Landlords in Slough will Need Licence to Let Properties with Multiple Individually Let Rooms

Landlords in Slough, Berkshire will soon need to obtain a licence to let properties with multiple individually let rooms, as part of Slough Borough Council’s bid to improve standards in the private rental sector.

Landlords will need to register any property they own and plan to let with multiple individually let rooms across the borough from Monday 1^st July 2019. Failure to do so could result in prosecution and fines of up to £30,000.

Under the new licensing system, landlords with any rental properties within the designated area covering parts of the Chalvey and Central wards will also be required to apply for and obtain the new landlord licence.

Landlords in Slough must provide evidence that their properties are safe through valid utilities certificates and contact details to the Council in order to obtain a licence.

Councillor Mohammed Nazir, the Cabinet Member for Housing and Community Safety at Slough Borough Council, believes that the new scheme was part of wider efforts to improve conditions for tenants in the private rental sector.

He says: “In some cases, tenants had no idea who their landlord actually was, so, when a problem, possibly a safety problem, arose there was no way of getting it fixed, so people continued to live in dangerous conditions or without adequate facilities.

“A lot of the people who rent in Slough are vulnerable, families with young children, or legal workers who have no family or friends to rely on, and basically put up with poor conditions, as they have nowhere to turn.”

Nazir claims: “With a licensing system where landlords are compelled to sign up, there will be accountability and people who need help can get it.

“People’s lives are hugely affected by the property they live in, whether that be their mental or physical health, and we need to try and redress that.”

Landlords, if you have properties in Slough, make sure to check whether the new licence will apply to you.