Buy-to-let landlords face new bills under Government licensing plans

Government proposals to hold all private rental sector properties to the Decent Homes Standard and introduce a new landlord register, announced in the "Levelling Up" white paper, will bring new costs for landlords, experts have warned. While officials have yet to decide how the policy will be implemented, analysts said existing licensing schemes run by individual local authorities offered a blueprint. However, adopting these schemes would likely result in large bills for landlords. Newham Council was the first to launch a licensing scheme for the private rental properties; Landlords must pay a fee of £750 for a five-year licence. The Government has also been warned that existing structures may not be able to cope with the number of additional homes needing to be assessed.  

The Daily Telegraph (14/02/2022)