Labour campaigning for crackdown on rogue landlords in Armley area of Leeds with selective landlord licensing policy

Councillor Alice Smart, an Armley Labour councillor, believes the policy will cut down the number of landlords causing issues for tenants in rented property. The policy is already in place in Beeston and Harehills, and means landlords have to apply for a selective licence to rent out property.

Coun Smart told the Yorkshire Evening Post: “Most landlords in the city and most landlords in Armley are doing a great job. They'll be able to meet the criteria and they'll be able to get a licence. What it will cut down on is those rogue landlords, those difficult landlords that cause problems for their tenants. In order for them to get a licence, they'll have to up their game and make sure they're following council policy and doing right by their tenants."

In Beeston and Harehills, the fee for a selective licence is £825 per property or unit of accommodation. However, if the licence holder is the owner of the property to be licenced and a member of Leeds rental standard at the time of application, a £150 discount is available per licence. In order to operate with a licence, landlords will have to meet criteria laid out by the policy, which covers areas such as electrical safety, furniture and household waste. There are exemptions in the policy, such as for holiday lets and properties owned by landlords who already hold a HMO licence.

Coun Smart, who was elected as an Armley councillor back in 2014, has claimed councillors in Armley are approached with a lot of issues related to the renting of private properties. She explained: “You can walk round Armley and there are a lot of streets where the majority of houses are owned by private landlords and rented out to the public. As councillors, we receive casework and the biggest issue we get in Armley is housing. Some of that is people trying to get on the council house waiting list. some of it is issues with the maintenance of council properties, but a lot of it is issues with private properties.

"As councillors, there's very little we can do because we have very little power over these landlords. If they're causing problems for their tenants, there isn't much we can do but I know from speaking to council colleagues in parts of the city where they do have a selective licensing policy, that they've been able to make real progress and improve things for those tenants who are suffering from bad landlords. There are certain minimum standards in terms of what they provide tenants with and how they manage the property. I think it's something the tenants of Armley would really benefit from.”

Although there is confidence that the policy will be introduced in Armley, Labour councillors and MP Rachel Reeves are pushing to have it brought in as soon as possible. Coun Smart said: “I'm confident this will eventually come in in Armley from the conversations I've had. What we're pushing for is for it come in as soon as possible.”