Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether the Government plans to allow local authorities to implement mandatory licensing for landlords; and if he will make a statement.

Local authorities already implement mandatory licensing of HMOs through powers under the Housing Act 2004. The Government has recently consulted on extending mandatory licensing to include properties which are occupied by five persons in two or more households, regardless of the number of storeys. This would bring a further 180,000 under the scope of mandatory licensing. Under the same Act, local authorities also have powers to introduce additional licensing for smaller HMOs; and selective licensing for all privately rented properties to tackle various issues in specified areas.