The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
LAndlords feAr new rules will see fAmilies evicted
City council tries to calm worries over new selective licensing rules
Landlords fear they will have to evict families due to new legislation introduced by Peterborough City Council to improve the rental sector. Rules governing how many adults and children can sleep in a roomhavebeentightened under selective licensing, to the dismay of landlords.
Landlords in the nine affected wards now have until December to apply for a licence for each of their properties to prove that they are safe for tenants.
But Azar Hussain said he is concerned he might have to evict a family of five living in a threebedroomsemi-detached house in Central ward which he lets out.
That is because a 15-year- old boysleeps in aroomwhich only a child (classified as nine or under) can live in.
He said: “I can see what the council are trying to do as there are somelandlords who shoe anyone in their properties, but this is the wrong way to go about it.
“It’s going to exacerbate the problem with the housing waiting list.”
Anees Ahmed, director at The Lettings Shop, said: “We have 15-20 properties where we would have to send them a notice.
“Thisaffectslandlordswho are meeting obligations anyway, but the ones they are trying to catch will avoid paying for the licence.”
Umar Faghir, business manager at Advance Accommodation, said selective licensing will make it “more difficult to rent out properties.”
Councillor Mohammed Nadeem, member for Central ward, said: “The last thing we want is adding more families to the housing waiting list when the list is already at breaking point.”
Gary Goose, head of community services for the council, said: “Unless a property wasfoundtobeseriouslyovercrowded, we would not impose the condition relating to room sizes during an existing tenancy. However, once the property was re-let we would expect the landlord to adhere to the conditions.
“Housing is in great demand in Peterborough and only as an absolute last resort, whereaproperty cannot be lived in or made suitable, would we prohibit its use.” A man has been f i ned £1,000 and ordered to pay costs of the same amount afterpleadingguiltytoselling counterfeit and illegal cigarettes and tobacco. Mohammedin Akbari of Euromix Food Store, 256 Lincoln Road, pleaded guilty to nine charges at PeterboroughMagistrates’ Court. The offences included the sale of counterfeit cigarettes and tobacco and incorrect labelling whichdid not conform to UK standards. The charges follow a trading standards and Cambridgeshire police seizure on January 1 4 and on March 16. At the court hearing, Akbari was fined £1,000 and ordered to pay £900 costs and a £100 victimsurchargeforoneofthe trade mark offences.