As a landlord, I say please rethink fees

I AM writing as a landlord in Westcotes to ask the city council to think again about the extremely high registration fees being proposed, of over £1,000 for every property.

The proposed scheme is more expensive than the Nottingham registration scheme, which has been widely criticised as too expensive and is partly responsible for a 40 per cent rise in rents there over the past three years.

The vast majority of landlords would be happy to register with a scheme priced to deal effectively with landlords who fail to maintain standards in their properties.

Currently by law all landlords must provide tenants with a gas certificate, electrical certificate and energy performance certificate.

Using the council’s own figures, there are 9,330 rental properties (houses /flats) and 3,035 houses of multiple occupation in the five districts Fosse, Stoneygate, Westcotes, Braunstone and Rowley Fields and Saffron.

If a registration fee of £1,000 is charged, this would generate the colossal sum of £12,365,000 a year.

I would ask the question how many staff will be employed in this scheme?

Please let us have a detailed breakdown of their roles and any other expenses to operate the scheme. There needs to be accountability. My concern is that much of the £12 million-plus generated by the scheme will be diverted to pet projects.

No doubt within a year the scheme will be extended to the whole city, raising £25 million.

The sad result of this is that the tenants will pick up the bill for the scheme as registration fees are passed on in increased rents.

What a time to introduce this when people are struggling to make ends meet.

Please think again, city councillors, of those whom you represent.

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