Episode 14 The Housing Enforcers


Episode 14

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Transcript


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You could be down there without anybody knowing.

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'Everyone deserves a safe place to live.'

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Your home is falling apart, you're going to fall apart.

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'But with rents rising and demand increasing,

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'it's getting harder and harder to find a secure place to call home.'

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-It's a stinky little hole.

-It is indeed.

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'I'm Matt Allwright and I'm back with the housing enforcers.'

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Phew! It stinks.

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If I'm honest with you, I'm not sure

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whether I would want Grace going into that house.

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'I'm on the front line

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'with those fighting for the right to decent housing...'

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Oh - this place is a bit of a mess.

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They usually urinate in that corner.

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'..as local councils and housing associations

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'battle problem properties and slum conditions...'

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The smell in there, everything just reeks.

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'..as they deal with dodgy landlords...'

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Probably here is about as far as it's safe to go.

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'..nightmare neighbours...'

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-She was kicking you?

-Yeah.

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-Do you want either side evicting?

-No.

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'..and everything in-between...'

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OK...

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'..to help those in need of a happy and healthy home.'

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Behind every door, it's a little bit of a detective story.

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Today, in Stroud,

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a routine inspection leads us into a shock discovery.

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Basically, every time it rains, all the water comes down the walls.

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This one spent all last winter

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on inhalers and steroids for his chest.

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In Suffolk, there's an eviction that turns into a smash-and-grab.

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Hello?

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When we first served notice, I think they did admit

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there was a few unauthorised alterations here

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and they would put it right and make sure the property's handed back in decent condition.

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But, as you see, that didn't quite happen.

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A neighbour complaint about noisy home improvements

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causes headaches in Babergh.

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-I sort of know who it is, anyway.

-But I don't.

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-To put it blunt, it ain't your property, it's ours.

-Yeah.

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And there's a race against time to save pets trapped in a flat.

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There are quite a few occasions when we've gone in

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and they haven't survived at all.

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KNOCK ON DOOR

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It used to be so straightforward - you leave education,

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you get yourself a job and then settle down,

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once you found a house or flat.

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And even though happily ever after wasn't guaranteed,

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you could usually depend

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on getting an affordable and safe place to live.

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Well, it's no secret that, thanks to the housing crisis,

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today, things are a bit more complicated.

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But there are men and women across the UK

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whose job it is to ensure that everyone has the opportunity

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to enjoy a safe roof over their heads.

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Every day, they're out fighting for your rights.

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They are the housing enforcers.

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There's nothing like a spot of DIY

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to help make your house feel more like a home.

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But if you're a social housing tenant,

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the rules of making a few home improvements here and there

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are a little different.

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No matter how long you've lived in your property,

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ultimately, the council or housing association

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remains the landlord,

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and may take a dim view of any major alterations.

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In Babergh, Suffolk,

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housing officer Ian Watson

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is on his way to investigate reports

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that one of his tenants may have taken his DIY

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a step too far.

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I've heard reports that there's been

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a few unauthorised tenant alterations -

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there's a driveway being done,

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there's a patio round the back.

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I've checked our system and there are no permissions on there.

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No permission - doesn't sound too good for our tenant,

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Tony Constantine,

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whose building site Ian's on the way to investigate.

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I didn't realise that I had to get permission

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for the outside of the property.

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I knew it was everything inside,

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like fixings and things like that, you know.

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But I didn't realise if we had to put up a fence or something,

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we had to get permission.

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Tony's pleading ignorance to council rules,

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none of which is going to cut any ice with Ian.

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When you rent a council house, it's quite crude,

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but actually, it isn't their house, it's ours, ie the council's.

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So if they want to do anything other than normal redecoration

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or put a couple of shelves up, they need our permission to do so.

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And it definitely looks like Tony's handiwork

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has gone a long way past a few shelves and cupboards.

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The rear of the property was basically a vegetable patch.

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So I've been digging it out and things like that

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and just trying to get bits done.

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The plan for the property is basically get the garden done,

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so the kids have got somewhere to play,

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a bit of storage for the bikes and things like that.

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If Ian decides the renovations have gone further than he likes

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or, worse, are unsafe,

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he has the power to demand that Tony returns the property

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to its original condition,

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and that could prove very expensive, and also put the tenancy at risk.

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The most obvious work is the dropped kerb and driveway.

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There's also a new fence around the front garden.

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It certainly looks OK,

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but Ian won't be satisfied until he's got some answers.

