An extension of Sefton Council successful Selective and Additional (HMO) Licensing schemes for private rented homes starts this week.

An extension of Sefton Council successful Selective and Additional (HMO) Licensing schemes for private rented homes starts this week.

Coming into effect on Wednesday 1st March, the extension of the scheme was given the go-ahead after a consultation last year.

Since it introduced Licensing schemes in March 2018, Sefton Council has used them to secure improvements for people living in privately rented properties across the Brough. Over 3,000 serious health and safety hazards, including problems with fire safety, electrical hazards, damp & mould and excess cold, have been removed from licensed properties in that time.

Cllr Trish Hardy Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities and Housing said:
“Approaching 3,900 private rented properties across the Borough are registered through our Selective and Additional (HMO) Licensing schemes, which have enabled us the Council to step in and deal with poor management thousands of hazards being faced by tenants.

In most cases, we have been able to work with landlords to resolve the situations informally, but the Licensing schemes do give us additional powers for formal enforcement action, which we will use if we need to.”

More about the Licensing schemes, details of the properties they cover and how landlords can apply for the required licence, can be found at www.sefton.gov.uk/Licensing-Schemes .