Salford City Council has now launched a consultation on whether private housing landlords in parts of Broughton and Kersal should require a licence.
Selective licensing is a licence scheme which requires all private landlords operating within a designated area to license any privately rented property within that area.
The consultation is now launching after it was agreed by the council’s cabinet in July and had since been discussed through the authority’s scrutiny process. If approved, the selective licensing scheme would give the council the power to make sure that all private landlords who rent out a property to a household in the proposed areas have a licence and abide by rules set by the council.
It would cover approximately 1,340 properties in parts of Broughton and the Kersal and Broughton Park wards and cover the same area and streets as the previous scheme, which ended in 2021.
Councillor Tracy Kelly, Deputy City Mayor and Lead Member for Housing and Anti-Poverty at Salford City Council, said: “I’m pleased this consultation can now go ahead. It is important that local people have their say on this selective licensing scheme and put their views to us so they can help shape our full decision. Evidence in the area shows that challenges come with the amount of private rented properties in the area.
“Our aim is to make sure that local people have access to well-managed, affordable homes and that rogue landlords have no place in the area. This all links in with our commitment to create a fairer and more inclusive city for local people.”
Salford City Council approved two previous schemes in the area, the most recent being launched in January 2016 and this ran for a maximum limit of five years. Council officers completed a review and found there have been positive impacts against a number of the scheme’s original objectives, however recognise that there is further work to be done in the area. They also found the majority of properties within licensable areas are benefitting from improvements and greater compliance as landlords are more willing to do work required on their properties to remedy hazards and defects.
The consultation will run until Monday 20 January 2025 and more details can be found at www.salford.gov.uk/broughtonconsultation
