Andy Burnham demands tougher powers against landlords providing poor housing

Potential Labour Party leader and Prime Minister Andy Burnham has called on the government to crack down on the private rented sector by using compulsory purchase orders.

Speaking on the Social Housing Podcast, the Manchester Mayor said landlords who fail to bring their properties up to a decent standard should have their homes compulsorily purchased.

As Mayor, Mr Burnham launched the Good Landlord Charter, which now covers 50% of rented homes in Manchester.

Three warnings and you’re out approach

Mr Burnham told the podcast: “I hope we can persuade the government to go further in legislating for the private rented sector.

“I would personally like to see a ‘three warnings and you’re out’ approach. If landlords will not invest in their properties or bring them up to a decent minimum standard after being given a deadline, then there should be simple powers to use compulsory purchase orders.

“I think we need a much easier ability to intervene in the private rented sector and tackle areas where there is a concentration of poor-quality housing.”

Mr Burnham also said his Good Landlord Charter is intended to recognise and support responsible landlords, while preventing criminal landlords who fail to maintain their properties from continuing to rent out unsafe homes.

He said: “We have a Good Landlord Charter, to recognise those who do the right thing. However, bad landlords tarnish the whole sector. We hope that over time the charter will become a badge of pride for responsible landlords.

“I think those who choose not to join it will stand out more clearly, and I don’t believe they should have the freedom to continue renting out homes that are damaging to people’s health.”

Strongly believe in Housing First

Elsewhere in the podcast, Mr Burnham claims Britain should have the Finnish philosophy of “housing first”.

He said: “I still strongly believe in Housing First as the national philosophy. We really haven’t had that approach in this country since the post-war years, when decent housing was understood to be the nation’s top priority.

“Since the 1980s, housing has increasingly been treated as a commodity to be bought and sold. If you see housing purely like that, you end up with a housing crisis, and that’s exactly where we are.”

With Mr Burnham now selected as the Labour candidate for the upcoming Makerfield by-election and amid reported leadership ambitions to become Prime Minister, he has said housing policy needs increased funding.

He said: “I think arguably there’s been more progress on housing policy in those five years than probably in the 20 or 30 years before it.

“When you think of the Renters’ Rights Act as it is now, obviously major legislation on renting, as well as a different approach being taken nationally on social housing and the funding that was secured by Angela Rayner before she left government, the £39 billion, that is a significant investment over a decade.

“We continue to argue for the maximum to be devoted to social housing. I would actually devote all of it to social housing.”

He added: “I also think we need significant reform of Homes England. There is still too much scheme-by-scheme micromanagement. They need to become more of an investor with us: back the city region, let us get on with delivery, and then hold us accountable for cumulative outputs across Greater Manchester rather than every individual project.”

The full interview can be seen below