A new selective licensing scheme to tackle the poor conditions of some privately rented properties in the central area of Blackpool has been approved.
The scheme has received approval by the Secretary of State following a 10 week consultation with a range of stakeholders across the town including tenants and landlords, where 61.2% of tenants and 18.8% of landlords were in favour of the proposal.
The selective licensing scheme includes the inner area of Blackpool, covering the eight inner wards of Bloomfield, Brunswick, Claremont, Talbot, Tyldesley, Warbreck, Waterloo and Victoria, which covers approximately 11,000 privately rented properties.
Selective licensing aims to improve housing standards in the area by addressing poor management practices being offered by some private landlords.
SCHEME HITS ALL LANDLORDS
Under the scheme, all landlords within the designated area will be required to adhere to a number of licence conditions around property management, tenancy management and fire safety.
Every house, flat or room that is used as private rented accommodation within the designated area is required to apply for a licence, subject to the relevant exemptions, when the scheme begins on 1 April 2025.
FEES
The standard licence fee for a single dwelling starts from £347 for the full five year period of the scheme, making it just £69.40 per year for a single dwelling.
Significant discounts are included in this fee for landlords meeting the Blackpool standard and those applying early, within the first 3 months of the scheme starting.
The licence fee for a single dwelling increases to £772 for landlords not meeting the Blackpool standard or eligible for any of the other discounts.
SELF-FINANCING
The selective licensing scheme will be self-financing. No profit is generated for the council because of the scheme. The fees for the licence go back into running the scheme and supporting landlords as much as possible.
The need for improvements to housing in this area was also highlighted in the Decent Homes Enforcement Pilot taking place in the town. 679 inspections were carried out during the first year of the pilot, with 67% of those properties containing at least one Category 1 hazard.
The selective licensing scheme will allow for more resource to inspect properties, helping to improve and raise standards of rental properties on offer in the inner area of town.
IMPROVING HOUSING
Cllr Mark Smith, Blackpool Council’s Cabinet Member for Economy and Built Environment, says: “We are committed to improving housing conditions across the town, ensuring private rented homes are safe and provide a good standard of living for residents.
“While we recognise that many landlords provide accommodation far above and beyond the minimum standards required by law in Blackpool, unfortunately there are many properties that fall below acceptable standards.
“There is a strong link between poor housing standards and deprivation.
“The new selective licensing scheme will help tackle the high levels of deprivation in the designated area due to poorly maintained private rented properties.”
WORK WITH LANDLORDS
And he adds: “We want to work with landlords and support them to make the necessary improvements to meet the Blackpool standards that our residents deserve.
“While we recognise that many landlords provide accommodation far above and beyond the minimum standards required by law in Blackpool, unfortunately there are many properties that fall below acceptable standards.
“There is a strong link between poor housing standards and deprivation. The new selective licensing scheme will help tackle the high levels of deprivation in the designated area due to poorly maintained private rented properties.
“We want to work with landlords and support them to make the necessary improvements to meet the Blackpool standards that our residents deserve.”
