Redbridge Selective Licensing Scheme Case Study We have

Redbridge Selective Licensing Scheme

Case Study ● We have some good landlords providing good quality safe accommodation

Case Study ● Reported to us by the London Fire Authority. Conversion of former public house. ● 19 HHSRS Category 1 and 2 hazards found, including: No fire detection, breaches in fire separation, electrical hazards, broken and insufficient facilities, and disrepair. Vulnerable adults and children occupying the property. INTERVENTION & OUTCOME: ● Emergency Prohibition Order Landlord was cooperative and re- housed the occupants at his own expense ● Property totally refurbished and re- let

Case Study ● Tenant contacted us about a water leak. Single household consisting of 2 adults 3 x young children aged 7, 6 & 2 yrs (the 2 yr old has a disability ● Toilet, bath, wash hand basin and kitchen sink) all leaking. Leak to the main roof ● No CO detectors ● No natural light and/or ventilation Mechanical ventilation system not working INTERVENTION & OUTCOME: Officer worked with landlord and agent and work was done

● Redbridge Selective Licensing scheme – Why? To address the disproportionate impact that poor management by a minority of private landlords and the anti-social behaviour by a few tenants, can have on other residents and the wider community ● To contribute to the development of stronger and more resilient communities ● To improve the visual environment of the Borough ● To improve the lives of Redbridge residents

Applying Conditions ● The licence holder shall ensure that no refuse or bulky waste items are kept in the front or rear garden other than in an appropriate storage container for that purpose. If a bulk waste collection has been arranged, the items to be collected may be placed in the front garden awaiting collection on that day only. ● The licence holder shall ensure that inspections of the property are carried out at least every 6 months to identify any problems relating to the condition, occupation and management of the property and a log shall be kept recording inspection details.

Applying Conditions ● The licence holder shall ensure that tamper resistant smoke alarms are installed in the house and keep them in proper working order. ● The licence holder shall provide suitable and sufficient refuse and recycling bins with lids in a suitable and easily accessible location for occupants of the property to use. ● The licence holder shall keep electrical appliances and furniture made available by him/her in the house in a safe condition. ● The licence holder must not allow a new resident to occupy the property, or any part of the property if that occupation exceeds the maximum number of persons or households ●

105, 290 Households in Redbridge Rented from Private landlord Being bought with mortgage or loan 115% Increase private rental households since 2001 Rented from Local Authority or Housing Association Homes Owned outright (2014)

Conditions for Selective Licensing Scheme Introduced under the Housing Act 2004 A selective licensing designation may be made if the area satisfies one or more of the following conditions: ● Low housing demand ● A significant and persistent problem caused by anti-social behaviour ● Poor property conditions ● High levels of migration ● High levels of deprivation ● High levels of crime ● And that it has a high proportion of property in the private rented sector

% of PRS Properties By Ward 0% Valentines Clementswood Loxford Seven Kings Church End Goodmayes Snaresbrook Newbury Cranbrook Aldborough Chadwell Roding Mayfield Fairlop National Average Barkingside Fullwell Hainault Bridge Wanstead Monkhams Clayhall 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50% ● Nationally the PRS makes up 19% of the total housing stock in England

Findings: Anti-Social Behaviour Anti-social behaviour includes: ● Nuisance Neighbours: Noise, nuisance behaviour, animal related problems, vehicle related nuisance etc. ● Environmental crime: Graffiti and fly-posting, fly-tipping, litter etc. around the property

Findings: ASB – Noise & Nuisance ● Redbridge has almost twice the national average of noise complaints ● 38% of noise complaints can be directly linked to private rented properties ● All wards with high rates of noise complaints have a high rate of PRS except Hainault and Bridge

Findings: ASB – Environmental Crime ● Redbridge has the 20 th highest rate of fly tipping in the country ● More than doubled in 4 years to 10, 209 incidents in 2015 ● 85% of all incidents took place in the 14 wards with high PRS ● A household related item was recorded in 1 in 3 incidents ● 57% of these household items were a mattress or bed

Findings: Crime ● Drugs: The top 3 wards for high PRS are the top 3 wards for possession of drugs offences % of PRS Properties Crime focuses on tenants not respecting the property in which they live or landlords not sufficiently securing properties to avoid residential 50% ● burglary. Criminal Damage: Three quarters 45% of these offences took place in the 40% 14 wards with high PRS 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% ● Crime: Levels of selected crimes 10% are significant in top 5 wards with high PRS 0% 5% 0 100 200 300 400 Number of Criminal Damage Incidents 500

