Selective licensing
I spoke to a property letting agent in Wembley and he said I might need to supply his company with a record of my Selective License before he could rent out a property, as this was required in his area of Brent.
First I checked out Brent and selective licensing. In addition to the license for running a House of Multiple Occupancy, which involves lockable doors for each family or tenant, and fire alarms, and fire escapes. The selective license selects others, such as families and single tenants.
The cost is a whopping £650, every year. Add that to the maintenance cost for a block of flats, covering the gardening, outside window cleaning, roof and gutter repair, corridor upgrading, lift maintenance, in some blocks a porter.
Plus the three figure sum paid monthly to the letting company managing agent, for a year, or up to six years, or forever, or one month's rent taken for finding you a tenant. Furnishings and furniture must be fireproof, with certification.
I checked and Hendon is not in Brent but in Barnet. A sigh of relief. One less piece of paperwork. Once less stress, worry, time consuming activity. One less delay in letting. One less visit, inspection, involving inconveniencing the current tenant, and myself. One less extra unexpected cost.
Given the cost, it seems to me the government inspection should be like the MOT for a car done by garages. They check the premises. If no smoke alarm they fit one and bill you - or they build the cost of smoke alarms into the cost, buying in bulk, which means either a saving and profit to them, or saving of cost and time for you. A bit like the NHS sending you home from hospital and sending a physiotherapist to fit a grab brail on the bath. Cheaper than dealing with medical emergencies later. Part of the service to the safety of the public.
An alternative would be to build in the cost of supplying a smoke alarm and/or fire extinguisher. Then offering a reduction if none is needed.
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