Fee increase for private landlords to license properties
Published: Friday, 1st September 2023From today (Friday 1 September), private landlords must pay a higher licence fee to rent out homes in Oxford.
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Private landlords face big rise in application fees for unlicensed homes
Published: Wednesday, 2nd August 2023Private landlords renting out homes in Oxford have less than a month to apply for a licence before a big rise in the application fee.
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Council wins another planning appeal to close short let
Published: Monday, 17th July 2023Oxford City Council has won a planning appeal banning the use of a property for short let accommodation.
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Private landlords urged to apply for a licence
Published: Thursday, 15th June 2023Oxford City Council is urging private landlords who have not applied for licences to rent out their homes to do so now.
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Council calls for powers to regulate short lets
Published: Thursday, 8th June 2023Oxford City Council has renewed a longstanding call for powers to regulate properties entirely rented out as short lets, in response to two government consultations.
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Plans to tackle housing crisis approved
Published: Thursday, 16th March 2023Oxford City Council is set to launch a new five-year plan to tackle the city’s housing and homelessness crisis.
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Extend ‘Awaab’s law’ to all rented homes
Published: Thursday, 2nd March 2023Oxford City Council says a new law for social landlords to tackle damp and mould should be extended to all rented homes.
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Help tackle the housing crisis by bringing empty homes back into use
Published: Monday, 27th February 2023This is Empty Homes Week and Oxford City Council is calling on owners of empty homes to help tackle the housing crisis by bringing them back into use.
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Tenants urged to report damp and mould
Published: Thursday, 16th February 2023Oxford City Council is urging tenants to report problems with damp and mould in their homes.
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BLOG: Tackling the biggest issue
Published: Friday, 20th January 2023An opinion piece by Cllr Susan Brown, leader of Oxford City Council, on the biggest issue raised by her constituents and what the council is doing to address this.
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Selective licensing catches 10,000 early birds
Published: Tuesday, 20th December 2022Oxford City Council is processing more than 10,000 licence applications after the start of a new licensing scheme for private rented homes.
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Home Improvement Agency shortlisted for two national awards
Published: Friday, 2nd December 2022Oxford City Council’s Home Improvement Agency (HIA) has been shortlisted in two categories at the National Healthy Housing Awards 2022.
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Last chance to have your say on draft housing, homelessness and rough sleeping strategy
Published: Friday, 2nd December 2022Oxford residents who want to have their say on a five-year plan to tackle the city’s housing and homelessness crisis have a week left to take part in public consultation.
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Landlords urged: don’t miss the early bird!
Published: Tuesday, 22nd November 2022Oxford City Council is urging private landlords to apply to its new licensing scheme by the end of November in order not to miss out on an early bird discount.
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Consultation open on draft housing, homelessness and rough sleeping strategy
Published: Wednesday, 26th October 2022Oxford City Council has opened public consultation on a five-year plan to tackle the city’s housing and homelessness crisis.
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Decent homes for all tenants
Published: Friday, 14th October 2022Oxford City Council has called on the government to create a level playing field for all tenants by extending the Decent Homes Standard to the private rented sector.
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Consultation on draft housing, homelessness and rough sleeping strategy set to open
Published: Thursday, 13th October 2022Oxford City Council is set to launch public consultation on a five-year plan to tackle the city’s housing and homelessness crisis.
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Tribunal orders management company to refund £84K rent to tenants in unlicensed accommodation
Published: Thursday, 22nd September 2022A tribunal has ordered a student accommodation management company to refund more than £84,000 in rent after it ran an unlicensed house in multiple occupation (HMO).
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Give councils powers to regulate short lets
Published: Wednesday, 21st September 2022Oxford City Council has responded to a government consultation by renewing its call for powers to regulate properties rented out entirely as short lets.
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Oxford needs decent homes – all private rented homes now need a licence
Published: Tuesday, 30th August 2022Oxford’s private rented sector faces its biggest shake up in over a decade with the start of a new licensing scheme on 1 September.
