Agenda item

Enforcement Policies

Decision:

*RESOLVED –

1. That the Private Sector Housing Enforcement Policy be approved.

2. That the Private Sector Housing Fees and Charges Policy be approved.

REASONS FOR DECISIONS

1. To ensure that the Council is able to recover legitimately incurred costs for housing enforcement as set out in the Housing Act 2004.

2. To ensure that the Council can meet its obligations that all properties let as residential dwellings and those in private ownership throughout the Borough are of good quality and are well managed.

3. The Private Sector Housing Enforcement Policy is designed to help deliver the Council’s priorities identified in the Council Plan.

Minutes:

The Assistant Director – Health and Wellbeing presented a report seeking approval for the adoption of two new policies: Private Sector Housing Enforcement Policy and Private Sector Housing Fees and Charges Policy. Both policies were attached as appendices to the officer’s report.

The Private Sector Housing Enforcement Policy would provide an overview of the legislation and administrative processes which the Council would follow when taking action to ensure private sector housing in the borough is well maintained and safe.

The Private Sector Housing Fees and Charges Policy would support the enforcement policy by setting out the fees and charges that would be levied by the Council for undertaking enforcement actions.

Both policies were designed to encourage good, responsible behaviour by landlords and ensure that, where possible, the cost of enforcement was borne by the offender. The fees and charges policy would also introduce a revised Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) licensing fee, to reflect the true costs incurred in administering the HMO licensing process; and make changes to the cost of carrying out work in default by requiring the owner or landlord to pay the actual cost for officer time spent arranging the work.