SL) I think the council doesn’t understand what regulated agents do. Accidental landlords don’t know their landlord obligations, what they’ve got to do to meet the terms and conditions of their responsibility under the Tenancy Agreement. Within that management charge we charge landlords, we make sure that landlord is fully compliant with industry standards which are set by ARLA and NALS. We take that responsibility on board.
LA) We all know there’s legislations regarding gas safety and EPCs. What about access? What is the council’s view if we can’t get access to carry out gas safety checks?
DH) Let me give an example of how that would be treated with social housing. A social landlord is required to have 100% gas safety and failure to do so can result in quite serious action. So if social landlords can do it, why shouldn’t private landlords?
LA) if a tenant refuses access what do they do? Are they allowed to gain entrance?
DH) If need be they will go to court and seek entrance to the property.
LA) How long does it take to get a court order to gain access?
DH) Providers from social housing can manage it. We’ll put you in touch with social landlords, they’ll tell you how you do it.
LA) There needs to be more guidance within your conditions.
DH) This is about enabling the city to have the best landlords possible and if we’ve got a landlord who is genuinely struggling, not because they don’t want to be a good landlord but because they don’t understand things, our officers are going to be telling them what to do. It’s a win win for everyone.
LA) This is where collaboration comes into play. We will pose the problems because we live and breathe the private sector.
DH) We’ve been through a consultation process. Consultation isn’t negotiation. It becomes impossible. We’ve reached the conclusion to go ahead with the scheme, that scheme will be implemented in April, we will then carry on working with landlords of all types in order to implement that scheme but also to uphold it. The scheme that is implemented on the 1 April won’t be the same scheme that will be in operation 1 April two years later it will have evolved.
LA) I will tell you what landlords are worried about, you’re trying to criminalise landlords. If you’re not compliant, you’re criminals.
SL) What my landlords are asking me is how will the licensing scheme be policed? How much has been budgeted by Liverpool City council to enforce the scheme? How many enforcement officers will you need?
DH) We will be publicising that before the scheme starts.
AOB) The focus of this scheme has to be the residents of our city and allowing them to have good quality, decent, warm, safe homes and I think we would all agree on that.
LA) Absolutely, our tenants are just as important if not more important than our landlords. They have the human right to live in good standard accommodation. We’re all for that. It’s how it’s going to be implemented, the cost element and the implications of the conditions. As far as we’re concerned they are flawed. If you carry on I do foresee issues within our city. It will be detrimental to our local economy.
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Is the £500 fee a one of payment or an annual payment. If its an annual payment, then well done Liverpool City council. Its £500 to you to waste and a £500 additional deductable expense for the landlord which means less cash to the Inland revenue. I bet you at least 70% of the £500 gets eaten up by bureaucracy. What a waste of time and money.
So a property rented out at £400 a month will attract this fee, as will a property renting out at £4000 a month?
Do they want to eliminate private landlords. Rogue landlords will not pay it, or will increase rents to cover it, is that what you want? in fact decent law abiding landlords will probably increase the rent.
Hi
I believe there may have been a misunderstanding regarding Landlords and Letting Agents. It does appear that
you have invited a number of Letting Agents as well as lanlords to discuss the landlords licensing debate.
Landlords pay letting agents to Manage their properties and find respectful tenants.This comes at a cost and hence in the current market the Landlord such as myself is running at a loss.
The problem is with the Rogue Landlords not decent landlords who are contracted to a letting agent or to retired people whose children can’t get mortgages, so the retired person buys property for their children. They are now landlords and are being penalized for helping their children. Have the Council really thought this through; because it appears to me they have not.
My letting agent inspects my property,ensures it is of a high standard, clean and tidy and the respective safety certificates and insurances are set in place. They then inform me how much I could rent the property out for. After the tenant has moved in, the property is inspected by the letting agent on a frequent basis. All repairs have to be actioned within 24hrs. The tenant is well looked after, if not they complain to the letting agent and if I do not act my rent is not released to me.
In the majority of cases the rent is not a profit, it pays for the mortgage against the property. As I am not a rogue landlord I feel I am being victimized by the council.
The Council is set to gain in excess of plus £10 million in licensing fees (25,000x£200). The letting agent is set to gain £50 per house for licensing administration charges he charges the landlord to register the landlord. What does a decent landlord gain for his outlay? NOTHING?
Questions
1 Will the Council ensure the Landlord Letting Agent receive the tenants DSS payment direct?
2 Will the Council reimburse the landlord through the letting agent lost and overdue top ups if the tenant does not pay?
3 Will the Council reimburse/cover all costs for the landlord through the letting agent for all loss/overdue rents
and compensate the landlord for court fees the landlord has to pay the courts through the letting agent to evict a difficult tenant.
4 Will the Council reimburse the landlord through the letting agent for damage caused by the tenant.
I am a decent Landlord who over the past 8 years even though I am paying management fees to a letting agent have lost considerable sums of money in loss of rent and damaged to the property. A recent experience for me was I had to pay out £7,000 to carry out repairs to my property after a tenant left the property without paying rent for three months and flooding the property, even though the property was managed by a letting agent.
I therefore respectfully request that the Council reviews it’s licensing Policy to ensure some form of protection
and guarantees are made for the Decent Liverpool Landlords.