I was speaking at Durham Council’s Landlord event last night. They talked openly about the need for selective licensing and what they are doing within the scheme.
One strange thing came up though. They mention ed HMRC in their talk. Why would that be?
Well you might not know but there are already some licenses that will only be issued if your tax affairs are up to date. Taxi drivers, private hire and scrap metal operators all need to be able to show they are up to date with HMRC before getting their licenses renewed.
How long do you think it will be before local authorities insist on the same of landlords? If so will it help?
Apparently some landlords are already residing licences on principal. If they aren;t up to date with HMRC then I am sure they will be even less likely to apply for a license.
What do you think? Should tax compliance be mandatory to be able to prove you are a fit and proper landlord?