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-Hello.

-Mr Constantine.

-Nice to meet you.

-Pleased to meet you.

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-Thanks very much for seeing me.

-No worries, mate.

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Just makes it easier and everything.

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Obviously we'd just like a chat, get some paperwork and everything.

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You'll have to dig the thing out, for the dropped kerb.

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For the dropped kerb, etc, I can take that back with me.

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Tony says he's spoken to the council about permission for this new kerb,

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but that's not Ian's biggest concern.

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The issue that we might have is with your drive itself.

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-Right.

-Because we've...

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-Obviously, it ain't much of a drive at the moment.

-No.

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-It's just stone put on there.

-I know, and that's the thing,

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because there are issues with driveways and everything

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in terms of water, etc.

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A garden soaks up rain,

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but hard paving can cause water to run off into the street

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and that can create flooding.

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That's why Ian's so keen to make sure Tony's work is done correctly.

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Normally, we ask for block paving.

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It's expensive, isn't it?

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I know it is, when you've spent an awful lot of money already,

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I can see that.

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But in terms of it, normally, block paving,

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and it has to be the ones that allow the water through.

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-This is the problem.

-Yeah.

-These days...

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That'll let the water through, anyway, because it's just shingle.

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But it's coming onto your land, so it's not going onto the highway,

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which is the where the issue is.

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Cos if everybody does drives, all the water goes off.

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But apart from the worries about flooding,

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there's also complaints from neighbours to contend with.

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So it did all start off with a complaint.

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I don't know who it come from, it's anonymous.

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Patio being done, grinding and God knows what

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up until ten o'clock at night on a Saturday.

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No, that was a lie.

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-I sort of know who it is, anyway.

-But I don't.

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I do, I do know, yeah.

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Just a grumpy neighbour that's got a bit of the hump.

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He's basically been cursing me off, telling me to get my property done,

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and then when I start doing it, he's got the hump.

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So... Can't win, can you?

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While the relationship with the neighbours might need some work,

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it's the rest of the DIY that Ian needs to inspect.

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This time, round the back.

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All right. Can we just go and have a look?

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At what? What do you want to have a look at?

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He finds there's more than just a dropped kerb to contend with.

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In the worst case scenario,

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we have the right, actually, to remove it

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and recharge them for the cost of removing.

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-To put it blunt, it ain't your property, it's ours.

-Yeah, yeah.

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Evictions in England and Wales are currently at an all-time high,

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with more than 170 tenants being forced from their homes each day.

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That's a shocking statistic

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and one that troubles councils and housing associations.

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'Trying to prevent that number from getting any higher

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'is the work of housing officers across the UK.

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'I'm here in Stroud with Joe Phillips,

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'who's off to see a number of tenants

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'who might be in danger of falling into the eviction trap.'

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-So we're in Stroud today.

-Yeah.

-And what's the mission?

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-What's the task?

-Today, we're doing rent visits,

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people who I've tried to contact by various means

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and had no success in doing so.

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Just hoping we're going to catch some people in this way

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and hopefully get some debt sorted out.

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So these are people that are in arrears a bit?

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Yeah, some people in arrears a bit,

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some people in arrears a bit more than a bit.

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-Right.

-We've got a couple of people we're visiting today

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who are in breach of court orders,

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so we need to try and get those sorted out,

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or else we might be taking them back to court

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and seeking possession of the property again.

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Obviously, eviction is not the desired result

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for either the tenant or the council,

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and Joe's hoping today's visits

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might be able to prevent legal action and bailiff visits

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in the future.

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Rent's one of the debts that some people let slip first,

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there's no interest accrued on it.

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-Yeah.

-It's actually kind of a low-risk debt to have,

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to a certain degree,

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because until you go to court, there's no added charges.

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Of course, the risk is there if you let it slide too long,

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cos you risk losing your home, so not advisable.

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Presumably, most councils' approach to rent is a bit more understanding,

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perhaps, also, than other creditors, they might be trying to understand

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before they actually take sanction or punishment.

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Yeah, that's absolutely right,

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cos we're there to provide people with housing.

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So if we're taking it away from people, we're not doing our job.

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'So today's visits are more about prevention than punishment.

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'But given that these tenants are in rent arrears,

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'they might not be too keen to answer the door

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'to a man in council uniform.

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'I think we're going to have to be at our most charming.'

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Which block is it that we're looking at?

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Can't remember. I've not been to see this guy before.

