Recommendation 13

In 2015, the Department added a requirement that selective licensing schemes covering over 20% of a council’s local area or rented housing stock must be approved by the Secretary of State. It told us it introduced this requirement to ensure robustness and consistency in the way licensing schemes are used.28 However, given regulation is managed and delivered locally, it is not clear why the Department restricts the use of larger schemes or on what basis it rejects them.29