Surge In Council Homes That Are Unsafe Or Need Repairs

More than 40 per cent of council homes in one part of England are not fit to live in. The latest government figures reveal that at least 76,814 properties owned by councils in England failed to meet the Decent Homes Standard at the end of March 2020. A “non-decent” home is one which fails to meet the statutory safety standards, is not warm enough, is run down or has facilities which are too old. Typically this means they have problems with damp, mould or faulty heating, which can have a significant impact on tenants' physical and mental health. Read more on the Daily Mirror website.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-tens/surge-council-homes-unsafe-need-23491144

Bill Giving Tenants Power To Take Action Against Landlords Becomes Law

The Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act has been given Royal Assent– completing its lengthy journey from a private members bill into law. The act will give tenants the right to take landlords to court if the property falls below legal standards, and seek an injunction to carry out the work and damages. The bill was proposed by Labour MP Karen Buck and received official government backing in January – an extremely unusual step for an opposition MP’s bill. She said: “There are a million properties- home to some 3 million people- that are unsafe or unfit to occupy and this act will provide those tenants, private and public, with a way to act against bad landlords.” Read more on Inside Housing.

https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/bill-giving-tenants-power-to-take-action-against-landlords-becomes-law-59593?utm_source=Housing60&utm_medium=email&utm_content=article_link&utm_campaign=H60

More Than One In Ten Privately-Rented Homes Are Unfit To Live In

More than one in ten privately-rented homes in the North East are unfit for people to live in. The properties have what is known as a “category one hazard”, which can include damp and mould growth, a faulty gas boiler, fire risks or excessive cold in winter. Figures emerged as both major parties set out plans to help tenants secure better housing. The statistics, published by Labour, are based on an analysis of the English Housing Survey, which is produced by the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government. There are 22,452 “unfit” private-rented homes in the North East, 11% of all the private-rented housing stock. Read more on the Sunderland Chronicle website.

https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/more-one-ten-privately-rented-14857183