Private landlords prosecuted after licencing scheme for rented homes introduced in Rotherham

Details of those closures and the fact that Rotherham Council has also prosecuted private landlords on 18 occasions over failings to maintain their houses properly emerged as the council’s ruling Cabinet approved plans to extend the licencing scheme to parts of Parkgate and Thurcroft where it is known that deprivation and crime are major problems.

The scheme means landlords are obliged to apply for a licence when they want to rent out homes in the affected areas, with the houses then needing to be inspected by council officials.

Where the scheme has already been operating, large numbers of homes were found to be defective, but most were brought up to standard.

Ten weeks of consultation, with both tenants and landlords, is expected to start next month, with the scheme expected to go live from April next year.

Coun Emma Hoddinott told the meeting some of the case studies from the first licensing scheme had been “shocking”.