Issue - meetings

The purpose of the report by the Director of Housing, Neighbourhood and Building Services is to update members on the current issues in the Private Rental Sector and outline some of the options available to tackle this.

RECOMMENDED

(1)  The Cabinet Member for Housing notes the report on Making the Private Rented Sector easier and safer (Appendix 1).

(2)  That officers are tasked with developing a proposed Private Rented Sector Strategy for consideration by councillors in early 2020.

(3)  That officers undertake informal consultation with stakeholders, using this report as a basis for encouraging views and ideas on how to make the private rented sector safer and easier to access.

(1)       The Cabinet Member for Housing noted the report on Making the Private Rented Sector easier and safer (Appendix 1).

(2)       That officers were tasked with developing a proposed Private Rented Sector Strategy for consideration by councillors in early 2020.

(3)       That officers undertake informal consultation[1] with stakeholders, using this report as a basis for encouraging views and ideas on how to make the private rented sector safer and easier to access.

Councillor Sanders explained the background to bringing forward this report, with the private rented sector being a key part of the overall housing in the city and a wide approach to look at the options available had been called for. The subject had also been discussed in a Notice of Motion at the full Council meeting the previous week.

Clare Hardwick, Head of Private Sector Housing, introduced the report which outlined the options that could be considered to tackle problems experienced (detailed in section 5).  Private sector housing represented 20% of the city's housing stock.  Due to the complexity of the issues and appropriate enforcement regimes there is the need for a strategic document, and therefore consultation to invite ideas was being suggested.

Deputations are not minuted in full but can be viewed as part of the webcasting of the meeting here:

https://livestream.com/accounts/14063785/Cabinet-Housing-21Oct2019

Deputations were heard from:

1)    Martin Silman, Portsmouth & District Private Landlords Association (PDPLA) who asked for further evaluation of the problems based on real evidence and robust data before solutions were suggested.  He later raised that targeted licensing schemes do not have to be geographical but can also target a sector, such as housing benefit tenants. He also referred to the system in place in Southampton.

2)    Alwin Oliver, also PDPLA, was opposed to selective licensing, and spoke of a variety of reasons for arrears, including addictions, leading to evictions, and he spoke of the different experience of landlords he represented. He favoured a specialist mediation service and later referred to the system in Scotland and Canada.

In response to questions on the pie chart on page 12 of Appendix 1 "Reasons for presenting as homeless from private rental sector assured shorthold tenancies in 2018/19 in Portsmouth"  the 20% category of "Other" was explained; the chart shows categories set by government , and sometimes there is a breakdown in the relationship between the landlord and tenant. Councillor Payter-Harris was aware that it also included where tenants cannot be in situ whilst works take place.

Councillor Corkery wanted the powers to be used to drive up standards and start implement landlord licensing schemes as soon as possible and felt that this report would delay this. He also asked the process if the outcome would be for selective licensing.

Councillor Payter-Harris stressed the need to have the right data before implementing a policy.

Councillor Sanders invited comments from the CLG representatives, who reflected their own views on problems in the private rented sector, with reference to Universal Credit and rent arrears. 

Paul Fielding, Assistant Director, referred to sign-posting tenants to 'Advice Portsmouth' when they had tenancy issues.

Councillor Sanders had emailed all councillors to ask for their views and to see what issues there are but had not received any replies. He was aware that there are too many people on the Council housing waiting list who chose to remain on there for years rather than consider renting privately, whilst some tenants in the private sector did have a  ...  view the full minutes text for item 24