Tougher rules on the way for private landlords

The selective licensing scheme will be implemented in a part of East Marsh

Tougher rules for private landlords are to be introduced in a part of Grimsby.

Landlords will be expected to pay a fee to be able to rent out a property and must meet certain housing standards as part of the selective licensing scheme.

North East Lincolnshire Council hoped to introduce the programme in an area of East Marsh within six months in a bid to tackle poor housing conditions and deprivation.

But Chris Norris, policy director at the National Residential Landlords Association, said the measures "act as a tax on good landlords" while "failing to address the rogue and criminal landlords who need to be driven out of the private rented sector".

A meeting of the council's cabinet on 20 August heard that payments of between £899 and £1,284 over a five-year period were suggested, but feedback during a 10-week consultation process claimed that was too high.

Discounts of 10% for landlords who applied for licences early are now planned, funded by higher fees for those who "fail to apply in a timely way".

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, no additional revenue will be generated from the programme.

The scheme will cover the area from Durban Road to part of the A180 Cleethorpe Road, and from Victor Street to Park Street.

Cooper Road, Fairmont Road and Columbia Road have been removed from the scheme following the consultation.

Cabinet member Stewart Swinburn supports the scheme

East Marsh is in the top 1% of the most deprived wards in the country.

Stewart Swinburn, a Conservative and the council's portfolio holder for housing, said: "We have listened to people in East Marsh, and they want better living conditions. They want to sleep safely in their beds and to not have to worry about poor housing conditions or high crime.

"Selective licensing will enable conditions for good and sustainable homes, allowing residents to live a healthy life."

The scheme will require landlords to take reasonable steps to stop anti-social behaviour in their properties.

Mr Norris said that while selective licensing could "provide an effective way to deal with very specific issues across a small area", it distracted from "rooting out those individuals who have no place in the rental market".

He added: "At a time when the private rented sector is experiencing an unprecedented shortfall in the number of available homes for rent, we urge councils to ensure they don't take steps which will further reduce the supply of desperately needed homes."

A similar scheme is weeks away from starting in parts of Scunthorpe.

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