Selective Licensing In Levenshulme

Manchester City Council has launched a consultation on proposals for Selective Licensing in parts of Levenshulme. This would affect private rented properties.

This is the area proposed in Levenshulme. It would Include flats, suffixed and sub-addresses in this area.

StreetPost code
1-48 Damien Street (All)M12 4GW
72-118 Hemmons Road (Evens)M12 4QG 
M12 5ST
37-94 Longden Road (All)M12 5SG
1-38 Maida Street (All)M12 4QQ
1-57 Ollier Avenue (Odds)M12 5SU
1-42 Seddon Street (All)M12 4GP
81-135 Stovell Avenue (Odds)M12 5SE
M12 4GN

Levenshulme | Proposed areas for Selective Licensing | Manchester City Council

The consultation will run for 10 weeks from 5th October – 14th December 2022.

Please see link below to Manchester City Council’s website, which provides background information about the proposals and includes details of how residents and landlords can have their say, by completing an online questionnaire or by attending an in person drop-in event.

www.manchester.gov.uk/consultations

Further information from Manchester City Council is available HERE and below:

Why are we considering selective licensing?

We have introduced a revised Private Rented Sector Strategy (2020-2025) with a detailed implementation plan. This sets out the Council’s approach to the private rented sector over the next five years. The new Housing Strategy (2022-2032) reaffirms our commitment to improving the safety, quality and management of private rented sector homes.

There are approximately 90,000 private rented properties which is 38% of the total housing for the City of Manchester. We know that many PRS (Private Rented Sector) properties provide good quality accommodation, however there are areas of Manchester where PRS properties are not managed to a good standard.

We work with teams across Community Safety, Compliance and Enforcement regularly and work with landlords in the private rented sector in dealing with complaints about anti-social behaviour, poor property management, waste issues and proactively work to remove any concerns in these areas. 

Despite this, we have not seen sustained improvements in areas unless additional interventions are introduced. Enforcement against individual properties alone will not improve standards to the level required across each area. 

Manchester has previously had an accreditation scheme, and we have considered voluntary accreditation as part of our work in Manchester. However, our experience is that these schemes inevitably attract landlords who are already providing a good service to their tenants and do little to engage or improve the property conditions of those landlords who are not. 

The Council has the power to introduce ‘selective licensing schemes’ in areas of Manchester. In these areas private landlords, or their managing agents, would need to have a licence for each house that they rent out. There are approximately 3,200 private rented properties in the current selective licensing schemes and the proposed selective licensing schemes would affect 1,100 private rented properties.

Selective licensing ensures that:

  • The proposed licence holder is fit and proper to manage their properties. 
  • The licence holder complies with the conditions of the licence, leading to improvements in property management and reductions in anti-social behaviour 
  • Property inspections can be targeted 
  • Landlords provide necessary certification
  • Unlicensed landlords can face an unlimited fine if prosecuted through the courts, or up to £30,000 if issued by the council. 

To make sure that selective licensing helps to improve social or economic conditions, we want to introduce designated zones within the ward areas of Cheetham, Levenshulme, Longsight, Moss Side and Whalley Range, and Rusholme. 

See which areas we are proposing for selective licensing and have your say

Find out more about the benefits of selective licensing and how areas are chosen

Read conditions the licence holder must comply with

How an area is picked for selective licensing

When a Selective Licensing designation is being considered an area has to be experiencing one or more of the following conditions: 

  • Low housing demand  
  • A significant and persistent problem caused by anti-social behaviour 
  • High levels of migration
  • Poor property conditions
  • High level of deprivation 
  • High levels of crime

Before identifying any areas for selective licensing a ‘hotspot’ mapping exercise was undertaken looking at levels of anti-social behaviour, crime and service requests relating to housing and environmental issues, as well as levels of deprivation across the City. This data was overlaid to identify areas where challenges were likely to be concentrated.  

Updated statistics for each of the areas can be found on our key statistics page.

View the key statistics for: 

Views were then sought from local Neighbourhood and enforcement teams on boundaries for potential selective licensing areas within these ‘hotspot’ areas based on their local knowledge of the issues within each area.

In September 2020 the Council Executive held a meeting on past selective licensing in order to inform any new selective licensing schemes.  The new licensing schemes being considered are in relation to tackling property condition, deprivation and anti-social behaviour.  For more details on this you can read point 96 in the report and associated appendix on this topic in the Wednesday, 9 September, 2020, 2pm (manchester.gov.uk) agenda for Council Executive.

In June 2022 the Economy Scrutiny Committee reviewed updated local statistics which confirmed that the proposed areas continue to meet the necessary criteria for selective licensing and approved an outline consultation plan. For more details you can read section 11 onwards in the report and associated appendix in the Thursday, 23rd June, 2022 2.00pm (manchester.gov.uk) agenda for Economy Scrutiny

How much would a licence cost?

The proposed licence fee is £800. The licensing fee is split into two parts, the application fee and the grant fee which is payable before any licence is issued. Non-payment of the grant fee will result in an application being delayed.

Once we have set an area for selective licensing, landlords will have three months to get their licences.

See the current fee structures

Income generated from licensing fees will be used to pay for the consultation process, administration, management and running of the scheme.

The Council does not generate surplus funds from selective licensing schemes. The income generated, the bulk of which is collected in years one and two, is required to manage and resource the scheme for its full designation.

Shell Garage Licence Application

It has been drawn to our attention that the Shell Garage at 1081 Stockport Road (close to the junction with Crossley road and McVities) has applied for a 24 hour license to sell alcohol and that some people may wish tocomment.

Details of the application are available HERE

You can comment by sending an email to Manchester City Council at:

premises.licensing@manchester.gov.uk

The deadline for comments is 3rd September.