LATEST: Manchester kicks off £1.5 million crackdown on bad landlords

Greater Manchester has set its sights on catching more rogue landlords by implementing its Good Landlord Scheme to train enforcement officers and launch more licensing schemes.

Using £1.5m from the Housing Investment Loans Fund, it has created 10 new trainee roles across the city-region to expand housing enforcement – part of a three-year package of measures that also includes on-the-job training for existing officers.

The scheme, which was announced in April, will also provide funding for local authorities to introduce selective licensing and develop new information and guidance for tenants and landlords.

Trainees will work to support tenants struggling with damp, cold, insecure, or structurally unsound homes, gathering evidence and taking legal action against the worst offending landlords.

It has now started the recruitment process and explains that no previous experience is required.

Decent standard

Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham (main picture), says hundreds of thousands of people living in the private rented sector in Greater Manchester rely on their landlords to uphold a decent standard and look after their homes.

“When those things are done properly, tenants can get on with their lives – but when they’re not, it can take a huge toll on their physical and mental wellbeing,” he adds. “In the very worst cases, it can pose a serious threat to their safety.

“That’s when housing enforcement officers have a vital role to play in supporting tenants and taking enforcement action against unscrupulous landlords.

“The Good Landlord Scheme is one way that we’re responding to this growing issue, by boosting the capacity of our local councils to carry out inspections and intervene.”

The authority also plans to bring forward a Good Landlord Charter next year, to help drive up standards in the sector and deliver on its ambitions for greater control over housing.