Decision details

Mandatory Licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs), fee setting and adoption of amenity standards and current licensing conditions

Reference: D734

Decision Maker: Portfolio Holder for Public Protection

Decision status: Recommendations Approved

Is Key decision?: No

Is subject to call in?: No

Purpose:

To authorise increasing the HMO licence fees to allow full cost recovery.
To formally adopt HMO amenity standards.
To adopt revised licence conditions to implement current licensing standards.

Decision:

It is recommended that the following licence fees are set for Mandatory HMO licensing for accredited and non-accredited landlords.
Accredited landlordtotal fee £645, comprising part 1 fee £480 and part 2 fee £165
Accredited landlord renewal fee £565, comprising part 1 fee £400 and part 2 fee £165
Non-accredited landlordtotal fee £740, comprising part 1 fee £565 and part 2 fee £175
Non-accredited landlord renewal fee £660, comprising part 1 fee £485 and part 2 fee £175 .
It is recommended that the Mandatory HMO Licensing amenity standards attached to Appendices A, B, and C of this report are adopted by the Council.
It recommended to adopt the current HMO licensing conditions in Appendix D to this report.

Reasons for the decision:

To ensure full cost recovery when providing the service.
To ensure minimum amenity standards and current licensing conditions are implemented in HMOs protecting the health and wellbeing of the occupants.

Alternative options considered:

To leave the current HMO licence fee as it stands which does not fully cover the costs incurred by the Council when administering licence applications.
To not adopt HMO amenity standards or current HMO licence conditions this would leave the Council open to challenge if a landlord disagrees with the standards or conditions an officer requires at a property. Adopting the proposed amenity standards and conditions also makes it clear for officers, applicants and tenants exactly what is required within a licensable HMO.

Publication date: 30/08/2018

Date of decision: 30/08/2018

Accompanying Documents: