Greater Manchester Mayor begins work to improve housing standards

Greater Manchester is taking its first step towards improving standards of rented housing across the city-region.

Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, who has made addressing the city-region’s housing crisis a priority for his third term in office, announced in Moss Side on 16th May a £600,000 package of measures to support tenants and clamp down on substandard housing.

As part of the measures set to be rolled out this year, tenants in the private rented sector will, for the first time in the UK, be given the right to request a property check from local teams that can be followed up with enforcement action against the landlord where necessary.

Data shows that, throughout Greater Manchester, around 23% (56,000) of private rented homes and just under 17% (82,000) of all rented homes do not meet the legal Decent Homes Standard. But, since many tenants feel unable to raise complaints for fear of eviction, it is thought the true number of substandard rentals may be as high as 40 per cent.

The Mayor will also be asking the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service to support the delivery of Property Checks. Fire crews already visit around 30,000 homes a year, providing fire safety checks and work is under way to explore how they could deploy Property Checks as part of their work in the community.

Work is also underway to launch a voluntary Good Landlord Charter later this year to work with landlords to improve the standards of properties being rented out. The Charter scheme, modelled on the existing Good Employment Charter for businesses, will cover social and private rented sector housing and set out clear, practical, and accessible standards to drive up the quality of renting in Greater Manchester. 

Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said:

“Today we drive forward the next phase of Greater Manchester’s mission to tackle the housing crisis and get serious about housing standards.

“Everyone across our city-region deserves a good, safe, and secure home. It should be the starting point for a good life. It should not damage your health or be a source of concern and anxiety.

“Sadly, too many people in Greater Manchester still find themselves in those situations, trapped in poorly maintained properties and in fear of unlawful eviction. But the days of bad landlords renting out unsafe and unfit homes are coming to an end.

“This new right to a property check for all residents, backed up with new measures to protect renters and take action against rogue landlords, will empower people across Greater Manchester and put us on course to become the UK’s only Housing First city-region.”