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Newly re-elected Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham proposes to ‘rewire the rental system’ by launching a £600,000 package to safeguard renters from rogue landlords.
Burnham pushed his support for renters while on his mayoral campaign trail, which saw him win a second term in the city’s hot seat in May.
The first step in his deal for renters is spending £300,000 on setting up a team of legal experts specialising in housing matters to help renters facing the threat of unlawful eviction and councils seeking to enforce compliance.
The rest of the money—£150,000—goes to Oldham Council for a scheme to examine how Greater Manchester Combined Authority, central government, and local councils can pool knowledge and resources to reclaim housing benefits paid to landlords letting out substandard homes.
Both schemes will be part of the much-vaunted Good Landlord Charter for the city and surrounding area.
Burnham plans to roll out the charter later this year, along with a private health guarantee for voters that will check the home they are renting meets compliance rules. These rules will include the decent homes stands promised in the Renters (Reform) Bill currently passing through Parliament.
The bill is expected to become law later this year.
Other promises to renters include help tackling illegal evictions and a drive to raise standards in private and social housing.
Burnham said: “Renting a home should be the starting point for a good life. It should not damage your health or be a source of concern and anxiety. However, sadly, too many people in Greater Manchester still find themselves in those situations, trapped in poorly maintained properties and fearing unlawful eviction.
“But the days of bad landlords renting out unsafe and unfit homes are coming to an end.”
GMCA research suggests one in four privately rented homes has a damp problem, as does one in six social housing properties—that's 56,000 private and 82,000 social rentals.
Meanwhile, the job seems huge as three Manchester councils placed in the top 10 in the ranking of Britain’s mouldiest places.
Thermal imaging firm Tester argues that although Rochdale, Greater Manchester, is the home of Awaab’s Law, the region has the worst damp problem in the country.
Bolton topped the list of damp and mouldy homes, with an average of 945 out of 100,000 people searching the internet for solutions to mould-related terms. The favourite keyword in Bolton is ‘magic mould’.
Manchester is third on the list, with an average monthly search volume of 922 per 100,000 people, and Stockport takes ninth place.
The entire top ten is: