Agenda item

To set the context as to how the Council intends to meet the private sector housing challenges and opportunities confronting the service and to set out the key priorities for action and delivery (report of the Assistant Director - Wellbeing and Community Leadership enclosed).

Consideration was given to the report of the Assistant Director – Wellbeing and Community Leadership which set the context as to how the Council intended to meet the private sector housing challenges and opportunities which confronted the service and to set out the key priorities for action and delivery.

The Service Manager for Safer Communities attended to present the report and the Portfolio Holder for Strategic and Operational Housing attended to support the item.

The Service Manager for Safer Communities introduced the report and highlighted the following main areas:

• Background to the report, including that:
  • Following a decision supported by Full Council at a meeting held on 15 May 2024, the three Housing Standards Teams from BBC, ELDC & SHDC were brought together to operate as one single team across the partnership area with shared working arrangements;
  • The service realignment had provided resilience within the partnership. Working processes were also being aligned; and
  • The Private Sector Housing Strategy being considered at the current meeting represented the next stage of development for the service.
• The report outlined the strategy’s four key priorities and four outcome-based commitments at points 2.1 and 2.2 respectively;
• The S&ELCP Private Sector Housing Strategy was at Appendix 1; and
• Guidance and definitions were at Appendix 2.

Members considered the report and made the following comments:

• Members welcomed the clarity and content of the document particularly regarding empty properties and queried whether the strategy would support such properties being brought back into use.
  • The Service Manager for Safer Communities responded that:
    • A document to be presented across the partnership would provide wide-ranging options for each of the three councils in respect of empty properties and any impact directly correlated with the ambitions and commitments of each sovereign council;
    • A mapping exercise to identify empty properties was to take place throughout the partnership which would involve liaising with Council Tax colleagues, members and communities; and
    • The council would have an extensive toolkit to deal with the unique circumstances of each case.

• Members queried the processes to be used to ensure that rogue landlords were identified.
  • The Service Manager for Safer Communities responded that:
    • With the exception of licenced Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) where a duty of inspection prevailed, there was no legal requirement for landlords to register with the local authority. Non-registered properties would therefore only be inspected as a result of a complaint or where concerns relating to other properties belonging to the same landlord came to the council’s attention;
    • The Safer Communities team worked closely with internal service areas, such as Planning, Waste Services, Homelessness and Environment Health, and external partners such as the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), Police, estate agents, Fire and Immigration Services to assist with the identification of rogue landlords;
    • Any landlord identified as rogue would be registered as such. A number of enforcement tools were available to prevent such individuals from becoming landlords in the future; and
    • Through the utilisation of a strict criteria assessment process, two rogue landlords had been identified across the partnership area during the previous four-month period.
  • The Portfolio Holder for Strategic and Operational Housing added that:
    • The Safer Communities Team were working hard in this area and took all reports from residents very seriously. The team were trained to investigate reports objectively which had resulted in action being taken; and
    • A communication piece had been issued to advise private tenants of the role that the local authority played in respect of private rental matters.
  • The Assistant Director – Wellbeing and Community Leadership added that:
    • Good landlords were very much supported by the council and in this regard, South Holland had instigated a Landlords Forum which was highly valued;
    • There was a need for an increased supply of decent and healthy homes for residents and good landlords needed to be encouraged; and
    • A damp and mould trial across the partnership was being undertaken which would create opportunities for objective conversations with residents regarding issues and solutions.

• Members referred to rental properties that were managed by estate agents and queried the contact process where an issue was reported to the council.
  • The Service Manager for Safer Communities responded that:
    • In such circumstances the initial communication would be made with the estate agent however should enforcement action be required, notices would be served to both the estate agent and the landlord; and
    • The team had a good local knowledge of estate agents in the area and therefore were aware of the most effective approaches to be taken when issues were raised.
  • The Portfolio Holder for Strategic and Operational Housing added that:
    • Properties managed by estate agents on behalf of landlords effectively placed an added layer between the landlord and resident which at times resulted in delays to the resolution of an issue. Increased mechanisms were needed to avoid delays in this regard; and
    • The Safer Communities Team had a strong knowledge of legal powers which could be utilised as required on a case-by-case basis.

AGREED:

a)    That after consideration by the Policy Development Panel, the South and East Lincolnshire Council’s Partnership Private Sector Housing Strategy be noted; and

b)    That a progress update of the South and East Lincolnshire Council’s Partnership Private Sector Housing Strategy be presented to the Policy Development Panel one year from adoption at Cabinet.