Sir – Laura King raises a few issues around the Oxford City Council’s Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) licensing scheme (Letters, September 1).

We introduced this scheme in response to many complaints raised by residents and tenants. The aim is to make sure that all HMOs across the city are up to a decent standard. Voluntary schemes such as accreditation of landlords are important, but too easily avoided so not enough on their own. The benefit of the universal scheme is that all landlords have to be regulated, so those landlords who would want to avoid this cannot do so legally.

We are asking HMOs that have been a problem in the past to be licensed early, we can also fine those who seek to avoid this and we are expecting that residents who know of a problem HMO/landlord will want to check it is being licensed.

This can be done by either by emailing hmos@oxford.gov.uk or by phoning 01865 249811. A website for tenants rating houses is a good idea that we are considering.

However, this would be in addition to the scheme, as one of the problems we face is that demand is so high in Oxford there is the incentive there for unscrupulous landlords to cut corners.

This tends to affect tenants who are less able or frightened to complain, and often on lower incomes.

The way to tackle this is for a universal raising of the standards with targeting worse landlords so there are no ways for landlords to do this.

Alongside this we are targeting problem landlords. We have successfully prosecuted two landlords and a letting agent so far this year, with a further three cases due in court this month following adjournments.

There are further cases in the pipeline and currently more under investigation as a result of the licensing scheme.

We also took an HMO property off the landlord using our powers to issue an interim management order.

According to national statistics, Oxford City Council has taken more enforcement action against landlords than any other district council in England every year since 2007 and between 2007-9 we took more enforcement action than all of the inner London Boroughs put together.

I hope this reassures that we are trying all we can to raise standards across HMOs in Oxford.

Joe McManners, Executive member for housing needs, Oxford City Council