A Nottingham landlord, Mick Roberts, says his tenants could be in a bind, and it’s all because of a disagreement with the city council over a set of keys.

The dispute stems from the council’s selective licensing scheme, which requires landlords to hold keys for gates that provide access to their properties. Mr. Roberts, a landlord for 28 years and an outspoken critic of the scheme, found himself in a difficult position when the council changed the locks on an exterior gate at a property in Bulwell, but failed to give him a new key. While his tenant has the new key, he does not.

When Mr. Roberts raised this as a potential breach of the licensing rules, the council’s response was not to provide him with a key, but rather to simply remove the condition from his license for that one property.

Mr. Roberts argues this creates a significant problem. If his tenants were to lose their key, he would be “absolutely stuffed,” unable to help them gain entry. He fears this could happen with his other properties, accusing the council of a “double standard” where they can get rules removed when they can’t comply, but private landlords face strict penalties for the same issue.

The situation highlights the complex and often frustrating relationship between landlords and local authorities, and the challenges of complying with evolving regulations.