News from the Residential Property Investor, the bi-monthly magazine for RLA members other artilces from the December 2000 / January 2001 issue RPI news archive

CIEH campaigns for HMO licensing move - December 2000 / January 2001

Licensing of houses in multiple occupancy has been put back until at least 2002, according to the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health.

It has complained about Government failure to follow through with proposals contained in a consultation paper on the subject. Comments were required by July 1999.

And it is 'extremely disappointed' that the Department for the Environment Transport and the Regions had not used a model licensing scheme it had devised to speed up introduction of licensing.

'We would like to see an HMO licensing scheme introduced as soon as possible', said CIEH assistant secretary Andrew Griffiths.

Licensing of HMOs was a manifesto promise that is yet to see any chance of implementation, said the institution.

'According to the DETR over 1.5m people in England live in HMOs which represent some of the highest levels of despair and unfitness in the private rented sector', it said.

* A thriving private rented market in Edinburgh may be under threat from legislation set to come into effect two years from now, according to Breamore Property Management. Its concern is that property with three or more unrelated people residents will be classed as HMOs under Scottish legislation ­ which will mean both planning permission and a licence from the City Council will be required. The costs involved are likely to prove too costly for some landlords, said Breamore. Come 2002, three quarters of the homes under its management will be affected by the new laws, it said.
 

other artilces from the December 2000 / January 2001 issue

• Increasing costs
• Call for crisis talks on benefit delays
• Compensation not small beer
• Action taken on allocation and Ads
• CIEH campaigns for HMO licensing move
• Landlord sent for sentencing
• In brief
• Stamp duty waiver
• Repairs countdown