackpool, Gateshead, Middlesbrough, Peterborough, Salford, Stoke-on-Trent and Wolverhampton, as well as parts of London including Croydon and Brent.<\/p>\n Landlords who break the rules can face hefty fines. “The punishments can be very high,” said Richard Tacagni, founder and managing director of London Property Licensing. “Landlords can be forced to pay 12 months\u2019 rent back to a tenant, or could be told that they are unable to rent out a property in future.”<\/p>\n There are exceptions, such as holiday lets, business premises, student accommodation<\/a> owned by the university, and properties where the tenant is a relative of the owner.<\/p>\nWhat are the rules?<\/h4>\n