Yorkshire tenants face worst housing conditions in England, analysis suggests

The analysis found that tenants in Yorkshire and the Humber are almost twice as likely than the national average to live in housing conditions that do not meet the Decent Homes Standard.

The most recent data suggests that in England 21.1 per cent of houses do not reach the minimum level required to ensure the good health of tenants, while this rises to 37.7 per cent in Yorkshire.

This means that over 150,000 privately rented homes fail to meet these conditions, with the group warning that damp and mould can severely impact physical and mental health conditions, especially for those already vulnerable.

The data also suggested that renters in the region are almost three times more likely to live in a home with a serious hazard that can affect their health, or threaten their lives.

The Government has already begun work to combat this in its Renters Reform Bill, which proposes to extend the Decent Homes Standard to rented homes.

However, the Sun newspaper last week reported that the bill is on the “brink of collapse” with Tory MPs seeking to frustrate Michael Gove, the Housing Secretary, as he seeks to push the reforms through parliament.

The bill also seeks to end no-fault evictions, a popular policy among renters who are vulnerable to being quickly ejected from their homes by landlords.

If the bill is passed by Parliament, there are concerns that many local authorities do not have the resources to conduct inspections of private properties.

The Local Government Association (LGA) has suggested that councils face a funding gap of £4 billion over the next two years meaning housing enforcement could be left underinvested.

In January it was announced that English councils will receive a £600 million package to help them deliver key services, with the Housing Secretary and his department taking a more proactive approach with intervening when councils are in dire financial straits, either through mismanagement of their own funds, or the added pressures of inflation and energy costs.

In addition, ministers launched an eight-week consultation on implementing Awaab’s Law, with proposals including a new legal requirement for social landlords to investigate hazards within 14 days and make emergency repairs within 24 hours.

John Hume, Chief Executive of People’s Health Trust, said: “It is central government’s responsibility to ensure that local authorities in Yorkshire and the Humber have the resources to be able to carry out full inspections of private rented properties. Cuts to local council budgets have impeded the number of proactive inspections in private rented homes.

“We can’t expect vulnerable tenants to have to bear the weight of responsibility of enforcing the law on housing conditions. Local authorities need to be fully empowered to undertake this role and this is where the Secretary of State comes in.

“In Yorkshire and Humber alone, 159,000 properties fail to meet the Decent Homes Standard – this is hundreds of thousands of children, young people and adults whose physical and mental health is seriously impacted. In turn this impacts their education and work and shortens their lives. The conditions many people are living in are utterly appalling. They are also avoidable.

“People’s Health Trust is calling for the government to implement a clear and properly resourced strategy for housing enforcement. This would give people in Yorkshire and the Humber the decent homes they need to improve their health and wellbeing.”

A Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities spokesperson said: “Everyone deserves to live in a safe and decent home. This is why we are introducing a Decent Homes Standard in the private rented sector for the first time through the Renters (Reform) Bill.

“The Bill introduces new powers to hold landlords to account for poor housing conditions, including giving local councils the ability to issue fines of up to £5,000 to landlords who have failed keep their properties free of serious hazards.”