Manchester City Council is welcoming the prospect of new powers to control the spread of shared rented homes across the city and moves to prevent the worst private landlords from letting homes.

The council has already successfully campaigned to central government for new planning and licensing powers to protect communities and tenants from poor management of properties. This has resulted in powers to licence landlords but only after the government have approved each scheme.

The government is now consulting on new powers for landlord licensing - which would mean that the council would be able to establish a licensing scheme using new delegated powers, making it quicker for the council to stop landlords who badly manage properties from renting homes.

Manchester City Council Executive Member for Neighbourhood Services Councillor Paul Andrews said: "We have campaigned for a general consent for landlords licensing for some time with successive housing ministers and it is great news the government is entering into this consultation.

"Landlord licensing is already a powerful tool for Manchester City Council in combating the blight of some neighbourhoods caused by bad landlords but these new powers will speed up the process and benefit residents who are having to put up with poor management standards."

And from April the council will have new planning powers tackle the spread of houses in multiple occupancy - where a number of people live in the same house - which can be a particular problem in areas with a particularly high student population.

The council recognises the valuable contribution students bring to the city but the uncontrolled growth of shared student rented housing can change the character of a community and cause a number of environmental problems.

The new powers will mean the council will be able to control the encroachment of student lets into areas traditionally lived in by families and encourage the development of new managed student accommodation in more appropriate locations.

Manchester City Council Executive Member for Environment Councillor Richard Cowell added: "The new planning rules will mean the City Council can tackle the problems caused by the uncontrolled growth of shared lets and ensure that communities can retain the identity of their neighbourhoods.

"The growth of student accommodation can be directed to areas that will most benefit communities and allow neighbourhoods to develop in a way that is sympathetic to the needs of everyone."