The official deadline to apply for a licence was on 1st August and has now passed. So what does this mean for you if you haven’t yet got a licence?
We’ve written quite a lot about the selective licensing scheme over the past 16 months, but to summarise, the aim behind the scheme is to ‘raise the standards in Nottingham for the privately rented sector, and to ensure that all tenants living in them are able to enjoy a safe, comfortable and well managed home’. The licence costs £780 per property and applies to any landlord with rental properties in the affected areas, unless you already have a HMO licence.
Discounted licence rates are available for landlords who obtain a Nottingham Standard DASH accreditation, however it’s worth noting that it could actually cost you more to become accredited with DASH which would offset the implied financial benefit of the discount. Read more about DASH here.
We understand that for many of our brilliant landlords, this is quite a blow, especially when the rental houses are up to a fantastic standard already. We have attended multiple council meetings, organised our own meeting with the head of Nottingham housing and disputed the arrangements with the council – however the plans are set in stone, and have already been implemented.
Have you already checked? Is your property in the Selective Licensing area?
Do you own rental properties in any of the following areas?
Arboretum, Bestwood, Bulwell, Bulwell Forest, Basford, Berridge, Bridge, Clifton North, Clifton South, Dales, Dunkirk and Lenton, Leen Valley, Mapperley, Radford and Park, Sherwood, St Ann’s, Wollaton East and Lenton Abbey.
The easiest way to know for sure, whether your property is affected by the licensing requirements is to visit the link here and input the postcode of your rental property.
What are the penalties for not having applied for a licence before the 1st August deadline?
After 1st August 2018, Landlords with unlicensed rented properties can face a financial penalty notice of up to £30,000 or an unlimited fine from the court. You could also have control of your unlicensed properties taken away from you, and be ordered to repay up to 12 months’ rent to ourselves or your tenants.
How can Belvoir Help?
Missed the deadline and need an extension?
Working closely with the licensing department from the out-set and because of the large amount of properties/licences we already have to process on behalf of our landlords, Nottingham City Council has granted us an extension up until 1st October 2018, which means that if you apply for a licence through Belvoir between now and the 1st October, you will be able to benefit from our extension and ensure that you can still become licensed after the 1st August deadline.
If you wish to benefit from this facility, we can apply on your behalf, although, this is subject to the property already meeting the conditions/standards of our managed portfolio. Call us on 0115 985 9259
Missed the deadline because you need help with your application?
If you’re struggling to make sense of the application or are unsure on what you should be doing we can help by applying for you.
Overseas Landlords
Landlords living overseas with rental properties in Nottingham will not be able to qualify for a licence, this is because the documents are legal documents and cannot be enforced by the courts if served abroad.
If you choose to apply for a licence through Belvoir, rather than nominating a ‘license holder’, then we will be able to take on this responsibility for you, but only under a fully managed service basis.
How has your Letting Agent helped you with Selective Licensing?
Only just hearing about this now? Don’t feel like you’ve been supported throughout your process? What is your agent doing to ensure that you’re remaining compliant throughout the 5 years that your licence is valid for?
The deadline may have passed, but we can still apply on your behalf and you could be granted an extension.
Any questions regarding the scheme you may have, we are always happy to talk through with you, we have also linked to the official council guides to the selective licensing scheme here which covers a great deal.
