Rogue landlords

Nasty mould growth is one of the poor living conditions tenants within the borough are having to contend with

Overcrowding, nasty mould growth and pest infestations - these are just some of the poor living conditions tenants within the borough are having to contend with.

Recent reports in the national media revealed that local authorities are lagging when it comes to following up complaints with inspections. So, how does Rochdale Borough Council stack up when it comes to dealing with the poor living conditions tenants are sometimes faced with, and are rogue landlords being dealt with effectively?

Council Private Rented Sector Officer Gillian Lucas says the Council’s team of officers is exceptionally proactive in seeking out and dealing with rogue landlords, and especially so since the launch of Operation Maverick, which set up in 2014 specifically to catch them.

http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/87094/operation-maverick-to-tackle-boroughs-rogue-landlords

She said: “We are a very proactive team, and we have been very successful in finding rogue landlords. We’ve made 370 visits in 15 months and we plan to continue.”

Of approximately 14,000 private rented houses in the borough, there are an average of 250 complaints per year, around 50 of which are of illegal eviction and harassment. Every complaint is followed up by inspection with 70% of all complaints resolved informally without the need for enforcement action.

The Guardian newspaper reported that a survey was carried out on 120 local authorities in England, showing that councils received 51,916 complaints about poor living conditions – including cold, damp and overcrowding, and housing officers only inspected 14,043 homes.

The figures, which cover 2013, show housing officers were four times more likely to react informally to complaints by sending a letter or making a phone call rather than issuing a legal notice, reported the national paper.

Ms Lucas insisted that all local complaints are followed up by an inspection, she said: “We will arrange to visit every private tenant complaint received, the reason for this is sometimes the tenant is complaining of low level disrepair but when we inspect we find something more serious that the tenant is not aware of.

“We go door-to-door when we have to. A lot of work is being done to ensure tenants are safe, warm, dry and secure. This is and has always been our number one priority.

"Of course, as you can imagine, there has been an increase in water-related complaints since the floods on Boxing Day, but we have been working very closely with our team in dealing with that.

“Sometimes we hear about someone who is living above a garage or a takeaway. Other times a boiler is broken or there is a potentially dangerous electrical fault. It is a constant battle, dealing with things on a case-by-case basis."

In some cases, the team has “emergency powers”, where they can step in without a landlord and make an assessment. Ms Lucas said: “It’s a judgement call. It can be in our interests to go through the door and see for ourselves. We are a strong team and we hope to continue the hard work and success around the borough."

In 2013/14, 267 complaints were received, compared with 129 in 2014/15, and 190 so far between 2015/16. Most of the cases are resolved, with an average of 15 enforcement notices served each year.

For Operation Maverick, 370 properties have been visited from the start of the project, with 120 enforcement actions carried out, and 28 properties closed down due to unsafe conditions.

You can report a rogue landlord by emailing:

prsenforcement@rochdale.gov.uk

Or call 0300 303 8874.