A group of letting agents and landlords – the Croydon Property Forum – will have to pay for licences to let out their respective properties, following a High Court Judge’s decision to dismiss their attempts to block the scheme.
Last week, Judge Sir Stephen Silber QC did not accept Croydon Property Forum’s claims made at an earlier hearing, in August, that the council had approved the landlord licensing scheme without consulting those that would be affected.
He ruled that the consultation had been lawful and, as a result, their group’s judicial review application was refused.
As part of the new scheme, which will launch in October this year, any landlord that fails to obtain a licence in the London borough of Croydon faces a fine of up to £20,000.
Landlords will have to pay £750 for each of their properties, to get the appropriate five-year licence, though any who register before 1st October will benefit from a reduced fee.
Furthermore, any landlord found to be flouting the terms of the scheme can also face prosecution and a fine up to the sum of £5,000.
Tony Newman, Croydon council’s leader, said that attempts to block its scheme were being led by “developers and landlords who have sought to exploit the vulnerable and attack Croydon’s Labour council.”
Councillor Alison Butler, the council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for homes, regeneration and planning, said: “We always maintained that our landlord licensing scheme was robust and lawful, so we’re very pleased to hear the High Court has found in our favour.
“This scheme is important because raising housing standards and tackling antisocial behaviour is crucial to making Croydon a better place to live.”