Selective Licensing Support For Landlords
Did you know that Lewisham Council are introducing a new selective licensing scheme for private landlords from the 1st of July 2024?
Introducing Leberns’ Selective Licencing Support Service. Here to take the hassle and expense out of selective licence applications.
Selective licencing is being introduced into many parts of Lewisham borough from 1st July and most privately rented properties are going to need a licence. Landlords letting a property who have not applied for a selective licence will be committing an offence. However, Lebern is here to help them navigate through the selective licence application process, and get their property approved for a selective licence with no hassle, no unnecessary costs and no delays.
LeBerns Leberns Selective Licencing Support
Service provides you with:
- A fixed price competitive fee for every selective licence application, no variations, no hidden extras.
- An expert consultancy service designed to help you get approved for a selective licence as soon as possible.
- Pre-application assistance to get the property selective licence
- Practical guidance about how to improve the property for selective licensing.
- One-to-one case handling from one of Leberns’ expert in-house selective licencing teams.
- In-house selective licence application processing with Lewisham Council – nothing for you to do.
- Ongoing progression with Leberns’ selective licensing team to expedite approval, with all paperwork dealt with on your behalf. You just wait for your selective licence to get approved, while Lebern does all the work.
- Peace of mind that your selective licence application(s) are being handled by a team of experts which will reduce delays and costs to you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q) Why has selective licensing been introduced in Lewisham?
Complaints about the standard of privately rented housing and associated anti-social behaviour had significantly increased over the last few years adding significant additional costs to the Borough Councils budget. Accordingly, a selective licensing scheme to cover nearly all privately rented properties received approval from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) in December 2023. The costs of the selective licences are to cover the implementation and administration of the scheme.
Q) How do I know if I need a selective licence?
There are some very strict criteria, but if you get in touch with the Lebern Selective Licencing Support team, will be able to advise you.
Q) I have several properties, so do I need a selective license for each one, or is the licence for the landlord?
A selective license is for a property and not a landlord, and yes, each property will need its’ own selective licence. A completely separate application needs to be made for a selective licence for each property, as each property’s condition, location and tenants are unique and each will be judged on its merits.
Q) Is this the same as an HMO licence?
No, a selective licence is based on a property’s location within a designated area, where Lewisham council are trying to improve housing standards and tackle anti-social behaviour. An HMO licence is to do with the size of a property and how many people live there, they are not the same thing. Lebern can however assist you with an HMO licence application separately.
Q) What happens if I don’t apply for a selective licence if I need one?
It is illegal to let your property if you need a selective licence and haven’t applied for one. In addition, fines could be imposed up to £30,000 per property and noncompliance restricts the use of notices like Section 21 of the Housing Act.
Q) What does a selective licence do?
Lewisham council are trying to improve housing standards for all tenants and tackle anti-social behaviour in the borough. Once approved, your selective licence is likely to have conditions on the properties condition, repair and on the profile of tenants that can live there. These must be enforced at all times by you or your appointed agent otherwise fines may be imposed up to £30,000 per property.
Q) How long do selective licences last?
Up to five years for each selective licence.
Q) What do selective licences cost?
Each selective licence costs £640 payable to Lewisham council unless you are eligible for a discount afforded to certain landlord memberships and charities. £160 is payable upon application and £480 upon granting of the selective licence.
Q) Could my application for a selective licence be refused?
Yes it could. There are certain standards, conditions and regulatory requirements that need to be met in order to get approval for a selective licence. Leberns’ Selective Licencing Support team are experts in the sector and will advise you on what needs to be completed prior to an application being made to maximise the chances of approval.
Q) What happens to the property if the selective licence application is refused?
It means you would no longer be able to rent the property until such time as you had a subsequent selective licence application approved. It can get very expensive to keep applying for a licence both in terms of fees and lost rental income, so it would be prudent to engage Leberns’ Selective Licencing Support team from the very beginning.