Investigating unlicensed properties

Half-day technical workshop

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Overview

Identifying and investigating unlicensed properties is rarely straightforward. This workshop will provide you with essential knowledge and skills for greater successful outcomes for investigations of private rented sector (PRS) properties requiring a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) or Selective Licence.

We will examine relevant legislation, intelligence sources and methods, practical processes, offences and defences and ways to manage them. Case studies based on real events encountered during professional practice will also be explored.

Objectives

• Relevant parts of licensing legislation, including Housing Act 2004, will be explained and examined
• A range of intelligence-led approaches for identifying unlicensed properties will be shared, covering intelligence gathering and collaboration
• Various tools under legislation for gathering information on suspected unlicensed PRS properties will be presented
• A step-by-step process, based on the Bond Solon method, will be set out for investigating unlicensed PRS properties
• There will be case studies and group discussion to reinforce best practice, evidence gathering, ways to manage defences for relevant offences, and how to choose which sanction to use

Learning outcomes:

• Become confident in the identification and investigation of properties requiring a relevant licence
• Gain new skills, from investigating to gathering evidence, for possible offences linked to unlicensed properties
• Understand and recall the legal framework for identifying and investigating unlicensed properties

Who should attend:

• Environmental Health Officers and Environmental Health Practitioners
• Local authority licensing enforcement officers (Housing Act 2004 and Housing and Planning Act 2016)
• Local authority private sector housing, housing licensing managers and supervisors

What past delegates thought:

• "Discussion with other attendees/case studies Q&A with trainer was useful"
• "All of it, but the Q and A always useful."

CPD: 3 hours and 30 minutes