If you live in a shared home in Oldfield Park with 5 or more occupants and three or more storeys your landlord should have a licence to operate the property. The Council will prosecute any landlord who doesn’t have a licence. If the prosecution is successful, the tenants can apply for a rent repayment order and potentially get up to 1 years refund of the rent they have paid.
A home that needs a licence must have 5 or more occupants sharing a bathroom and kitchen and three or more storeys, for example a landlord would need to have a licence if 5 students were sharing a house with a loft conversion.
Cllr Will Sandry said: “I urge anyone living in this type of accommodation to check it is licensed. The Council will prosecute the landlord, and you could apply for a refund of up to 12 months of your rent payments.
Licensing is not the same as the voluntary Accreditation Scheme and is a legal requirement for this type of property.
If you think your home should have a licence, phone the Council’s Housing services team to check it out on 01225 396444.
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