Residents of Doncaster were invited to give their views on the way private sector housing, including the rental market for homes and flats, is run in the Borough.
Consultation on Doncaster's new Private Sector Housing Strategy, which aims to improve the quality of private rented homes in the Borough, started in August.
With around 18.5% of private sector properties failing the Decent Homes standards, Doncaster Council aims to get tough on poor and rogue landlords and raise the standard of private sector housing.
The strategy details how the Council will create, at a neighbourhood level, strong enforcement measures and provide a range of incentives for landlords to raise their standard. Landlords who need help and advice will be given full support, and will be helped to meet their legal requirements.
Recognising the importance private housing in the Borough, the Council has set up an Accreditation Scheme to highlight decent, properly managed and well-maintained accommodation and encourage other landlords to achieve those standards.
Homes for Haringey, responsible for carrying out tenancy and estate management services to over 21,000 households, is currently managing a £200 million decent homes improvement programme across the Borough on behalf of Haringey Council. This includes refurbishing some of the 4,500 leasehold flats.
To help leaseholders manage the costs of the works, Homes for Haringey consulted with a group of leaseholders and Haringey Leaseholders' Association and designed a new set of policies. Leaseholders whose flats are in blocks earmarked for refurbishment can now install their own new double-glazed windows and doors, subject to approval. They will also be able to take advantage of choosing kitchen and bathroom fittings at a discount.
Leaseholders are only liable to pay towards any works undertaken to the external and communal parts of the building. Charges are split proportionally between all flats in the block and council tenants are not subsidised in any way by leaseholders.
The new arrangements for payment options put Homes for Haringey at the forefront of social housing landlords. These include increasing the discount for paying in full from 2.5% to 5%; and increasing the interest-free monthly instalment period from one year to three years.
In addition, some leaseholders may be able to defer payment until the property is sold and those who receive Income Support may be able to get an interest-only loan from the Department of Work and Pensions. Further - discretionary loans, hardship capping, Houseproud loan and statutory loans are available to eligible leaseholders.
Brighton & Hove City Council's tenants were asked for their initial views on a scheme which could raise millions of pounds of funding for council homes.
Stage one of a proposal to create a separate 'local delivery vehicle' has been discussed by tenants at the Housing Management Consultative Committee. This is one of the options put forward in the Government's Housing Green Paper for councils to meet housing needs in their area.
Under the proposal, the Council would agree to lease 106 temporary accommodation properties in the first year, followed by up to a maximum of 393 empty properties over a five-year period (499 in total). This in turn would open up access to capital funds.
Although representing only 4% of the City's 12,300 council properties, it would release up to £45 million of funding to improve council homes to a decent homes standard and the tenants own Brighton standard, as well as money to refurbish the leased stock.
There would be no freehold transfer, no transfer of tenanted properties and no involvement from registered social landlords.