- presentation at the meeting
Minutes:
Further to Minute No. 176 of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 28th March, 2012 and Minute No. 164 of the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board held on 30th March, 2012, the Select Commission received a presentation from Paul Benson (Private Sector Housing Officer) which provided an update of the progress with the action plan and recommendations of the scrutiny review of the private rented sector.
The presentation responded to the recommendations listed in the original report and the following activity was discussed as progress being made:-
Recommendations 1 and 2: Long-term sustainable action plan
• Private Rented Sector engagement strategy
– Borough wide/local data; landlord forums; research; etc.
• Enforcement
– Proactive and reactive
• Support to local agencies, landlords and agents
– Bond and Rent in Advance schemes, floating tenancy support
– Localised initiatives e.g. Eastwood, Dinnington and Maltby
• Resources
– Only staff time available and energy efficiency funding used
Recommendation 3: Engage with landlords, tenants and councillors
• Landlord information
– Borough wide and local forums; Borough Council website
• Research, analysis and consultation
– Landlords understanding of the Green Deal, consideration of Selective Licensing in targeted areas
• Tenant support
– Floating tenancy support
– Key Choices support offered to prospective prs tenants
• Enforcement protocol
– Encourage better management of properties
Recommendation 4: Landlord accreditation scheme
• Accreditation scheme considered in 2012
– Unfeasible due to lack of resources and interest
• Promotion of national accreditation schemes
– Local landlords informed of NLA/RLA national on-line accreditation schemes
• Alternative landlord recognition/support schemes considered
– Selective Licensing and alternative voluntary landlord scheme
Recommendation 5: Enforcement action
• Enforcement Concordat
– Action taken to deal with private tenant service requests; 780 inspections, 93 notices served with ten prosecutions during 2013/14
• Charging of enforcement notices
– Average cost £200/notice
• Proactive and reactive enforcement work
– Aligned with the deprived area agenda
– Reactive service offered throughout the borough
• Houses in Multiple Occupation review completed
• In-house training for Community Protection Unit officers
Recommendation 6: Empty properties back into use
• Council Tax charges
– Increased for properties over two years empty and charging for properties empty less than six months
• Undertaking ‘works in default’
– To reduce impact of blight on surrounding area
• Use of regulatory powers
– Framework created for ‘enter dwelling management orders’ and enforced sale procedures
• Social Housing Provider assistance
Recommendation 7: Private rented sector agency support
• Eviction/repossession prevention tools
– Housing Solutions
– Homelessness Strategy
• Landlord incentive schemes
– Rent in Advance scheme
– Bond schemes
• Floating tenancy support
• Private Rented Sector properties free from hazards
Continued activity will focus on the following;
• Provide a decision on Selective Licensing
• Progress ‘enter dwelling management orders’ and enforced sale procedures
• Market Private Rented Sector properties through the Property Shop
• Consider a tenant reference scheme
• Continue to offer rent in advance, bond schemes and floating tenancy support
• Increasing the usage of Private Rented Sector accommodation to deliver/meet ‘homelessness duty’
• Explore options for providing single point of contact within Benefits
• Introducing a short-term tenancy intensive intervention service
During discussion of this item, Members raised the following matters:-
: feedback from the public consultation exercise undertaken in respect of the proposed selective licensing scheme; costs to landlords of the licensing scheme;
: reference to the investment of public funds in the regeneration of parts of the Rotherham Borough area (eg: the Eastwood Village and Springwell Gardens area);
: the difficulties which some tenants have in affording the cost of property bonds;
: reference to private rented sector properties in various parts of the Borough area, including those properties which have blighted their surrounding areas;
: some Members expressed the view that a mandatory licensing scheme for landlords would be more effective than a voluntary scheme;
: legal proceedings (eg: use of enter dwelling management orders and enforced sale procedures); the process and timescale of entering cases for Court proceedings;
: use of accreditations schemes and the inspection of the condition of properties;
: reference to the selective licensing schemes operated by other local authorities;
: Members noted the reasons why a Borough-wide licensing scheme for landlords would be impractical.
: Members asked to be provided with the presentation slides, displayed at today’s meeting.
Resolved:- (1) That the information contained in the presentation be noted.
(2) That a report on the outcome of the public consultation exercise about the Council’s proposed scheme for the selective licensing of landlords be submitted to a future meeting of the Improving Places Select Commission, prior to being considered by the Cabinet.
(During consideration of the above item, the following Members declared their personal interests shown:-
Councillor Dodson – landlord of private rented sector property
Councillor Ellis – Chair of the Rotherham Bond Guarantee Scheme Limited (Robond), a Homeless Charity
Councillor Godfrey – Member of Robond
Councillor Sims – Member of Robond
Councillor Wallis – Member of Board of Laser Credit Union)