Selective Licensing Scheme Evaluation, re-designated Area Central Bensham

Working with licence holders

Reduced annual licence review requests for consistent Returns

Licence Holders that consistently returned their annual reviews in a timely manner have benefited from reduced monitoring after the first year of the licensing scheme.

This was because licence holders have demonstrated effective compliance during the licensing scheme. This approach of relaxed monitoring of compliant landlords has reduced administration for both the Licence Holders and the Private Sector Housing Team. This has enabled the team to concentrate on the non-compliant licence holders. This approach was not available to licence holders that have been subject to formal action or investigation by the Council.

Annual reviews for landlords with multiple licences have also been requested at the same time to make submitting the information easier.

Less formal approach for follow up for properties with low rating category 2 hazards

Officers from the team have also taken a lighter approach when signing off works following the issue of a schedule of works. Where Category 2 hazards were identified during property inspections, many of these have been followed up without a revisit to the property and on the production of evidence to confirm completion of works for example, photographs, invoices and virtual property visits via Facetime.

This approach was adopted for lower-level Category 2 hazards, and for those licence holders who demonstrated a good track record for completing schedules of work within the given timescale and effective communication with officers in the team.

Development and introduction of an online platform for licence annual reviews

Further to the success and efficiencies of the online application form, the team have also developed an online platform for the annual review of a licence. Each year we write out to licence holders at around the anniversary of the licence being issued. We request the completion of the annual review form to demonstrate ongoing compliance with licence conditions.

This process has been developed and it can now be completed online, and licence holders are sent the appropriate web link when the review of their licence is due. The team have facilitated training sessions on the correct completion of annual reviews into the training schedule to support those licence holders less familiar with on-line technologies.

Licence holder training sessions

Prior to the COVID pandemic the team delivered seven free training courses which were facilitated in person within the civic centre. The training courses enabled licence holders to maintain and improve competency in housing management and to assist in licence condition compliance. Subject matters covered in the training sessions since the scheme commencement included dealing with, and responding to, ASB, safeguarding, domestic abuse and violence in the private rented sector, modern day slavery and human trafficking.

In response to the COVID pandemic in 2020, the team started to deliver training courses online via Microsoft Teams. The team have delivered 29 training sessions
throughout the five years of licensing and there have been 22 training sessions delivered on-line. In total there have been 661 attendees/licence holders cumulatively across all sessions.

The recent free training courses have covered subjects including licence condition monitoring, tenant referencing and vetting service, Licence Holder support in
completing annual reviews, damp and mould training, unlawful eviction and hoarding.

The licensing team has endeavoured to provide good quality training to all Licence Holders free of charge and in accordance with all current legislation. The team also delivered a free session by an external provider to enable landlords to identify bypassed electricity and gas meters and to raise awareness to the dangers that this poses to both the tenants and the wider community.

Provision of a tenant vetting/reference service

There was a free tenant vetting service to support Licence Holders comply with their licence conditions and it remained available throughout the five years of the licensing scheme. The vetting service was available to help and support landlords with properties in the selective landlord licensing areas to determine the suitability of future tenants, contributing towards area improvements including the prevention of ASB and crime.

Licence holders were able to undertake their own checks as long as they have robust processes in place, and they are fit for purpose and include details of former housing history as a minimum.

Licence Holders were previously provided with what is accepted as a satisfactory reference check. There have been 50 vetting checks undertaken in the re-designated area alone, the outcomes have been as follows:

Category A - good housing history, previous successful tenancies	10%
Category B - no previous housing history (lived with family, owner occupier, lived abroad etc). Information received is inconclusive	70%
Category C - Short-term rent arrears due to unforeseen circumstances (temporary situation that has or is being addressed)	0%
Category D - applicant fails to meet suitability criteria (unspent convictions, rent arrears, poor housing history, crime/ASB history)	20%

The vetting service available from the licensing team was unique in that it had access to Police data via the partnership with Northumbria Police and Operation Vienna. This information is not available to any other referencing service and enabled Licence Holders to ensure any potential tenants were vetted to determine their suitability.

The vetting checks were undertaken in short timescales due to the partnership with Operation Vienna and the direct contact with the Police and officers from the
Gateshead Housing Company. The average time for a decision on tenant suitability was within one working week.

The licensing team carried out regular audits of tenure change to confirm the movement of tenants within the licensing area. Where our tenant vetting service was not being used, the team continued to contact Licence Holders to ask for evidence of vetting checks and compliance with this licensing condition on change of tenant.

Key outcomes and how they were achieved

Key outcomes identified	Intervention by licensing team	How the outcomes were achieved
To reduce the turnover of occupants to create stable communities	Tenant meetings were carried out at every initial property inspection and every change of tenancy throughout the licensing scheme, this mechanism enabled the team to resolve issues and to reduce issues within the community	To ensure that any of the occupants concerns where addressed for example, property standards, noise and ASB, emergency repairs, rent increases Check tenancy agreement for unfair terms Ensure tenants are aware of their rights and responsibilities Discuss any disputes with landlord or neighbours Provide advice and support for personal matters To signpost to the relevant services as and when required Good waste management practices Offer tenants support and guidance
To reduce the number of empty properties and the length of time they remain unoccupied	Provided a vetting service to assist landlords with tenant suitability criteria Empty property leasing scheme	Assess tenant's housing history over a five year period, affordability check, police check, undisclosed tenancy check using inhouse systems Financial assistance to bring empty properties back into use
To reduce levels of ASB linked to tenants in the private rented sector	Partnership working	Joint visits with Northumbria Police Liaise with the ASB team Arrange and facilitate mediation between affected parties Use of ASB tools and powers
To improve private rented property conditions and the number of accredited homes	Generous property discounts were offered as an incentive to improve property standard	All licensable properties were inspected under Part 1 of the The Housing Act 2004 (opens new window) Accredited properties were inspected to a higher standard, all compliant properties were rewarded with a generous discount
To improve the management of properties in the area	Annual reviews Licence condition monitoring Free landlord training events to improve knowledge and competence	Robust licensing conditions monitored throughout the scheme designation through annual reviews All noncompliant licence holders breached for non-compliance with the licence conditions and all breaches to mandatory conditions resulted in a formal investigation and subsequent enforcement action due to poor management practices The Private Sector Housing Team arranged and delivered a free comprehensive training program covering a range of different topics in accordance with the regulatory framework including - responding to complaints of ASB, property standards, hoarding, tenancy matters, by-passed meters, damp and mould
To increase the number of tenants who manage their tenancy well	A tenant meeting was carried out at every property inspection and the team endeavoured to repeat the tenant meeting on change of tenant throughout the duration of the licensing scheme	During the tenant meeting advice was given to support the occupants and ensure that they were given all the correct advice to enable them to manage their tenancy well. All appropriate referrals were made to encourage and support tenants to manage their tenancies well
To stabilise and increase rental values of private rented properties	Inspection regime	To drive up property standards which increases the value to good well-maintained properties

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