Chinks have appeared in one of the UK’s best relationships between a local authority and private residential landlords.

And one of the country’s leading professional associations for landlords has been left wondering what happened.

While some local authorities have an uneasy relationship with private landlords, Blackpool looked to be leading the way.

Over the last eight years council officials worked with the local Landlords’ Forum, established a successful accreditation scheme, consulted over the recent implementation of the Government’s controversial Housing Act and the Council even took out associate membership of the Residential Landlords Association.

But this summer local landlords discovered, almost by accident, that the accreditation scheme had been “unilaterally terminated” … and promised consultation over the fee level for registering houses in multiple occupation never materialised.

Instead, the £800 fee was “slipped in” and approved during the Council’s summer recess - and landlords were informed after the event.

“We just don’t know what happened or why,” says Blackpool landlord Lee Dribben, a director of the Residential Landlords Association. “It’s a mysterious u-turn from an authority with which we have built one of the best relationships of its kind in the UK. Now it all seems to be breaking down … and we don’t know why.”

John McGlynn, vice chair of the Landlords’ Forum had received, he says, “unequivocal assurance that there would be ‘full consultation’ over the licensing fee. Then, with no warning, they reneged on this and decided an issue that affects 19% of private housing in Blackpool and will generate between £1.2 and £1.6 million income for themselves.

“I have no argument with the principle of licensing landlords, any more than I do with the town’s taxi drivers, public houses and hotels, but we are so disappointed that everything we have worked for, with the local Council, seems to be falling to pieces.”

Now the Residential Landlords Association is stepping in and pressing Blackpool Council for an explanation in the hope of rebuilding the relationship.

“Blackpool Council has a long tradition of working in partnership with local landlords,” says Chris Town, Chairman of the Residential Landlords Association - whose members own over 100,000 private rented properties throughout the UK.

“Earlier this year the Landlord Liaison Manager, Lorayne Ferguson, was quoted in one of our press releases, saying how the Council was ‘always looking for ways to promote a healthy private rented sector’.

“We just can’t let that sort of relationship go to the wall.”