Consultation on property licensing schemes

A 10-week consultation has launched today (Wed) into two licensing schemes which are designed to improve housing conditions and property management standards in the private rented sector.

The schemes would cover every private licensable rented property in Slough, amounting to almost 17,000 properties.

The selective licensing scheme applies to privately rented homes let to a single family, a single person, or a household of up to two unrelated sharers.

The additional licensing scheme applies to smaller Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMO) not covered by the mandatory licensing rules and includes properties with three or four tenants who share kitchen or bathroom amenities.

The number of predicted HMOs is 2,024 out of 58,540 properties in the borough, with 22.3% of HMOs predicted to have a serious hazard.

Between 2020 and 2025, 153 of the 369 private rented sector housing enforcement notices served were in relation to predicted HMOs. The number of associated anti-social behaviour complaints, and planning issues is also disproportionately higher in relation to predicted HMOs.

Councillor Zafar Satti, lead member for public protection and regulatory services, said: “These licensing schemes mean there are more requirements for landlords to follow. They must take all measures to provide safe, secure and habitable housing for their tenants.

“Toughening the rules for the private rented and HMO sectors will only be a good thing, as it puts in place measures to protect residents and communities. It will help to make sure properties are of a higher standard, make them more desirable to live in and offer more stability.

“I would urge everyone to share their comments, to ensure we have covered everything in the final schemes.”

A borough-wide additional licensing scheme, and a selective licensing scheme across the Chalvey and Slough Central wards, were in place between 1 July 2019 and 30 June 2024. This resulted in 149 properties being licensed under the additional scheme and 3,635 properties licensed under the selective scheme.

The proposed schemes aim to build on that work, to improve standards and to have private rented sector housing that is fit for purpose.

Landlords would pay a fee for a licence of up to 5 years.

The consultation is open from 15 July until 23 September.

Find out more, and have your say.

The results of the consultation will be presented to Cabinet at a future meeting, before the final schemes are agreed and implemented.