Labour's devolution plans could make it easier for councils to take horror homes off rogue landlords

Councils have been given more freedom to crackdown on rogue landlords through government devolution plans.

New devolution guidance for local authorities means that they no longer need to seek approval from housing secretary Angela Rayner to introduce a selective licensing scheme.

The scheme requires landlords to have a license to let properties in a specific area, requiring them to meet requirements such as dealing with disrepair or serious hazards such as leaks or pest infestations promptly.

The penalty for failing to comply with the regulations could see local authorities even remove properties from landlords to manage themselves.

The government’s devolution move to make it easier to introduce licensing schemes comes after campaigning from Citizens UK and the Renters Reform Coalition to prevent government ministers from being able to veto schemes covering more than 20% of the local authority area.

Lucy Tiller, policy and public affairs manager at Renters Reform Coalition, said: “This is good news – landlord licensing schemes are a crucial line of defence for renters, and we’ve long been calling for the government to make it easier for councils to set them up.

“Private renting is different everywhere, so it’s really important councils are empowered to drive up standards and tackle the unique challenges in their areas.”

Citizens UK said it had been campaigning to improve conditions for renters since 2015, leading to the implementation of selective licensing schemes in five London boroughs and in Nottingham.

Mathew Bolton, Citizens UK executive director, said: “We’ve seen too many rogue landlords take advantage of people’s need for a home and forcing them and their families to live in unthinkable conditions. The home should be a place of safety and security, but sadly this is not the reality for many renters in our membership and across the country.

“This new development will increase the power of councils to help protect local people from poor living conditions and hold landlords to accountability for maintaining standards. We’ll continue this important work to ensure everyone in the UK has access to fair, safe and more affordable housing.”

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Big Issue covered the use of a selective licensing scheme in Merton, south London, earlier this year.

The local authority used powers granted under the Housing Act 2004 to take 18 properties off a rogue landlord who refused to carry out repairs for 12 months.

That interim management order meant rent paid by tenants would be used to fix up the properties while renters were also blocked from being evicted.

Councillor Andrew Judge, Merton’s cabinet member of housing and sustainable development, told Big Issue he had found that the powers to set up a selective licensing scheme are underutilised by councils.

The government devolution changes may open the door for more local authorities to take action to protect renters.

“I think all councils have been reluctant to be innovative in the use of powers. That’s not provable but it’s an impression certainly I’ve had. Also these powers are not easy to discern,” he told the Big Issue.

“But I think they’re quite powerful and I hope that, through our example, it will encourage other councils who face similar issues. I think on a moral and political level, councils need to be doing that as best they can.”

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