Landlords 'may sell up' due to tougher rules

A discarded mattress partially blocks an alleyway which allows access to the rear of properties

After a council announced a date when it would introduce tougher rules for private landlords, aimed at improving housing standards and cracking down on antisocial behaviour, BBC reporter Naj Modak took a walk through the affected area.

Strolling through the rows of terraced houses and back alleys of the vibrant and diverse Crosby and Park and Town wards in Scunthorpe on a Wednesday evening, it did not take long before I had to step around household waste and other litter.

As I bent down to take a picture of some rubbish, a resident who was initially concerned I may be littering told me the council had recently cleared some of it.

However, he said: "Just you wait until the weekend" for more rubbish to appear.

A council sign in the Crosby and Park ward warning against fly-tipping reads "No rubbish excuses"

Over the past few years, I have attended public meetings where residents and landlords had asked the local authority and the police to do more to tackle antisocial behaviour and fly-tipping.

Since then, North Lincolnshire Council introduced measures including Public Space Protection Orders to help with enforcement through fines, supported by Humberside Police.

The authority said it intended to introduce a Selective Licensing scheme on 6 October.

It means landlords of 1,230 privately rented homes in the Crosby and Park and Town wards will have to pay a minimum of £955 to obtain a licence.

While some local people supported the scheme, there was also concern a "sledgehammer approach" targeting landlords was not the solution.

Gurch Singh, chair of the Scunthorpe Landlords Association (SLA), said it was "frustrating" that a "poorly justified" scheme would go ahead.

Conservative councillor Richard Hannigan, deputy leader of the council, described the scheme as a "fundamental intervention in delivering a safe and healthy place to flourish".

Household waste left at the side of another alleyway in the area

The council was unable to introduce the scheme as planned in March, due to a legal challenge by SLA which failed.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, under Selective Licensing, private renting landlords in an area covered by the scheme have to get a licence from the council to be able to rent out a property.

The licence involves a fee payable to the council and compliance with a number of housing standards rules.

The council said, where it has concerns about non-compliance, management of the property or the behaviour of the licence holder, it may choose to apply an additional annual fee of £340.

SLA's legal challenge was dismissed on 29 May and it was ordered to pay £10,000 in legal costs.

Mr Singh said, by using a "sledgehammer approach to target landlords, it failed to address root problems" linked to antisocial behaviour due to poverty.

In an area of low rent and low property values, landlords would now have to absorb the additional cost, he said.

"It will reduce the properties available and push rental prices up," he added.

He said, instead, the council should focus on tackling antisocial behaviour.

A discarded bed and mattress along with other litter left in an alleyway

Hannigan said the council talked about introducing Selective Licensing in 2017, but instead introduced a voluntary scheme to encourage landlords to raise standards.

"Sadly, there's not been an improvement. In fact, if anything, the housing stock has deteriorated," he said.

The licence scheme gained cross-party support.

Labour councillor for Crosby and Park ward Christine O'Sullivan said her family roots in the area dated back to the 1850s.

She supported the scheme and said although landlords "can't be there 24/7," they could keep a watch on their tenants and educate them.

"We all need to work together to improve things for everyone," she said.

If the scheme is a success it could be rolled out across part of the nearby Frodingham ward, the council said.

Items of furniture partially block a pavement in the ward

Resident Brian Bennett said he complained to letting agents about rental properties on his street but did not get a good response.

He said: "That's why I felt very strongly that this Selective Licensing should go ahead.

"Landlords should be taking responsibility for their tenants and properties."

Mr Bennett added: "Let's look at the bigger picture and work out as to why the area has become a dump with all the constant fly-tipping."

Bob Riach, director of Riach Financial based in the Town ward, said: "The area needs cleaning up and properties bringing up to standard, but not all landlords are the same. There are some very good landlords."

He said the scheme assumes a landlord has lots of money but many cannot afford the registration fees because they are not all making "big profits".

Mr Riach said: "I believe that several landlords will sell and the new licences will put off new landlords."

He said landlords provide a service when there is a shortage of social housing.

As I walked through the ward to get back to my car, I saw people socialising on the street and children playing in the alleys not far from the litter.

I wonder when I visit again, after the new rules have come into effect, whether the area will be tidier.

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