Thousands more face £1,000 license in crackdown on rogue landlords

A council is moving to force licenses for thousands more HMOs in a bid to drive out rogue landlords. Sandwell Council plans to extend the network so that landlords with smaller houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) will be required to apply for a £1,000 licence.

The district-wide scheme aims to improve standards and safety in HMOs and tackle anti-social behaviour, according to the council. The new rules would see HMOs in Sandwell with three or more people now require a £1,000 five-year licence. HMOs with five or more people already require a license from the council.

An estimated 3,000 properties would require a license under the new rules, according to Sandwell Council. A report, which will be discussed by the council’s cabinet on June 19, said: “Our aim is that over the five-year period the licensing scheme will improve living conditions, reduce significant persistent problems caused by anti-social behaviour, including modern – day slavery and human trafficking and (result in) increasing the number of good owners and eliminating dishonest owners”.

HMOs are properties containing three or more people forming two or more households where facilities such as kitchens and bathrooms are shared. The license requires owners to keep their property properly managed, safe and well maintained, and to deal with any problems associated with the property such as littering, unkempt gardens or anti-social behaviour.

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“The borough has experienced a major increase in private rented accommodation in some areas and it is recognized that there are landlords and agents who are not providing adequate accommodation or managing their properties,” the cabinet report continues. “This poor management of properties has a significant impact on people’s lives and the resources of the council and partners in tackling issues such as anti-social behaviour, littering, property condition concerns and harassment and illegal evictions.

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“The council has implemented a range of powers and approaches to try to tackle many of these issues, including additional licensing in parts of West Bromwich, but ongoing pressures are such that an extension of this approach is considered necessary. ” Sandwell Council has agreed to introduce similar measures on HMOs in West Bromwich in 2022, but the regulations will now be extended to the whole borough.

The council will double the number of staff dealing with additional HMO applications from two to four. However, the cabinet report also highlights the risk of the council costing more money in compliance and enforcement costs if there is low take-up by landlords – as seen over the past two years in West Bromwich.

Sandwell Council’s cabinet is meeting in Oldbury on June 19 to discuss the plans.