Newcastle extends licensing scheme compliance deadline to October
Newcastle City Council has extended the deadline for landlords to comply with two licensing schemes introduce in April, for a second time.
Landlords who have rental properties in the designated areas will now have until 5th October 2020 to comply.
Second extension
Both selective licensing scheme and an additional licensing scheme commenced in Newcastle on 6th April. The selective licensing scheme covers five targeted areas, while additional licensing applies to ALL HMOs that do not currently fall under the scope of mandatory licensing in the city.
Newcastle City Council originally announced the date for compliance for the schemes had been extended until the 6th July 2020, adding that this deadline was ‘under continuous review due to the Covid-19 pandemic’.
The announcement , which the NRLA welcomed, was made just a week after the association wrote to the council expressing concern some landlords could be unfairly punished through enforcement action if they were unable to carry out pre-licensing duties at their properties accurately, because of circumstances out of their control-such as a tenant needing to self-isolate and landlords being unable to enter the property.
Now, the council has confirmed to the NRLA that the compliance deadline has been extended again, to Monday 5th October 2020.
FAQs for landlords
Newcastle City Council has published a Frequently Asked Questions document for landlords in Newcastle, which covers what they need to know about the licensing scheme, and also managing their rental properties during the coronavirus pandemic.
Apply for a licence
The additional licensing that has been introduced applies to all HMOs in Newcastle that do not currently fall under the scope of mandatory licensing. The selective licensing scheme covers a vast area of Newcastle,
If a landlord has a rental property that is in a desginated licensing area, they are required to obtain a licence in order to let the property out lawfully.
To apply for a licence via the online portal, or see more information on the areas that have been included in the selective licencing scheme, click here.
What should landlords do if they can not afford a licence or there’s another issue with applying for one?
Newcastle City Council have also made it clear that if the coronavirus has affected a landlords’ ability to apply for a licence, they should email [email protected]. to discuss the options available to them.
