New council for North Yorkshire to launch £1.4 million crackdown on rogue landlords

What is being described as a “streamlined approach” to improving housing conditions and tackling rogue landlords is being introduced across North Yorkshire after £1.4 million in funding was secured from the Government.

The funding will be used to improve housing conditions and increase enforcement activity by recruiting additional housing officers as well as building closer links with organisations involved in the sector.

The new North Yorkshire Council based in Northallerton has been awarded the funding from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities through the Pathfinder Programme.

The authority was launched on Saturday in the biggest shake-up of local government since 1974 to pave the way for a devolution deal.

The council is now overseeing all the services for the public, including housing, which were previously delivered by the eight district authorities which have now been abolished, including the former Harrogate Borough Council.

North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for housing, Coun Simon Myers, said. “This successful bid shows how the new council is focused on delivering a united housing service for all of North Yorkshire.

“Being able to recruit and train new and current staff is just one way in which this funding will support the housing service.

“Improving and increasing enforcement activity through inspections and joint working with partners will allow us to work together to ensure that residents in North Yorkshire are safe.”

There have been concerns for year over the situation with private rented homes.The term 'rogue landlord' is widely understood in the lettings industry to describe a landlord who knowingly flouts their obligations by renting out unsafe and substandard accommodation to tenants.Nationally, official figures show one in five private rented homes fail decency standards and one in eight contain hazards such as mould, infestation or faulty wiring that are harmful to occupants’ health.

In preparation for the establishment of the new North Yorkshire Council, officers involved in housing services across the authorities worked together to secure the funding, which will allow the service to create a centralised approach to housing enforcement.

The approach will include developing a new enforcement policy, allowing the council to investigate and tackle housing issues more effectively.

Increasing the number of housing officers will allow the new authority to recruit and train up to nine new employees to work alongside the current staff.

It is also hoped that North Yorkshire’s new housing strategy will improve relationships and joint working with partners such as the National Residential Landlords Association.

A proposed 30-year devolution deal for York and North Yorkshire, with an investment fund of £540 million, was unveiled on August 1 last year, and is due to lead to benefits ranging from new and better-paid jobs and improved skills and training to more affordable housing.

The recruitment process for the new posts for housing enforcement officers is now under way.

The new recruits will be stationed across the county within the next couple of months to provide a co-ordinated approach to tackling housing issues.

North Yorkshire Council can be contacted via a central telephone number on 0300 131 2 131.

More information is available online at www.northyorks.gov.uk on the new authority’s website.