City to consider setting up own letting agency in bid to improve PRS standards

Leeds City Council is proposing to set up its own letting agency as part of plans to improve housing conditions in its private rented sector.

The local authority’s executive board will consider the plans at a meeting tomorrow (9 March).

Leeds said its agency would offer a full service to landlords “including everything from tenancy agreements, inventories, inspections and advertising to repairs and maintenance”.

The council already offers a service matching matching prospective tenants and landlords.

Leeds noted that there were an estimated 58,000 privately rented properties in the city, and that the largest growth area was in the lower end of the market where the poorest conditions were found.

The executive board will consider a range of other recommendations including:

• Establishing the Leeds Rental Standard for existing members of landlord accreditation schemes and associations who already provide good standards to self-regulate by committing to maintaining and improving standards of properties and the service provided to tenants;
• Setting up a rogue landlord unit “dedicated to tackling a minority of landlords known to be avoiding their legal duties”;
• Expanding the Leeds Neighbourhood Approach in the Holbeck area to target poor quality rented and empty properties;
• Developing proposals for a selective licensing scheme “so areas with poor housing conditions, anti-social behaviour and other issued can be addressed”;
• Charging landlords to cover costs when the council has to take enforcement to ensure landlords remove hazards, are registered on the property redress scheme or breach other regulations.

Cllr Debra Coupar, executive member for communities, said: “The proposals executive board are being asked to consider would put us in a far better position to help ensure there is supply of affordable, warm, welcoming and safe homes to rent on the private market with support through our own letting agency and targeted enforcement.

“The proposed agency would be of particular interest to people who have yet to build up the knowledge and experience you need to become a responsible landlord.”