Private Rented Housing: Licensing
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Written Statement of 16 December 2024 on English Devolution, HCWS316, whether local authorities will be able to impose selective licensing requirements on all private rented properties.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook
On 23 December 2024, a new General Approval for selective licensing came into force. This enables local authorities to introduce selective licensing schemes of any size without seeking approval from the Secretary of State. Under the previous 2015 General Approval, approval was required for schemes covering more than 20% of a local authority’s Private Rented Sector stock or geographical area.
No changes have been made to the legislative requirements for introducing and managing a selective licensing scheme. Local authorities will still need to meet the requirements under Part 3 of the Housing Act 2004 and comply with the condition in the General Approval to consult for at least 10 weeks on any new schemes.
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