FOI request (FOIR-381171955)

Private rented sector

Requested Thu 25 November 2021
Responded Fri 03 December 2021

This FOI is for the attention of the department that oversees the private rented sector and enforcement.

The Enforcement Index seeks to measure the effectiveness of enforcement activity of each local authority in England. The Index is measured by data collected from housing departments from each local authority and will be an opportunity to benchmark and demonstrate the current landscape of local authority enforcement to raise standards overall. The information you provide in this FOI will be used to compile this Enforcement Index and used in conjunction with other NRLA campaign work and policy proposals. This includes the better use of data to tackle criminal landlords, standardised enforcement policies so the law is applied fairly and consistently across the country.

1. How many housing units in your local authority do you estimate to be in the PRS?

2. Please state the year in which your local authority last carried out a Stock Condition Survey.

3. How many environmental health officers work for the local authority whose main job is to enforce standards in the private rented sector (FTEs)?

4. How much (£) did it cost a landlord to obtain a mandatory HMO licence for a single property occupied by five people in your local authority? Please exclude any discounts.

5. How many working days did it take for a typical mandatory HMO licence application to be processed and issued? Please write the typical number of working days from receipt to decision.

6. Is it your local authority's policy to inspect a property before issuing a mandatory HMO licence?

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Response

1. 14,500

2. 2016

3. 5 enforcement officers (no qualified EHOs)

4. New application £980, Renewal £414

5. 104

6. Yes