7. Benefits of a designation  

There are a number of long term and short term benefits to introducing such a scheme. So far, as a result of the selective licensing consultation a number of benefits have been experienced.

The consultation exercise led to an unprecedented response rate of more than 10% of those people who were consulted. Response rates in consultations are usually around 1-3%. This level of response means that people are engaged regardless of whether this is positively or negatively, with the process and means that any subsequent actions will be easier to deliver in the future. It has also meant that this final proposal has been able to address the concerns and recommendations raised, thereby tailoring the scheme to meet those needs and suggestions.

Landlords and residents who have not contacted the council before made representation and showed that they are ready to see changes in the area. Officers from the council attended forums and public meetings to discuss the scheme and address concerns and encourage responses to be submitted. Officers were well received by both residents and landlords and showed that we are prepared to listen and work together.

Enhanced services

• This service aims to support private landlords by offering advice and taking forward the most severe cases of anti social behaviour that cannot be dealt with by landlords alone. Where a case is urgent or advice is required landlords and residents should contact community.safety@thanet.gov.uk. This will be picked up an officer and dealt with as a priority.
• The Housing Regeneration Team, Community Safety and Kent Police have also been working jointly on a new tenant disclosure form to assist landlords with the referencing requirement of selective licensing.  The aim is to give landlords the opportunity to contact the council for basic information on a prospective tenant. This will make it easier to ensure that tenants and landlords are more successfully matched and that eviction is less likely.  
• The Council’s Housing Options Team will be able to advise and support landlords who have tenants that have fallen into rent arrears and/or those whose behaviour maybe causing them to be at risk of eviction from their home. The Housing Options Team will  attempt to engage with the tenants to establish the causes of things like rent arrears and seek to address any issues regarding housing benefit problems, ensuring the tenant is receiving the correct benefits, provide some debt advice, assist in arranging repayment arrangements with landlords and refer to any necessary support or advice agencies where appropriate. Where landlords need to regain possession of their properties for other matters, such as to carry out major repairs, the Housing Options Team will try to assist tenants in obtaining alternative accommodation.
• The Margate Task Force work programme profiles streets, sites, and properties in the area which are a cause for concern as a result of crime, nuisance behaviour and risk to the local community.  The programme identifies lead agencies and officers/professionals and where appropriate the regulatory tools to be applied to address the problem.

Information sharing protocols among Task Force partners ensures that personalised information is used on a secure basis to identify individuals in the community who (i) are vulnerable and require support (ii) pose a risk to themselves and/or others and require support and monitoring to address their behaviour.  Examples include:

• Families at risk of eviction through their anti-social behaviour have swift access to family intervention or Social Services to help them engage in positive behaviour to break the cycle of difficulties. 
• Development of an assertive outreach approach to providing drug treatment services in the community where need is high and take up is currently low.
• High levels of non school attendance among children in the East European migrant community in Cliftonville West is being addressed through close liaison with the Education Welfare Service, schools and targeted truancy sweeps, as well as working with migrant families to reinforce the importance of school and identifying barriers faced within the migrant community. 

Other benefits

Low housing demand will be addressed through selective licensing but also through the housing intervention strategy that is currently being developed. This will look at ways of changing the tenure mix of the area. Partnership working between Thanet District Council, the Homes and Communities Agency and Kent County Council is looking at support and investment to work with private developers and registered social landlords in purchasing some of the empty and derelict properties and developing them into more suitable accommodation. This will result in significant changes to the way in which some streets look in the future.

Other expected benefits for the area through this scheme and the associated work being carried out as described above include:

• Reduced levels of anti social behaviour
• Improved management and condition of privately rented accommodation
• Support for landlords in dealing with anti social tenants
• Education for tenants in their responsibilities to behave in a tenant like manner
• Education for tenants to ensure they only live in properties that meet a minimum standard
• Promotion of the landlord accreditation scheme and the aspiration to let property to a higher standard
• and to act in a professional manner with well written tenancy agreements, inventories and protected deposits
• Encouragement of  landlords not to take tenants with a poor reference
• Development of a tenant referencing system to enable landlords to make informed decisions when letting property
• Improvement of the image and desirability of the area 
• Encouragement in the market to increase rents and values of property in the area
• Encouraging a change to the tenure mix of the area

Next: Successful schemes in other areas

Back: Enforcement and delivery

• How to apply
• Introduction
• The Profile
• Legislative Framework
• The Proposal
• Results of the consultation
• Enforcement and delivery
• Benefits of a designation
• Schemes in other areas
• Conclusion
• Appendix 1: Draft Proposal for consultation
• Appendix 2: Map and list of streets
• Appendix 3: Formal Notice to designate
• Appendix 4: Legislative framework

E-mail:

housing.conditions
@thanet.gov.uk

Tel: 01843 577437