A legal challenge to overturn Croydon Council’s licensing scheme for private landlords has been thrown out by the High Court.
Under the scheme, any landlord caught renting out a property without a licence could face fines of up to £20,000, and anyone breaking licence conditions could be prosecuted and fined up to £5,000.
The council said it had developed the plan to raise housing standards in the borough and associated anti-social behaviour.
‘We always maintained that our landlord licensing scheme was robust and lawful, so we’re very pleased to hear the High Court has found in our favour, said Cllr Alison Butler, the council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for homes, regeneration & planning.
‘This scheme is important because raising housing standards and tackling antisocial behaviour is crucial to making Croydon a better place to live.’
The licensing scheme will be launched on 1 October.