Commentary on Sections Part 1 Regulation of Private Rented Housing Section 25 – Revocation of licence
54.A licence can be revoked by a licensing authority in certain circumstances. It may do this if a condition of the licence has been breached, if the authority is no longer satisfied that the licence holder is a fit and proper person, if the licence holder has, without a reasonable excuse, failed to comply with the duty to update information under section 23, or if both the license holder and licensing authority have agreed that the licence should be revoked.
55.Before revoking a licence, the licensing authority must notify the licence holder of its intention to do so and the reasons for revocation. It must allow the licence holder time to make representations. The period allowed for the licence holder to make representations is 21 days beginning the day the licence holder was notified of the authority’s intention to revoke the licence. But the duty to allow a licence holder the opportunity to make representations does not apply where revocation has been agreed to by the licence holder or if the authority considers that there are exceptional circumstances which warrant a licence being revoked without delay.
56.After revoking a licence, the licensing authority must notify the licence holder of the revocation and the reasons for doing so. If a licence holder hasn’t consented to the revocation, the authority must provide information on the licence holder’s rights of appeal against the decision. The appeal period is the period of 28 days which begins with the date the licence holder was notified of the authority’s decision, as set out in section 27(3)(a). The revocation takes effect in accordance with the date determined by subsection (5).
57.When a landlord’s licence is revoked, the licensing authority must notify the tenants or occupiers of that landlord’s registered rental properties.  When a person’s licence to undertake lettings work or property management on behalf of a landlord is revoked, the licensing authority must notify the landlord that appointed the person.  Should a landlord’s licence be revoked, the landlord would need to arrange for an authorised agent to carry out lettings work and property management work on the landlord’s behalf.