Newsletter | January 2012 | A register of landlords?

In Scotland there is a functioning register of private landlords and proposals by one London borough could lead to landlords in their part of the Capital being required to register, despite the idea of a national database having been scrapped by the national Government.

Landlords of ‘Homes of Multiple Occupancy’ (HMOs) have long been required to register - the result of the 2004 Housing Act. When Grant Shapps finally got the keys to The Department for Communities & Local Government as Housing Minister, having first scrapped Home Information Packs, he then struck out the plans for a National Landlords Register that the last of the eight previous Labour Housing Ministers had left unfinished.  

ARLA (the Association of Residential Landlords) had lobbied for a central database to help expose rogue landlords, although perhaps confusingly, the National Landlords Association welcomed the new coalition decision to drown the plan in it’s own bathwater!  

In an enlightening article in The Economist, Newham council outlined their plans to crack down on ‘slum landlords’. In the piece, Newham's mayor Sir Robin Wales outlined his vision, much of which revolved around the money that will come in thanks to London 2012. There was also mention of the council consulting on setting up mandatory licensing of all private landlords throughout the borough. If this goes ahead, it will be the first such scheme in England.

At first glance, it is difficult to see how local Mandarins could have the power to do this but our old friend the 2004 Housing Act holds the key giving power to local councils to require some selective licensing of private landlords. This appears to be just what Newham plans to do and if successful it is likely other councils up and down the land would follow. 

A register of residential landlords will be welcomed by many whilst there will be others who will see this as yet further intervention by the nanny state. Either way, most will agree that something like this would be better introduced in an up-front and open fashion having had a proper debate of the merits, rather than slipped in via the back door. Watch this space!

Expect more on this subject in 2012.