Minister launches housing repair pilot amid warnings about lawsuits
Housing Minister Grant Shapps has launched a pilot putting council house tenants in charge of maintenance work on their properties.
But town hall chiefs have warned that the ‘Tenant Cashback’ scheme, if not implemented properly, could see councils exposed to a “tidal wave of lawsuits”.
The Housing Minister said residents would be able to take over more of their repairs budget and carry out their own DIY or choose a local handyman to do the work. They will be able to keep any savings made.
Shapps said groups of tenants could also club together to turn the scheme into “Community Cashback”. The money saved could then be spent on improving the local neighbourhood.
The Minister said: “Many council and housing association tenants take tremendous pride in their home, and it’s about time we recognised and expanded this kind of responsibility.
“If you’re handy with a screwdriver, paintbrush or hammer, then it’s crazy that you have to call out your landlord to do even the smallest of jobs. You should be able to just get on and do it – handing on to some of the cash you have saved them.”
Shapps added that landlords would be able to use the annual electricity and gas check-up to ensure that property standards are maintained and enhanced. Savings they make could go towards building more homes, he claimed.
The pilot will be run by two housing associations, Home Group and Hastoe Housing Association.
The Minister predicted that if the pilot is successful, Tenant Cashback could be a part of every tenancy by the end of this Parliament. Maintenance and repairs currently cost £4bn a year.
Cllr Clyde Loakes, Vice Chairman of the Local Government Association’s Housing and Environment Board, said: “The vast majority of people living in council homes are responsible and sensible tenants, and landlords are glad to let them take proper responsibility for the upkeep of their homes. It is right that this new approach should be piloted so risks can be identified and responded to.”
Cllr Loakes added that, “like any other landlord”, local authorities needed to be able to ensure that maintenance work on their properties continued to be done safely and to a high standard, particularly when it comes to work affecting gas, electricity and fire safety.
“This is vital to making sure this scheme achieves its aim of rewarding tenants and driving down costs without inadvertently exposing councils to a tidal wave of lawsuits and hefty repair bills for rectifying DIY disasters," he said.
