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Private Rented Housing: Licensing

Asked by Lewis CockingConservativeMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled Answered 1 September 2025UIN 69863

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 14 July 2025 to Question 65373 on Private Rented Housing: Licensing, whether the restrictions on using selective licensing revenues is in scope of the Fair Funding Review's consideration of flexibility on fees and charges.

Answered by Jim McMahon

As stated in the answer to Question UIN 65367 on 14 July 2025, selective licensing fees paid by landlords to local authorities should only be used to cover the costs of running schemes, and local authorities are not expected to profit, nor should they use licensing revenues to fund other local authority services.

Through the Fair Funding Review 2.0, the government is consulting on proposals to review local authority fees and charges where they no longer recover the cost of delivery, and to consider where there is a case for updating or devolving the fee. We welcome views on this, including the scope of proposed reforms.

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