Brighton has become one of the latest councils planning to launch a mandatory blanket licensing scheme of private landlords.

Labour-run Brighton says landlords would have to pre-agree standards before they could be granted a licence.

Brighton and Hove has one of the highest proportions in the country of households living in the private rented sector, with almost one-third of private housing stock being rented.

But the scheme, which is planned for implementation next year, has met with opposition.

Conservative housing spokesman Garry Peltzer Dunn said: “Both Manchester and Milton Keynes carried out trials [on mandatory licensing] but concluded that it was costly and ineffective at tackling rogue landlords and could also be open to legal challenge.

“We all want to see the small minority of rogue landlords brought to book, but there is a real danger that the cost and additional red tape will simply drive good landlords away.”

Meanwhile, Doncaster is further down the road than Brighton, with a consultation now going on. However, it proposes to introduce blanket licensing in just one area, Hexthorpe, rather than across the whole town. Hexthorpe, which is on the edge of Doncaster, has a large ethnic population, including a number of Romas, and is earmarked for regeneration.