NEW rules to tackle dodgy social housing landlords were announced by Levelling Up and Housing Secretary Michael Gove today.
Following the tragedy at Grenfell Tower in 2017, ministers vowed to to put an end to unsafe and substandard social homes.
2
2
The devastating case of of Awaab Ishak, who died in 2020 after living in a mould-infested flat, led to renewed calls for urgent action.
Following a major consultation, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) revealed fresh steps being taken to stop lives and welfare being put at risk by lazy or unresponsive housing companies.
The standards landlords need to meet are in the process of being made “clearer and more appropriate”.
A review by the Regulator of Social Housing will lead to a new thorough and detailed list of the minimum work housing companies must undertake to keep homes safe and liveable.
The Levelling Up Department will also separately review the current Decent Homes Standard guidance, which has been in place since 2001, to ensure it is fit for purpose.
If landlords fail to meet the new and improved guidance, they will face harsher punishments.
The Regulator of Social Housing will be free to dish out UNLIMITED fines.
And landlords who fall far below standards will be named and shamed by ministers.
In good news for tenants the complaints process for reporting bad landlords will be made “fairer and easier to access”.
And the Housing Ombudsman Service will look to ensure an “improved, positive complaint handling culture within landlords”.
Barriers to tenants accessing Housing Ombudsman Service swiftly will also be removed.
The Housing Ombudsman makes the final decision on disputes between residents and member landlords.
Membership is compulsory for social landlords – primarily local authority landlords and housing associations.
You could get compensation if your landlord fails to carry out repair work within a reasonable time.
Meanwhile, the government will work to deliver a “resident opportunities and empowerment programme” to raise awareness of how to make a complaint and access the Housing Ombudsman Service.
It will also publish an information package for residents with details of the powers landlords can use to tackle anti-social behaviour.
Mr Gove said: “We want to recognise every tenant who contributed to this inquiry and shared personal experiences of living in poor-quality housing and the impact of this on their health and families.
Most read in The Sun
“We know this can be distressing and want to assure these tenants that their voice has been heard and that government is taking significant steps to bring about much-needed change as quickly as possible.
“We will continue listening to tenants as we deliver the next stages of our work.”
