Southampton City Council is planning to extend a crackdown on landlords of houses of multiple occupation (HMO) to other areas of the city.

The scheme follows the successful implementation of crackdowns in other parts of the city, which saw more than 2500 licences applied for. 

It’s thought that there are as many as 2000 shared homes in the wards targeted to not have the appropriate licensing.

The council has also brought prosecutions against several landlords for breaching HMO and fire safety rules.

One owner was fined £36,000 after it emerged a seven-bed home under his ownership had blocked fire escapes and fire alarms which did not work.

In the first two months of the scheme, landlords will be incentivised to apply for licenses with discounts to fees.

Council housing chief Warwick Payne said: “One of the key things we wanted to achieve was to improve tenant safety – you are far more likely to die in a fire in an HMO than a leafy, detached house and Hampshire Fire and Rescue service have supported this.”

Original source

Daily Echo