Issue - meetings

Report of the Chief Legal Officer

Cabinet considered a report of the Chief Legal Officer that had also been considered by the Communities and Neighbourhoods Scrutiny Board (4) at their meeting on 7^th December 2023, on a review of Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) Additional Licensing Scheme.

Cabinet noted that the report had been considered by the Communities and Neighbourhoods Scrutiny Board (4) at their meeting on 7th December 2023. A Briefing Note was circulated that set out the Boards comments and the following recommendations, which Cabinet accepted:

The Communities and Neighbourhoods Scrutiny Board (4) recommend that:

1)  Cabinet notes that the Communities and Neighbourhoods Scrutiny Board (4) are supportive of the Additional Licensing Scheme.

2)  The Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities considers that work to renew the scheme, starts as soon as possible.

Additional licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) was a discretionary power that was available to Local Authorities under the Housing Act 2004 and if introduced, could be applied to those HMOs which were not required to be licensed under the mandatory licensing powers.

The duty to licence HMOs under the mandatory scheme was introduced in July 2006 and following changes to the definition in 2018 required all HMOs occupied by 5 or more people to be licensed.

The provision of good quality housing for Coventry residents was a priority for the City Council and Additional Licensing of HMOs was therefore introduced on the 4th May 2020, requiring all smaller HMOs, including those properties converted into self-contained flats without building regulations approval (Section 257 HMOs) to be licensed.

The Additional licensing scheme could only run for a period of 5 years, during which time the Council must carry out a review in accordance with the requirements set out in the Housing Act 2004.

Given that the scheme was now over halfway in its inception the Council had carried out a review to fulfil the responsibility under the legislation to do so. The report set out the findings from that review. Appendices to the report provided: the Report on the Review of Additional Licensing Scheme 2023; Equality and Consultation Analysis Form; and HMO Licensing Review Infographic 2023.

RESOLVED that Cabinet:

1)  Notes the comments and recommendations from the Communities and Neighbourhoods Scrutiny Board (4).

2)  Notes the results of the Review of Licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation 2023 and its findings

3)  Requests that a future report be submitted to Cabinet setting out proposals for the future of the current additional licensing scheme.