Landlords in Charnwood are invited to a virtual forum to find out about and give their views on two proposed licensing schemes.

The borough Council is proposing to introduce two different licensing schemes for private landlords. The aim is to improve the quality of privately-rented accommodation and reduce its impact on the local community.

The event will be held online via the ZOOM platform on Monday, 5 October at 1.30 pm and you can sign up online. The event will be facilitated by DASH Landlord Accreditation  

One licensing scheme is for any house in multiple occupation (HMO) which does not already hold a mandatory licence; the other focuses on privately-rented accommodation within a designated area and aims to improve standards.

‘Additional licensing’ will require HMO landlords not covered by the mandatory scheme to apply for a licence. This scheme will cover all HMOs occupied by three or more unrelated persons and buildings converted into self-contained flats where they are occupied by tenants.

The second ‘selective licensing’ scheme requires all landlords operating within a designated area to licence their property. The Council is looking initially to introduce this scheme in the Hastings and Lemyngton wards in Loughborough.

There will be a range of conditions attached to each of the proposed licences which will last for five years.

Landlords will be responsible for paying for the licence and any income generated from the fees will only be used to cover the scheme’s running costs.

The online consultations are now open and will run until 23 October.

The Virtual Landlords Forum is being hosted by Charnwood Borough Council and is open to landlords to give their views on two proposed licensing schemes.

The forum will include representatives from the borough council, DASH and the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA)

Cllr Paul Mercer, lead member for private housing said:

“We have a lot of good landlords in across Charnwood who understand their responsibilities and care about their tenants but there are also some properties which are of poor quality and badly managed. They can have an adverse impact on the local neighbourhood, with issues such as anti-social behaviour, higher levels of crime and lowering demand for housing.

“The proposed licensing schemes will be looking to address these issues and ensure landlords meet the conditions of the licences.

“I would encourage residents, landlords and local businesses to read the draft policy documents and give their views in the online survey.”

To sign up to the forum, please visit  https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/virtual-forum-for-landlords-in-charnwood-on-licensing-consultation-tickets-123155380057