Agenda item

COUNCIL HOUSING REPAIRS & VOIDS

The consider the report which provides the Inner South Community Committee with a service update for Council Housing Repairs & Voids.

Minutes:

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.

 

Supporting documents: