The report and presentation to Members
provided the Inner South Community Committee with a service update
for Council Housing Repairs & Voids.
The Area Manager, Communities, Housing &
Environment and the Voids Service Manager, introduced the report
and highlighted the following points:
- The term void denoted any property
in Housing’s management which was not occupied by a customer
or whilst repair work, to make the property ready for relet, was
carried out.
- It was a key priority to minimise
voids as they would not be generating income and could be subject
to damage, as well as enabling quick turnarounds once a property
became vacant.
- In void property repairs were based
on the lettings standard model, to ensure that the property was in
a safe condition and additionally assessing the extent of any
further repair works.
- As required by law, gas and
electrics checks were completed for incoming customers and copies
of certification were provided, as well as a valid EPC (Energy
Performance certificate). Once in place, responsibilities were
passed onto the customer as they were higher priority for quicker
responses from energy providers than businesses or Local
Authorities. The recommissioning of gas and electric was carried
out on the day that a new customer moved in, which was referred to
as a final fix.
- The allocation and letting of an
empty property took place in parallel to void repair work. Outgoing
tenants were required to provide four weeks’ notice of
leaving a property which assisted with timeframes for advertising
the property.
- Examples when delays in reletting a
property after repairs were completed, were outlined as, requiring
to assess the suitability of the property for a customer’s
needs, when a tenancy offer to a customer was declined at later
stages, and for South Leeds there was a very limited waiting list
for customers wanting 2 bedroom and age restricted properties.
- There was significant interest in
the new extra care developments in Middleton Park, with the waiting
list increasing. To be considered for the housing type, customers
were required to have specific care need requirements.
- Performance data outlined that under
0.95% of Council properties in the South of Leeds were void, which
was considered a good position.
- Many of the voids for South Leeds
stemmed from a retirement complex in Kippax which was considered an
undesirable facility and location for a proportion of customers,
which skewed the overall figures for South Leeds. Members were
encouraged to help identifying potential customers for this
facility.
- Data specific to the Inner South
area contained in the report outlined that there were 68 voids out
of the 5625 Council properties in the area. Since publication this
had reduced to 55 and was now below 1%
In response to questions from Members, the
following points were discussed:
- It was outlined that under occupancy
charge restrictions varied across Leeds, with some specific
policies applying to individual areas or blocks of flats. There was
a city wide review of policy for lettings and allocation, with
information agreed to be provided back to Members once it became
available. Allocation was done on a general case by case basis as
customer’s needs and letting policy varied widely.
- As part of the tenancy agreement,
the property had to be a customer’s primary home, and if a
property was to be left vacant, notice was required. Fraud
Investigation Officers were in post who dealt with any issues of
subletting which could lead to prosecution, however, this was noted
to be an intensive process.
- As occupational therapists conducted
needs assessments for potential customers, and informed relevant
adaptation works. The Housing adaptations service and GPs also
provided guidance.
- It was noted that there could be
differences in opinion between tenants and occupational therapists
in terms of property suitability and required adaptation works, so
it was important to work on a situational basis and identify the
right property for a person’s needs at an early stage to
avoid future complaints and to use resources wisely.
- The service’s flexibility for
out of hours provision of customer requested repairs was queried.
In response it was outlined that Leeds Building Services provided
time slots and out of hours provision incurred additional costs,
such as a premium cost of overtime, but the position was to be
agreed to be reviewed where possible.
- Increased family accommodation
consisting of multiple bedrooms was a priority for South Leeds,
however, most customers were willing to view all housing options
given the high demand and waiting list length. In January 2025, the
Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA), as part of the updated
planning policy evidence base, was to be published which would
detail housing demand for each Ward.
- Hedge height was generally covered
within tenancy agreements but was dependent on the capabilities of
the customer. Hedges were to be kept under 4ft in height, but,
particularly for flats, issues of responsibility arose. Gardening
service provision was done on a case by case basis and any issues
with foliage on Council housing land blocking pathways or highways
should be reported to the service.
- There were enforcement processes in
place for instances of breaking tenant agreements, however, this
was impacted by time and resource limitations. The maximum
enforcement level was eviction.
- Homeless people were of some
priority allocation when seeking Council housing, within the
context of high demand from all demographics in need of housing.
The service was partnered with other Council services who were able
to provide emergency accommodation contacts.
- The process for downsizing or house
swaps, to suit different needs, was explained as, maintaining a
regular list of customers benefit entitlement changes, contacting
under occupied houses in a non-coercive manner and mutual exchange
options via a national website. Members suggested discussions on
this topic may be suitable at Neighbourhood Network meetings.
- How the possessions of previous
tenants were managed was queried. In response, it was noted,
following failure of getting in contact with the previous tenant,
fittings were often removed as Council material was standardised,
rewiring often occurred if electrical works had taken place, items
were often reused or stored and locally, and items were often sent
to the free shop in Cottingley.
- The process for report issues and
requesting cleaning following litter, fly tipping or the attraction
of vermin was explained as, reporting to the service, identifying
the issue and taking appropriate cleaning action.
- An invite to a briefing on Leeds
Housing options to be held at Merrion House, including letting and
allocation policy details, was extended to Members.
RESOLVED – That the contents of
the report, along with Members comments, be noted.