Of the more than 4,500 HMOs thought to exist in the borough, only about 20%, external meet the criteria for mandatory licensing.
The new schemes could bring hundreds of extra properties into the licensing regime, which would force landlords to adhere to conditions or risk enforcement action.
But it will still be possible for landlords to hide the existence of smaller HMOs, particularly if tenants fear losing their accommodation if they inform the authorities.
Effective enforcement requires staff to be dedicated to the role of investigating and inspecting HMOs, an expensive service for councils that are struggling to balance their budgets.
If the landlords’ predictions of the rental market shrinking comes true, tenants may end up worse off as rents increase, and some may be forced into the sort of under-the-radar accommodation that the council wants to dismantle.
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