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Private landlords urged to register interest before new licensing scheme starts
Published: Monday, 1st August 2022With a month to go until a new licensing scheme for private rented homes starts, Oxford City Council is urging landlords to register their interest in applying for a licence.
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Residents encouraged to apply for sustainable warmth grant ahead of winter
Published: Friday, 24th June 2022Nearly £2m of grant funding is available for Oxford homeowners & residents in private rented homes to install energy efficiency and cost-saving measures to help reduce the rising cost of bills.
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Licensing scheme approved for all private rented homes in Oxford
Published: Wednesday, 27th April 2022Government approval of an Oxford City Council ‘selective licensing’ scheme means that all private rented homes in Oxford will need a licence from this September.
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Renters urged to make their voices heard by joining tenants’ forum
Published: Friday, 18th March 2022Oxford City Council is calling on tenants to make their voices heard and join a new tenants’ forum representing the interests of renters in Oxford.
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BLOG: We need to talk about short lets
Published: Tuesday, 20th July 2021An opinion piece by Councillor Susan Brown, leader of Oxford City Council:
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A new approach on short lets is needed
Published: Tuesday, 22nd June 2021Oxford City Council has called on the government for a new approach to the way whole properties are rented out as short lets.
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All houses in multiple occupation in Oxford need a licence as additional licensing scheme restarts
Published: Thursday, 10th June 2021All houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) in Oxford must have a licence following the restart of Oxford City Council’s ‘additional’ licensing scheme today.
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Council urges better support out of lockdown for private tenants as eviction ban ends
Published: Thursday, 27th May 2021Oxford City Council is urging the government to provide better support for private tenants and prevent a surge in homelessness once the eviction ban ends next week.
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Council approves licensing schemes to improve conditions in private rented housing
Published: Thursday, 11th March 2021Oxford City Council has approved two licensing schemes aimed at improving conditions and driving up standards in private rented housing.
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Plans to drive up standards in Oxford’s private rented homes set for approval following consultation
Published: Monday, 8th March 2021Plans to drive up standards and improve conditions for all of Oxford’s private tenants are set for approval following strong backing from tenants and residents in public consultation last year.
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Council calls on owners to bring empty properties back into use in National Empty Homes Week
Published: Friday, 19th February 2021Oxford City Council is marking National Empty Homes Week by urging the owners of empty homes to bring them back into use.
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Extend the eviction ban to prevent a surge in homelessness
Published: Friday, 5th February 2021A partial government eviction ban should remain in force to help prevent a potential surge in homelessness for renters this year, says Oxford City Council.
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Council extends consultation on proposals to improve private renting in Oxford
Published: Thursday, 3rd December 2020Oxford residents now have four more weeks to have their say on proposals to improve conditions in private rented housing in the city after the consultation period was extended until 31 December.
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Two weeks to have your say on proposals to improve private renting in Oxford
Published: Thursday, 19th November 2020Oxford residents have two weeks left to have their say on proposals to improve conditions in private rented housing in the city.
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Council issues coronavirus advice for houses in multiple occupation
Published: Wednesday, 14th October 2020Oxford City Council has written to tenants of houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) with advice on suppressing the spread of coronavirus.
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Consultation starts on plans to improve Oxford’s private rented sector
Published: Thursday, 10th September 2020Oxford City Council has launched a public consultation on two licensing schemes aimed at improving conditions in the private rented sector.
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Council proposes consultation on housing licensing schemes
Published: Thursday, 27th August 2020Oxford City Council is proposing to launch public consultation on two licensing schemes aimed at improving conditions in the private rented sector.
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Statement on extension of the eviction ban
Published: Friday, 21st August 2020This afternoon the government announced a one month extension to the eviction ban for renters. Here is our statement in response:
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Council urges government to extend eviction ban
Published: Thursday, 20th August 2020Oxford City Council is calling on the government to extend the temporary eviction ban to protect private tenants and prevent a surge of homelessness in Oxford.
