It’s probably fair to say that the majority of the public have never heard of the “Government Digital [by default] Strategy” published in 2012. But then, it was meant for government departments, rather than the public, in order to drive efficiency and financial savings in the provision of public services.

Since then, the strategy has had a number of iterations, and society’s move to online has expanded exponentially in both the public and the private spheres with local authority selective licensing schemes just one example of this advance. However, it should be noted that there are still some concerns about a ‘digital divide’ amongst the public across the country.

Selective licensing is one of the tools in the local authority private rented sector (PRS) housing enforcement toolkit though it should be said that ‘enforcement’ is more the potential endpoint rather than the sole objective within such schemes. It must be used, as per government licensing guidance for councils (which also lays down the criteria for setting up a licensing scheme), as part of a council’s ‘overall housing strategy’. The main point about selective licensing is that it enables councils to be proactive rather than reactive in terms of improving PRS housing outcomes in their areas.

The Shift from Paper to Digital Processes

Historically, many councils used paper application forms for landlords to complete in order to apply for a property licence and paper copies of landlords’ relevant documents would be physically rather than digitally attached to an application. Obviously this was cumbersome and resource intensive both for council teams and for landlords - as were the resulting compliance management processes. Today, however, most councils require applications to be submitted online, similar to their other public services. In some recent schemes, though, a council may still provide an online application form but request it be printed and mailed to a postal address. Supporting documents now, usually, can be uploaded or emailed to the council’s licensing team.

However, progress is a movable feast and, in the current environment, where efficiency and husbanding of scarce staff and financial resources is key, enhancing overall interactivity is the next step. This means not only streamlining applications but also integrating ongoing (over a 5 year term) compliance management processes, including proactive property inspections and managing the outcomes of those inspection. This approach benefits both councils and landlord, ensuring processes are cost effective and time efficient.

Addressing the 45 percent: The Importance of Partnerships in Digital Efficiency

In Home Safe’s work as the direct delivery partner for Peterborough City Council, our property portal dealt with over 7,000 applications in a matter of months enabling the council to process approaching 2,000 draft licences and over 500 final licences in that time. Despite the streamlined online process, over 45 percent of applications still required triaging due to incorrect information or expired certificates, necessitating quick and efficient resolution. This was enabled by the online portal and the delivery partner approach which reduced administrative burden for the council’s existing staff count. While digital platforms streamline processes, this demonstrates that technology alone isn't enough and having the resource in place to manage the applications is key to ensuring both efficiency and success in local authority operations.

It is expected that all final licences will have been provided to the relevant landlords by November this year and proactive property inspections across 10 of the city’s wards will be commencing in September.

The Future of Selective Licensing

With regard to selective licensing across the country, the previous Government stated, earlier this year, that it would not be scrapping selective licensing once the planned national landlord register portal was up and running and it is likely that the current administration will continue with that stance. With this in mind, councils will need to start thinking about how their online licensing portals can embed an element of interoperability with a potential national portal - a prospect unthinkable for most back in 2012 but now a practical possibility in today’s online space.

Leveraging Technology

The historic barriers to councils, in terms of setting up and running a selective licensing scheme during an era of ‘austerity’ were laid bare in research carried out for the Government published in 2022. However, many of these barriers are becoming increasingly surmountable through the strategic use of technology and the development of ongoing support partnerships—engaging councils, their internal IT teams, and external providers—rather than relying solely on one-off software acquisitions.

An element of support or triage for less ‘tech savvy’ landlords, or those with digital accessibility concerns, will remain a consideration but the transition to online-only will continue and councils will need to ensure this is as smooth as possible for as many landlords as possible. In an age where one can book an around-the-world adventure with a smartphone, it's not mission impossible.