Issue - meetings

To consider the report of the Director of Environment and Housing regarding the current Private Rented Sector and suggests a number of potential policy directions that can be worked up into a future report.

The Director of Environment and Housing submitted a report presenting the issues currently affecting the Private Rented Sector (PRS) in Leeds, and outlined a number of potential policy directions in this area. Furthermore, the report responded to the deputation presented to the 1^st April 2015 Council meeting by the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) regarding private sector housing and letting agencies.

In discussing the available options for the regulation of the private rented sector, and also the emerging issue of properties being purchased as part of the ‘Right to Buy’ initiative and subsequently being privately rented, it was noted that comments made by Members would be taken into consideration as such matters were progressed.

RESOLVED – That the Director of Environment and Housing be requested to report back to the February 2016 Executive Board on the development of a range of options for the improvement and the regulation of the PRS in Leeds, specifically:-

(i)  A self-regulation agreement with members of Accreditation Schemes;

(ii)  Establishing a “Rogue Landlord” unit;

(iii)  Lobbying government for changes to the operation of Housing Benefit or Universal Credit within the sector;

(iv)  Refining the approach to prosecutions of failing landlords;

(v)  Establishing an “Ethical Lettings Agency”; and

(vi)  Targeting the Leeds Neighbourhood Approach (LNA) within a Neighbourhood Improvement programme.