A VOLUNTARY scheme to better regulate housing landlords has been hailed a success despite just three signing up in five years.

Burnley Council defended the scheme and bosses are now hoping to spearhead a mandatory selective licencing scheme in the Trinity area.

Three letting agents with a total of 792 properties in the borough are now covered by the voluntary scheme.

The scheme aims to improve the conditions and management of properties in the private rented sector by helping landlords to achieve and maintain recognised standards.

Council bosses have heralded the scheme after the third landlord signed up.

But Coun Howard Baker, for the Trinity ward, said the voluntary scheme was not as successful as it could have been.

He said: "The voluntary scheme has not been as effective as they hoped and that's why selective licencing is being brought in because it doesn't cover 100 percent of rented properties.

"If it was 100 percent successful they wouldn't need selective licencing."

In April the East Lancashire Landlords Association (ELLA) clashed with the council over plans to introduce the mandatory scheme which would require all private landlords to apply for a licence from the council to help reduce anti-social behaviour linked to poor tenants.

Private landlords argued that the voluntary GLAS scheme provided sufficent protection for tenants and that the new controls would be too costly for their business.

Sarah Clayton, Burnley Council's head of housing, said: "Burnley Council cannot dictate the speed at which agents and landlords sign up to a voluntary scheme but can applaud those that have - approximately 160 properties per year since 2002.

"Burnley's GLAS statistics are the highest in East Lancashire with almost a quarter of all private rented properties now covered by the voluntary scheme, totalling 792 properties, including 179 landlords and three letting agents: Belvoir Lettings, Rehman Property Consultancy and now Sycamore Letting Company.

"GLAS and selective licensing will enable Burnley to join just a handful of places in the country with a mix of voluntary and mandatory landlord schemes."