What is a licence

The Housing Act 2004 requires local authorities to licence privately rented dwellings in three categories:

  • Mandatory licensing of houses in multiple occupation (HMO) with five or more people and two or more households
  • Additional licensing of HMOs excluded from the above
  • Selective licensing of other private dwellings where the local authority considers it will benefit tenants and communities, in areas of low demand and/or areas with problems of anti-social behaviour

At present Salford City Council only operates two of the schemes, Mandatory HMO and Selective Licensing

Why introduce licensing

Licensing has been introduced to:

  • Tackle the issue of anti-social behaviour - crime/vandalism
  • Deal with the issue of low demand - area decline/area abandonment
  • Reduce the risk of fire in a house in multiple occupation
  • Support inexperienced landlords
  • Engage with those landlords who's management arrangements are unsatisfactory

What are the benefits of licensing?

The benefits of licensing are:

  • Reduce anti-social behaviour
  • Support and training for responsible landlords
  • Halt area decline
  • Better housing standards for private tenants
  • Benefit to wider community and business
  • Long term economic benefits
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