Residents, tenants, landlords, and letting agents have a final chance to have their say on a consultation into a newly proposed licensing scheme for landlords renting out shared houses in Nottingham.
The City Council’s consultation opened on 1 March 2023 and closes at midnight on Wednesday 24 May 2023. The council wants to hear views on proposals to introduce a new five-year Additional HMO Licensing Scheme for Houses in Multiple Occupation (or shared houses). The current scheme will soon come to an end and the City Council is now looking to consult on a new scheme covering the whole city – which could run for a further five years from January 2024.
Additional Licensing is a scheme that applies to privately rented Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) or shared houses and requires landlords to have a licence for rented properties where either three or four people, who are not related, live together and share facilities like bathrooms and kitchens.
The scheme aims to help ensure safe and decent standards in these homes and contribute to raising the standards of privately rented homes in the city overall. Landlords would be required to apply for a licence, which can last up to five years, for each HMO property they rent out.
Larger HMO properties shared by five or more people are covered by a different scheme – Mandatory Licensing, which is a national scheme.
Councillor Jay Hayes, the City Council’s Portfolio Holder for Housing, said: “This housing licensing scheme, along with others, is a major part of our plans to improve all types of privately rented housing in the city.
“We believe people renting privately have a right to expect a decent standard of accommodation, which is safe, well managed and maintained. Poor housing conditions and poor property management can have a serious impact on people’s health and well-being, as well as causing problems for local neighbourhoods that see higher crime and anti-social behaviour rates.
“The council believes the introduction of a new licensing scheme would not only bring benefits for tenants and local communities but also landlords who, by obtaining a licence, will be able to clearly demonstrate to prospective tenants that they meet required standards.”
The consultation on the new scheme will be open until midnight on May 24th – the final opportunity for tenants, landlords, and letting agents to have their say on the proposal.
A report of the findings of the consultation will be presented to Nottingham City Council Executive Board where a decision will be made on whether to proceed with the scheme at this stage.
To find out more information and have your say on the current proposals visit: www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/additionalhmosurvey . To request a paper survey, email hmo@nottinghamcity.gov.uk.