- You mentioned in your presentation the scope for further use of private landlords to meet housing needs. What conditions would be attached to, for example, the landlords access to your waiting lists?
- The Housing Executive (HE) spent a number of months on the North Belfast Housing Strategy, which includes the use of private landlords for social housing. There are, of course, issues to do with confidentiality and management that need to be worked out; and the properties for letting would have to meet certain physical standards.
- Will rents be regulated by a Rent Officer under the new legislation?
- This is not clear but the whole Rent Order legislation needs to be examined. In GB, the Rent Officer works independently of the local authority. As present responsibility here still lies with the Rent Assessment Unit in Clarence Court. We rely on the Valuation and Lands Agency to set rents for us.
- You mentioned the growth in student accommodation. The HE conducted an in-depth study some time ago into Houses With Multiple Occupation but how far have we got on firming up the proposals flowing from that?
- The HE is developing a HMO strategy that will address fire and safety standards and also introduce licensing for landlords. The provision of HMO grant aid will help incrementally to bring overall standards up to scratch.
- Would it not be very difficult to maintain a register that would identify all private landlords given the growth in the scale of the sector?
- Yes, although research is ongoing that will give us a better and more accurate picture; at present there is only anecdotal evidence of the numbers involved.
- One of the most common complaints is the fact that, in Belfast especially, exorbitant rents are being charged for substandard accommodation. Why is this allowed to happen?
- The law as it stands would need to be changed. At present the VLA sets Housing Benefit, and the HE pays up to that level. There is a huge demand for rented property in Belfast, and, unfortunately, it seems that people are prepared to take up such poor accommodation. That is why we are keen to examine the proposals from the Green Paper in England.
- Once the VLA agrees the rent for a property, is there legal provision for a future visit by the HE in order to check the standard of the property? If not, this could be a matter for the devolved Administration to take forward.
- My understanding is that there is no current provision for the HE to do that, though clearly we would want better managed regulation of the private housing sector. We will work up what we believe is needed in this regard. I would caution that Housing Benefit Regulations are part of the Social Security legislation, which tends to have a UK-wide remit.
Social Development Minutes 5 October 2000