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Council wins planning appeal against short let property
Published: Wednesday, 19th August 2020In the first action of its kind in the city, Oxford City Council has won a planning appeal banning the use of a property for short lets.
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Statement on coronavirus and protection for tenants
Published: Thursday, 19th March 2020A statement from councillor Susan Brown, leader of Oxford City Council:
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Statement on bringing empty homes back into use
Published: Monday, 6th January 2020Statement on bringing empty homes back into use from councillor Mike Rowley, cabinet member for affordable housing:
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Oxford City Council clamps down on rogue landlords with action against ‘beds in sheds’
Published: Wednesday, 28th August 2019Over the last 18 months Oxford City Council has targeted rogue landlords as part of an initiative to protect vulnerable tenants from potentially dangerous ‘beds in sheds’.
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Council wins funding to improve energy efficiency in the private rented sector
Published: Wednesday, 24th July 2019Oxford City Council has won £150,000 from the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) to improve energy efficiency in the private rented sector.
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Council awarded government funding to tackle rogue landlords
Published: Tuesday, 22nd January 2019The City Council has been awarded £40,492 by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to help tackle the minority of irresponsible landlords who make tenants’ lives a misery.
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Council steps up social housing delivery with two new schemes
Published: Monday, 7th January 2019The City Council has submitted planning applications to deliver 35 new homes, half of which will be affordable and supported by funding from the Oxfordshire Housing and Growth Deal, across two sites at Elsfield Hall and Cumberlege Close in the northern part of Oxford.
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Council submits planning application for Between Towns Road site to deliver new housing
Published: Thursday, 20th December 2018The Council has submitted a planning application to deliver 38 housing units, including homes for social rent, at a site on Between Towns Road in Cowley.
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Council to deliver social housing in Rose Hill development
Published: Thursday, 1st November 2018The City Council is progressing plans to deliver 43 new homes, including 18 for social rent and 25 for low cost home ownership, at two sites in Rose Hill.
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City Council publishes Oxford North planning application
Published: Monday, 20th August 2018Oxford City Council has received the formal planning application for the proposed Oxford North development, which is now available online (reference number 18/02065/OUTFUL).
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Help shape the future of Blackbird Leys – get involved!
Published: Friday, 6th July 2018Blackbird Leys residents and businesses will get a chance to help shape plans for the redevelopment of their district centre when a developer is appointed and starts work in the autumn.
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Rogue landlord sentenced to six months in prison for unlawful evictions
Published: Thursday, 26th April 2018An Oxford landlord with a history of criminal and non-compliant behaviour was given a six-month custodial sentence for a series of housing offences at Oxford Magistrate’s Court on 25 April 2018.
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Oxford landlord issued financial penalty of £15,624 for HMO offences
Published: Friday, 20th April 2018An Oxford landlord has been issued a financial penalty of £15,624 for controlling an unsafe House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) in the Cowley area of Oxford.
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Demolition of Lucy Faithful House commences
Published: Monday, 16th April 2018The demolition of the former homeless shelter, Lucy Faithful House, to make way for housing development on the site has begun.
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Rogue landlord prosecuted for the second time in six months for HMO offences
Published: Monday, 26th March 2018An Oxford landlord with a previous conviction for housing offences was fined £10,000 and ordered to pay the City Council £1,535 in costs when he appeared at Oxford Magistrates’ Court on 20 March 2018.
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Oxford Student Union are working to improve renting for their students
Published: Friday, 9th March 2018Oxford Student Union are collaborating with Marks Out Of Tenancy to help change the private rental experience for the better.
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Housing loans scheme for teachers up for review to improve take-up
Published: Friday, 9th February 2018The City Council will consult with school heads over the coming weeks to review a housing loan scheme to help local teachers purchase homes in Oxford and continue working in the city.
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Council rent guarantee pilot scheme benefits landlords and tenants
Published: Friday, 26th January 2018Oxford City Council has completed the first year of its pilot Rent Guarantee Scheme (RGS), with 40 tenancies already signed up to the scheme.
