Slough renters could see tougher housing checks

demoduck.co.uk editorial team 2026-07-20 18:41 4 min read

Model house and magnifying glass placed on top of housing floor plans

By the demoduck.co.uk editorial team | Published 15 July 2026 | Source: Slough Borough Council

Nearly 17,000 privately rented properties in Slough could come under two proposed licensing schemes designed to raise housing and management standards. Landlords, tenants and other residents have until 23 September 2026 to comment during a 10-week public consultation.

The proposals would introduce selective licensing for privately rented homes occupied by one person, one family or no more than two unrelated sharers. Additional licensing would cover smaller houses in multiple occupation, known as HMOs, where three or four tenants share facilities such as a kitchen or bathroom but the property falls outside mandatory HMO licensing rules.

No final scheme has yet been approved. Consultation responses will be considered before the proposals go to a future Cabinet meeting.

Which Slough rental properties would need a licence

The council says the schemes would cover every licensable private rented property across the borough. Its estimate of almost 17,000 homes indicates that the change could affect a substantial share of Slough’s private rented sector.

Selective licensing is aimed principally at conventional private lets. This includes a flat rented by a single tenant, a house occupied by one family, or accommodation shared by up to two unrelated people.

Additional licensing addresses smaller HMOs not already subject to mandatory licensing. A typical example would be a property occupied by three unrelated tenants who share a kitchen or bathroom. Larger HMOs may already require a mandatory licence under existing rules, so landlords should establish which licensing category applies to their property rather than assuming the new schemes would replace current obligations.

Under the proposals, landlords would pay a fee for a licence lasting up to five years. The source announcement does not state the proposed fee, detailed licence conditions or whether any discounts or exemptions would apply; those points should be checked in the consultation documents before a response is submitted.

Why smaller HMOs are receiving closer attention

Council modelling predicts 2,024 HMOs among the borough’s 58,540 properties. It also estimates that 22.3% of those predicted HMOs contain a serious housing hazard.

Slough renters could see tougher housing checks

Enforcement records provide another reason for the focus. Between 2020 and 2025, the council served 369 housing enforcement notices in the private rented sector, including 153 connected with properties identified as predicted HMOs. The authority also reports disproportionately high levels of anti-social behaviour complaints and planning issues associated with those properties.

Licensing can require landlords to meet conditions covering property safety, occupation and management. For tenants, the proposed system could create a clearer route for identifying who is responsible for a property and whether it is licensed. A separate housing licensing assessment in Nottingham illustrates how another local authority has measured the wider value of licensing, although Slough’s proposals and local evidence must be judged on their own terms.

Previous schemes licensed thousands of Slough homes

Slough previously operated borough-wide additional licensing alongside selective licensing in the Chalvey and Slough Central wards. Those schemes ran from 1 July 2019 until 30 June 2024.

During that period, 149 properties received additional licences and 3,635 were licensed through the selective scheme. The new proposals are intended to build on that work while extending licensing across all eligible private rented homes in the borough.

Councillor Zafar Satti, lead member for public protection and regulatory services, said stronger requirements would be intended to secure safe, habitable homes and more stable communities. He urged landlords, tenants and residents to comment so potential gaps could be addressed before the schemes are finalised.

What landlords and tenants should do by 23 September

Landlords should first identify how each property is occupied, whether tenants form one household and whether shared amenities make it an HMO. They can then review the proposed conditions, fee arrangements and application process included in the council’s consultation materials.

Tenants can respond with evidence about hazards, repairs, property management or anti-social behaviour linked to rented accommodation. Residents who are not tenants or landlords may also comment on how the proposals could affect neighbourhood conditions.

The consultation remains open from 15 July to 23 September 2026. Its findings will be presented to Cabinet at a future meeting before any final licensing schemes are agreed and implemented.

Source: Slough Borough Council

Context & actions About this article

Source check Source trail

The dates, property estimates, enforcement figures and proposed licensing coverage were checked against Slough Borough Council’s published notice.

Checks

Confirmed that the consultation runs from 15 July to 23 September 2026.
Checked the estimate of almost 17,000 licensable private rented properties.
Matched the HMO estimate and serious-hazard rate to the council’s published figures.
Distinguished the consultation proposals from schemes that have received final approval.

Slough Borough Council Check wider coverage