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Latest news and updates from Safer Housing at Nottingham City Council
The Selective Licensing scheme is now past it’s mid-way point and has reached some key milestones over the last 2.5 years.
We want to say a BIG thank you to all those landlords who have licensed their properties and maintain them to a high standard - in line with the licence conditions.
This is one of the largest schemes of its kind in the country and started in August 2018 and is due to run to July 2023.
We have carried out a mid-scheme review to highlight achievements from the scheme and what the team have been doing to help improve housing standards in the city- this includes enforcement action, inspections and licences issued.
You can read more and see the full report here.
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Now restrictions have eased, the Safer Housing teams are out and about carrying out more compliance inspections on private rented homes.
The team have found some really great and safe properties in the city. However, the team are still finding properties with serious issues, including lack of fire safety, electric safety issues, damp and mould to name a few.
We will be continuing to increase compliance checks and inspections over the next year, so we will likely be coming to your property in the near future.
Whilst carrying out inspections, it’s also worth noting that the housing licencing teams are still issuing licences and the Selective Licensing team alone issued 15,000 final licenses during the last lockdown.
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Understanding Possession Laws
The Government has updated its guidance for landlords and tenants in the private rented sector to explain the possession action process in the county courts.
The updates include changes to the COVID-19 rules step 4 on 19 July
Read the full guidance here
How to Rent Guide
The Government has also created a new easy read 'How to Rent Guide' for Assured Shorthold Tenants.
There's a version created especially for people with learning disabilities.
The guides will help tenants and landlords understand their rights and responsibilities.
You can find the guides here.
Whilst the rules have changed and it is no longer compulsory to wear masks, cases of COVID-19 are still rising and so people will naturally have their own concerns and may choose to still wear a mask.
A landlord, agent or contractor may still want to wear a mask if visiting a property and they may ask others in the property to do the same. Tenants may also ask you to wear a mask when visiting.
Please be mindful of people’s choices and discuss concerns with everyone involved before visiting a property.
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The Nottingham Standard was developed to promote good standards for private rented accommodation in the city. In return, landlords will be accredited on the scheme and receive training and support.
The Nottingham Standard unifies the well -established DASH and Unipol accreditation under one standard certification mark.
What is Accreditation?
Accreditation is a set of standards relating to the management and condition of privately rented accommodation.
Landlords who join a scheme, meet the standards & commit to a code of good practice become 'accredited'.
Some key benefits of accreditation:
- Training, advice, support and guidance
- Financial support and help packages from our teams when landlords house people in housing need
- Landlords who already have Nottingham Standard accreditation may still be eligible for a reduce license fee on each property they rent, so the licence fee can be significantly reduced.
Apply for accreditation
Make an online application to DASH Landlord Accreditation here
Make an online application to Unipol Student Homes here
More information
Find out more about accreditation here
Find out more on the Nottingham Standard here
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Are you up to date with training? Could you do with learning more about housing legislation, housing hazards, fire safety, property management or energy ratings?
There are external providers who provide different courses and carry out training sessions for you to join, to make sure your training as a landlord is up-to-date.
Below are a list of partners who offer training -
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