Case studies: examples of houses in multiple occupation

Leeds: pushing up standards together

"Councils and good landlords all have a similar goal - to reduce the number of negligent landlords," says Miles Pickard, a landlord with around 120 properties in Leeds.

He joined the Leeds voluntary accreditation scheme when it first began over ten years ago because he wanted to be involved in pushing the standard of rental accommodation up across the board

"I've had a few minor fires in the past and they were always the tenant's fault," Miles explains. "To be an accredited landlord you need to prove you have supplied specific fire safety equipment. If the fire extinguishers hadn't been to hand in my properties then the damage would have been far more serious."

"Most tenants wouldn't know if you're accredited or not, it doesn't affect the price of rent tenants pay. Rogue landlords could charge just as much but fail to invest money into the safety of the property."

The majority of Miles' tenants are students who are not used to dealing with the council. The university has its own set of accommodation standards which he says the students are more likely to know about.

On the voluntary accreditation scheme Miles says, "The support from the local authority is very good, you get the feeling that everyone is working in the same direction. I like the fact that a wide variety of people are consulted before new standards are brought in."

Croydon: Steep fines for negligence

When an absentee landlord in the north of England allowed his bedsit HMO in Croydon to fall into disrepair he ended up with a £20,000 fine, plus £7,000 costs.

Peter Brown, Private Sector Housing Manager at Croydon Council became aware of the problem when the gas supplier notified him that they were disconnecting the building's supply, with unpaid bills amounting to nearly £5,000. When officers visited the property they found serious fire risks: several fire doors were broken and where there should have been a fire alarm, loose wiring hung from the ceiling.

"Without a gas supply, the tenants didn't have a safe way to cook," says Peter. "We also found that several electric lights and electrical fittings were broken. On top of this, the rest of the building was in a badly neglected condition with broken banisters, a leaking toilet, rotten windows and an overgrown and rubbish-strewn garden."

"As an emergency measure, we fitted three smoke detectors and advised the local fire station of our concerns," adds Peter. "We also arranged to pay the gas bill and invoice the landlord so that the supply would be re-connected for the tenants."

The landord was subsequently successfully prosecuted by Croydon Council in December 2004, for allowing his tenants to live in neglected and unsafe conditions. Found guilty in his absence, he was fined £20,000 for 'knowingly contravening the management regulations for houses in multiple occupation' and ordered to pay costs.

"Standards in the house have improved," says Peter. "And we're keeping a close eye on it."

Salford: council and landlords working together to benefit tenants

Several houses on one run-down street in Salford were housing large numbers of Polish nationals in squalid conditions. A concerned neighbour contacted their councillor about the problem.

Rob Turner from Salford Council's HMO management team visited the properties and inspected them.

"Although the tenants spoke little English and were wary of officials, we were able to find from them who the landlord is. We contacted the landlord and explained his responsibilities as an HMO landlord to him," explains Rob.

"Working with the environmental health department, he began a timetabled plan to bring fire safety measures up to standard in his properties. He also agreed to address overcrowding."

"We still hear from him," says Rob. "Now that a relationship has been established, the landlord contacts the council for guidance on further improvements to his properties and waste disposal."

Bolton: Problem tenant

A new landlord member of Bolton's Landlord Accreditation Scheme approached the council about a problem tenant. The landlord felt intimidated by the tenant's involvement in criminal activities, explains Julianne Lacey, who manages the private landlord project for Bolton At Home (an Arms Length Management Organisation). "He needed the support of others to give him the confidence he needed to take responsible and appropriate action."

Working with Julianne and the local council's anti-social behaviour (ASB) officers, the landlord was able to establish that the problem tenant was already known to the Police and under current investigation. "Because we worked closely with the police, it meant that damage to the property was limited when the arrest warrant was executed," says Julianne.

Julianne then gave the landlord advice on how to initiate the Notice of Possession proceedings correctly, and provided guidance about how he should deal with any personal contact from the tenant and any continuing problems during the notice period.

Reading: reassuring tenants - protecting landlords

When two tenants complained in 1999 that one of his properties wasn't up to standard, landlord Nicholas Handslip decided to join Reading Council's voluntary accreditation scheme. "I am a responsible landlord and market myself as such. I wanted to provide assurance to my tenants that the properties were up to scratch and to make sure that, in the event of a problem, they would feel secure with the knowledge that the issue would be resolved as soon as possible."

Mr Handslip also benefited when Reading University recommended that students only rent from accredited landlords and feels ready and prepared for HMO licensing. "As well as raising the general standard of housing stock, licensing should also level the playing field for landlords," he says.

"At the moment, tenants are by and large unaware of what they should expect from a house in terms of, for example, fire prevention. The fact that a property has a fire alarm has rarely been a factor in renting out the property. However, whilst legislation is unlikely to raise their awareness of environmental health and safety requirements it will enforce the implementation of the regulations on the tenants' behalf."

Tower Hamlets: Inexperienced young people signed a contract for a horrible flat

Matt and Eleanor, aged 20 and 21 are both students in London. They recently moved out of an HMO with eight bedrooms and nine tenants sharing one kitchen and two bathrooms. There was no sitting room but there was a terrace area on the roof.

They found the flat by responding to an advert in a café and really liked the location.

"The letting agent asked us to pay rent by standing order," says Eleanor, "so it all seemed professional."

As it was their first flat Matt and Eleanor didn't notice the problems until after they had signed a contract and moved in.

Matt explains, "The fridge didn't work, the washing machine was broken, and there was vermin. In the bathroom damp and fungi were pushing the tiles off the walls."

Eleanor adds, "The central heating didn't work and the flat was generally in a bad state of disrepair".

In dismay, the couple went to the housing office of the University of London, who suggested they ring the environmental health officer of their local council (Tower Hamlets). The environmental health officer came out to the flat and did a thorough survey. He said the council had already spoken to the landlord on a previous occasion when different tenants were living there and had advised him what he needed to do to make the flat comply with minimum standards.

Matt and Eleanor were able to find someone else to take their room after two months and move out.

After her experiences Eleanor says, "We think licensing is a good idea and now we know about it we will look out for it. The main things we will now look for in a flat are safety and comfort. The old flat was really badly run and there was a total lack of professionalism, for example after we moved in we were asked by the landlord to pay our rent in cash."