Findings: Housing Conditions ● Overcrowding: Every ward (with high PRS) has above the national average for overcrowding in the private sector, with six wards experiencing three times the national average. ● Service Requests: 84% of requests received by the Housing Standards team were for properties in the 14 wards with high PRS. With 11 of these wards experiencing an increase between 2014 & 2015. ● Service Requests: In 1 -in-65 service requests, the tenant stated that the landlord was exhibiting threatening or abusive behaviour. ● Enforcement Notices: 29% of enforcement notices served over the last three years relate to private rented sector housing issues (third highest after noise and public health issues).

Findings: Migration ● Redbridge ranked 17 th in the Country for the number of international migrants National Insurance Number (NINo) registrations in 2015 ● There were 35. 9 NINo registrations per 1, 000 population in Redbridge in 2015, three times the national average ● In 2015 every ward in Redbridge registered a greater than the national average number of NINo registrations for international migrants ● Between 2013 and 2015, Redbridge experienced a 61% growth in the number of NINo registrations, with 8 wards experiencing over 100% growth ● Numerous studies have shown that newly arrived immigrants tend to strongly rely on the private rented market for Housing ● Migrants less likely to complain because of the lack of choice or they may not know of our services.

Findings: Deprivation ● The 14 identified wards with high PRS account for three quarters of the most deprived neighbourhoods in Redbridge ● The 14 wards account for 81% of Redbridge neighbourhoods which fall into the 20% most deprived in England for ‘barriers to housing and services’

Ward Index Scores:

Selection of Wards for Selective Licensing ● The following wards would benefit from a selective licensing scheme (implemented in conjunction with other actions and activities) to address the identified problem factors:

Our proposal Scheme 1 16. 5% of the Borough’s Private Rented Sector 4, 802 properties 2 Wards Valentines Clementswood Scheme 2 62. 5% of the Borough’s PRS 15, 511 properties 12 Wards Goodmayes Loxford Snaresbroo k Roding Newbury Mayfield Cranbrook Seven Kings Chadwell Fairlop Aldborough Church End

What we are doing already New dedicated uniformed enforcement team The team, works across the borough seven days a week and until 3 am at weekends, and has been given the following priorities: ● Environmental crime such as; fly-tipping, untidy front gardens and abandoned vehicles ● Noise Nuisance ● Anti-social behaviour

What we are doing already Tackling Fly-tipping While the borough maintains weekly refuse and recycling collections, along with weekly garden waste collection during the warmer months of the year. Redbridge has carried out an extensive course of activities to reduce fly-tipping, included: ● Introduction of a free bulky waste service ● Extensive publicity campaign advertising free bulky waste service ● Use of re-locatable CCTV in Fly-tipping hotspots

What we are doing already Enforcement Action: Statutory Notices Year Emergency Prohibition Orders Improvement Notices Building Act Notices TOTAL NOTICES and ORDERS FOR YEAR 2010/11 15 8 15 32 128 2011/12 13 28 9 17 161 2012/13 11 12 2 22 260 2013/14 4 44 4 9 206 2014/15 7 13 6 2 95 2015/16 10 17 7 7 117

Our proposed scheme ● Light touch approach to enforcement ● Self certificating application process to reduce inconvenience to applicants ● 10% validation checks ● Intelligence led enforcement ● Low fee

Selective Licensing. Proposed Schedule of Fees and Charges Licence Application Fee £ 500 Reduced Application Fee (Early Bird Discount) £ 250 Variation to licence (e. g. New mortgage provider) Nil Paper Applications (additional fee) £ 100 New Builds/New Landlords (within 3 months) £ 250

Conditions ● Certification – gas/electrics ● Tamper resistant smoke alarms ● References for tenants ● Controls ASB ● Parking restrictions - dropped curbs ● Attendance at landlord training – improve management ● No ‘beds in sheds’ ● Regular Landlord Inspections ● Production of documents for inspection ● Facilities for refuse storage and collection ● Tidy Gardens

Any Questions? www. redbridge. gov. uk/prslicensing