Landlords in a town in East Staffordshire have expressed disappointment that the local council have ignored an opportunity to work with local landlords and are instead to instigate a name and shame scheme.
In the last 12 months East Staffordshire Council have investigated a number of landlord voluntary accreditation schemes in the town of Burton-upon-Trent, but in the end have decided that tenants would be better off without them. Similar schemes to the ones turned down by the council have been introduced in towns all over the UK in the last year, with tenants, councils and landlords all expressing satisfaction with them. Typically the schemes will involve the landlord ensuring that his properties are maintained to an agreed standard, that he has up to date property insurance and that the property complies with all health and safety regulations. Tenants agree to treat the properties with respect and desist from any anti-social behaviour. The council works as an intermediary between the two ensuring the contract is kept.
Explaining their decision to ignore accreditation schemes Councillor David Leese said: “We have looked at six landlord accreditation schemes and all had fundamental disadvantages. Instead we shall beef up our own enforcement scheme. We are in an economic downturn and people can fall through the net into this underworld. We need to be the ones that protect those vulnerable people. We have the teeth already, they are ours to use. This is the one that will do the job. The council will publish the names of dodgy landlords and agents of properties found to have hazards in their homes – subject to legal advice.”
Local landlord Tim Jones expressed sadness that the council had taken this approach saying: “Of course bad landlords should be exposed, they damage our profession, but accreditation schemes have worked well in many places and resulted in improved conditions and better relations between landlord and tenant.”