Landlord licence investigation prompts action
Landlords and tenants have been in contact with the council after an early morning investigation into the safety of 10 rented properties without landlord licences.
In the week since the dawn operation 23 applications have been made by landlords for a licence on their properties in the borough.
Tenants concerned their rented homes were not licenced have also come forward to request information from the housing regulation department after reading about the investigation.
The owner and the agent of the homes investigated have also made contact with the housing regulation department.
Officers from Slough Borough Council knocked on the doors of the 10 properties simultaneously at 5am to examine the living conditions in the houses on Alexandra Road, Chalvey, on Wednesday 22 January, as the landlord had not obtained any licences.
A landlord licence has been a legal requirement since new legislation came into effect on 1 June, 2019, for all HMOs in the borough and all rental properties in a selective area covering parts of Chalvey.
Gas and electrical issues were discovered in the unlicensed homes and serious problems were rectified immediately before permanent remedies were advised to the landlord.
During the investigation two properties were found to be undeclared houses in multiple occupation (HMO) and another had issue with design of a kitchen in an enclosed space.
Rhian Richards, Housing Regluation Manager, said: “We have issued all the paperwork we needed to in relation to the emergency works carried out at the properties in Alexandra Road and are currently carrying out further investigations.”
If any tenant in a rented property in Slough is concerned their home doesn’t have a landlord licence they should contact the housing regulation team on 01753 475111 option 3 or email privatesectorhousing1@slough.gov.uk
In the week since the dawn operation 23 applications have been made by landlords for a licence on their properties in the borough.
Tenants concerned their rented homes were not licenced have also come forward to request information from the housing regulation department after reading about the investigation.
The owner and the agent of the homes investigated have also made contact with the housing regulation department.
Officers from Slough Borough Council knocked on the doors of the 10 properties simultaneously at 5am to examine the living conditions in the houses on Alexandra Road, Chalvey, on Wednesday 22 January, as the landlord had not obtained any licences.
A landlord licence has been a legal requirement since new legislation came into effect on 1 June, 2019, for all HMOs in the borough and all rental properties in a selective area covering parts of Chalvey.
Gas and electrical issues were discovered in the unlicensed homes and serious problems were rectified immediately before permanent remedies were advised to the landlord.
During the investigation two properties were found to be undeclared houses in multiple occupation (HMO) and another had issue with design of a kitchen in an enclosed space.
Rhian Richards, Housing Regluation Manager, said: “We have issued all the paperwork we needed to in relation to the emergency works carried out at the properties in Alexandra Road and are currently carrying out further investigations.”
If any tenant in a rented property in Slough is concerned their home doesn’t have a landlord licence they should contact the housing regulation team on 01753 475111 option 3 or email privatesectorhousing1@slough.gov.uk
