Pathfinder Project in Coventry - Print version

Introduction

The Fairer Private Rented Sector White Paper [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/a-fairer-private-rented-sector] was published on 16 June 2022, outlining Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) plans to reform the private rented sector and level up housing quality. One item in its 12-point plan is to accelerate quality improvements in the areas that need it most by running pilot schemes to trial improvements to the enforcement of existing private rented sector standards.

Through these pilots, DLUHC is aiming to:

• support local authorities tackling poor quality private rented sector properties in the areas of greatest need;
• raise the profile of successful enforcement, changing expectations and driving improvement in pilot areas and beyond;
• build an understanding of what is needed to bring PRS properties up to the proposed Decent Homes Standard, and how landlords respond to enforcement;
• develop an evidence base of effective approaches to enforcement, and share best practice;

Based on the criteria set by DLUHC, Coventry has identified 2 lower super output areas in the Foleshill ward that will be targeted using the funding provided.

This project is trialling a new approach to intensive proactive enforcement work in the PRS to bring about sustainable change in the property conditions and management standards. The use of other supporting legislation outside of the Housing Act 2004 and the Housing and Planning Act 2016 will be documented and shared throughout the project.

Landlords will be informed in advance that they will be required to provide for inspection copies of documentation that they should already have in hand if due diligence is followed, for example a copy of the EICR, GSC, EPC etc. The tenant’s version of the letters will be supportive and written to be educational about their rights (and reinforce the “how to rent” messages and behaving in a tenant like manner), and they will be provided with information about tenancy support if required.

In meeting DLUHC’s objectives the proposed pilots will:

• tackle poor quality private rented sector properties in the areas of greatest need – the LA will inspect every PRS property in those areas to remove hazards, signpost residents to additional help they may need and encourage improvements in landlords and agents to a decent homes standard and thinking around maintenance and good management practice.
• raise the profile of successful enforcement, changing expectations and driving improvement in pilot areas and beyond through using a single approach to inspections
• build an understanding of what is needed to bring PRS properties up to the proposed Decent Homes Standard, and how landlords respond to enforcement – this pilot will provide quantitative and qualitative data and should also demonstrate the benefits of a programmed proactive approach over reactive work

Areas involved in the pilot

The Ward of Foleshill has been chosen for the pilot scheme in Coventry. This ward has been further broken down into smaller pieces and we have looked at each of those areas to determine the ones most in need.

Those tenants who are within the most deprived areas based on Index of Multiple Deprivation are believed to more likely to be negatively affected by poor housing conditions as in addition to having Barriers to Housing and Services Deprivation they are also negatively affected by other indices including: Income, Employment, Education Skills and Training, Health and Disability, Crime, Income Deprivation affecting children and Older People. Some of which will increase the impact of poor-quality housing or reduce their ability to improve their housing conditions.

Areas 15B and 15H have been chosen to take part in this pilot scheme.

Street Name and Numbers

• Broad Street   20 - 180   4-9 Broad Acre Court (182)
• Broad Street  3-159
• Cobden Street 12 - 58 
• Cromwell Street 1 - 43 
• Cromwell Street 2- 24 
• Edward Street 1 
• Eld Road  3-81 
• Eld Road   2-40 
• Foleshill Road 282-418
• Francis Street 1 – 11 
• Francis Street 2 - 52 
• Hampton Road  67-119
• Henrietta Street 1 - 37 
• Henrietta Street 12-44
• Holmsdale Road 1- 113 
• Holmsdale Road 2-112 
• Morey Street 1-45
• Morey Street 22-30 
• Mulliner Street 2- 134 
• Mulliner Street 5 - 103 
• Newdigate Mews 1 - 3 
• Newdigate Road 1 – 40 odds and evens 
• Oliver Street 3 – 133 
• Oliver Street 4 – 134 
• Ordnance Road 1 - 11 odds and evens
• Paragon Way 75 - 91
• Paragon Way 90 - 102
• Red Lane 1 - 35 
• Red Lane 16 - 184 
• Skybridge Close 1 - 87
• Skybridge Close 2 - 14
• Smith Street 2 - 86 
• Smith Street 5 - 113 
• St Paul’s Road 1 – 79 
• St Paul’s Road 2 - 90 
• Station Street East 6 - 92
• Station Street East  21-99
• Station Street East  Cavendish House
• Stoney Stanton Road 304 - 360 
• Stoney Stanton Road 311 - 351 
• Trafalgar Mews  1 - 26 odds and evens
• Warrington Lane 1 - 25 
• Warrington Lane 2 – 20 
• Webster Street 1 - 63 
• Webster Street 26 - 76

Enforcement actions

Updated: 11 April 2024

Below you can view our data for Housing Enforcement Action. We aim to update this data on or shortly after the first working day of each month.

Tenant information

How does the scheme affect you?

The property in which you live should be safe for you to live in. The landlord should make sure your home is free from any serious risks as listed in the Housing Health and Safety Rating System.

Coventry City Council will be inspecting all privately rented accommodation within the identified areas over the next 18 months. It is hoped that these inspections will be carried out with the cooperation of both tenant and landlord with the result of improving the quality of private rented accommodation.

Your rights and responsibilities

The landlord is responsible by law for certain repairs. The landlord is responsible for repairs to the structure and exterior of the property, sinks, baths, and any other sanitary installations within the property. They should also make sure there is suitable heating, although the law is a little vague on what type of heating this should be.

