Members of Parliament will discuss a significant proposal to extend the duration of council landlord licensing from five years to 10 years as part of the latest committee stage of the government’s Renters Rights Bill.
The proposed amendment, supported by the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH), aims to extend the maximum allowable period for discretionary licensing schemes, which currently cap at five years. If approved, the measure would facilitate the introduction and enforcement of licensing by local authorities over a decade-long span, potentially transforming how councils manage rental property standards.
Discretionary licensing, a tool used by councils to regulate housing standards in privately rented properties, includes selective and additional licensing schemes. The CIEH argues that extending these licenses will empower councils to address property issues without needing tenant complaints, enabling proactive oversight of housing quality. With a 10-year term, councils would also have the stability to offer longer-term positions and improve training for staff within these schemes.
Mark Elliott, President of CIEH, emphasized the value of the amendment, calling it a chance to streamline council licensing efforts. “We have been working hard to highlight these issues and are delighted that they will now be discussed by a parliamentary committee,” Elliott said. He added that the CIEH believes the proposed change could eliminate a “peculiar disconnect” in current legislation, which allows councils to establish selective licensing schemes but bars them from directly enforcing housing condition requirements through these licenses.
Elliott urged the government to take this opportunity to enhance the effectiveness of local authority licensing schemes in promoting safer and better-maintained rental properties. “We will continue to make the voice of environmental health professionals heard on licensing and other issues during the passage of the Bill through parliament,” he said.
If the amendment passes, it could represent a major shift in the UK’s approach to rental housing regulation, providing councils with a decade-long window to identify and address safety and maintenance issues within the private rental sector without reliance on tenant-led complaints.