Agenda item

Further to Minute 67/19 of the Cabinet, the City Council considered a report of the Deputy Chief Executive (Place) which set out the results of 10 week consultation undertaken from 9 January 2019 to 20 March 2019 on Additional Licensing in Coventry.

The report indicated that the Housing Act 2004, Part 2, provided a discretionary power, subject to carrying out consultation, for Local Housing Authorities to licence all private landlords in a designated area with the intention of ensuring that Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) meet a minimum standard of management.

The consultation was undertaken in the form of online questionnaires, ward drop in sessions, focus groups and Member meetings.  There were a mix of responses but with the highest number being from landlords and residents.  The responses highlighted a number of issues that both residents of HMOs experience and residents living alongside HMOs.  There was a strong support for the introduction of an Additional Licensing scheme, the fee structure was considered reasonable and proportionate by the majority, likewise there was support to manage the licence period depending upon the compliancy of the particular landlord.  There were some concerns around the legality of the fee structure and how the length of licence would be determined in practice.  These have been considered and addressed with some recommended amendments.  The full consultation results were set out at Appendix 2 of the report.  The report also provided a summary and analysis of the consultation results and further recommendations.

It was proposed that a city wide Additional Licensing scheme be extended to all HMOs in the city (in all 18 wards) and would include all smaller multiple occupied properties not currently subjected to mandatory HMO licensing.  This would serve to address all HMOs whatever the size and ensure a level playing field for the quality and management of them.

The following amendment was moved by Councillor G Ridley, seconded by Councillor A Andrews and lost:

That the following additional recommendation be inserted at the end of the recommendations detailed in the report: -

  “vii Revisit the introduction of an Article 4 Direction”

RESOLVED that the City Council approves the following:

1.  To designate the whole of Coventry City as subject to Additional Licensing under Section 56(1)(a) of the Housing Act 2004 for all Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs), irrespective of the number of storeys, that contain three or four occupiers.

2.  To designate the whole of Coventry City as subject to Additional Licensing under Section 56(1)(a) of the Housing Act 2004 for all HMOs as defined under Section 257 of that Act where those HMOs are mainly or wholly tenanted, including those with resident landlords.

3.  That the designations in paragraphs 1 and 2 above come into force on the 4th May 2020 for a period of 5 years.

4.  To designate the Deputy Chief Executive (Place) to sign the Coventry City Council Designation of an Area for Additional Licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation 2020 as attached at Appendix 7 in accordance with the provisions set out in 2M 3 of the Scheme of Delegations in the Council’s Constitution.

5.  To adopt the proposed fees and charges structure as attached at Appendix 4 and review those fees annually to ensure they remain reasonable and proportionate and address any issues relating to surpluses or deficits in accordance with case law and the EU Services Directive.

6.  To adopt the HMO Licensing Policy 2020 as attached at Appendix 3 of the report.

(Note: Further to Minute 69 above, Councillors M Ali. R Ali, J Birdi, K Caan, AS Khan, M Heaven, M Lapsa, P Male and T Sawdon left the meeting for the consideration of this item.)