Croydon vows to crack down on landlords who fail their tenants

By Harrison Galliven, Local Democracy Reporter

Croydon council is set to reinstate a selective licensing scheme to improve conditions and raise standards in the borough’s private rented sector.

The move aims to provide better housing protection for the one in four Croydonians living under private landlords.

Selective licensing allows local councils to require landlords to obtain a licence for renting out properties in specific areas. The scheme should improve housing quality, ensure safety, and tackle issues such as poor property management and anti-social behaviour.

By introducing licensing, councils can monitor rental properties, set standards for landlords, and take action against those who fail to meet the required conditions.

While the majority of landlords in Croydon maintain good standards, some privately rented properties have been found to have serious issues.

These include problems like damp, mould, fire hazards, and structural instability, which pose significant risks to tenants’ health and safety.

At a cabinet meeting last Wednesday, Croydon’s Mayor Jason Perry said that most of the people living in Croydon’s private accommodation were in ‘lovely homes’, but added: “It is clear that some in the sector (are) in poor and unsafe homes.”

The council’s decision to back the scheme follows the Government’s change to housing regulations on December 23, which made it easier for councils to implement such schemes.

Mayor Perry said during the cabinet meeting: “This has been under consultation for a while. We have to move forward with it now, or we’ll have to wait until March.”

This accelerated timeline means the council is working to introduce the scheme, part of Croydon council’s Housing Strategy 2024-2029, without delay.

The council has since consulted with residents and landlords and has committed to doing so as the scheme is developed. A final proposal will return to cabinet for approval before being fully implemented.

Several local authorities have already introduced selective licensing with positive results. Newham introduced a borough-wide licensing scheme in 2013, which has been praised for tackling substandard homes, while neighbouring Merton has seized property from dodgy landlords since introducing it in 2023.

“We are determined to ensure that our residents do not live in unsafe, poorly managed rented properties that contribute to antisocial behaviour,” Mayor Perry said. “We will take every necessary step to protect the rights of private tenants while holding rogue landlords accountable.”

Pictured top: Mayor Jason Perry (Picture: LDRS/Harrison Galliven)