Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department's policies of the Landlord Licensing Scheme introduced by the London Borough of Newham; and if he will make a statement.

The Government’s view is that the current selective licensing arrangements are working. The Government does not support unnecessary large selective licensing schemes. Such an approach is likely to be disproportionate and create additional needless costs for reputable landlords which tend to be passed onto tenants. Local authorities can introduce targeted schemes to deal with specific local problems below the threshold of either 20% of their geographical area or 20% of their local private rented sector. Any scheme larger than the 20% threshold must obtain prior approval from the Secretary of State. Of the three applications received since these measures were put in place in April 2015, two have been accepted and one declined. The London Borough of Newham’s selective licensing scheme runs until 2018; should the authority wish to continue the scheme it will need demonstrate that the proposed redesignation meets the statutory criteria as set out in The Selective Licensing of Houses (Additional Conditions) (England) Order 2015.

On 18 October, the Government announced plans to extend mandatory licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) to strengthen councils to tackle problems homes head-on and bring an end to ruthless landlords who exploit tenants and charge them extortionate rents to live in poor conditions. These measures will ensure mandatory licensing rules apply to HMOs with five or more people, and to flats above and below shops. Minimum room sizes will also apply to HMOs to help to clamp down on rogue landlords cramming tenants into unsafe and overcrowded homes.