Stoke landlord licensing scheme

Stoke-on-Trent City Council has decided to go forward with a selective landlord licensing scheme after a pilot scheme was deemed to have been a success.

The council will extend the scheme out from Tunstall into the Portland Street area of Cobridge. The scheme will require landlords to apply for a five-year operating licence at a cost of £500. To remain licensed landlords will be expected to maintain rental properties to a certain standard as well as monitoring the behaviour of their tenants. Those landlords who fail to meet these requirements could have their licence withdrawn or face the risk of a maximum fine of £20,000.