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Coventry City Council has come under fire from the National Residential Landlords Association after pushing ahead with a landlord licencing scheme for HMO properties. The NRLA says the scheme is in direct contravention of the government’s guidelines, which state councils should not implement non-mandatory licencing schemes while the pandemic is ongoing.
Coventry landlords are facing fees in excess of £600, at a time when many have serious cash flow problems because of the coronavirus pandemic. As a result, some landlords have already told tenants they will have no choice but to issue Section 21 notices next month.
Tenants Facing Eviction
Three young people sharing a rental property in Coventry have already been told by their landlord that they are to be evicted on 1 August. The couple and their friend are distraught at the thought of being homeless while the Covid-19 pandemic is ongoing.
The letting agent responsible for the property has told them a Section 21 6A notice will be issued on 1 May and they’ll have three months to move out. The agent says the landlord can’t afford to pay fees of more than £1k to Coventry City Council, so he has no choice but to ask his tenants to leave.
The tenants have asked the council to suspend the licencing scheme, but it has refused.
“We are just in disbelief at the moment and trying to figure out a plan of action. If August comes around and we cannot find anywhere to live what are we going to do?” said Megan Whitehouse, one of the tenants being evicted.
“We all live and work in Coventry but we might have to leave – it is very stressful.”
Landlord Licencing Will Improve Private Rental Sector
Coventry City Council claims the licencing scheme is needed to improve the quality of rental housing in the city. It says all cash raised will be used to pay for the administration of the scheme, but angry tenants believe the real reason the council is pushing ahead with landlord licencing is to make a profit.
Tenants kicked out of properties in Coventry may not be able to stay in the city, as around 4,000 properties are affected. Since many rental properties are in close proximity to the city’s hospital, it’s likely that some of the tenants being evicted are NHS workers.
Council Refuses to Defer the Scheme
The NRLA has written to the council to ask them to defer the scheme, but the council has refused. It says the date for compliance has been extended and there are measures being put in place to help landlords make payments. However, there will be additional costs required for landlords to remain compliant once a rental property is classed as an HMO.
Coventry landlords who can’t afford to pay for a landlord licence can speak to the council about making stage payments. Under the recently passed Coronavirus Act, evictions from private rental housing have been suspended, so if tenants are illegally evicted, landlords will be investigated.
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