Walsall Cabinet has approved a new scheme to help improve the standard and management of private rented Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) in key parts of the borough.
HMO (Houses in Multiple Occupation) refers to any property occupied by three or more unrelated people who share an amenity (for example a kitchen, bathroom, toilet).
The scheme known as Additional Licensing will open for applications on 1 March 2022 and cover all HMOs which are not already licensed, in the wards of Palfrey, St Matthews, Paddock and Pleck. This approval follows the statutory consultation undertaken earlier this year.
Councillor Adrian Andrew, Deputy Leader of Walsall Council said: “We want to improve housing standards and make sure that landlords provide good quality HMOs and maintain them well.
“We know that many already do this however there are there are still too many examples of properties of this type in the borough that are poorly managed – making them unsafe and in unsatisfactory condition.
“A new approach is needed and this additional licensing scheme is a good way forward. Overall, support for the Additional Licensing scheme is very strong. 73% of respondents to the consultation questionnaire fully support the proposals for Additional Licensing with a further 10% who partially support it.”
The council website has been updated to provide a range of information for HMO landlords and tenants including the licence fees, proposed licence conditions and the boundary details for the Additional Licensing Area.