Selective Licensing in Thurrock: What’s Gone Wrong — and What Landlords Should Expect Next
Thurrock Council’s Selective Licensing Scheme was meant to raise standards in the private rented sector. Instead, it has hit legal and procedural hurdles. Here’s what’s happened, why it matters, and what landlords should do next.
The Current State of Thurrock’s Selective Licensing Scheme
When Thurrock Council introduced its Selective Licensing Scheme, the stated aim was clear: improve housing standards, reduce anti-social behaviour, and drive out rogue landlords. In principle, few professional landlords would argue with those objectives.
However, the scheme has now encountered serious problems, creating uncertainty, frustration, and confusion across the local rental market.
So, What’s Gone Wrong?
The main issues stem from process and legality, rather than intent.
Selective licensing schemes must meet strict legal tests set by central government. These include:
- Robust evidence justifying the designation
- Proper consultation with landlords, residents, and stakeholders
- Clear proportionality between the problems identified and the licensing area selected
In Thurrock’s case, concerns have been raised around whether these requirements were fully met. As a result, parts of the scheme are now under review and challenge, with questions over enforceability and long-term validity.
This has left landlords in an uncomfortable position, many have paid significant licence fees, while others have delayed applications due to the uncertainty.
What Does This Mean for Landlords Right Now?
At present, landlords face a grey area rather than a clear stop-start instruction.
- The council has not formally abandoned the scheme
- Enforcement activity appears cautious
- Further guidance, revisions, or a re-consultation process is likely
Crucially, this does not mean licensing will disappear altogether. Nationally, selective and additional licensing schemes are increasing, not decreasing. What’s far more likely is that Thurrock will need to rework, refine, or relaunch the scheme in a legally robust way.
What’s Likely to Happen Next?
Based on similar cases elsewhere in the UK, landlords should prepare for one of three outcomes:
- A revised scheme: narrower in scope, better evidenced, and legally compliant
- A pause followed by re-consultation: potentially delaying enforcement but not removing it
- Stronger alignment with future national reforms, particularly with the Renters Reform agenda
In all scenarios, licensing, in some form, remains firmly on the political agenda.
Our View as Local Property Experts
From a professional standpoint, the biggest failure here isn’t regulation, it’s communication and execution.
Good landlords want clarity, fairness, and time to comply. Sudden fee increases, unclear guidance, and shifting goalposts only push responsible landlords out of the market, reducing supply and ultimately harming tenants.
The lesson for landlords is simple: compliance is no longer optional, but neither is challenging poorly implemented policy.
What Should Landlords Do Now?
- Stay informed, don’t rely on rumours or social media
- Get your compliance documents in order
- Take professional advice before making big decisions
- Avoid panic selling based on short-term uncertainty
Selective licensing may be stumbling in Thurrock, but regulation itself is not going away. The landlords who adapt calmly and strategically will be the ones who survive and thrive.