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The government’s “real estate portal” national landlord registration system, introduced as part of the Tenant Reform Bill, should work alongside, rather than replace, the selective licensing system.
The think tank Center for London said national landlord registers and selective local licenses could complement each other as they serve different functions.
The former should be open in design, adaptive and effective for local governments to save time in identifying landlords and focus parliamentary resources on enforcement.
“The Tenant Reform Bill has the potential to be the biggest step forward for tenants’ rights in a generation, but it alone will exacerbate problems in the city of London,” said John Tavusch, senior fellow at the Center for London. It’s not enough to deal with.” Private rental sector.
“Our research highlights the value of central government and parliament working together to identify rogue landlords and strengthen enforcement capacity to deal with them.
“With more and more Londoners having to enter the rental market in order to live in the city, ensuring that people enter the rental market in a safe and secure environment is critical to safeguarding London’s future. It’s extremely important.”
According to London think tank Center for London, a study found that the city council is currently less aggressive in improving housing quality and needs to make greater use of selective property licenses to protect tenants. means.
About 1 in 5 (20%) private rental housing does not meet basic housing standards.
The report therefore recommends that the government should restore the authority to design and implement selective licensing schemes to local governments, regardless of the size of the scheme.
The argument is that Congress knows best its own area and how to approach housing issues in that area.
London’s City Council has already succeeded in improving housing conditions through selective licensing, according to the think tank.
The London Center said the government should also invest in local government housing enforcement officers.
They should increase funding for apprenticeships and postgraduate training, as well as explore the possibility of residential skill centers to train future executive officers.
Chief of Staff Kevin Limbuzzy, Minister for Community Security at the Waltham Forest Council, said: “Too many private rental tenants in London are experiencing unsafe conditions in their homes. Waltham Forest’s property licensing scheme It has helped improve thousands of properties, protecting people from problems such as aging and dampness, falsified gas safety certificates, and unsafe building work.
“This study highlights the importance of large-scale real estate licensing schemes in providing local governments with a regulatory framework to intervene to improve the standards and management practices of the private rental sector at the required level. .
“Despite these successes, current rules require that applications to the Secretary of State be filed every five years to renew the scheme. Better to focus on helping landlords directly.”
While the capital already has a successful real estate licensing scheme, the Center argues that its use in London is being constrained by central government legislation.
The Minister for Housing is now required to approve selective licensing schemes covering at least 20% of the governorate. This would require parliament to spend hundreds of thousands of pounds and years of official time to approve the application.
The government’s new Tenant Reform Bill aims to improve the private rental sector with additional regulations. In particular, a “real estate portal”, or national landlord registry plan, will allow renters to check whether their landlords are complying with legal requirements.
While the think tank supports this and the bill’s broader aim of enforcing higher standards in the rental market, the report makes clear that such portals cannot replace selective and appropriate licensing. is. Rather, it should be viewed as a complementary tool that works in parallel.
The Center’s research found that a licensing scheme could offer more meaningful protection to tenants beyond the proposed National Landlord Register.
The licensing system allows Congress to set legally enforceable standards to improve housing for people. An example of this is the ability to conduct unannounced on-site inspections of private rental properties.
While the National Head Register can only provide basic information about all private rental properties and their landlords, the Selective Property Licensing Scheme gives access to more in-depth technical details and a large amount of information about landlords.
Licensing criteria include having a gas safety certificate and whether the landlord has shared criminal record details. Landlord fees are calculated to fund more staff to operate and enforce the scheme. Evidence shows that areas where these policies have been implemented have resulted in higher property standards and reduced anti-social behavior.
With housing in short supply despite high demand, too many Londoners are living in houses they don’t deserve. The situation is exacerbated because local governments do not have the tools they need to combat rogue landlords in their areas and maintain decent housing standards. More than half of London renters have experienced their landlord failing to make necessary repairs.
Local governments need the support of the central government so they can use selective licenses to enforce high standards and protect tenants. This will be one of the most effective ways of dealing with inadequate housing conditions in London’s private rental sector.
Newham Mayor Roxana Fears OBE said: “We know London is facing an ongoing housing crisis and Newham residents are on the brink. That’s why this astute report published by the London Centre. We welcome the letter and its welcome recommendations.”
“Too many residents in our borough are suffering from a devastating housing crisis due to affordable housing, high rents and the anxiety faced by renters.
“There are 37,000 people on our housing list, 7,000 families are in temporary housing, and more than half of the population now lives in the private rental sector, making them particularly vulnerable in the face of a cost of living crisis. has become.”