The Labour Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, says he is demanding the powers to seize usage or poor quality homes from landlords he declares to be rogue operators.
He wants the government to back his call for new powers and resources under a new city-region devolution deal.
The intention would be to bring in the new set of measures in place by autumn 2024, building on the forthcoming Renter’s Reform Bill and driven by Burnham’s existing Good Landlord Charter.
Burnham says: “I believe we will only get the sea change on housing that we need when we make a good, safe, secure home a human right in UK law.
“That change would require action on many more levels – including much great focus on the state of the existing housing stock and the urgent need to build hundreds of thousands of homes for social rent.
“Until that time, we are using what powers we have in our Trailblazer Devolution deal to set ourselves a 15-year new mission for Greater Manchester: a healthy home for all by 2038.
“In simple terms, that means a home that doesn’t damage your physical health through damp, mould and other physical hazards and doesn’t harm your mental health because you live in fear of eviction.
“To achieve this, we are proposing a complete re-wiring of the system to put power in the hands of tenants – but, in doing so, make it work better for everyone: tenants, landlords and local communities.”
The Mayor - a former Labour Cabinet minister- wants a mandatory decent homes standard plus:
- A package of UK-leading tenant protection measures, starting with an independent inspection regime of rented properties to find those homes below standards, which would empower tenants to report poor conditions and call for improvement while protecting them from eviction;
- The ability to create a ‘Property Improvement Plan’ for every rented home, giving landlords a tailored blueprint to get each of their properties up to the decent homes standard and beyond, and connecting them to funding and skilled contractors who can get the work done;
- Giving Burnham’s Authority the powers “to acquire properties from landlords who are unable or unwilling to meet standards, ensuring poor landlords exit the sector while retaining and improving their properties for local residents”;
- Enhanced enforcement teams within councils with the powers to protect tenants if they have problems with their landlord or home;
- A universal, mandatory Property Portal or register of landlords – a measure proposed within the Renters Reform Bill.
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Once you make "a decent home" a right not something to be earned and contributed to (if not financially but at least by taking care of it) you commit the government to all sorts of additional expenditure.
As an owner occupier I will expect to have my gardening and home maintenance done for me when I become too old and infirm to do it myself! Oh, and my cleaning! And the heating I need to keep the mould away.
I shall be busy spending my ill gotten (rental) gains on cocktails.
Good old fashioned Communism.
Just like we have here in Wales, coming to a district near you when Starmer wins the election.
He holds Drakeford up as doing a good job, so is likely to follow some of his idiotic policies.
What a laugh, seize and bring private rental accommodation property up to standard when at least 15% of Manchesters social housing is not fit for habitation not only that but have you seen the state of some social housing estates? I wouldn’t venture out after dark in many of them.
Andy Burnham needs to put his own houses in order before he starts picking on the private sector, I’m not saying that there are not some crappy homes owned by some private landlords, but if he wants to bring the private sector into line it would be cheaper and far more efficient for the council to offer interest free loans to those landlords to bring those properties up to standard giving them a chance to improve their properties either that or shut them down. Pretty sure this is a publicity stunt to get votes knowing that it hasn’t got a hope in hell of getting support from central government of any of the political parties.
Next on their list for seizing will be the so called ‘ decent rental homes’ 😰😰. Plain and simple theft.
Can we also seize unfit for purpose politicians, mayors, and councillors, and dispose of them in an environmentally friendly way? or failing that, everyone who runs a business, property, or otherwise ,do it with exactly the same level of competence as the aforementioned creatures, and the last person out please turn the lights off!
Loved this post, still smiling now
This is another idiot in the mould of Khan, having worked in and around Manchester up until 2015 the place has had a ton of money spent on it and none of it by this clown.
Owners of Manchester City spent more money redeveloping the area around the ground and local area and now is fantastic. That is not because of Burnham or Gtr Manchester council..!
Look at their housing stock before commenting on the private sector which I think will be infinitely better.
Let's start with these rogue councils sotring out their own and other social housing stock. That should keep them busy for the next 25 years@
Is this Russia now?
All too typical 'selective blindness' of Manchester Council to their own slums whilst having yet another prod at the PRS. Its more predictable than 'flies on sh**t!'
Remember the complete dump that was Wythenshaw largest estate in Europe.
It took the tenants to clear that mess up by damn near rioting
It appears that whenever there is an issue with damp or related problems, it is nearly always a Social Housing property.
I see it reported in our local press, on a fairly regular basis.
Now if that were a private landlord, he or she would be reported to the authorities.
One rule for them and another for us.
This is the sort of policy you would expect from Putin or Hitler
Those two would be preferable to Khan and Burnham.
Burnham should get his own council and other councils to get their stock in liveable state first "make a good, safe, secure home a human right in UK law". before starting preaching to the PRS. The evidence tells us that council housing is far from decent properties and tenants' complaints fall into deaf ears. See Grenfell and other properties that have dampness and mould and people dying. Also a person died in one of their properties as the rent was paid by standing order, HA did not know about it for over 18 months. These MP's, councils are thick skinned and not willing to know the truth.
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