A Fifth Of English Homes Are Sub-Standard

Research by VeriSmart – a nationwide network of independent property inspectors – has revealed the concerning number of ‘non-decent’ homes in England as per the English Housing Survey. VeriSmart’s research details how almost a fifth of homes in the country (19.5% or 4.5 million) failed to meet the government’s Decent Homes Standard, when taking into account hazards, costs and other characteristics. Private rented homes were found to be the most likely to be ‘non-decent’, with 25% of such properties falling below the expected standard, while the social sector had the lowest proportion of non-decent homes at 13%. Read more on the Property Reporter website.

https://www.propertyreporter.co.uk/property/a-of-english-homes-are-sub-standard.html

Health Of Older People Suffering In Poor Housing

More than 2 million older people are suffering physical and mental ill health and even death as a consequence of living in substandard and non-accessible homes, according to a cross-party group of MPs. Substandard housing costs the NHS £1.4bn every year with cold, damp and other hazards causing falls and exacerbating conditions such as heart disease, strokes, respiratory illnesses and arthritis as well as contributing to poor mental health, according to an in-depth inquiry by the all-party parliamentary group for ageing and older people. Read more on the Guardian website.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/jul/03/health-of-older-people-suffering-in-poor-housing-mps-warn

Fears Over Rogue Landlords 'Making A Quick Buck' From Most Vulnerable

Landlords have been urged to take more care of their tenants and not just look to “make a quick buck” by letting out substandard properties. In 2017/18 Bradford Council’s Housing Standards Team received 1,827 service requests relating to the poor condition of housing in the district. This was a seven per cent rise on the previous year. And in the first nine months of 2018/19 the service has received 1,590 service requests. Mould, poor heating and fire risks were the most common reason for call-outs, and officers can force landlords or property owners to bring the buildings up to standard. Most of the properties in question were privately rented. Read more on the Bradford Telegraph & Argus website.

https://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/17531787.fears-over-rogue-landlords-making-a-quick-buck-from-most-vulnerable/

Which? Urges Private Rented Sector Reform

The private rented sector is failing to serve tenants and landlords alike, a major report from Which? reveals. The sector is plagued by issues of sub-standard accommodation, insecurity and ineffective redress provisions.  Which? tracked the experiences of more than 2,500 tenants as they searched for, secured, lived in and moved on from rented accommodation in England. We also carried out a survey of 898 private landlords to understand the challenges they face. The report found evidence of wide-ranging issues from substandard property conditions to anxiety about insecure tenancies and a fear of reporting problems. Read more on the Which? website.

https://www.which.co.uk/news/2018/07/which-urges-private-rented-sector-reform/

Raft Of Safety Flaws Listed At Grenfell Tower Inquiry

A list of failed safety regulations has been presented to a public inquiry into the Grenfell Tower blaze. Dr Barbara Lane said lifts in the tower were sub-standard, fire doors had not been replaced and combustible material was fitted around windows. She said the "very basis" of the policy telling people to stay in their flats during a fire only worked alongside other protection measures. But the standards firefighters relied on "failed" at 01:26 GMT. A total of 72 people died as a result into the fire on 14 June 2017 in North Kensington, west London. Read more on the BBC website.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-44521114

Government Supports New Measures To Improve The Safety Of Tenants

Secretary of State for Housing Sajid Javid has confirmed government support for new legislation that will help ensure rented homes are safe and give tenants the right to take legal action when landlords fail in their duties.  The government has already introduced a range of powers for local authorities enabling them to crack down on the minority of landlords who rent out unsafe or substandard accommodation. From April this year councils will also be able to issue banning orders to kick the worst offenders out of the business. Government will support further measures proposed by Karen Buck MP in a Private Member’s Bill to protect tenants in both the social and private rented sectors. Read more on the Gov UK website.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-supports-new-measures-to-improve-the-safety-of-tenants

MoD Accused Of Deliberately Providing Soldiers With Shabby Housing

The Ministry of Defence has been accused of deliberately providing poor quality housing for soldiers and their families - so it can save money by moving them out. MP Anne-Marie Trevelyan said the MoD was letting family accommodation “degrade”, so that a planned new system of housing looks more attractive. She criticised plans to move armed forces personnel and their families into privately-rented homes, or to help them buy their own home. It would mean that the MoD provided funding to pay their housing costs, rather than directly providing housing at a highly subsidised rent as it does now. Read more on the Newcastle Chronicle website.

