The Government have announced its decision on the future structure of local government across Nottinghamshire as part of the biggest reorganisation of councils in more than 50 years.
The changes will replace the current two-tier system of district and borough councils alongside Nottinghamshire County Council with new unitary authorities, where a single council will be responsible for delivering all local government services in each area. The Government has now confirmed which proposal will be taken forward, with implementation expected over the next two years. (Gedling Borough Council)
Why does this matter to landlords?
Whilst your day-to-day responsibilities as a landlord do not change immediately, over time you may notice changes to:
- Property licensing schemes
- Housing enforcement
- Environmental Health services
- Planning and building control
- Council Tax administration
- Waste and recycling services
- Housing standards and private rented sector teams
As councils merge, existing policies may be reviewed and eventually harmonised across the new authority areas. This could affect selective licensing, additional HMO licensing, enforcement priorities and the way landlords access local authority services.
Check whether your property is affected
The new boundaries mean some properties will move into a different authority.
You can check any rental property’s postcode using the official postcode checker:
https://lgrnotts.org/postcode-checker
This will show which new authority your property is expected to fall within.
What should landlords do now?
There is no immediate action required, but we recommend that you:
- Check each of your rental property addresses.
- Make a note of which future authority will be responsible.
- Keep your contact details up to date with your current council.
- Continue complying with all existing licensing and legal requirements until further guidance is issued.
- Watch for updates from your local authority regarding any future changes to licensing, housing standards or landlord services.
We will continue monitoring the implementation of Local Government Reorganisation and will keep members informed of any practical changes that affect landlords, letting agents and property professionals as more information becomes available.
As always, if significant changes are proposed that affect the private rented sector, we’ll explain what they mean in plain English and provide practical guidance to help you stay compliant.