Recommendation 37

It appears that some local authorities might have misinterpreted the Housing Health and Safety Rating System enforcement guidance, and as such are not inspecting private providers. We welcome the Minister’s reiteration that a council can inspect a property owned by a private provider and issue an enforcement notice, although we note the significant pressures on local government finances at the moment. Perhaps more than anything else, these inspections could provide social housing tenants trapped in potentially unsafe homes with the reassurance that they can turn to someone independent of their housing provider who will advocate on their behalf.