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I only took over this area in May, I've not been to see everyone.

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There's a good chance that these people won't want to talk to us, will they?

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Yeah, pretty good.

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'Ever get the feeling you're being watched?'

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I mean, some of them might. This guy's a universal credit one,

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so I have a feeling he'll just want to whinge about people.

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So he might actually want to.

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'Yes, we're definitely being watched.'

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Excuse me.

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-Hiya.

-Are you from the council?

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-That's right, yeah.

-For picking up some rubbish?

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No, I can talk about picking up rubbish, though, where is it?

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-I'll show you.

-Yeah, OK.

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-Bit of a nightmare round here.

-Yeah, no worries, no worries.

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Thanks.

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Back in a sec.

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'It looks like the house call might have to wait.'

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Joe's been asked to go and...

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..look at a big pile of rubbish.

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It's not all about the rent.

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This has been here for a few months now.

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Oh, the sofas and things?

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And the bollards and things, yeah.

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It's another illustration of the unique role

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of the housing officer.

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One minute, you're dealing with impending evictions,

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the next, it's sofas and soft furnishings in the street.

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So you come to talk about rent and end up talking about rubbish.

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-Part of the job.

-What's going to happen to that?

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We'll get this collected as soon as possible.

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Normally I'd go through items to see if I can identify who it belongs to,

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make the responsibility theirs.

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However, with an old sofa like that, there isn't going to be anything

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that gives any sort of identification.

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I think you could possibly identify it based on the dog.

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So if you take DNA from the dog hair,

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then you just have to match that to all the dogs in this close.

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Yeah, probably cost a bit more than the £15 removal job!

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Yes, calling in the doggie detectives might be a step too far.

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But now the fly tipping's on Joe's radar,

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he can take steps to make sure it's removed.

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Now, back to those tenant visits.

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The resident here doesn't want to be identified.

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Hi, this is Joe Phillips, Stroud City Council.

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I need to have a chat with you about your rent, if possible.

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But with her debts mounting,

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Joe needs to impress just what's at stake

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if she doesn't get to grips with her finances.

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16.10 was your weekly rent,

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but you obviously need to pay a bit extra

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to clear off the arrears you've got as well.

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Now, you might need to get in touch with benefits,

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cos obviously if that's going to be unfeasible for you,

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you need to get that sorted out, all right?

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That's what we're looking for.

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'Joe's done his best to paint a clear picture

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'of the consequences of non-payment.

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'But, as I'm learning, the reasons for missing your rent

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'are rarely simple or straightforward.'

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Our tenant there, Joe, not too keen to be filmed.

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Seemed like she was unaware of the fact that the rent...

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There was an additional element to the rent

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that she was missing out this time.

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Yeah, it looks like it.

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I'm pretty sure the tenant has some problems with literacy,

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probably struggles with letters,

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which is why I've tried to contact her by phone,

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by letter as well, and then obviously the visit today

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to make sure she understands what's going on with that.

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I've had issues before. She's in a small amount of rent arrears, it's not a huge amount,

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and it's because she's not understood the amount

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she's supposed to be paying.

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So as soon as she's had it explained to her,

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she set up a standing order, she's been paying fine since then.

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Change of benefit means she's actually got to pay a bit more,

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but she hasn't understood that,

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so hasn't adjusted her payments accordingly.

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Not really a high-risk debt.

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However, she's the kind of person

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who, if I hadn't been to visit her in person,

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probably wouldn't have made any changes.

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It just goes to show the kind of assumptions you make.

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On my part, it's like, "Come on..."

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You sent a letter. "You should know what's going on."

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-But a letter for that tenant is not really much use.

-No, not at all.

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'Hopefully, after Joe's intervention,

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'this tenant now has more than a fighting chance

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'of keeping hold of her property.

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'But before we get a chance to move on...'

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Yes.

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-Can I?

-Yes.

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'The day takes another unexpected turn.'

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In the kids' bedrooms, basically, every time it rains,

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all the water comes down the walls.

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This one's spent all last winter

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on inhalers and steroids for his chest.

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-Right.

-But no-one's doing nothing.

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Back in Babergh,

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social housing tenant Tony Constantine

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has been carrying out improvements on his property

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without the correct council permissions,

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and that's prompted complaints from his neighbours.

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-I sort of know who it is, anyway.

-But I don't.

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If the work's done to a proper standard,

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the council usually have no concerns

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about tenants seeking to make a few minor alterations.

