Since the Selective Licensing scheme came into force for Belvedere Ward in January 2025, the Council has received almost 1,000 applications, but more Belvedere landlords must apply or else risk a fine of up to £30,000 - soon to rise to £40,000 - or prosecution.
The scheme was introduced to address incidents of anti-social behaviour and poor property conditions within Belvedere Ward. Under the scheme, unless an exemption applies all Privately Rented Properties in that ward must be licensed.
Cabinet Member for Communities and Housing, Cllr Brian Bishop said:.
The Selective Licensing scheme is designed to improve tenant safety, housing conditions and ensure landlord professionalism as well as reassuring residents in the area that the properties are safe and well looked after.
As such it is great news that so many of our landlords have already come forward to apply for their selective licence. We are however currently looking into a number of properties that we know are not signed up to the scheme.
I would urge those landlords in Belvedere who have not applied for a licence to do so as soon as possible. If they don’t, they could face a large fine or prosecution.”
In the past year, the Council has carried out nearly 100 inspections of licensed properties. In addition to this, officers have visited 150 properties to try and identify unlicensed properties.
These visits are helping to ensure privately rented homes are safe, well managed and maintained to the standards residents/tenants expect.
The Council will continue to carry out inspections and investigations across the licensing area as part of its ongoing commitment to improving housing conditions and protecting tenants in the private rented sector.
The inspection programme has identified a range of housing hazards requiring attention, including hazards that present an immediate risk to the health or safety of an occupant, known as Category 1 hazards.
Officers have worked with landlords and managing agents to ensure that these issues are addressed and properties meet the required safety standards.
Tenants have provided positive feedback regarding the condition and management of their homes, highlighting the benefits of the Council’s work to monitor and improve housing standards within the area.
The Council has powers to either issue Civil Penalty Notices of up to £30,000, rising to £40,000 from 1 May 2026, or to prosecute those landlords who fail to licence their properties.
Landlords and agents with properties in Belvedere can make their application for a licence via an online application form that can be found on our dedicated webpage. Tenants can also check here that their property is licensed.
More details available on our dedicated webpage include:
- An online look up tool where you can check if your property will be affected by the proposed scheme
- Evidence base and the reasons why the Council has designated Belvedere Ward
- Proposed licence fees and costs of the scheme
- Properties that will be exempt from the scheme
- The licence application process