Nottingham Selective Licensing

Find out everything you need to know on Nottingham Selective Licensing

A new Nottingham licensing scheme for Landlords will be implemented on 1st August 2018. The aim of the scheme is to raise the standards in the privately rented sector, and to ensure that all tenants living in them are able to enjoy a safe, comfortable and well managed home. A landlord will need a licence for every property they own within the affected areas.

This could be a big blow for Landlords who already keep privately rented properties at a high standard.

We calculate that 94% of Landlords will be affected by this Licensing Scheme

Who will need to apply?

Anyone who owns a privately rented home in the designated Nottingham areas will need to apply for a licence. The only exception is for those properties which already have an HMO licence.

The designated areas which will require a licence are as follows:

Arboretum, Bestwood, Bulwell, Bulwell Forest, Basford, Berridge, Bridge, Clifton North, Clifton South, Dales, Dunkirk and Lenton, Leen Valley, Mapperley, Radford and Park, Sherwood, St Ann's, Wollaton East and Lenton Abbey.

Applications for Selective Licensing should open on 1st July 2018. If your property is included then we advise you to act now to get all required documents together for your application. We are more than aware that this is an unwelcome situation and are still campaigning against certain aspects, on our clients' behalf.

Is my property in the Selective Licensing area?

Visit the below website and enter your rental property postcode to find out if you are within the licensing area. http://geoserver.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/myproperty/

What is the cost?

The City Council will be charging a Nottingham Selective Licensing fee of £780 per property; although we can help you achieve some reductions. Those Landlords who have already taken and implemented our advice will achieve a further reduction. At the time of writing, the cost of the licence is tax deductible.

You will of course have to factor in other costs which will help you achieve 'approval' for a licence. This includes the cost for:
 

• Detailed floor plans with accurate measurements
• Landlord insurance
• A Criminal Record (CRB) Check
• An electrical safety support
• A valid gas safety certificate
• An EPC (Energy Performance) certificate
• A PAT test for portable appliances left in the property
• Relevant Landlord training (if your property is not managed by Elite Lets Property Services)

What if you don't have a licence?

The council also state that anyone who doesn't have a licence after 1st August 2018 could receive a civil penalty of up to £30,000, or prosecution on summary conviction which carries an unlimited maximum fine. Landlords may also be prevented from holding a licence in the future and/or may be subject to a rent repayment order.

Can you get a fee reduction?

Nottingham City Council has said there will be no discount for having multiple properties. The full licence fee must be paid for every property you own in the affected areas. You can get a discounted fee by applying to certain accreditation bodies such as DASH or Unipol. Unfortunately, there are other costs to apply and you may have to spend money in improving your property to meet their standards.

The cost of DASH accreditation is £95 + VAT and lasts for three years, with a renewal fee of £45 + VAT. This covers a Landlord for up to five properties which is a cost saving for multiple property Landlords as they will not need to pay an accreditation fee for each property. However, please note that DASH accreditation is necessary for the duration of your local authority license and therefore single property Landlords will need to pay £140 + VAT (£168 including VAT) for both the sign-up fee and renewal to save £260 on their license fee over the five-year period.

Nottingham Landlords who live abroad

Non UK landlords will not be able to qualify for a licence and so will need a managing agent to be the 'licence holder'. We can take that responsibility for these individuals, but only on a fully managed basis. This is because there are significant responsibilities during the 5 year licence period. Monitoring is required, including rent collection and reactions to Nottingham City Council requests during that time. E.g. tenant antisocial behaviour.