Have your say on licensing privately rented properties in Lambeth

Watch our consultation video 

In this video, Cllr Maria Kay, Cabinet Member for Better Homes and Reducing Homelessness tells us about the proposals and how to have your say.

The Proposal

To improve the standard of privately rented property in the borough, Lambeth Council is proposing to introduce a selective licensing scheme covering 23 out of 25 wards, implemented in two phases.

If the scheme is approved, all properties in the designated areas that are rented to a single household (e.g., a family) or two unrelated sharers (e.g., two friends living together) will need to have a licence to be legally let. 

The 23 wards selected have significantly high numbers of privately rented properties in poor condition. The council has chosen to exclude the wards Vauxhall and Waterloo & South Bank as the properties in these wards tend to be relatively new builds and therefore do not have the high levels of housing hazards that we see in other parts of the borough.

Background

The Private Rented Sector (PRS) in Lambeth has an important role in meeting housing needs in the borough. Most privately rented flats and houses are in good condition and well managed but some are not.

The council is looking to address this issue and improve the overall standard of privately rented homes in the borough by introducing a selective licensing scheme under the Housing Act 2004.

Licensing allows the council to be much more proactive in tackling poor property conditions and raising standards for tenants and supporting good landlords. A selective licensing scheme would also provide the council with the power to take action against landlords that do not manage properties appropriately.

You can find out more information in the following documents: 

Selective Licensing Proposals - Evidence for Consultation

Appendix 1 - Housing Stock Conditions and Stressors Report

Appendix 2 - Proposed Selective Licence Conditions

Appendix 3 - Proposed Schedule of Licence Fees 

Appendix 4 - Map of Proposed Designation 1

Appendix 5 - Map of Proposed Designation 2

Appendix 6 - Map of Proposed Designation 1 and 2

Appendix 7 - Equalities Analysis

When the consultations ends

Your views will be taken into consideration and changes made, if necessary, to the final proposals. The final proposals will be submitted to the council’s cabinet for consideration in spring 2024.

Lambeth Council has appointed Cadence Innova, an independent business management company, to support the consultation exercise. Lambeth will produce a consultation report in which feedback from individual members of the public will be anonymous, but views from organisations may be attributed in full.

Information will only be used to inform this consultation and any personal information that could identify you will be kept for no more than one year after any decisions have been finalised. For further information, please see Privacy notice | Lambeth Council