New scheme 'will tackle unscrupulous landlords'

New rules have been introduced to protect renters from "unscrupulous" landlords.

The licensing scheme in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, will be paid for through a £694 charge on each rental property.

It will cover Nelson Ward, Central and Northgate Ward, Southtown and Cobholm Ward, and eight streets in North Ward, and will include regular inspections of some 5,000 properties.

The Conservative cabinet at Great Yarmouth Borough Council gave its backing to the scheme on Thursday.

It will replace a programme that covers 1,500 properties, which landlords previously criticised as being costly and of little effect.

Councillors insisted the new rules would introduce tougher measures to help improve housing standards and reduce overcrowding, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Paul Wells, the local authority's portfolio holder for licensing, said: "We all know the previous scheme had flaws. This is going to be razor-focused on enforcement and [will] make sure we deal with the issues affecting renters."

Daniel Candon, cabinet member for economic development, said: "There are a high number of respectful and decent landlords in the borough but, unfortunately, we still have some unscrupulous ones."

Nearly a quarter of properties in the areas covered by the scheme have one or more serious hazards, according to a recent report.

"This is a shocking statistic," Wells said.

"This continues to affect people's lives and we should not underestimate the importance of getting this done."

Landlords warned that rents could go up to cover the new charge, and that it unfairly penalised good property owners.

Paul Cunningham, chairman of the Eastern Landlords Association, said: "At the end of the day, it will be the tenants that suffer from this.

"Rents will increase and it will mean less money for improvements.

"Competent landlords always comply with the rules but now we are all paying £694 to catch rogue landlords."

Councillors defended the scheme, arguing they wanted to work closely with landlords to ensure it was effective and fair.

They said other areas had not seen rents rise after the policy's introduction.

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