One Lincolnshire council is hoping that the introduction of a new landlord
licensing scheme will help to reduce the number of incidents of anti social
behaviour in rental properties.
Antisocial Behaviour and Criminal Landlords in Boston
Anti social behaviour and problem tenants are a real problem in Boston,
Lincolnshire. Figures indicate that there are around one and a half more
recorded incidents in Boston than anywhere else in Lincolnshire, which is why
the council is determined to deal with the issue. A lot of the incidents
originate in HMOs where larger properties have been sub-divided up into small
bedsits. If a responsible landlord does not properly manage the property
properly, noise and excessive rubbish soon become a problem for people living
in the same neighbourhood.
Annual Licensing Scheme for Landlords
Boston Borough Council believes that there is a strong link between antisocial
behaviour and poor property management. By regulating landlords through an
annual licensing scheme, the council thinks that rogue landlords will be
driven out of the city and the number of nuisance tenants in residence will
fall. Landlords will be charged £490 per year. The license fee for HMOs will
be higher at around £800 per year.
The Misery caused by Bad Tenants
Noisy and irresponsible tenants can cause untold misery for their neighbours.
Quite often problems get worse over time when landlords fail to step in and
deal with problems early on. As a result, the council is warning bad landlords
that their properties will be blacklisted if they don’t come up to scratch.
