Councils must justify soaring rental licensing costs – Propertymark
Summary
Propertymark has criticised rising landlord licensing fees, saying some councils are charging more than £1,000 per property without providing enough transparency on how the money is spent. It is calling for clearer reporting on scheme costs, inspections, enforcement activity and the use of licence income, particularly where schemes overlap with the forthcoming private rental sector database.
Why it matters
Residential property surveyors may encounter the effects of licensing costs and local authority enforcement in rental portfolios and asset management advice. The article also highlights a wider compliance trend toward greater transparency and data-sharing in the private rented sector.
Key points
- Licensing fees can exceed £1,000 per property in some areas.
- Propertymark says councils should publish full five-year scheme costs and annual enforcement data.
- The body argues licensing should not be used to generate profit.
- It wants the national private rental sector database used to avoid duplicate submissions.
- A lead authority model is proposed for agents operating across multiple council areas.
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