A new Selective Licensing Scheme and the Private Tenants Charter is being introduced in Oldham.
The council says that the measures are being brought in to protect private renters in the local area and improve living standards in the PRS.
The schemes are being introduced following the results of a public consultation that took place between 2020 and 2021.
Landlords will be required to apply for a licence with the council and comply with the latest conditions or face legal sanctions.
Cllr Hannah Roberts, cabinet member for housing at Oldham Council, said: “We are living in difficult times, and we want tenants, especially those renting privately, to know exactly what their rights are so we can help to protect them.”
Phase one of the scheme will take place across selected areas in Alexandra, St Mary’s, Waterhead, Werneth, Chadderton South, Hollinwood and Medlock Vale.
The Private Tenants Charter, meanwhile, will look to set standards for landlords and private rental sector organisations to help all residents know what they can expect from their landlord.
It includes commitments to ensuring homes are safe and of a quality standard, transparency and making sure the PRS offers the same security and standards as social housing.
Cllr Roberts commented: “[The Charter] has been signed by a number of organisations and agencies who are committed supporting private tenants and landlords to ensure they have a positive renting experience in Oldham.”
She added: “Oldham Council is committed to making sure residents across Oldham live in safe homes that are managed properly.
“We would call on more landlords and advice and support agencies to sign up and show they put tenants first and people before profits.”
Selective licencing is not about improving Anti Social Behaviour in towns and cities, nor does it tackle the issues with the minimal problems aimed at private landlords. In reality it punishes the majority of good private landlords under the guise of improvements, by charging a levy. Yet the issues generally lay with social housing, student housing and block management. Statistics are used by councils to lump all these issues together, but when they are broken down the private sector is usually the least to blame yet the other sectors are not included in the licencing. In recent studies the majority of tenants in the private sector, more than 95% are happy with the conditions of the property they rent, so what is the real motive and what will the money be used for? Usually to employ more inspectors to check on the private landlords. Why are the real areas of concern never addressed and a paint brush used by local councils to blame private landlords, whose self interest is simply to increase their budgets and staffing levels. There is a system in place for all councils in dealing with these issues and as long as tenants are made aware of the powers of the local council and the council react correctly, then why is there a need for licencing? Councils are really happy to tackle the private landlord sector but see how they fail to react when the issue is with block management or social housing incidents? They generally run for cover and state its outside their remit. Its bullying on a grand scale, because in our system of politics we do not want ordinary people to be successful landlords. Its time that the 4 million or so there is of us had a positive and collective voice.
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There is no need for selective licensing and where it has been taken up has not improved anything but the bank balance of the local authority and political ideology.
There are so many laws and regulations controlling the rented sector, so what they really are saying is they have been negligent in controls/enforcement and wish to smoke screen ‘licensing’ will make a difference. Will it?
Would some care to guess since licensing in other parts of the country, how many landlords have been banned and of those that have had enforcement orders, were covered by regulations that had nothing to do with a licence!
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If I had the patience I would clear my cache and upvote this 100 times.
100% agree with every word.
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Big smiley
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