THURROCK Council has approved plans to introduce a selective licensing scheme aimed at tackling rogue landlords and improving housing standards across the borough.

The scheme, agreed by the council's cabinet in the week, will require landlords of private rented properties in designated areas to obtain a licence to let homes. It is designed to improve housing conditions, reduce antisocial behaviour, and ensure landlords are held accountable for the management of their properties. The standard fee will be £1,034 for the five-year scheme.

The scheme will be "cost-neutral", with all operational expenses recovered through licence fees paid by landlords. A newly formed Private Rented Sector (PRS) licensing and enforcement team will oversee the scheme, which is expected to generate £12 million.

Thurrock Council is proposing to designate 15,106 private rented properties for inclusion in the scheme. Based on experience from similar schemes elsewhere, it says it anticipates a reduction of up to 25 per cent in participation, with some landlords potentially exiting the market or failing to comply. The council aims to identify unlicensed properties and will pursue enforcement action where necessary.

Although referred to as a borough-wide scheme, four wards—Little Thurrock Blackshots, Orsett, Stifford Clays, and Tilbury Riverside and Thurrock Park—do not meet the legislative criteria and will be excluded.

The scheme follows a ten-week public consultation held between May and July. It is based on data from the 2021 census, council tax records, and the private housing stock condition survey, which revealed that nearly a quarter of all homes in Thurrock are privately rented.

Speaking at a cabinet meeting on Wednesday (17 September), Mark Hurrell, cabinet member for social housing, said: "This scheme is vitally important to improve housing conditions, reduce antisocial behaviour, and ensure landlords are held accountable.

"For too long, this authority has lacked an up-to-date register of privately rented homes, making it difficult to identify rogue landlords and ensure every resident has access to a safe, secure and decent home."

Benefits of the scheme include improved housing quality and security for tenants, clearer standards and training opportunities for landlords, and better regulation and community relations for the council. The licence fee will be paid in two parts—an initial validation fee and a follow-up inspection fee—covering the five-year duration of the scheme.