Geospatial tech company, Kamma, reports that 2024 is on track to surpass 2023's record of 32 new schemes, with 19 selective and additional licensing schemes and consultations taking place within the first four months of the year.
Already this year, six new licensing schemes have begun in Greenwich, Nottingham, Islington, Warwick, and Luton. London takes the lead with active consultations starting in Haringey, Lambeth, Waltham Forest, and most recently Bexley, all signalling a strong desire to implement new selective and additional licensing measures across the capital. Luton has been the most recent council to implement new licensing schemes, with both additional and selective measures launching this week.
Fourteen schemes are also set to terminate this year, with a strong likelihood of scheme renewals. The impending Renter’s Reform Bill and calls for landlords to discontinue selective licensing schemes make it highly probable that councils will push to renew these measures before the passing of the bill.
Newham Council recently issued its first-ever banning order to a landlord letting out an unlicensed property, emphasising the common trend in councils for stronger enforcement against non-compliant agents and landlords in the face of unprecedented new schemes.
Orla Shields, CEO of Kamma, says: "2024 is a pivotal year for property licensing in the UK. With a record number of new schemes and consultations, the landscape is shifting rapidly. Landlords and agents must be vigilant in ensuring that their properties are licensed ."