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Out front, the new driveway and fence

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have already come under scrutiny.

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Time to take a look at the work around the back.

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Yep, I'd say that was a little bit more than just a small spot of DIY.

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I've weeded it all and it's all...

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Taken some trees out, by the looks of it,

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-which is not a problem.

-If I was to put another fence up,

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-I'd put one up similar to the one at the back.

-Yeah.

-You know?

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-Tenant's permission.

-Yeah.

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-We'll get a load of forms, I'll just put them all in.

-Yeah. OK.

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It seems that Tony's invested a lot of time and money

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to create a new garden for his family,

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but that's not the issue for Ian today.

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To it put blunt, and this is how I tell people when I do the sign up,

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-it ain't your property, it's ours.

-Yeah, yeah.

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So we need to know anything that goes on in there

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in terms of if you want to do anything

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other than normal redecoration or putting a few shelves up,

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you need tenant's authority.

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There's definitely no permission for the patio.

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If Ian isn't happy that it is up to standard,

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he can ask for it to be rectified or even removed completely.

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-Huge, huge patio.

-It is, yeah.

0:15:090:15:12

Where is your water running off?

0:15:120:15:14

This way. So running away from the property.

0:15:140:15:17

My brother helped me, he's a professional landscape gardener.

0:15:170:15:20

-So all I've got to do now is put the edging kerbs on.

-Yeah.

0:15:200:15:23

So the patio seems to be on solid ground,

0:15:240:15:27

but what is Ian's verdict?

0:15:270:15:30

I am quite happy and obviously I can see, you know,

0:15:300:15:33

you've spent a lot of time doing stuff.

0:15:330:15:35

Ian seems satisfied with Tony's work so far,

0:15:350:15:38

but there's still the matter of the disgruntled neighbours.

0:15:380:15:41

When you're doing building works, it does upset neighbours.

0:15:410:15:45

I do have this problem. People moan about gardens

0:15:450:15:47

and then when people start to do it, you know, start having bonfires...

0:15:470:15:50

-So what do I do now?

-You can't win.

-Just leave it.

0:15:500:15:53

No, you carry on. I'm quite happy you're doing a decent job.

0:15:530:15:58

It is nice to see someone looking after the property.

0:15:580:16:02

Ian's thumbs up is great news for Tony and his family,

0:16:020:16:05

but he is keen to make sure he doesn't get too carried away

0:16:050:16:08

with the celebrations.

0:16:080:16:10

Just as an aside, in that complaint that I received,

0:16:100:16:13

it also mentioned outside drinking and noise and everything like that.

0:16:130:16:19

-Right.

-I just have to mention it.

0:16:190:16:23

-Everybody sits out in the garden and has a little drink.

-I know.

0:16:230:16:27

In particular, during the summertime...yeah.

0:16:270:16:30

And everybody is entitled

0:16:300:16:31

to have a little fun now and again, you know?

0:16:310:16:33

If you were doing that every week

0:16:330:16:35

and I was getting complaints every week...

0:16:350:16:37

It's only just started happening

0:16:370:16:38

as someone has fallen out with me, you know. We've been here two years.

0:16:380:16:41

Yeah, and have I ever met you before?

0:16:410:16:43

-No.

-So I've had no complaints.

-I know, I know.

-So, anyway...

0:16:430:16:47

But it is good, in a way, cos it prompted me to come out.

0:16:470:16:50

We've now met. We know what the situation is.

0:16:500:16:52

And you understand about tenant alterations.

0:16:520:16:55

And we don't drink every week.

0:16:550:16:58

I'm not an alcoholic or nothing like that.

0:16:580:17:00

-So nothing to worry about.

-All right.

0:17:000:17:01

-OK.

-Thanks very much. Lovely.

-Cheers, then. We'll be in touch.

0:17:010:17:04

It is a good result for Ian and he can leave in the knowledge

0:17:040:17:07

that the house is in safe hands with the current tenants.

0:17:070:17:10

Everything has been done to a good standard.

0:17:120:17:14

It is nice to see people in council properties

0:17:140:17:17

actually improving the property.

0:17:170:17:19

Half of my job is going round because people haven't done things.

0:17:190:17:23

The garden is untidy, etc.

0:17:230:17:25

So it is nice to meet somebody nice

0:17:250:17:26

who is actually trying their best to improve.

