By Andrew Topping, Local Democracy Reporter
A selective licensing scheme aimed at improving the quality of private rented homes and monitoring landlords in parts of Ashfield is expected to be extended.
The policy was first brought in by Ashfield District Council in 2017 to improve housing standards and property conditions in two areas of Sutton-in-Ashfield.
It currently covers the New Cross and Stanton Hill areas of the town.
The authority approved in principle a decision to extend the scheme in December last year, before launching a consultation period with tenants and landlords in the affected areas.
Now the council has confirmed its plans to extend the scheme for a further five years and extend the area where rented properties need a ‘selective licence’.
A “small number” of streets have been both omitted and added into the scheme under the new boundary changes, which continues to cover the Stanton Hill and New Cross areas.
New areas in Stanton Hill to be covered by the policy include parts of Victoria Street, a small section on the south of Stoneyford Road and all homes in New Lane.
Additional sections of New Cross include homes fronting onto Priestic Road between its junctions with Lime Avenue and Mansfield Road, as well as Bentinck Street, Portland Street at part of Welbeck Street.
Under the previous agreement, 620 licences were issued and three licences were rejected because the owners failed to meet “fit and proper” checks. This led to enforcement action by the council.
The initial scheme led to works being conducted on 338 properties to improve electrical safety, with a further 195 homes receiving measures to address dampness and mould including 83 boiler replacements.
Changes to be brought in under the new conditions will see landlords no longer needing to provide the council with their gas safety certificates each year.
Landlords will instead submit the document at application and when issues of disrepair are being investigated.
More “pro-active” support and advice will also be offered to landlords in managing issues or problems in the properties they let, including moving to an online system.
And the authority will offer a £100 discount to landlords in applying for the scheme if they are a member of a landlord-accredited body at the time of their application.
At present, applications for a selective licence costs landlords £350, and this fee will continue for the coming five years if approved by the cabinet on March 29.
A report published ahead of the meeting states the authority received a wide range of responses to the consultation period, which ran for 10 weeks between December and February.
Issues included the fee being too high, concerns the scheme is not “fair” on landlords, and questions over whether there should be a “tenant licensing scheme”.
But while the authority accepts the scheme is “not perfect”, it states no feedback in the consultation provided a “counterargument” against renewing the scheme altogether.
The report says: “Officers accept that selective licensing is not perfect, but the original schemes have made a significant difference to the standard of accommodation and how homes are managed in the designated areas.
“There is an opportunity to maintain and build upon this. From the feedback received during the consultation process, no strong counterargument has been put forward against renewing selective licensing.
“A number of issues have been raised by stakeholders and it is important that these are considered and acted upon when appropriate as part of the renewals process.”
If approved by the council next week, the scheme would last for a further five years and would be reviewed again in 2027.
