Greater Manchester launches plans to drive up housing standards

Greater Manchester leaders have begun developing a new Good Landlord Charter in a bid to drive up housing standard across the city-region.

The Good Landlord Charter, the first of its kind to be developed in the UK, will cover both social housing and private rented sector housing, and the aim is to define a set of clear, practical, and accessible standards that will drive up the quality of rented properties in Greater Manchester.

The standards will be co-produced by stakeholders in the housing sector, including registered social housing providers, trade bodies, and groups representing renters. The development process has been based on Greater Manchester’s successful Good Employment Charter, which launched in 2019 to boost working standards. As with the Good Employment Charter, landlords and housing providers will also receive recognition for upholding the standards and principles set out in the Good Landlord Charter.

The start of work towards delivering the Good Landlor Charter follows its inclusion in the 2021 election manifesto of Greater Manchester Mayor, Andy Burnham. He said:

“Bringing forward a Good Landlord Charter was a commitment I made back in 2021, and right now the case for raising standards, tightening regulations, and empowering tenants has never been stronger. Once again, Greater Manchester is leading the way and making a decisive move towards a new approach – one that we hope will join the dots between housing, health, wellbeing, and everything in between.

“From the way he led the Government response to the appalling death of Awaab Ishak in Rochdale, I know that the Secretary of State understands the importance of this, and why we need better housing, stronger enforcement, and greater accountability across the board. So do many partners across our city-region’s social and private rented sector – which is why we want to work with them to create a Charter that is as fair and robust as possible, and establishes a clear set of expectations for landlords and tenants.

“Our devolution journey has already enabled us to make a difference to people’s lives by integrating public services and aligning priorities right across the system. Our ongoing trailblazer talks now present an opportunity for us to work with Government and go even further, with greater powers and responsibility at local level, and housing is a key priority for us in this process.”

Existing national standards for social housing, set by the Regulator of Social Housing, will provide a foundation for the scheme, as well as acting as a vehicle for the city-region to deliver on broader ambitions under its devolved powers on housing.

Charlie Norman, Chair of Greater Manchester Housing Providers, said:

“At the heart of Greater Manchester Housing Providers’ ethos is the belief that everyone in Greater Manchester has the right to a decent, healthy, safe and affordable place to live. Across our 24 members we own or manage over 250,000 homes in the city region, and we have a shared commitment to continuous improvement of standards and quality.

“We welcome the opportunity to work with the Mayor, our partners, and most importantly tenants and residents across Greater Manchester, to help develop the Good Landlord Charter and ensure everyone in both the private and social rented sector lives in a place they can be proud to call home.”   

Kurt Mueller, Director of Corporate Affairs at Grainger plc, the UK’s largest listed residential landlord with over 1,600 rental homes in Greater Manchester, said:

“As one of the country’s leading responsible landlords, we’re pleased to be involved in helping shape Manchester’s Good Landlord Charter, an opportunity to help raise the bar for renting across the city. Renting can and should be a positive experience and we’re committed to doing what we can to make this a reality.”