Prominent Labour Mayor Andy Burnham says “a new generation of housing officers” is hitting the streets of Greater Manchester ready to crack down on poor private rental housing.

Thirteen new housing enforcement apprentices – with at least one in every district – have now completed their training and will join the council teams checking rental properties across the city-region and bringing enforcement action against bad landlords. 

It’s part of Greater Manchester’s plans to boost local capacity and deliver the UK’s first Good Landlord Charter, which recently won the backing of the National Residential Landlords Association. 

The new enforcement team is part of a fledgling Property Check system for private renters to sound the alarm about poor housing conditions. The proposals would see residents in substandard rented homes able to request a check, carried out by local teams, and followed up by enforcement action where necessary.  

A £150,000 pilot of the scheme, which will look at how a multi-agency approach across the public sector can support the Property Check system, is set to take place in Salford.  

Burnham says: “For years now, local councils have been left reeling by a combination of growing pressures and squeezed resources. With this new generation of enforcement officers we are stepping up and strengthening local enforcement teams, so that we can do more to crack down on bad housing practices.  

“Whether you own or rent, your home should not do you harm – it should set you up to thrive. That is why we’re taking action to drive up standards with our Good Landlord Charter, which will come into effect from May next year, and empower tenants with a right to a Property Check, followed up with enforcement action. 

“It’s also why we’re pleased to see that the Government has committed to bring forward Awaab’s Law as part of new legislation, and we pay tribute to his family and everyone here who campaigned to make that happen. 

“Make no mistake – the days of housing being treated as a quick money-making opportunity with no responsibility attached are coming to an end in Greater Manchester.” 

The training of the apprentices has been funded using revenue from Greater Manchester’s Housing Investment Loans Fund, which has helped to regenerate towns and cities and create new jobs and homes. Burnham says that in the past nine years, the fund has helped unlock more than 10,000 new homes across the city-region, supporting developers and projects and helping to regenerate brownfield sites at no cost to the taxpayer.