Southampton City Council have introduced a HMO licensing scheme to help crack down on rogue landlords and antisocial behaviour from tenants.

The scheme will operate in the Bargate, Bevois Valley, Portswood and Swaythling areas of the city with all HMO properties needing to be licensed. Plans to license HMOs in other areas of the city will be considered in future.

Income derived from the scheme will pay for council staff to assess all licensable properties to ensure that they are well managed, safe and do not impact adversely on surrounding communities.

Cllr Warwick Payne, Cabinet member for housing and sustainability at Southampton City Council, said: “The council and other agencies have exhausted all avenues available to deal with the many problems that can be associated with some HMOs.

“Residents tell us that this is not enough. With this new licensing scheme we aim to give the residents what they have been asking for.

“By cracking down on bad landlords we improve the safety and quality of accommodation and bring these landlords into line with our good landlords – who already hold their heads up high and should be recognised for their professionalism.”

In the first two months of the scheme the fee will be discounted to £240 per property for each HMO with three tenants, £320 for four tenants or £400 for five or more.