Greater Manchester is to launch a pilot scheme as its first step in creating a GM wide Property Check scheme to protect and empower tenants in all types of rented accommodation
The scheme announced this morning, in Moss Side, by the Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham is a £600,000 package of measures to support tenants and clamp down on rogue landlords, as part of a plan to rewire the rental system so it works for people, not against them.
The Good Landlord Charter, set to be rolled out later this year, will work with landlords who are willing to improve the standard of the properties they rent out. The first in the UK, the Charter scheme will cover social and private rented sector housing and set out clear, practical, and accessible standards to drive up the quality of renting in Greater Manchester.
Data shows that, throughout Greater Manchester, around 23 per cent of private rented homes and just under 17 per cent of all rented homes do not meet the legal Decent Homes Standard.
But since many tenants feel unable to raise complaints for fear of eviction, it’s thought the true number of substandard rentals may be as high as 40 per cent.
A recent survey of private tenants in Greater Manchester found that in the past year that43 per cent of private tenants had experienced damp and mould, 31 per cent had been without hot water or central heating, 20 per cent had experienced broken electrics and 20 per cent were living in a property with a leaky roof while 12 per cent were living with a pest infestation.
Greater Manchester is investing £150,000 in a pilot with Salford City Council and central government to explore how these checks can be used effectively and proactively and help identify properties that fall short of the Decent Homes Standard – a legal requirement when the Renters (Reform) Bill comes into law later this year.
The Mayor will be asking the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service to support the delivery of Property Checks. Our fire crews already visit around 30,000 homes a year, providing fire safety checks and work is under way to explore how they could deploy Property Checks as part of their work with our communities.
Andy Burnham, said:
“Today we drive forward the next phase of Greater Manchester’s mission to tackle the housing crisis and get serious about housing standards.
“Everyone across our city-region deserves a good, safe, and secure home. It should be the starting point for a good life. It should not damage your health or be a source of concern and anxiety.
“Sadly, too many people in Greater Manchester still find themselves in those situations, trapped in poorly maintained properties and in fear of unlawful eviction. But the days of bad landlords renting out unsafe and unfit homes are coming to an end.
This new right to a property check for all residents, backed up with new measures to protect renters and take action against rogue landlords, will empower people across Greater Manchester and put us on course to become the UK’s only Housing First city-region.”
