Croydon Council has just sent out letters to all landlords and property owners in Croydon who rent property in the private sector, informing them that they are being asked pay £750 for a private rented property licence (per property).

You will be asked to upload a copy of your PAT certificate, annual gas safety certificate and aksed to comply with various electrical and other general safety requirements.

The scheme is supposed to protect landords and tenants alike. The only thing this is going to do is increase the rent costs for tenants and nothing more.

There appear to be no additional benefits in paying into this scheme if you rent through an estate agent and all these checks on the property and the tenant are regularly carried out. I contacted the council and they could not give me any added value that this brings, verbally or in writing.

If like myself and my wife, you have invested in property for your children or for your retirement and are a good landlord with a good standard of property, then you should object to paying this.

WE NEED TO STOP THIS BEING A GENERAL LICENCE AND MAKE IT ONLY FOR LANDLORDS WHICH DONT RENT THROUGH AN ESTATE AGENT - WHO DO IT DIRECT WITH A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL. THEY NEED TO REGULATE THE MARKET BUT ONLY WHEREBY THE LANDLORD OR TENANT IS NOT BEING REGULATED BY AN ESTATE AGENTS - WHERE STRINGENT CHECKS ARE ALREADY BEING DONE ON AN ONGOING BASIS.

Please sign the petition and hopefully we can stop this "Stealth Tax" on hard working people.