Proposed Landlord Licence in Telford

A consultation into a new licensing scheme for landlords in Telford has been delayed until after the General Election - but people can still have their say.

We are backing a campaign by the Wrekin Landlords Association to scrap the planned £600 licence, which we think is unfair and would lead to higher rents in Telford.

Dawn Clarke, director of lettings and property management at Nock Deighton, says: “These proposals are very worrying for all landlords, whether they own property in the affected areas of Telford or not.

It is yet another example of landlords being hit with extra costs at a time when they are already being targeted with higher stamp duty, the cutting of tax relief and the proposed ban on tenant fees.

We fear that if these plans go ahead, other councils may do the same, so we are urging everyone to have their say even if they do not own property in Telford.

Telford & Wrekin Council says that the licence would apply in Hadley and Leegomery, Malinslee and Hollinswood, Brookside and Sutton Hill and Woodside. Landlord would need to pay over £600 for the licence, with the cost going towards improving the standard of rental property and the surrounding area.

Dawn says, "We can understand the council’s desire to raise the standards of rental property, but this scheme is patently unfair to the hundreds of landlords who work hard to maintain their investments to a high standard already."

Our worry is that landlords will either increase rent to cover the cost, or sell their property which will add to the growing shortage of housing in the Telford area.

We are encouraging people to get involved with the consultation and add their name to the petition to prevent this scheme from being introduced.

The official consultation is due to start in June following the General Election, with the licence potentially being introduced in November if the council agrees to push ahead with the plans.

For more advice about how these proposals could affect you, contact the Nock Deighton property management and lettings team on 01952 290 163.