Row erupts over council's plan for £609 landlord licence
manchestereveningnews.co.ukA row has broken out at Salford council over plans for a 'landlord licence' costing £609. The council shared plans in July to bring in a licensing system for private rental properties in Kersal and Broughton.
It said the areas are impacted by a "blight of low housing demand" and that licences would encourage "good practice among a proportion of landlords." Councillors voted to launch a consultation on the scheme which would impact more than 1,300 properties in the selected areas, and bring in a total of £800,000 for the council.
But during a town hall meeting on September 16, a councillor slammed the proposal and said the fee would be passed on to tenants through rent hikes. READ MORE: It's an iconic part of our city but one problem is dragging everything down "When costs for landlords go up, costs for tenants go up," said Andrew Walters, who represents the Kersal and Broughton Park ward.
He added: "I have spoken to several professional landlords and asked them, and without exception every single one said it would be passed on to tenants." Mr Walters also questioned the council's "local intelligence" on housing demand, and said that there is in fact huge competition for properties in the area.
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