As long as private rented sector selective licence schemes exist it is likely that push back (often angry, sometimes constructive) from some quarters in the landlord community will also exist. The oft cited “it’s a tax on landlords” is a case in point. Plainly, it’s not a tax - how could it be if, at the same time, it is tax deductible? All local authorities have plenty of information about licensing on their webpages but, beyond the application page, how many landlords will dig deeper into what licensing entails. Obviously, there are plenty of very good landlords who will do a lot of research into the practicalities of getting and keeping their licence but how many appreciate the outcomes and benefits that the local authority is seeking to achieve?

It is the case that many, probably all, authorities that have chosen to use selective licensing will have laid on landlord events prior to the start of a licensing scheme. These can be heated occasions (though not always) but are pretty much just about licensing. Sometimes local police officers will attend in order to give landlords the police perspective on licensing. But, what about behind the scenes of selective licensing as simply a process?

These days partnership working by local authorities is a fact not just a buzzword. Licensing in Liverpool is a prime example. A new scheme has just started there and the council is working in partnership with the local primary care network comprising nine GP practices to put on awareness (about selective licensing) and training events for community groups and support organisations. With the objective being achieving better health outcomes in their selective licence areas (and thus reducing resource impacts on wider local services).

Sefton council puts on training courses for landlords on how to effectively deal with anti social behaviour perpetrated by tenants and provides dedicated support to landlords via their anti social behaviour team - this is rather than just sending a warning letter from the licensing team to the landlord telling the landlord they’ll be in breach of a licensing condition if they don’t deal with the ASB problem.

Leicester council has come in for some stick from landlords recently due to the fact that it’s licence fee (before discounts) is £1,090 per property but - if one takes the time to read the council’s current private rented sector strategy you’ll find that it is a core aim to improve “joined up services” and approach issues in the private rented sector in a “holistic” way that means better support for both tenants and landlords. The strategy lays out just how much is going on behind the scenes with a high degree of partnership work going beyond the basics of a licence fee.

Licensing is just part of the picture for each of these authorities but it allows them to focus on improving the PRS using licensing as a foundation rather than a superstructure standing by itself. Most licence schemes never pay for themselves in full and are subsidised to a greater or lesser degree by funds from elsewhere in the council’s finances (i.e. the general taxpayer) but councils know that in these uncertain times they need to rely on partnership work to get the best out of any programme that they put in place - they bid for pots of money from central Government funds and they balance tight or non existent internal resources by sharing the workload with other agencies and organisations so that everyone benefits.

Until landlords realise just how much both goes into licensing and how much depends on it then they will always be either angry or resigned rather than engaged partners in a successful private rented sector - wherever they’ve chosen to invest.