Nov

‘Tenants won’t be safe unless laws are fit for purpose, enforceable and fully policed’

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Following the tragic death of toddler Awaab Ishak NRLA boss Ben Beadle has written to Michael Gove to urge his department to ensure existing regulations and laws are enforced properly.

The two-year-old died from health complications brought on after living in a mould-infested property for several years run by a housing association in Rochdale.

Beadle has written to Gove to say that all responsible landlords “are appalled at this needless and avoidable death”.

“It is important though, that Mr Gove recognises that all of the laws and standards in the world won’t protect renters unless they are fit for purpose, enforceable and properly enforced.

“Good landlords should have nothing to fear in providing good quality, decent homes.

“It is essential therefore that full use of the 170 pieces of legislation governing the sector is made when it comes to improving standards in both the social and private rented sector.

“It is further important that local authorities have the means at their disposal to carry out this important function.”

Gove promised three days ago to bring in new initiatives to protect tenants in the social housing sector.

Sean Hooker (pictured), Head of Redress at the PRS, adds that his organisation has seen a steady increase in complaints on these sort of problems, but that “we only deal with the properties managed by agents [and therefore] what is desperately needed is redress that covers landlords and for that complaint service to be easily and readily accessible to tenants.

“This could help enforcement agencies concentrate on the hard core cases. I also believe that regular property inspections are essential and cannot understand why an inventory is not a must for all properties.”

Read the N R L A letter in full.

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