Blackpool Council has warned landlords they face prosecution and fines if they fail to obtain proper licensing for rental properties, nearly a year after introducing a selective licensing scheme for the town’s inner area.
More than half of an estimated 9,000 homes covered by the scheme have now registered with the local authority. However, thousands of properties remain unlicensed, prompting the council to issue enforcement warnings to non-compliant landlords.
Licensing compliance
Of the properties that have registered, 30% meet the council’s ‘Blackpool Standard’ for property management, which sets higher requirements for housing quality and tenancy management. Half of all registered landlords qualified for scheme discounts by holding Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) ratings of C or higher.
The council has urged tenants to verify whether their homes should be licensed and to check if landlords have paid the required fees.
Paula Burdess, Cabinet Member for Community Safety, Street Scene and Neighbourhoods for Blackpool Council, said: “We know that a great many landlords in our town provide a decent standard of housing for residents, as evidenced in the hundreds of homes which meet our high Blackpool Standard.”
She added: “But there are still many people living in poor housing. Tenants can ask their landlords if their home has been licensed, and if it meets the higher Blackpool Standard.”
Council priorities
Burdess stated that improving housing standards represents a key priority for the council. “We want selective licensing to not just improve the private rented sector but improve neighbourhoods too,” she said.
The council cited previous licensing schemes as having reduced anti-social behaviour in affected neighbourhoods. Officials expect the current scheme to encourage longer tenancies and improve community stability by raising property standards across the private rental sector.
Landlords who fail to obtain the required licences now face formal enforcement action, including potential prosecution and financial penalties from the local authority.