0:17:260:17:28

Although the role of a housing officer

0:17:330:17:35

is usually to get people into a home,

0:17:350:17:38

unfortunately, sometimes, they have no option

0:17:380:17:41

but to try and remove a tenant.

0:17:410:17:43

Evictions are always a last resort.

0:17:430:17:46

It is never a pleasant experience for anyone involved.

0:17:460:17:49

But with the demand for properties on the rise,

0:17:490:17:52

it is vital the housing teams get the home back

0:17:520:17:55

as quickly as possible.

0:17:550:17:57

Sometimes, that is easier said than done.

0:17:570:18:00

Here in the London Borough of Havering,

0:18:040:18:06

community wardens Liam and Gael

0:18:060:18:07

are on their way to an address

0:18:070:18:09

that's recently had to become

0:18:090:18:11

part of their regular beat.

0:18:110:18:13

We are about to go to a property

0:18:130:18:15

where a resident has been on the verge of being evicted

0:18:150:18:18

and it is being used as a party house.

0:18:180:18:20

He did sign a contract, a tenancy contract,

0:18:200:18:21

to say that he will not have people in there after ten o'clock at night.

0:18:210:18:24

He has breached that.

0:18:240:18:26

The past week, the police went there,

0:18:260:18:28

had a phone call late at night, and they went there

0:18:280:18:30

caught them in the property, so he's breached that

0:18:300:18:32

and he's on the verge of being evicted.

0:18:320:18:34

It is a pretty depressing list of complaints

0:18:340:18:37

and must be particularly hard on the neighbours

0:18:370:18:39

who have to live next door to it.

0:18:390:18:41

It has got to a point now where we have to go on a daily basis

0:18:410:18:43

to reassure the residents as well that we're there.

0:18:430:18:45

Just a visual, orange shirts, being seen,

0:18:450:18:48

sometimes makes them feel a lot better in themselves.

0:18:480:18:50

With the number of complaints still rising,

0:18:500:18:52

Liam and Gael want to speak to the tenant face-to-face

0:18:520:18:55

to ask if he can tone down his antisocial behaviour.

0:18:550:18:59

It might be a problem, though, if he doesn't answer the door.

0:18:590:19:02

In order to make a case for evicting a tenant like this,

0:19:050:19:08

the council needs to collect evidence of antisocial behaviour.

0:19:080:19:12

Complaints from the neighbours, that's one way,

0:19:120:19:14

but Liam and Gael also come armed

0:19:140:19:16

with another, more hi-tech, solution.

0:19:160:19:18

Sometimes we might get some noise. We might turn up,

0:19:180:19:20

they might be shouting, screaming, playing music.

0:19:200:19:22

We don't even have to knock, then. We can just film it from the outside

0:19:220:19:25

and we will catch it on a camera and then we will just go away.

0:19:250:19:28

KNOCKING, DOG BARKING

0:19:280:19:30

Well, the dog might now be wide awake,

0:19:310:19:33

but there's still no sign of the tenant.

0:19:330:19:36

It looks like there may be a slightly more unorthodox approach

0:19:380:19:41

to entering this flat. DOG BARKING

0:19:410:19:43

That's how he gains access to his property.

0:19:430:19:46

That's his balcony, so he'll climb through that

0:19:460:19:48

and get onto his balcony and what they do is,

0:19:480:19:50

when they can't get in or can't gain access to the property,

0:19:500:19:53

they break things like that to get in them.

0:19:530:19:55

-So they will climb through this.

-Yeah.

0:19:550:19:59

DOG BARKING

0:19:590:20:00

He'll climb through there, there is a door to get into the property,

0:20:000:20:03

so he probably leaves it open.

0:20:030:20:04

So if he loses his keys...

0:20:040:20:06

The front door was wedged open as well.

0:20:060:20:08

Yeah, I don't know why,

0:20:080:20:09

but it's screaming "health and safety" at me.

0:20:090:20:11

The noise from people scrambling in and out at all hours

0:20:110:20:14

must present another problem for the poor neighbours

0:20:140:20:17

and Liam and Gael are still no closer

0:20:170:20:19

to tackling the tenant about his behaviour.

0:20:190:20:21

But just as they're about to give up gaining entry,

0:20:210:20:25

there is the arrival of a potential lead.

0:20:250:20:27

BUZZER SOUNDS

0:20:270:20:29

That is the girlfriend of the tenant

0:20:300:20:32

that we have just knocked on the door and got no answer from.

0:20:320:20:36

So if no-one is in the flat, who has just buzzed the visitor inside?