The tenant must do minor jobs, like replacing fuses, or clearing a blocked sink. They must also repair damage that they or their visitors have caused.

You should report any faults or damage to your landlord immediately and give him a reasonable amount of time to carry out the work. If your landlord fails to carry out the repairs, you should contact the Housing Enforcement Team, which can make your landlord carry out certain repairs.

Landlords have a responsibility to undertake repairs to your home and will need access to do this. If access is required, a landlord is required to give 24 hours written notice of their intention to enter at what must be a reasonable time. A landlord does not have the right to enter your home without your permission except in an emergency or into communal areas that the landlord is responsible for maintaining, for example, in a block of flats or bedsits.

Tenancy issues

A landlord is now required to provide a tenant with prescribed information in the form of a copy of How to rent: the checklist for renting in England. The guide is to help you understand what questions to ask, what your rights are, and what responsibilities you have.

If you are not sure what kind of tenancy you have, you can find out using Shelter's Tenancy Rights Checker.

The law protects people living in residential property against harassment and illegal eviction. It does this in two ways: by making harassment and illegal eviction a criminal offence, and by allowing someone who is harassed or illegally evicted to claim damages through the civil court.

The law makes it an offence to:

• Commit acts likely to interfere with the peace or comfort of a tenant or anyone living with them; or
• Persistently withdraw or withhold services for which the tenant has a reasonable need to live in the premises as a home.
• It is an offence to do any of the things described above intending, knowing, or having reasonable cause to believe, that they would cause the tenant to leave their home, or stop using part of it, or stop doing the things a tenant should normally expect to be able to do. It is also an offence to take someone's home away from them unlawfully.

If you are concerned about any aspect of your tenancy we have guides to help you and a dedicated Landlord and Tenant Liaison Officer. Please see our private renting web pages [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/housing-enforcement/private-renting].

Our Climate Change and Sustainability Team [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/home-energy-warmth] may be able to support you with improvements to your home that links to ECO and other funding.

How you can get involved

We are encouraging all tenants to have their properties HHSRS assessed. If you would like an EHO to inspect your property, please contact the Housing Enforcement Team at HousingEnforcement@coventry.gov.uk [mailto:HousingEnforcement@coventry.gov.uk] or via telephone on 024 7697 5495 and mention the Pathfinder Project. Please ensure that the property that you would like to be inspected falls within the project area.

Landlord information

What the scheme entails

The property should be safe for the tenant to live in. The landlord should make sure the home is free from any serious risks as listed in the Housing Health and Safety Rating System.

Coventry City Council will be inspecting all privately rented accommodation within the identified areas over the next 18 months. It is hoped that these inspections will be carried out with the cooperation of both tenant and landlord with the result of improving the quality of private rented accommodation.

What is HHSRS?

The Hazard Health and Safety Rating System is concerned with avoiding or, at the very least, minimizing potential hazards. This means that landlords should also review conditions regularly to try to see where and how their properties can be improved and made safer. Guidance for Landlords and property-related professionals can be found on the government webpage [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/housing-health-and-safety-rating-system-guidance-for-landlords-and-property-related-professionals].

Your rights and responsibilities

The landlord is responsible by law for certain repairs. The landlord is responsible for repairs to the structure and exterior of the property, sinks, baths, and any other sanitary installations within the property. They should also make sure there is suitable heating.

Any evictions or rent increases need to be done in accordance with the law.

The tenant must do minor jobs, like replacing fuses, or clearing a blocked sink. They must also repair damage that they or their visitors have caused.

How you can get involved

We are encouraging all landlords to have their properties HHSRS assessed. If you would like an EHO to inspect your property, please contact the Housing Enforcement Team at HousingEnforcement@coventry.gov.uk [mailto:HousingEnforcement@coventry.gov.uk] or via telephone on 024 7697 5495 and mention the Pathfinder Project. Please ensure that the property that you would like to be inspected falls within the project area. Please see our website for details [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/housing-enforcement/pathfinder-project-coventry].

Coventry Landlord Accreditation Scheme

Are you interested in joining the Coventry Landlord Accreditation Scheme (CLAS) [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/housing-enforcement/landlord-accreditation] 

CLAS is a free, voluntary, Council-run scheme that private residential landlords and letting agents are encouraged to join. The scheme applies to the private rented sector only and not to local authority-owned or housing association properties where other service level agreements apply. The scheme includes an element of self-regulation and accordingly relies on a degree of goodwill and trust on the parts of landlords, letting agents, tenants and the Council.  

Benefits of joining: 

• You will receive free training from us on a variety of areas of Housing law. 
• You will be able to advertise yourself as being accredited by Coventry City Council. 
• You may be eligible for a five-year licence for your licensable properties. 
• Your fees for property licences are likely to be cheaper.  

You can sign up to our Landlord Forum mailing list [https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/UKCOVENTRY/subscriber/new?topic_id=UKCOVENTRY_89] to receive news and updates relevant to Coventry landlords. 

View all previous issues of the newsletter [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/landlordforum]. 

Documents

• Maps of Foleshill [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/downloads/download/7702/pathfinder-project---foleshill-map]
• Streets A-Z. [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/downloads/download/7705/pathfinder-project---streets-in-alphabetical-order]
• Landlord Forum Presentation [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/downloads/download/7778/pathfinder-project---landlord-forum-presentation]