Manchester City Council has expanded its selective-licensing scheme for landlords, meaning 700 additional private-sector homes will now be required to hold a landlord licence.
Selective Licensing – which the council is expanding across four neighbourhoods – allows councils to require landlords of all private-rented properties to obtain a licence in a particular area.
The scheme is intended to address the impact of poor-quality homes and management standards.
Licensing can be introduced if an area is experiencing significant and persistent problems caused by antisocial behaviour, poor property conditions, high levels of migration, high levels of deprivation, high levels of crime, low housing demand – or is likely to become such an area.
The four new areas that are now designated are:
- Levenshulme: Matthews Lane – 170 PRS properties
- Longsight: The Royals – 74 PRS properties
- Moss Side & Whalley Range: Claremont Road / Great Western Street / Bowes Street – 346 PRS properties
- Rusholme: Birch Lane – 70 PRS properties
- Rusholme: Off Laindon Road and Dickenson Road – 38 PRS properties
The process
All residents in properties that now require a licence will receive a letter explaining that licensing is now in operation and that their landlord will be required to apply.
Landlords will be contacted by the council and are encouraged to apply for a licence as the earliest opportunity, with an early bird discount being offered to all applications through until 8 August.
The new designations follow a public consultation in October 2022 within the communities, gathering feedback from residents and landlords.
Following feedback from consultation in Cheetham, potential schemes in this area will need further investigation, the council says, and will not be designated as selective-licensing areas at this time.
The council adds that it will review the case for introducing these areas in a future phase following further consultation.
There are four previous schemes currently in operation in the city:
- The Ladders – Gorton and Abbey Hey
- Hyde Road – Gorton and Abbey Hey
- Trinity – Harpurhey
- Ben Street area – Clayton and Openshaw
Impact of previous schemes
A total of 1,887 properties have been fully licensed since 2017, which Manchester City Council says has ensured the properties are safe for residents and managed on behalf of tenants.
It has noted a number of outcomes from these previous schemes:
- 677 compliance inspections have been carried out
- 170 found to be fully compliant with the selective licensing conditions
- 425 were identified as broadly compliant where there were less serious hazards identified on the inspection
- 82 properties were non-compliant with legal notices or fined
The council says enforcement action has been undertaken “where necessary” to target landlords who have failed to comply with the licensing scheme and to improve property conditions.
These include:
- 21 Civil Penalty Notices totalling fines of £115,299 handed out to landlords and property owners that have failed to comply with the terms of Selective Licensing
- 69 Improvement notices under the Housing Act 2004 relating to category 1 and 2 hazards
- 16 suspended prohibition orders (orders that could close a property if standards don’t improve) have been issued mainly relating to overcrowding
- 16 for failing to have a licence
- 16 Statutory Nuisance notices
- 10 prohibition orders
- Three failing to comply with improvement notice
- One breach of licence conditions
- One breach of management regulations
- Three emergency remedial notices, where imminent health and safety issues were identified relating to serious category 1 hazards
‘Seeing tangible improvements’
Commenting on the scheme, Cllr Gavin White, Manchester City Council’s executive member for housing and employment, said: “In Manchester, around 90,000 of our homes are private rented sector properties – 38% of the whole city’s housing supply – which means a large number of our residents rely on this type of housing.
“We have made a commitment through our ambitious housing strategy to ensure private-sector housing is safe, secure, and decent for our residents.
“Our housing compliance teams work hard to support residents and tackle housing issues, but we know that without intervention, we don’t tend to see long-term significant improvements.”
He added: “This is where Selective Licensing is proving impactful, and our residents are seeing tangible improvements in their homes.
“Of course, we know that the majority of landlords take their responsibilities seriously and work hard to provide a safe and well-managed property.
“But it is important that we work to tackle those landlords who seem willing to put their tenants’ safety at risk.”
Image credit: sommart sombutwanitkul/Shutterstock
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