A SCHEME that aims to drive up the standards of rented housing in Worcester will be renewed for another five years.
Worcester City Council has been running an “additional licensing” scheme for smaller Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMOs) since 2015. It requires landlords to meet required standards on fire safety measures, heating, repairs and more in their properties.
It also helps to tackle issues raised by tenants and residents, including poor maintenance, unsafe gardens, and anti-social behaviour.
The licensing scheme has to be renewed every five years and was due to come to an end in September 2025. Following positive feedback in a recent public consultation, the council’s communities committee recently agreed to extend it until 2030.
The committee’s vice-chair Coun Jill Desayrah said: “We know the majority of our landlords offer accommodation that meets the expected standards, but there are a few non-compliant operators out there and some tenants are afraid to speak up about them.
“The HMO additional licensing scheme sets out the standards that have to be met and helps to give tenants the confidence to talk to the city council.
“That gives the council further powers to take enforcement action when we need to, in order to continue to drive forward improvements to the quality of rented housing across the city.
“If you suspect that an HMO is unlicensed you can contact us at www.worcester.gov.uk/report-it.
“Thank you to everybody who gave us their views about the scheme during the consultation stage. This feedback shows the Worcester community’s desire for better management and regulation of HMO properties.”
It is a national requirement for HMOs to be licensed if they have five or more occupants, forming two or more households and share one or more basic amenities, such as a toilet, washing facilities or a kitchen.
The additional licensing scheme, which has been running in Worcester since 2015, extends this to smaller HMOs where there are three or more occupants forming two or more households and also to many houses that have been converted into self-contained flats.
