Agenda item

That the fee schedule for the licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation and associated activities, as set out in the report and Appendices, be approved.

Decision

That the fee schedule for the licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation and associated activities, as set out in the report and Appendices, be approved.

Corporate objectives

The Strategic Housing Service’s responsibilities and activity in relation to the Private Rented Sector contributes to the following corporate objectives:

Clean Safe and enjoyable environment

Building Strong and vibrant communities

Monitoring Officer/S.151 Officer comments

Deputy Monitoring Officer:

No comments to add to report

Deputy S.151 Officer:

The recommended fees and charges have been calculated based on the criteria highlighted in the Treasury’s paper on Managing Public Money and also reflecting on Counsel advice and recent case law guidance.

The charges, are based on estimates of the time and costs incurred by the council to deliver these services. These services are new to the council and hence the costs to deliver these services may change as the service develops so they will need to be monitored going forward to ensure they meet with current legislation and achieve best value for the council and its clients.

Advice

Councillor Griffiths introduced the report. It was a long and extensive report which explains what a local authority can and can’t charge. The current fees are incorrect and need to be changed.

N Beresford said that reviewing the fees is necessary due to a High Court ruling in April 2018 which amended the way in which local authorities are able to charge license fees on application.

Councillor Griffiths highlighted to members that this had been to the Housing and Community Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

Councillor Birnie said he believed there was some doubt about how many HMOs there are. He asked if this report was recommending officers be increased to cope with demand.

Councillor Williams highlighted that was about the budget which will be discussed at next week’s Joint Budget meeting. This report is to discuss the fees.

N Beresford highlighted that 41 properties are currently licensed as HMOs with 65 applications pending. Each application takes about 90 days to assess. There is a six month grace period for landlords to approach the local authority – they will be subject to enforcement action if they fail to do so.

Councillor Birnie asked about the five year license fee and questioned if the ongoing management fee was to be divided over the five years or if it was an annual charge.

N Beresford said it was an initial fee for a full assessment of the property. The second tier fee applies if the house is deemed suitable. It is a one off payment for monitoring properties.

Voting

None.