Conclusion
The HMO licensing scheme has started well with an improvement in the compliance rates with licence conditions. However there are still some properties where conditions are below the minimum standard across the city. The Council have recently had a citywide selective licensing scheme approved which will mean that any privately rented home in the city will require a property licence to operate from 1 September 2022. Other Local Authorities who have introduced selective licensing have seen an impact on HMO licensing, in that unlicensed HMOs are discovered leading to more enforcement action and licence applications, it is clear that this may be the case in the city as we move forward with citywide property licensing.
