Latest news with #GoodLandlordCharter
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
'All landlords' in Greater Manchester issued warning amid Andy Burnham crackdown
All landlords in Greater Manchester will be expected to signed for a new 'UK-first' initiative set up by Andy Burnham. The Greater Manchester mayor has hailed a 'new era for renting' as his Good Landlord Charter finally gets going. More than 100 landlords have signed up for the scheme so far, including most social housing providers, covering more than 234,000 homes. As supporters of the scheme, they have all committed to a list of 21 criteria which sets out the standards expected of landlords. READ MORE: Teenager disappears after boarding flight at Manchester Airport READ MORE: LIVE updates as John Belfield cross-examined in Thomas Campbell murder trial These include a commitment to affordability, with clear and fair rent review and rent setting processes, as well as being responsive. Those who are judged to be meeting all these standards will be accredited as members - all of which is done at no cost to landlords. These member landlords will then be listed publicly on the charter's website allowing renters to check if they have been accredited. It comes as local authorities continue their crackdown on poor housing with nearly £1.47m collected in fines over the last two years. Mr Burnham hopes this will drive up standards with a 'twin-track' approach that recognises good landlords and punishes bad ones. Speaking at a housing conference in Manchester on Thursday (June 26), Salford mayor Paul Dennett, who leads the housing portfolio in the city-region, said he wants 'all private landlords' to sign up to the charter, but recognises that some will be reluctant to do so. He said: "It's about sorting the wheat from the chaff and then using our resources to tackle, through enforcement, the really poor standards. "That's where we want to go with this. It's a strategic approach ultimately to housing enforcement which we've never had before because of austerity." So far, more than half of all homes across the city-region are covered by the charter thanks to their landlords signing up, including 95 per cent of social housing with all landlords who are members of the Greater Manchester Housing Providers group having joined. Mr Dennett said that he expects all social housing landlords operating in Greater Manchester to meet the standards in the Charter. However, he recognised that some social housing providers are not currently meeting these standards, citing the tragic death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak who died in 2020 due to damp in his home in Rochdale as a recent example where standards were not met. It follows an announcement by the government this week about the first measures that will come into force under Awaab's Law. The legislation, which the Manchester Evening News campaigned for, puts strict deadlines on landlords to respond to hazards. Mr Dennett said that the Good Landlord Charter gets Greater Manchester ready for new legislation, including the Renters' Rights Bill. He also spoke of an amendment to that bill which would allow council officers to conduct property checks on properties faster. It comes after Mr Burnham announced that renters would have the right to request a 'property check' as part of his new charter. Mr Dennett said that council officers can already check properties, but need to give notice for entering properties and can't deal with issues retrospectively, which is why he hopes that the amendment which allow for property checks to happen quicker will go through. He said the right to request a property check will go ahead regardless, although no target date for its introduction has been set yet.
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Landlords fined nearly £1.5m as more than 100 sign up for Andy Burnham's charter
Nearly £1.5m in fines have been issued to poor landlords over the last two years as part of a crackdown in Greater Manchester. Since March 2023, 113 civil penalties were handed out as part of a two-year trial. That has helped pay for extra enforcement officers at councils across the region. The number of fines issued against landlords has increased by 42.9 per cent in that period. It comes as more than half of all rented homes in Greater Manchester are now covered by Andy Burnham's Good Landlord Charter. The scheme, which recognises landlords who meet set standards, was been mooted by the Greater Manchester mayor for years. Since applications opened in April this year, more than 100 landlords have come forward to become Supporters of the Charter. These landlords, which include those with social housing as well as the private sector, account for more than 234,000 properties. Mr Burnham hopes that will drive up standards with a 'twin-track' approach that recognises good landlords and punishes bad ones. He said: "Today we are entering a new era for renting in Greater Manchester. We're making it clear that renting out sub-standard properties, which damage the health of our residents, will no longer be tolerated. "This city-region is getting serious about driving up housing standards and delivering on the promise of a good home for everyone. "We know there are many good landlords out there and the Charter will give them the recognition they deserve. It will also help isolate those who require further attention from our enforcement teams. "The £1.47m of civil penalties our local authorities have issued in the last two years show we're holding the most negligent landlords to account. "Together, we're leading the way in how to build a fairer, stronger housing system and blazing a trail for the rest of the country to follow." In 2023, Greater Manchester was selected by the government for a scheme which aimed to increase the use of civil penalties against landlords who have broken housing regulation which helped fund additional 26 housing enforcement officers across the region. The scheme was deemed a success, particularly in places which had previously used civil penalties which were introduced in 2016. For example, in Wigan, which previously had no policy on using these civil penalties, 20 have been issued in the last 12 months. The Pathfinder project contributed to a 42.9 per cent increase in the use of these penalties across Greater Manchester with fines totalling £1.47m over two years which will now be reinvested into local housing enforcement teams so they can continue this work. At the same time, the Good Landlord Charter sets out 21 criteria that landlords must meet to be recognised on a dedicated website. Mr Burnham will be setting out more details about the charter at the Housing 2025 conference in Manchester on Thursday (June 26).
