Should We Clamp Down On Rogue Tennents?

[bassett one 450]

as most people know with growing waiting lists,familys desperate for a home ect,ect,is it not time we started to look at homes not lived in?,as in man lives with woman,but reluctant to give up flat as they get more cash,some sublet to family,plus pensioners living in huge houses,but want a bungalow,cannot get one,dont want a flat as they are frightened of young people/music ect,plus loads more things,we need to build bungalows,spruce up our housing stock,clamp down on bad tennants and clamp down on ghost tennants,the new staff were supposed to help sort this out,but are they,the new patch officers are they?

[geared 306]

Should we?  Yes.  Will we?  Probably not.

 

All of that takes money, and there's not alot of that going spare right now.

[Jeffrey Shaw 90]

There is already legislation re empty dwellings, were Local Authorities prepared to use it.

[dan2802 53]

Short answer......Yes.

[bassett one 450]

but theres loads of SCC properties being misused,it needs sorting as others need them

[willman 10]

I don't know if "clamp down" is the term i'd use, but i definiteley feel that the council should enforce the rules in place.

The unfortunate thing is that to staff such enforcement there would be a cost, which "we" the council tax payers  probably won't accept and the council will no doubt feel the have bigger things to spend money on. The other aspect to this as well as enforcement of rules often leads to unpleasant media attention - you only have to look at the DSS . No one cares about the positive results of applying the rules just the 5% of negative ones.

[Jeffrey Shaw 90]

The legislation that already exists is in the Housing Act 2004- re "Empty dwelling management orders".

See https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2004/34/part/4/chapter/2

 

So why not ask your Local Housing Authority to implement it?

[leviathan13 348]

The problem is that it takes so long and costs so much for SCC to take back possession of a property.

 

And there are people living in properties that are too big for their NEEDS, but they see it as their home so why should they downsize to allow people who need it to have it.

 

The council receive a lot of criticism when it's actually tenants who need to change their attitude and expectations towards social housing.

[rudds1 102]

On 31/01/2021 at 18:03, Jeffrey Shaw said:

The legislation that already exists is in the Housing Act 2004- re "Empty dwelling management orders".

See https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2004/34/part/4/chapter/2

 

So why not ask your Local Housing Authority to implement it?

Is that legislation for council houses or could it be used against private houses ?

[Jeffrey Shaw 90]

3 hours ago, rudds1 said:

Is that legislation for council houses or could it be used against private houses ?

Private-sector only, in fact.

You see, s.133(2)(b) expressly says this (my bold type added):

 

133. Making of interim EDMOs

 

(1) A local housing authority may make an interim EDMO in respect of a dwelling if—

(a) it is a dwelling to which this section applies, and

(b) on an application by the authority to [F1the appropriate tribunal], the tribunal by order authorises them under section 134 to make such an order, either in the terms of a draft order submitted by them or in those terms as varied by the tribunal.

 

(2) This section applies to a dwelling if—

(a) the dwelling is wholly unoccupied, and

(b) the relevant proprietor is not a public sector body.

Edited February 4, 2021 by Jeffrey Shaw

[rudds1 102]

3 minutes ago, Jeffrey Shaw said:

Private-sector only, in fact.

You see, s.133(2)(b) expressly says this (my bold type added):

 

133. Making of interim EDMOs

 

(1) A local housing authority may make an interim EDMO in respect of a dwelling if—

(a) it is a dwelling to which this section applies, and

(b) on an application by the authority to [F1the appropriate tribunal], the tribunal by order authorises them under section 134 to make such an order, either in the terms of a draft order submitted by them or in those terms as varied by the tribunal.

 

(2) This section applies to a dwelling if—

(a) the dwelling is wholly unoccupied, and

(b) the relevant proprietor is not a public sector body.

So what about someone who has a holiday home that’s only used say twice a year ?

[Jeffrey Shaw 90]

Well, that would not be 'wholly unoccupied'.