Private Rented Housing – Parliamentary Written Answer

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure private landlords do not exploit vulnerable tenants.

Brandon Lewis: We are determined to crack down on the small number of landlords that let unsafe and sub-standard accommodation. The Housing and Planning Bill will establish tough new measures, including a database of rogue landlords and property agents, banning orders for serious or repeat offenders, a stricter fit and proper person test, extending Rent Repayment Orders and introducing civil penalties of up to £30,000. In addition, we have made nearly £12 million available to local authorities to help them tackle rogue landlords in their areas. Since 2011, nearly 40,000 inspections have taken place with over 3,000 landlords facing further enforcement action or prosecution through renting out unsafe, squalid and often illegal property.

Green Homes Plan Finally Gets Funding For Just 10% Of Proposed Houses

A groundbreaking project to give thousands of sub-standard homes a dramatic green makeover has finally won EU approval, but only after a massive downgrading of its ambition. The Energiesprong project had hoped to provide a wave of 10-day makeovers for over 100,000 British housing association and council homes, installing wraparound insulating facades, solar panels and Ikea kitchens. But to get an initial €3.6m (£2.6m) of EU support, the group had to scale back their ambitions and now plans just 5,000 retrofits in the UK, and the same number in France. Read more on the Guardian website.

Rogue Landlords: New Measures - Including Jail - Needed, Councils Say

Tough new measures – including jail sentences – are needed to tackle rogue landlords, councils warn. In response to a government consultation, the Local Government Association (LGA), which represents more than 370 councils in England and Wales, has called for stronger sentencing guidelines for magistrates and a wider range of penalties so that the small minority of rogue landlords who exploit their tenants are properly held to account for renting out sub-standard accommodation. LGA research found it can take up to 16 months to prosecute a rogue operator. In almost three-quarters of cases, the average fine for a criminal landlord – many of whom are accruing large profits every year while tenants live in dangerous conditions – was £5,000 or less. Read more on the LGA website.

Most Social Housing Tenants Believe Homes Sub-Standard

Over half of the UK's social housing tenants believe the property they in live fails to meet decent homes standards, new research has revealed. Maintenance and refurbishment company FT Finley's survey found that 48% of tenants feel their home lacks sufficient wall insulation, while a third believed their properties had little or no loft insulation. Many are worried that their homes aren’t energy efficient, which contributes to increasing utility bills. Read more on 24dash.

Flint: Ban Benefit Payments for Substandard Homes

Private landlords whose homes do not meet minimum energy efficiency standards should be not be able to house tenants on housing benefit, the shadow energy secretary has argued. Speaking at an event hosted by Aldersgate Group, Caroline Flint called for a register of private landlords to ensure tenants receiving benefits are not placed in poorly insulated homes. ‘The state should not be subsidising substandard housing, or lining the pockets of those irresponsible landlords, who fail to make sure their homes are warm and properly insulated,’ she said. Ms Flint argued that such a move would also create employment by forcing landlords to improve their homes, and reduce fuel poverty by cutting bills. The government has introduced legislation to ban landlords from letting homes in the lowest categories for energy efficiency, however this is not due to come into force until 2018. Ms Flint also warned the government’s green deal initiative, which will see installers upgrade the energy efficiency of homes at no up front cost in return for a cut of the energy bills savings, could fail unless the Green Investment Bank is used to subsidise the scheme. Read more on the Aldersgate Group website.