LACORS’ review found that only a minority of councils had failed to introduce measures to process applications from landlords and that 86 per cent of councils had already begun targeting those landlords looking to avoid applying for a HMO licence altogether.
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However, of the 22,314 applications made by landlords between 6 April 2006 and 2 March 2007, only 6,962 licences – 31 per cent – had been granted, with another 44 per cent awaiting a decision.
Councillor Geoffrey Theobald, chairman of LACORS, said: “These findings bring into focus councils’ key achievements in implementing HMO licensing and importantly highlight the aspects of the Housing Act 2004 where further work is required. Poorly managed HMOs pose significant fire and health and safety risks to vulnerable tenants so it’s good news that such a high proportion of councils are working hard to identify those landlords who are operating in the HMO market illegally.”
The report stated that councils should also ensure they have enough staff to process applications efficiently, while it also encouraged councils to make the rooting out of poor landlords a top priority.
However, LACORS found 13 per cent of councils had encountered cases where the landlord failed a ‘fit and proper person’ assessment but the process of obtaining an Interim Management Order, to protect clients in an unlicensed HMO, was too cumbersome.
Paul Rockett, managing director at The Business Mortgage Company, commented: “Now that councils appear to have teeth, landlord quality will begin to improve.”
