Agenda item

Purpose

To provide an update on the progress of actions agreed in the Private Rental Sector Strategy 2021-2026.

The Cabinet Member noted the report which is for information only and is not subject to call-in.

Paul Fielding, Assistant Director, Housing, together with Clare Hardwick, Head of Private Sector Housing, and Sam Rickeard, Acting Housing Regulations Manager, presented the report. He personally thanked the Private Sector Housing Team for their work during Covid. 

In response to questions from Maria Cole, Mr Fielding said when the Housing Standards and HMO Licensing teams merged there had been no redundancies as there were already a couple of vacant posts and the new team was resourced against demands. He said he would send the cost saving resulting from the merger to Councillor Payter-Harris.

The results of the pilot with the Portsmouth Mediation Service will be reviewed and fully analysed at the end of September.

Officers read out Councillor Corkery's comments.

Councillor Sanders disagreed with some of the comments. He himself had brought in additional licensing for HMOs. After five years the policy can only be kept it if it has failed which is not ideal as he wanted it to remain. The legal position with regard to implementing additional licensing is outlined in the report.

In response to questions from Councillor Payter-Harris, Ms Hardwick confirmed that the council was currently reviewing data to inform an approach on additional licensing and could be legally vulnerable if it was introduced without justification. Councillor Payter-Harris thought additional licensing would increase rents for tenants as landlords would pass on costs to them; the local landlords' association may challenge it. Officers said there has to be some incentive for landlords to accept accreditation; officers would have to talk to them to see what would incentivise them.

There are very strong links with Planning and they share intelligence with Housing, for example, when dealing with unlicensed HMOs without planning permission, although they operate under different legislation and have different powers. In some cases Planning have power to take action where Housing cannot and vice versa. Councillor Payter-Harris thought it was bizarre to have related legislation with different enforcement powers.

Officers are reviewing the Rent It Right accreditation scheme so it can achieve more potential as it is not being fully used. There are discussions with key stakeholders such as the local landlords' association and the scheme will probably go through the Private Rented Sector Governance Board. There are opportunities for residents, tenants and landlords to participate in the Governance Board.

Officers confirmed mediation cannot be mandated though how to get buy-in from parties and what they want to achieve is being explored as part of the pilot. Many landlords do not want to evict tenants; they want good tenants and to find a way to reduce barriers to successful tenancies. Councillor Payter-Harris thought "nudge" behaviour may be more successful than enforcement. For example, if a landlord tried mediation three times and it was unsuccessful they would not engage further. Councillor Sanders noted about one-sixth of landlords are "accidental" landlords and that additional licensing will not necessarily improve property standards or reduce rent arrears. He agreed with "nudge" policies. Mediation has worked reasonably well for the council as a social landlord and there has been extensive work on it with private landlords. The council will take on board what works and what does not. The Strategy can be fluid to reflect how mediation is working as at the moment the first round of evaluations has not finished yet.

Summing up, Councillor Sanders noted continuing efforts were being made to align Planning and Housing's licensing functions. Licensing HMOs is not a statutory service but the council wants to do it to improve Portsmouth. An improved private rented housing sector is a crucial way of dealing with the city's housing crisis. He would like to receive ideas from all political groups on how to improve the sector. He thanked Janice Davis and her team for the report and for changing relationships and people's lives. 

The Cabinet Member noted the report which is for information only and is not subject to call-in.