Issue - meetings

To consider the report of the Assistant Director Environment.

Scrutiny Committee – Community considered the report at its meeting on 17 June 2014 and its comments will be reported.

The report of the Assistant Director Housing was submitted, seeking Members approval to enter into a 10 week consultation period with relevant stakeholders on a proposal to extend the principles of Mandatory Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) Licensing, currently operated by Exeter City Council, through the introduction of an Additional Licensing Scheme covering specific types of HMOs.  The results of the consultation would be brought back to Scrutiny Committee – Community and Executive later in the year.

In response to a Member’s question, the Environmental Health Manager stated that this proposal would generate income which would cover the resource costs to administer this scheme.

The Portfolio Holder for Housing and Customer Access welcomed this proposal to work with landlords to protect Exeter’s most vulnerable tenants.

Scrutiny Committee – Community considered the report at its meeting on 17 June 2014 and the comments of the Members were noted.

RESOLVED that:-

(1)          a formal 10 week consultation period be entered into with relevant stakeholders, particularly landlords, tenants, partner agencies and the public at large; and 

(2)          the outcome of the consultation with any recommendations as to whether or not Additional Licensing should be progressed be the subject of a further report to Scrutiny Committee – Community and Executive in November 2014.

To consider the report of the Assistant Director Housing.

The Assistant Director Housing presented the report seeking approval to enter into a ten week consultation period with relevant stakeholders on a proposal to extend the principles of Mandatory HMO Licensing, currently operated by Exeter City Council, through the introduction of an Additional Licensing Scheme covering specific types of HMOs. 

There were some 2,500 HMOs in Exeter of which about 700 were covered by the Mandatory Licensing Scheme introduced nationally in 2006. Mandatory licensing was restricted to three or more storeys with five or more tenants, typically shared houses occupied by students and properties that had been split into bedsits. Mandatory licensing did not cover rented properties in buildings which had been poorly converted into self contained flats or to the majority of flats in multiple occupation above commercial premises. A significant proportion of these posed an increased risk in respect of fire safety and were frequently associated with poor management and anti social behaviour. Introduction of additional licensing would assist in tackling these problems and further the Council’s objectives of improving standards in the private rented sector. This proposal would also generate income and therefore help defray the significant resource cost required to address these problems.

A Member welcomed these proposals, confirming that some multi-occupied properties, including student occupied buildings, caused significant problems and were very poorly maintained.

Scrutiny Committee - Community supported the report and requested Executive to:-

(1)        enter into a formal 10 week consultation period with relevant stakeholders, particularly landlords, tenants, partner agencies and the public at large; and

(2)        support the submission of a further report on the outcome of the consultation to this Committee and Executive in November 2014, the report to also provide recommendations as to whether or not additional Licensing should be progressed.