A NEW licensing scheme for private landlords in Hartlepool has won the support of councillors.

The borough council’s regeneration services committee has agreed a proposal for a five-year selective licensing scheme covering an estimated 544 properties in 13 streets.

And members have also called for further consultation to be carried out on a possible second scheme covering more streets.

A council spokesman said: “Selective licensing aims to improve the management standards of private sector landlords and managing agents, which includes taking effective measures against their tenants who create anti-social behaviour.

“It requires landlords to purchase a licence for each property they rent out within the streets covered by the scheme and comply with a range of conditions relating to acceptable management standards.”

The 13-street scheme - recommended by council officers following an extensive public consultation exercise - is set to come into force in July subject to a statutory notification period, including the publication of legal notices.

It will cover Cornwall Street, Kimberley Street, Richmond Street, Rydal Street, Borrowdale Street, Sydenham Road, Burbank Street, St Oswald’s Street, Dent Street, Furness Street, Sheriff Street, Straker Street and Stephen Street.

The streets were put forward on the basis that they each had 50 per cent or more private rented properties and 15 per cent of those properties had been involved in recorded incidents of anti-social behaviour, with two or more of those households causing repeat incidents of anti-social behaviour.

Alongside this, councillors called for consultation on a possible further selective licensing scheme after residents living in other areas attended a meeting of the Regeneration Services Committee to highlight the anti-social behaviour occurring in their neighbourhoods.