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Council collects over £30,000 in HMO penalties using new powers
Published: Thursday, 21st December 2017Oxford City Council has collected a total of £31,606 in penalties for housing offences from its first three cases since the introduction of new financial penalty powers to help crackdown on rogue landlords and improve safety for renters.
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Oxford landlord convicted of repeat HMO offences
Published: Wednesday, 18th October 2017An Oxford landlord has been convicted for the second time in 12 months for operating an unlicensed House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) and ordered to pay a total of £6,146 in fines and costs. The investigation followed a fire in the house which had a faulty fire detection system.
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Oxford City Council plans to improve standards in the private rented sector
Published: Monday, 16th October 2017Oxford City Council has announced plans to tackle poor housing conditions in the private rented sector.
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Blackbird Leys regeneration to deliver 300 new homes
Published: Thursday, 5th October 2017Oxford City Council has announced it expects to deliver around 300 new homes as part of the regeneration of Blackbird Leys district centre, a significant proportion of which will be affordable.
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Oxford landlord fined for letting unlawfully sub-divided, poorly managed property
Published: Monday, 15th May 2017In the first prosecution of its kind in the city, a landlord of unlawfully converted flats has been convicted of managing an unlicensed House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) in a case heard before Oxford Magistrates’ Court on 11 April 2017.
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Rogue landlords to face tougher crackdown under new rules
Published: Monday, 15th May 2017Oxford City Council has welcomed new powers recently announced by the government to help crackdown on rogue landlords that flout the rules and improve safety and affordability for renters.
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Oxford landlord fined £9,000 for housing offences
Published: Thursday, 15th December 2016An Oxford landlord was convicted of multiple housing offences when her case was heard before Oxford Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday 13 December 2016.
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Oxford marks National Empty Homes Week
Published: Friday, 2nd December 2016Figures released by the City Council to coincide with Empty Homes Week show that Oxford has 505 empty dwellings, with 247 having been empty for more than six months while 76 have been unoccupied for more than two years.
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House-building on the rise in Oxford
Published: Wednesday, 23rd November 2016House-building in Oxford improved significantly over the past year, rising to 383 new homes completed from 332 in 2014/2015.
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Oxford landlords fined £12,365 for housing offences
Published: Friday, 30th September 2016Two Oxford landlords have been fined £12,365 after being convicted of housing offences when they appeared before Oxford Magistrates’ Court on Monday 26 September 2016.
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Council keeps up planning pressure on HMOs
Published: Monday, 5th September 2016... as three East Oxford landlords lose appeals.
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Three Oxford landlords fined £11,000 for housing offences
Published: Monday, 25th July 2016Three Oxford landlords were fined a total of £11,000 after being convicted of housing offences when their cases were heard before Oxford Magistrates’ Court on Monday 18 July 2016.
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Rogue landlord ordered to refund £2,934 in rent to tenants
Published: Wednesday, 15th June 2016A legal tribunal has ruled that an Oxford landlord must refund his tenants rent totalling £2,934 because he housed them in unlicensed Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO).
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Oxford HMO landlord fined £11,135 for housing offences
Published: Tuesday, 14th June 2016In a prosecution taken by Oxford City Council, the landlord of an unlicensed HMO was ordered to pay fines of £9,390 and costs of £1,745.
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Oxford landlord ordered to pay over £25,000 for housing offences
Published: Tuesday, 29th March 2016An Oxford landlord was fined £21,000 and ordered to pay costs of £4,869 for renting out houses in multiple occupation (HMO) without a licence when he appeared before Oxford Magistrates’ Court on Mon
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Oxford landlord convicted for unlawful eviction of tenant
Published: Friday, 16th October 2015An Oxford landlord was ordered to pay £180 for unlawfully evicting his tenant and £300 for a campaign of harassment against him when he appeared at Oxford Magistrates’ Court on Monday 12 October 2015.
