Some private landlords have not yet applied for a licence under a council plan to ensure a "decent standard" of housing for tenants. Ashfield District Council is bringing in a new selective licensing scheme in which private landlords have to obtain a licence or risk being prosecuted.
A previous scheme ran for five years and the current one has been expanded to cover a wider area in Stanton Hill and Sutton Central. As part of that, landlords have to apply for a licence by Tuesday, October 25, but Ashfield District Council says that some have not yet come forward.
Paul Parkinson, the director of housing and assets at Ashfield District Council, said: "At this stage most landlords within the licencing area have registered their properties, but time is running out for those few that have not. The last five years have proved a huge success under the previous scheme and we hope those improvements will continue to be made under this new scheme."
READ MORE: Concern plan for 30-bed HMO will make road 'too cramped'
Mr Parkinson added: "The vast majority of private landlords who rent out properties in the district operate within the law and look after their tenants, but there are some who fail to provide housing to a decent standard. Selective licensing is an important tool that allows us to make improvements to, and regulate, the private housing in the areas which it is applied to."
Ashfield's latest scheme came following a consultation with the public. Licensing schemes have been introduced by several councils across the country and Nottingham City Council also introduced one in 2018 to crack down on bad landlords who leave properties in unsafe conditions. But such measures have proved controversial, and, in Nottingham, it's been claimed some landlords are 'selling up' in large numbers because of the fee introduced by the city council brought in as part of the scheme.
READ NEXT:
