Government to fund rogue landlord crackdown

Government to fund rogue landlord crackdown

9:40 AM, 24th November 2022, About A year ago 34

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The government has today revealed that it will fund councils with high numbers of ‘poor privately rented homes’ in a bid to crack down on rogue landlords and drive-up standards in the private rented sector (PRS).

The announcement by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) will fund:

  • £2.3 million for Greater Manchester – including Rochdale and surrounding councils – to increase the use of fines where a landlord is found to have committed an offence
  • £678,000 for Leeds to use behavioural science to change culture among landlords, improving knowledge and skills
  • £1.14 million for Cornwall to create a database of private rented accommodation in the area and record standards to target better enforcement action.

Help councils maintain private rental sector standards

Propertymark, the professional body for estate and letting agents, welcomed the move to help councils maintain private rented sector standards.

Nathan Emerson, Propertymark’s chief executive, said: “A lack of enforcement and the low number of private rented property inspections by local authorities undermines the current regulatory regime.

“It’s good news that the Secretary of State is allocating further funding in this area, something we have repeatedly called for.”

He added: “Qualified letting agents are well placed to support local authorities in maintaining standards.

“Independent landlords can tap into their knowledge and understanding of the latest legal requirements for the sector to ensure they comply.”

Condemned the social housing provider for failing to treat hazardous mould

The cash announcement comes after the government revealed that it will strip Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH) of its expected extra £1m funding from the Affordable Homes Programme after a coroner last week condemned the social housing provider for failing to treat hazardous mould that led to the death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak.

RHB will not get any extra money until the Regulator of Social Housing has concluded its investigation and it can prove it is a responsible landlord.

The Government will also continue to monitor the housing standards of RBH tenancies closely, working with the Regulator and Ombudsman, to ensure that tenants have appropriate housing.

Michael Gove, the Housing Secretary, wrote to all councils and housing associations last weekend saying they must raise the bar dramatically on standards and demanding urgent action when people complain about damp and mould.

Holding failing landlords to account for poor safety and quality

However, the government’s announcement today reveals that holding failing landlords to account for poor safety and quality is not just an issue in social housing.

That is why the government is awarding £14 million to seven areas with high numbers of poor privately rented homes to crack down on rogue landlords and test new approaches to driving up standards.

Mr Gove said: “RBH failed its tenants so it will not receive a penny of additional taxpayers’ money for new housing until it gets its act together and does right by tenants.

“Let this be a warning to other housing providers who are ignoring complaints and failing in their obligations to tenants. We will not hesitate to act.”

He added: “Everyone deserves the right to live in a safe, decent home and this government will always act to protect tenants.”


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Comments

Porky

10:06 AM, 24th November 2022, About A year ago

This is straight from the Rochdale Borough Council Web site. You have to laugh. They can't even manage their own big social housing provider let alone the PRS rogue landlords. Read the bit about damp and mold.

"Problems with your landlord or rented property
We have a legal obligation to protect tenants from inappropriate and illegal behaviour by landlords.

We'll work with you to see that necessary repairs are completed within a reasonable time and the property is fit to live in.

Problems we can help with
We can help you with:

Repairs your landlord has failed to carry out. For example, if you've reported a problem your landlord should make the repair within a reasonable time.
Damp, mould or condensation.
Communicating with your landlord. For example, if your landlord fails to respond to your phone calls.
Harassment and illegal eviction.
Security deposit or bond. For example, where a landlord refuses to return the payment you've made."

Ray Guselli

10:07 AM, 24th November 2022, About A year ago

Rogue tenants? - free to do as they wish....

The likes of Gove and his colleagues need a wake up call and get in the real world..

About time they started listening to those who "know" what is happening rather than those who "think" they do.....

Rerktyne

10:10 AM, 24th November 2022, About A year ago

Meanwhile they are offering grants on how to be a rogue tenant and never pay rent, wreck the place, never leave, get help from Shelter and local councils to stay forever. There will be a B.Sc. in cheating the landlord and making him commit suicide. If you achieve the latter you get a distinction and a job for life with Gove (plus free holiday accommodation in Bahamas).

JohnCaversham

10:31 AM, 24th November 2022, About A year ago

I've already had a couple of tenants report mould and black into the top corners of living and bedrooms, been fine over previous years, I asked about how they're heating the property and after a bit of prompting it's clear that thermostats and timers have been reset to minimum...So the challenge now is what is classed as lifestyle as opposed to an issue with the property..? Am I now a rogue landlord because my tenants are struggling to heat and ventilate their property to a reasonable level..?

Beaver

10:54 AM, 24th November 2022, About A year ago

Reply to the comment left by JohnCaversham at 24/11/2022 - 10:31
I've only had a problem with mould a couple of times.

Once was with a set of tenants whose property had been flooded so they needed a short-term (6 months) tenancy whilst their property was renovated. They moved out early because their own property was fixed. They did not care about the extra rent because the insurance company was still funding that. But they did care about the heating bill because they were paying for that, and so they just turned the heating off. The result was mould formed in the corners of some of the rooms which I had to treat and over paint.

I did also have a problem with mould caused by one tenant who ran a tumble drier that was not vented externally and did not open the windows.

I don't think that Rochdale Borough Council has come out of this well but at the same time sometimes mould isn't your fault. What prevents it is both heat and adequate ventilation. Sometimes cold spots exacerbated by lack of insulation can result in condensation but just putting in extra insulation doesn't necessarily fix it; if your efforts to insulate result in damp problems because rainwater is able to get into the fabric of the house but not get out you are likely to make the problem of mould worse.

LaLo

11:36 AM, 24th November 2022, About A year ago

I had a tenant who wouldn’t put the heating on as he needed the money to go to the pub! He was shown the door - which had swollen due to damp!

Otto

11:47 AM, 24th November 2022, About A year ago

Reply to the comment left by Beaver at 24/11/2022 - 10:54
And they turn off the extractor fans in the bathrooms.

Otto

11:55 AM, 24th November 2022, About A year ago

Reply to the comment left by Porky at 24/11/2022 - 10:06
Near me there is a licensed 2 bed Victorian house. They had at one point multiple (5) "flats". They had a fire where the fire brigade turned up, one "flat" has 3 minors of opposite sex with a single mother, the outside is falling apart, masonry paint gutter, the garden is not kept and hazardous. To cap it all the council rents "flats" there including the single mum mentioned above. How many housing laws and regulations are breach and the council negligent and complicate.

JohnCaversham

11:58 AM, 24th November 2022, About A year ago

BBC radio2's Jeremy Vine and running it today on their show...We need some defence people!

Alicia Mitchell

13:49 PM, 24th November 2022, About A year ago

Reply to the comment left by Porky at 24/11/2022 - 10:06
Hear hear... many council properties are substandard since 1960s and they still exist!!!

Look at Grenfell tower!!!

Give over to private landlords who manage own rental homes better!!! After property licensing dept was set up in 7 years ago.

You - every local authorities need to improve their oldest housing stocks!!! Come on!!

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