Councils must justify soaring licensing costs and red tape – call
Summary
Propertymark has called on councils to provide clearer justification for the rising costs and administrative burden of landlord licensing schemes. It argues that licensing should not be used to generate profit and that authorities should publish fuller information on scheme costs, inspections, enforcement activity and the use of licence income.
Why it matters
Residential property surveyors may encounter the effects of licensing regimes through compliance checks, property management standards and local authority enforcement activity. The article also highlights a likely shift toward greater use of a national private rental sector database, which could affect how information is collected and reused across council areas.
Key points
- Propertymark says councils must better justify licensing fees and red tape.
- Councils should publish full five-year scheme costs and annual enforcement data.
- Licence income should be shown to fund inspections and enforcement, not duplicate administration.
- The body wants the national private rental sector database used as the primary information source.
- A lead authority model is suggested for agents operating across multiple council areas.
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