A new online reporting system is being developed to make it easier for people to report problems with poorly managed and maintained private rented housing in Brighton & Hove.
The move comes after the council successfully bid for £34,820 of Government money to pay for the work.
The new system will enable tenants experiencing problems with their home to request help, provide detailed information and upload photographs to highlight concerns.
Council staff can then quickly make a full assessment and target enforcement action to tackle problems, such as disrepair, safety concerns, damp, and excess cold, more effectively and efficiently.
Almost a third of homes in Brighton & Hove are privately rented.
Councillor Tracey Hill, the council’s lead member for Private Rented Sector on the Housing & New Homes Committee, said: “There are a lot of responsible landlords in the city, but we also know that many tenants are living in poor condition properties that are not properly maintained.
“This new initiative will enable us to build on work we are already carrying out to protect tenants and improve the standard of private accommodation in the city.”
The new online reporting form is due to be introduced in April.
Funding is from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government’s Rogue Landlord Enforcement Grant Fund.
The single biggest supporter and sponsor of “dodgy” landlords is BHCC. BHCC spends millions of taxpayers pounds on revolting, tired, shabby, soiled, stained, shipped, slum, emergency accommodation in privately run HMOs. No requirement to meet Decent Homes Standards, no contracts, no regular inspections, BHCC brazenly turns a blind eye to transgressions from HMO licences and unlawful renovations. Readily pays >4X the going rate (LHA rate) for accommodation that does not pass the “smell test” and which no-one would live in themselves or consider value for money to the taxpayer. Further, BHCC Adult Social Care dumps seriously ill and vulnerable people in such slums on the pretence of fulfilling their accommodation and care commitments, whilst having informal “supervision” arrangements with the slum landlords. It is a huge racket and must be investigated.
Can landlords please also have one to report and share details of dodgy tenants?
Or does this only work on way!
I run a cleaning business. Yesterday I had the misfortune to be working for a tenant on an end of tenancy clean.
The property had .mould growth so bad the walls were black. The mould was growing on windows.
When the inventory guy turned up from the estate agent he seemed totally unconcerned regarding the state of the property. In fact they had a “To Let” sign outside.
Frankly, the flat was not suitable to house an animal in, let alone a tenant.
The tenant had complained and every time all the did was paint over the problem !
Considering the rent in this city isn’t it about time that the council actually stopped these agents and landlords from being able to rent such unhealthy properties?
I have videos as evidence. This has to stop!
Painting over mould has been going on for decades. I first rented in the 1980s and it was common place then, and nothing changes. A dodgy landlord can act as if fresh paint is a positive, get the tenant in, and then the tenant is stuck. Once the mould starts to reappear they have to move on – meanwhile landlord has no penalty as they just replace them with the next mug every six months.
Mould is only the start of it. Dodgy electrics, leaking pipes, so many issues landlords are allowed to get away with.
A landlord can ask for references on a new tenant. There needs to be a similar system for tenants to check on landlords.
What happened to the site promised to Brighton & Hove residents stated in this article?… what happened to the money secured for its creation??.
BHCC have no incentive and show no inclination to provide their citizens with any help. I’ve lived in Brighton for 4 years and have tried to contact or use council services to only be ignored. The only time they’ve ever wrote back is when I was late on council tax and Jesus they were quick to send a summons, the advisor on the phone said that they’d spent 15k on summons in the last 2 months.
I imagine that’s where all this money is going