Home sweet home – upping the standards of living
More than 20 per cent of Plymouth residents rent their home from landlords in the private sector but it is estimated that 26 per cent of these properties have significant risks to the health and safety of the occupiers.
Measures are therefore being put in place to ensure everyone has an acceptable standard of living.
Plymouth City Council’s housing officers are working with landlords and letting agents to support them to continue to provide a good service and a safe, well-maintained home for their tenants.
Thirteen letting agencies were represented at a recent training course, arranged by South West Landlords’ Association (SWLA), in partnership with Plymouth City Council. The course covered aspects of the law, legal relationships with landlords and tenants, obligations on agents and processes that need to be followed. It is likely that all agents will be required to belong to a redress scheme in the near future and the training is intended to help agents prepare for this by making sure they meet the necessary criteria to join a scheme.
Housing officers and support workers, who visit families in their homes, have also been receiving training on property standards and tenants’ rights. Raising awareness of living conditions that are not acceptable and how to report it is essential for tackling rogue landlords. The training included dealing with harassment and illegal eviction, including legal action that can be taken against landlords.
The majority of landlords in the private rented sector are reputable and provide good services and nice homes for their tenants. However, there is a small proportion that neglects their properties and exploits their tenants. Through early intervention the council will work with the landlords to improve the property or ensure that the actions landlords are taking are lawful. If inadequate progress is made strong enforcement action will be taken in order to protect tenants.
A support officer working for the housing charity PATH has been appointed to work with the Private Rented Team, to help tenants when poor quality living properties are being inspected, making sure they do not get evicted or helping them access a better property.
Kate Medhurst, Renting Support Manager at PATH said “Path have been helping people to move into private sector tenancies for nearly 20 years. During this time we’ve seen standards in the sector improve dramatically. However there are still pockets of poor practice.
In addition to working with the households living in poor accommodation Path are encouraging the landlords we work with to become accredited. We’re pleased to be involved in a new push to drive up standards and support those households living in some of the most problematic private tenancies.”
Cabinet Member for Co-operatives and Community Development, Councillor Chris Penberthy, said: “Our work to tackle rogue landlords in the city is ongoing and we have recently been successful in a prosecution against one landlord and issued an interim management order on another. The people living in these conditions tend to be vulnerable and find it difficult to find decent accommodation because they have low incomes and can’t find money for deposits.
“This small proportion of rogue landlords really gives the whole sector a bad reputation, when in fact a number of landlords are working to improve the image of the sector and their own professionalism by attending training courses and becoming accredited through Landlord Accreditation South West. 320 landlords have attended the landlord training course and 128 have gone on to become accredited. Indeed Plymouth landlords Justin and Elizabeth Bryce of Bryce Properties, have also become accredited with UNIPOL, and been named the National Landlord of the Month by Accommodation for Students and UNIPOL.”
It is now easier to report properties that are in poor condition or that are causing problems for neighbouring houses and flats. If you have concerns you can call 0800 9530120 or 01752 307075 to report them or email safeashouses@plymouth.gov.uk.
Any landlords or agents who want to attend training courses should contact SWLA on 0172 510913 to put their names down for the next course.
More information about tenant's rights and responsibilities is available at www.plymouth.gov.uk/private and the duties of landlords at www.plymouth.gov.uk/landlords
