Newham Council is committed to fighting for a better deal for private tenants and to help this wants to hear their experiences, concerns and priorities.
Listening to private tenants will be vital in shaping an action plan the council has committed to that will provide tenants with information about their rights, ensure all landlords register with the licencing scheme and take action against landlords who do not comply with their licence. This will create policy aimed at protecting private renters and improving the rented sector for both renters and landlords.
Councillor Shaban Mohammed, Cabinet Member - Housing Services said:
“Access to a safe and secure home is a fundamental need and the Covid pandemic has presented serious challenges to private renters - some of whom have experienced real threats to their housing security, comfort and even safety.
“This survey will try to get to the heart of their concerns and directly inform how the council serves private renters and works with landlords to improve the quality of private rented housing. I’d like people to engage with the survey and give their views in confidence in the knowledge that that their concerns will be listened to acted on. It’s key that this happens as soon as possible.”
The survey is particularly relevant as it comes just before the ban on bailiffs enforcing eviction warrants against renters, that came in at the start of the pandemic period in England, is due to expire on 31 May 2021. The council wants to ensure private renters receive the right protection in relation to rent and the quality of their accommodation.
This is why the survey is so important. The Council in partnership with Generation Rent, the national campaigning body for private renters, is asking private renters in an online survey, which is open now, what the council can do to better support them and ensure all homes are safe, secure and affordable.
Alicia Kennedy, Director of Generation Rent added, “We look forward to working with Newham Council on this project. This is an exciting opportunity to work with the council to engage with private renters, help private renters share their experiences and create a space where they can have their say.”
Newham has almost 50,000 privately rented homes and the COVID-19 pandemic has seen some private renters face serious difficulties of economic insecurity, including job losses, and insecure and unsafe housing.
The confidential survey is open for four weeks from 10 May until 9 June. It can be completed online at www.newham.gov.uk/rentersurvey. The results will be published on the Council’s website.
What Council has been doing to support private renters
Over the last year, the council has supported private renters in a number of ways including by referring them to partner agencies such as Safer Renting who dealt with and resolved any illegal eviction and harassment issues caused by some rogue landlords.
The council has continued with emergency/urgent inspections during the lockdown to resolve urgent repair issues such as a lack of heating and hot water.
It has made landlords aware of how they can carry out necessary remedial works to their properties during the pandemic within the government guidelines and provided copies of the guidelines to our landlords.
Quarterly E-Bulletins were sent out to around 17,000 landlords and agents to inform them of their duties, responsibilities and best practice. These also provided the latest information and changes to any legislation which may affect them.
The council resumed non-emergency reactive inspections and proactive inspections as soon as the government guidelines allowed inspections to be carried out.