May 10, 2006 (Juba) — Up to 80 per cent of landlords do not know about or have an understanding of the recently introduced HMO licensing laws, according to the Southern Private Landlords Association.

Landlords agree that minimum standards need to be set and applaud action that is being taken to tackle the small minority of rogue landlords who have to be dealt with. But, many have been left alarmed and confused by the unclear legislation and a staggeringly large proportion has not even heard of it, said the SPLA.

‘There has also been a great deal of concern about last minute additions to the legislation, such as the almost impossible requirement to fit a wash basin in every bedroom of an HMO, that was added two weeks before it was implemented in April’.

The cost of renovating properties to meet such new requirements will drive many landlords out of the sector, or force them to reduce the number of bedrooms in their properties so as to avoid having to obtain a licence, suggested SPLA spokesman Peter Littlewood. ‘As student properties and bedsits are the most likely to be affected by this legislation, students will be the hardest hit group.

‘We are also very worried about the number of landlords who simply don’t know about the legislation, let alone what it requires from them. We have been conducting workshops across the south and the vast majority of the thousands of landlords that have attended didn’t know, or didn’t understand the new requirements.

‘If the Government doesn’t take action to inform residential landlords across the country we will be left with a very messy situation come July 3’ – the date by which landlords of larger HMOs must have applied for a licence.

* Ian Wilson, managing director of Martin and Co, one of the UK's largest letting agencies, also says landlords have been alarmed by the introduction of HMO licensing, but this time because of misinformation contained in advertisements.

‘This whole issue has been hyped up by the Government and ordinary investors have been worried by it, completely unnecessarily’, said Wilson. ‘It's clear from our offices across the country that the Government's advertising campaign has alarmed landlords who do not actually own homes in multiple occupancy.

‘Of course we welcome initiatives to raise standards in the private rented sector but scaremongering and misinformation is not helpful’.