Every month we will give you a snapshot of some of the work the team have been doing.
The second scheme of selective licensing started on 1 December 2023, with over 9,000 licences received to date. The team licences family and singly occupied houses and flats and checks landlords are providing safe properties and complying with the conditions on their licence.
Here’s a snapshot of the work done by the team since December 2023 and in April 2024.
We have recently served a legal notice to make improvements to a fire alarm covering 3 flats.
The pictures below show the conditions in the flats, which includes ceiling damaged due to penetrating damp, scorched and cracked socket in use and a window repaired using parcel tape to prevent draughts.
Landlords and managers play a vital role in creating safe and harmonious communities. The landlords must respond promptly and appropriately to complaints regarding the behaviour of tenants and their visitors. By taking proactive measures landlords can create an environment that promotes respect and consideration among residents.
As part of your licence conditions, you must have in place an ASB procedure indicating how complaints made to licence holders will be dealt with. Having an ASB Policy in place can assist you in ensuring that the licence condition is being adhered to, and it shows the council that you are taking a responsible approach to dealing with complaints. It is also a useful document to show you have taken all reasonable steps should the matter escalate to eviction, so please make sure that you have one available should the need arise to provide this to the council.
By working together, we can create thriving communities that provide a positive living experience for everyone.
You can find guidance and an example of an ASB policy for you to use here.
There is a big change to general waste collections for all bins, as you will no longer be able to put side waste out with your bins, this means that the bin lid has to be closed and no bags or other items left at the side of the bin, or people could receive a fine. More information here.
Green waste is now a paid-for subscription service. Garden waste collections take place every two weeks April – September, with one collection a month in October and November. Garden collections cost £35 for your first bin, any additional bins cost £25 per year. If you receive Council Tax Support, the cost is reduced to £17.50
More information on the waste pages here.
Double DLUHC visits
Last week we joined the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) as part of their ‘Levelling up workshops’. We joined four other councils to work with DLUHC to support the development of the Private Rented Sector Ombudsman. We considered a range of things including the challenges and opportunities for it to work for tenants.
In April 2024, the Government passed the Renters (Reform) Bill, which outlined the government's plans to introduce a new ombudsman that all landlords must join - regardless of whether they use a letting agent.
The Ombudsmen will help protect consumer rights. They aim to provide "fair, impartial, and binding resolutions" in a streamlined service for both landlords and tenants to use. It will be able to resolve individual disputes between landlords and tenants without involving the courts.
More information on the private renters ombudsman here.
Safer Housing, HMO and Housing Licensing teams also helped host 2 civil servants from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) last week to look at how the team deal with HMO and Housing licensing in Nottingham, again as part of the Renters Reform Bill and the review of Housing Licensing.
They visited Nottingham to discuss best practice and what the team do and why they do it so they can share best practice between other councils.
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