UK Landlord Forum / Life

Just a heads-up for any landlords of Oxford properties. The city's selective licensing scheme came into force on 1 Sept 2022 with little fanfare. It applies to all privately rented non-HMO properties. I've still seen no evidence of the local advertising the council promised to do to alert landlords to the scheme. As far as I can tell, the council only published info on their own website shortly before the scheme started! Letting agencies will have been more in the loop than landlords who manage their own properties, but I understand that even some agents couldn't comply on time because the application process went live just a couple of weeks before the deadline.

The council may think this is no big deal, as they've promised not to go looking for unlicensed properties until 2023. However, landlords who didn't apply on time still risk financial loss. Aside from any prosecution which may be brought by the council, the scheme also entitles tenants to apply for a Rent Repayment Order covering any period when the property was unlicensed (or more accurately, when a licence hadn't been applied for) up to a maximum of a year's worth of rent payments. Landlords also can't issue a s21 notice for an unlicensed property.

There is a substantial "early bird" discount for applying before the end of November. If you ask me, "early bird" is a misleading term to describe breaking the law for up to three months!

Anyway, if you or your agent haven't got your application in, better do it ASAP to limit your liability to refund rent to your tenants.

https://www.oxford.gov.uk/selectivelicensing

Hi, do you mind if I quote that on another landlord's forum (with a link back to here?)

Quote from: jpkeates on October 05, 2022, 03:06:07 PM
Hi, do you mind if I quote that on another landlord's forum (with a link back to here?)

Sure, no problem!