Agenda item

Report of the Assistant Director – Wellbeing and Housing

Purpose of the Report

To provide the Committee with an overview of the new Tenants Charter.

Recommendations

The meeting is recommended:

1.1       To consider and comment on the contents of the new drafted Tenants Charter, following consultation with residents within the Council’s stock portfolio, and recommend adoption by the Executive.

1.2       To consider and comment on the planned publicity and promotion to ensure a raising of the standards of rented properties within the District, following the motion at the Council meeting on 17^th July 2023 that called on the Executive to;

·         Reiterate the basic rights of tenants across Cherwell and the responsibilities of landlords.

·         Run a public awareness campaign of the Charter, encouraging tenants to be aware of their rights and where local sources of advice and support can be found.

Resolved

(1)       That having given due consideration, the draft Tenants Charter be recommended for adoption by Executive subject to the following comments

a.      Consideration of the language used in the Charter, ensuring the final draft is accessible to all tenants

b.      Additional clarity on how residents can raise issues with the Council as their landlord

(2)       That the comments regarding the comprehensive communications plan to be presented to Executive alongside the draft Charter be noted.

The Committee considered a report from the Assistant Director – Wellbeing and Housing that gave an overview of the proposed Tenants Charter.

Councillor Nick Mawer, Portfolio Holder for Housing, introduced the report, explaining that the Charter had been produced following a Motion to Full Council and a commitment being given to implement a Charter for residents that rent via the Council. 

Councillor Mawer explained that the Charter outlined the expected relationship between the Council as a landlord and its tenants, and complimented wider legislation changes as a result of the ongoing Renters Reform Bill that was currently progressing through Parliament, and the Social Housing Regulation Act that had received Royal Assent. 

Council has a wider strategic and statutory role within housing standards across the district.  Encouraging good landlord and tenant relations. Survey of tenants, high response rate and overwhelmingly positive.

Councillor Mawer added that commitments were made during debate on the motion at Full Council, to raise awareness of the Charter across the district. The Council was unable to make private landlords or Registered Social Providers adopt the Charter for their own tenants, however it was hoped that it could be used as a starting point for private residents to refer to in the event they needed to seek advice for their own tenancies.  

The draft Charter had been subject to consultation with residents, and had achieved a high response rate that was overwhelmingly positive.

The Head of Housing added that a detailed public awareness campaign would be drafted ready for presenting to Executive alongside the draft Charter, with the proposed publicity following the three commitments detailed in the Charter.

In response to questions from the Committee regarding the language used in the Charter and it needing to be accessible to all Council tenants, the Assistant Director – Wellbeing and Housing advised that the team would work with colleagues from Communications to ensure the final document was accessible to everyone.

With regard to comments from the Committee requesting additional information as to how tenants could raise grievances or issues with the Council as their landlord, the Head of Housing highlighted references to the Council complaint process and the Local Government Ombudsman should complaints not be resolved satisfactorily. It was agreed that further consideration could be given to making the section clearer.

In response to comments regarding the Charter being made available in relevant languages, the Assistant Director – Wellbeing and Housing assured the Committee that the team would work with Communications colleagues to ensure information was provided in all required languages.

It was proposed by Councillor Sean Woodcock and seconded by Councillor Patrick Clarke that the draft Tenants Charter be recommended for adoption by Executive, subject to comments on consideration of the language used in the Charter, ensuring the final draft was accessible to all tenants, and additional clarity on how residents could raise issues with the Council as their landlord.

Resolved

(1)       That having given due consideration, the draft Tenants Charter be recommended for adoption by Executive subject to the following comments

a.      Consideration of the language used in the Charter, ensuring the final draft is accessible to all tenants

b.      Additional clarity on how residents can raise issues with the Council as their landlord

(2)       That the comments regarding the comprehensive communications plan to be presented to Executive alongside the draft Charter be noted.