16 foreign nationals have taken refuge in a cow shed

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• 16 foreign nationals have taken refuge in a cow
  shed
• "This is often seasonal and they soon find
  themselves jobless and on the streets,"
• "You won't find people sleeping rough in the town
  centre through fear of becoming the victim of
  gangs of youths,"
• "They will stay in cars, tents and abandoned
  buildings so they often won't be found."

2 people were sharing a room who are brother and
sister and they were asked by the landlord to
share with 2 more people. They didnt know these
people and did not want to share with them so the
landlord asked them to pay an extra 30 each to
compensate for what he could be making. We
rented in the centre of the town. There lived
some more migrant workers, the rent was not too
expensive, just 40 per week, but we had a
problem the whole house was full of bed bugs.
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House Condition Survey 2004

• 26,800 Private Sector dwellings in Boston
• Over 2,200 privately rented in Boston
• Generally shows slightly worse dwelling
  conditions and energy efficiency levels to those
  found nationally
• Highest incidence of unfitness / disrepair / low
  energy efficiency in
• Private rented sector
• Older dwellings
• Pensioner households
• Vulnerable households

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Private Sector Housing Complaints in Boston
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Overcrowding in Boston

• Complaints include
• Severe Overcrowding
• Use of inappropriate sleeping accommodation
• Hotbedding
• Inappropriate room sharing

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Challenges

• Quality of local property management
• Overcrowding
• Refuse
• Knowledge of numbers of HMOs
• Existing Information sources redundant
• Benefit / Tax information
• Implementation of new housing rules
• Methods of service delivery
• Language Barrier
• High Profile Public / Councillors / Press
  (accountability)

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Private Sector Housing Functions

• Housing Standards / Enforcement
• Housing Safety
• Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO)
• Housing Grants
• Decent Homes
• Disabled Facilities Grants
• Home Energy Conservation Act

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Boston Borough CouncilHousing Enforcement Policy

• Informed by corporate priorities and the housing
  strategy
• Ensuring Decent Homes for All
• Take enforcement action where rented
  accommodation is sub-standard
• Licence all properties subject to HMO Licensing
• To recover the cost of enforcement.

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Private Sector Housing Section

• Boston Borough Council staff resources
• Principal Private Sector Housing Manager
• Senior Housing Officer
• Senior Technical Officer
• Technical Officer
• Administration Officer
• DFG Agency Officer
• Recent addition of Lincolnshire HIA

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Measures in the Housing Act

• New definition of a House in Multiple Occupation
  (HMO), e.g.
• Shared house with at least 3 people
• Bed-sits
• Self contained flats before 199
• Mandatory HMO licensing
• 3 or more stories AND
• Occupied by 5 or more persons AND
• Comprising of 2 or more households
• Additional HMO licensing
• Selective property licensing

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Measures in the Housing Act

• Housing Health and Safety Rating System
• Tenancy Deposit Schemes
• Empty Dwelling Orders
• Management Orders for poor quality rented housing
• Home Information Packs
• Residential Property Tribunals

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HMO Licensing Applications

• Reasonably Suitable
• Satisfactory Management
• Fit and proper person
• Violence/drugs or sexual offences
• Discrimination on sex / colour / race
• Breaches of housing law
• Higher checking standard in Boston and
  surrounding districts

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Licence Conditions

• MUST include
• Gas, electrical, furniture and smoke alarm
  checks and written statement of terms
• Conditions MAY cover
• The management, use and occupation
• The condition and contents
• The behaviour of the tenants/visitors
• Specific works to the property

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Housing Health and Safety Rating and Enforcement

• Any residential premises should provide a safe
  and healthy environment for any potential
  occupier or visitor.
• Prosecutions
• Charging for the service of a Notice
• Works in Default
• HMO enforcement

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Management Regulations for HMOs and Overcrowding
Standards for all properties

• Management standards cover
• Maintenance of fire precautions
• Services
• Amenities
• Disposal of refuse
• Common parts
• Emergency arrangements
• Penalty of 5,000 for breach
• Overcrowding standards
• Which room
• Maximum number
• Opposite sex in same room

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Management Orders

• Interim Management Order
• Possession
• Repairs and collect rents
• Spend rent and charges
• Final Management Order
• Create new tenancies without consent of landlord
• Management scheme
• intended rents
• intended works
• estimated costs of works
• surplus payments

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Discretionary LicensingProject Proposal

• Application to Secretary of State
• A political decision
• Need to consult
• Working together to submit separate applications
• Survey
• Impact on housing market

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Decent Home Grants

• Decent Home Grant Qualifying Criteria
• Non-Decent Home
• Vulnerable person based on receipt of certain
  means tested benefits
• Types
• DHG (Owner / Mortgagee / Lessee)
• DHG (Private Tenant)
• DHG (Relocation Grant)
• Calculation
• Grant element
• Contribution element (Loan)

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Decent Home Grants

• Conditions
• Repayment of Loan / personal financing of
  contribution
• Repayment of Grant
• Registered Land Charge
• Value
• DHG - 10,000 (max)
• Relocation Grant - 2,000 (max)
• Personal Contribution - 3,000 (max)
• Partners / Agencies to help implement

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Private Sector Housing -Regional

• Decent and Safe Homes
• Training on the Housing Act 2004 and other
  housing legislation
• Standardisation working groups to aid consistency
  and best practice across the region
• Policy, processes and procedures
• Application forms etc
• Property Accreditation

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Private Sector Housing -Sub-regional

• Local Authority HMO Group
• Mandatory licensing
• Policy, processes and procedures
• Application forms
• Databases
• Discretionary Licensing
• Joint Working

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Boston Other things we are doing

• Mandatory Licensing implemented
• Additional licensing being investigated
• Identifying properties
• Housing Act 2004, Section 235
• Inter-agency working
• Initiating good practice locally and regionally
• Mythbusting
• Enforcement Team Liaison Meetings
• Joined-up approach
• Information leaflets and website
• Boston Landlords Forum
• Landlord Day 2006
• Bi-monthly meetings
• Working to develop an Association with national
  groups

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Further Information

• www.boston.gov.uk/housing
• www.cih.org/policy/WaysAndMeans.pdf