Landlords forced to pay up hundreds as crackdown on unfit housing continues

02.02.2022 - 13:13 / manchestereveningnews.co.uk

Landlords of more than 1,400 homes in Manchester will have to pay hundreds of pounds for a licence as part of a council crackdown on poor housing.

Four more areas across the city have been added to the selective licensing scheme which aims to raise housing standards in the private rented sector.

The Ladders and Hyde Road in Gorton and Abbey Hey, Trinity in Harpurhey and the Ben Street area in Clayton and Openshaw are the latest to join the scheme.

READ MORE: Desperate people, overcrowded rooms - Manchester's modern-day slums exposed

It comes as councillors consider rolling out the compulsory licensing scheme further following a debate at a full council meeting on Wednesday (February 2).

Coun Gavin White, who is the executive member for housing and employment at Manchester council, said the scheme is already raising standards in the city.

He said: "While we know that the majority of landlords in the city are good and take their responsibility to their tenants seriously, there are a minority that seem content to rent out substandard or dangerous properties.

"There is no place for rogue landlords in Manchester.

"This is where selective licensing comes in – and these schemes provide a way for the council to work with property owners, landlords and agents to ensure that their homes are up to scratch, while also tackling neighbourhood issues, such as waste problems.

"What is clear from areas of the city that have had selective licensing for a few years is that these schemes do improve standards in private sector homes – and tenants are seeing the real-life benefits.

"The enforcement work carried out by council officers mean that residents in private sector homes in these areas can sleep soundly knowing that their homes have