Landlords told “control” because a quarter of private homes rented did not meet standards

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Ministers face demands for urgent action to ensure the country has suitable homes to live in, after shocking figures showed that nearly a quarter of private rented properties – nearly a million homes and apartments – failed to meet basic standards of decency.

The England Housing Survey found that 14 per cent of homes – a total of 3.4 million – did not meet standards for cold, damp, renovation, noise or lack of basic amenities. These included 2 million owner-occupied homes (13 percent) and 380,000 social rents (10 percent).

It came as the Rochdale Housing Association announced that its chairman and board members would resign after a scathing report on their “unacceptable” reaction to the death of a two-year-old boy from respiratory problems caused by mold in the flat where he lived.

Housing Secretary Michael Gove said the survey results showed there were “very serious issues” with the quality of homes in England and announced he was considering new legislation to ensure tenants’ complaints were heard.

He told the landlords that they should “take control” in the aftermath of Awab Isaac’s death and make improvements to the unfit properties.

But her Labor shadow Lisa Nandy said blaming landlords was “simply not good enough”, as the scale of the crisis had been apparent for years without ministers acting.

Housing charity Shelter told The Independent the new figures “should serve as a wake-up call for the government to get the private rented sector under control, fast”.

The Decent Homes Standard has been legally binding on social landlords such as councils and housing associations since 2001 and Mr Gove’s Leveling Up department is currently consulting on proposals to extend the requirement to the private sector.

There were 990,000 unsuitable private rented homes last year, up from 2020 but down from a peak of 1.46m in 2009.

But Awab’s death has shed a strong light on an issue that continues to plague the lives of millions of tenants.

Last month, the coroner found that the boy died from prolonged exposure to toxic black mold in a one-bedroom apartment that “had inadequate ventilation and was not equipped for the activities of normal daily living.” The court was told that Awab’s father had been complaining to Rochdale Boroughwide Housing about the mold for three years before the boy died in 2020 and was simply told to paint on it.

In a new report, the social housing regulator found “significant failures” in the way the social landlord handled damp and mold across its property portfolio.

Awab’s house bath after his death

(Greater Manchester Police)

The regulator found that RBH had breached the standards by:

– Waiting nearly two years after the death of Al-Awab to check for dampness and mold in other homes on the same property, hundreds of which were eventually found to be affected.

Provide organizers with insufficient information on dampness and mold soon after death.

Not ensuring that vital information about concerns about the boy’s health is communicated to recovery teams.

Making incorrect assumptions about the cause of dampness and mold in Al-Awab’s house, and not treating his family with fairness and respect.

RSH chief executive Fiona McGregor said: “The tragic death of Oab Isaac should have prompted action to identify wider risks, but RBH has failed to respond quickly or effectively. This is unacceptable.”

“Mistakes have been made, and Al-Awab, his family, and the community we serve have failed us,” Ragab said in a statement.

Awab Ishaq (2 years old), died in December 2020

(Handout/PA)

The organization announced that a new chair and board would be appointed from January, said it was accelerating work on damp and mildew and started a £1.2m ventilation program at its property.

“Awab’s death is a defining moment for RBH – but also for the wider housing sector,” she said. “While change was never meant to be brought about by tragedy, the law of OAP must be introduced to ensure that there is lasting change.”

Mr Gove announced that he was withholding RBH from all government funding for the construction of a new home until it could prove that all existing tenants were living in safe and secure conditions.

But he added: “This is not just a problem in Rochdale – it is clear from today’s English Housing Survey that there are very serious problems with the quality of homes in this country.

“The fact that 10 percent of social homes and 23 percent of private rental homes failed to meet the Decent Homes Standard last year should be a wake-up call for landlords. Take control of your homes and make improvements now.”

He said the Social Housing Regulation Bill currently passing Parliament would give the regulator more powers to fine defrauded landlords and impose emergency reforms, and promised a fairer deal for private renters in legislation planned for next year.

“We must honor the memory of Awab,” Mr. Goff said. There is a consensus across the country that landlords must do better. Let RBH be a warning, I will use every force at my disposal to ensure that people have good quality homes and are treated with dignity and respect.”

But Nandi said ministers had failed to act quickly enough.

“We should not imagine in this day and age that we will see unsuitable levels of mold and dampness in one in four privately rented properties, and it will only get worse as we move into winter,” she said. “This should be a wake-up call and warning to landlords who are left with unfit homes.”

But she added: “The scale of the crisis has been evident for years, yet ministers have failed to take the urgent action required. Blaming others is not good enough.”

She said the work promises legally binding standards in the private rented sector that will include heating and ventilation measures and guarantee all people the right to a warm, dry and safe home.

Shelter chief executive Polly Nate said: “It is appalling that nearly a million private rented homes are unsuitable. This leaves millions of tenants paying the price to live in damp, moldy and dangerous homes.

“In many cases, they are afraid to file a complaint if they are evicted. This should be a wake-up call for the government to take control of the private rented sector, quickly.

New laws to make private rental homes safe and decent for England’s 10 million tenants are long overdue.

“The government must urgently introduce its long-promised renters reform bill to overturn no-fault evictions, introduce the Decent Homes Standard and create a national register of landlords. It is the only way to raise standards and give tenants the security they so desperately need. in their homes.”

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