Propertymark is calling for discretionary local landlord licensing schemes to be scrapped once the new national rental property register is fully operational.
The trade body argues that requiring landlords to comply with both national registration and separate council licensing schemes risks duplicating costs and administration without necessarily improving enforcement.
The Government’s Register your rental property service begins its regional rollout on 15 December, starting in the West Midlands, with landlords paying an annual £65 fee for each property registered.
All actively let properties in England are ultimately required to join the national system, which is designed to give councils better information to identify non-compliance and target enforcement.
LICENSING COSTS
Propertymark’s new position paper examines selective and additional licensing schemes and argues that enforcement should take priority over processing applications and paperwork.
It says licensing fees can exceed £1,000 per property in some areas, meaning costs can reach tens of thousands of pounds for larger portfolios.
The organisation also highlights pressures on council enforcement, citing evidence that around two-thirds of English local authorities had not prosecuted a landlord during the previous three years despite councils receiving an estimated 300,000 complaints about property conditions annually.
More than 84% of councils have also reported difficulties recruiting environmental health professionals.
Tim Thomas (main picture, inset), Senior Policy and Campaigns Officer at Propertymark, says: “Landlords should be able to see a clear connection between the fees they pay and the improvements being delivered in their local housing market.
“The priority must be enforcement. A licensing system should not become an end in itself, particularly where councils already have extensive powers to identify and act against unsafe or poorly managed housing.”
NATIONAL DATABASE
Propertymark wants the national register to become councils’ primary source of landlord and property information, removing the need for landlords and agents to repeatedly submit information already held centrally.
It is also calling for a national cap limiting the proportion of licensing fees spent on initial administration to 20%, greater transparency over how fees are spent and more investment in environmental health officers.
Propertymark ultimately wants discretionary local licensing removed once the national database is fully operational, with councils instead using national data to target higher-risk and non-compliant landlords.
Thomas adds: “The launch of the national landlord registration service is an important opportunity to reset how the private rented sector is regulated.
“Responsible landlords should not be required to repeatedly provide the same information to different authorities while councils struggle to find the resources to inspect properties and take action against rogue operators.
“The UK Government now has an opportunity to make the national database the foundation of a smarter enforcement system – using national data to identify risk, removing unnecessary duplication and directing resources towards landlords who are breaking the law.
“We support strong regulation and high standards, but regulation must be proportionate, effective and deliver value for money for renters, landlords and taxpayers.”
