Andy Burnham says Greater Manchester needs to 'get serious' about housing

He's launched a consultation on a Good Landlord Charter

Author: Jessica McGillivrayPublished 8th Jan 2024

The Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham has launched the consultation of the Good Landlord Charter today which aims to bring landlords and renters together to improve living standards in the social housing and private rented sector.

The charter is the first of its kind in the UK and follows a similar model to the Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter which was launched in 2019 and has now engaged with more than a thousand employers across the city-region. The Good Landlord Charter will leverage public funding and other key devolved powers in a similar way.

Andy Burnham says: “Driving up the quality of rented housing is one of my key priorities. We know your home has a huge impact on so many aspects of life, from your physical and mental health, to your safety and security.”

The good landlord Charter sets out to make renting more affordable and help tenants understand how their rent and other charges are set, it also sets to make sure that renting is inclusive and that a tenant is not treated differently because of who they are. Other key characteristics of the Charter include responsiveness from landlords, a safe and decent property, support to tenants about essential information and competent management.

The Charter has been driven by the death of two-year-old boy Aweeb Ishak’s death which was caused by the quality of his living conditions, Barnham says ‘we recognised this had to be the moment when things changed’

Research commissioned as part of the development of the Good Landlord Charter found that over three quarters of private tenants say accreditation would make a difference to their likelihood of renting from a particular landlord. The survey also revealed that three-quarters of private tenants experienced a maintenance issue in their property within the last year, including two in five that have experienced damp and mould and when problems have been experienced two in five private tenants have been left dissatisfied with the outcome.

Residents living in properties where the landlord refuses to engage with local bodies or the Charter will be empowered with the right to request a Greater Manchester Property Check. This will be underpinned by stronger, multi-disciplinary inspection and enforcement capability to carry out the checks and issue notices where standards remain unacceptable £3.5million has been invested in the charter to support authorities delivering these checks.

Members from groups such as the Greater Manchester Tenants Union and Greater Manchester Housing providers have joined the initial discussions and helped develop the Charter to make sure it is beneficial to both tenants and landlords.

The Mayor stated “Today, I’m calling on all renters and landlords in Greater Manchester to get involved in this consultation. I believe this charter will be good for tenants who currently have no way of knowing whether a landlord is decent or not; and good for the many landlords doing the right thing and struggling to differentiate themselves from the disreputable end of the market.”

The Good Landlord Charter is out for public consultation from 10am on 8th January 2024 until 12pm on 26th February 2024. To respond to the consultation online or download a copy of the consultation document (including in Easy Read format), please visit www.gmconsult.org. For more information on the development of the Good Landlord Charter and to view supporting documents, please visit https://www.greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk/what-we-do/planning-and-housing/good-landlord-charter.

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