0:20:360:20:40

-He is obviously in there.

-Watching us out the window, yeah.

0:20:400:20:43

So not exactly a criminal mastermind, then.

0:20:430:20:45

But it is still frustrating for our housing enforcers.

0:20:450:20:48

First off, they would answer the door and speak to us,

0:20:480:20:50

but once they know they've been caught,

0:20:500:20:52

they know they're on the verge of being evicted,

0:20:520:20:54

they'll just stop responding.

0:20:540:20:55

So we'll just keep on going back there on a daily basis.

0:20:550:20:58

And there goes the visitor, who Gael believes is the tenant's girlfriend,

0:20:580:21:02

this time exiting out of the back gate.

0:21:020:21:04

The buzzer went off so he let her in the block

0:21:040:21:07

and she has gone up the staircase, he spoke to her,

0:21:070:21:09

and now she has walked off via another gate

0:21:090:21:12

so she didn't have to be put on camera, and walked away,

0:21:120:21:14

so it looks like he's not in

0:21:140:21:15

cos they wanted it to look like there is no-one there

0:21:150:21:18

but there is someone there, but he just won't answer the door, so...

0:21:180:21:21

Although Liam and Gael haven't been able to speak to the tenant,

0:21:210:21:25

their presence on site should help reassure

0:21:250:21:27

the other residents that they are taking the complaints seriously.

0:21:270:21:31

And when it comes to antisocial behaviour of this type,

0:21:310:21:33

the council are keen to demonstrate their zero-tolerance policy.

0:21:330:21:37

Fingers crossed, this one is getting there now

0:21:370:21:40

and we can get to the end of it and get them out

0:21:400:21:42

and give that property to someone that deserves it

0:21:420:21:44

and who'll look after it and treat it the way it should be treated.

0:21:440:21:48

Well, it looks like Liam and Gael's visit had the desired effect.

0:21:510:21:55

The tenant successfully applied to remain in the property

0:21:550:21:58

and there have been no further breaches

0:21:580:22:00

or reports of bad behaviour since.

0:22:000:22:03

Defending our right to a safe place to live

0:22:070:22:10

is the job of housing officers right across the UK.

0:22:100:22:12

This is how they live.

0:22:120:22:14

It's almost like he's declared war on everybody that's living here.

0:22:140:22:18

It is not just you guys.

0:22:180:22:19

I'm working alongside the men and women that do exactly that.

0:22:190:22:22

Let's say whoever was here had their last couple of parties

0:22:220:22:25

and then decided to give it up.

0:22:250:22:27

Hitting the streets,

0:22:270:22:28

finding out what is happening on the front line...

0:22:280:22:31

This is a good example of a good old waste of council time.

0:22:310:22:34

..as we make sure a house is a fit place to call a home.

0:22:340:22:38

There is a strong smell of damp and you can notice it

0:22:380:22:41

as soon as you come in the property.

0:22:410:22:42

We're going to have no choice but to take them to court.

0:22:420:22:46

Job well done.

0:22:460:22:47

Meanwhile, back in Stroud,

0:22:520:22:54

I'm with housing officer Joe Phillips

0:22:540:22:56

on a mission to meet tenants who are falling so far behind

0:22:560:22:59

on their rent, they are in real danger of eviction.

0:22:590:23:01

But after a quick sidestep

0:23:010:23:03

to help deal with some illegal fly-tipping...

0:23:030:23:06

This has been here for a few months now.

0:23:060:23:08

..the day has taken another interesting turn.

0:23:080:23:12

This rose is sticking out a bit there, isn't it?

0:23:120:23:14

Bit of front garden work required.

0:23:140:23:16

Yes.

0:23:160:23:17

-Can I?

-Yes.

0:23:170:23:19

Somebody wants to talk to us and that is good.

0:23:200:23:23

-Is she a council tenant?

-I'm guessing so.

0:23:230:23:26

Right, got some toys in the front garden.

0:23:260:23:29

Like all good housing officers,

0:23:290:23:31

Joe is only too happy to make an unscheduled house-call.

0:23:310:23:34

-Hello. How are you? Are you all right?

-Yeah.

-Hiya!

0:23:370:23:41

Jodie is not in rent arrears, but she's got a more immediate problem

0:23:410:23:45

she wants to share with the council -

0:23:450:23:47

the current state of her property.

0:23:470:23:49

Basically, we did a home swap about five years ago.

0:23:490:23:53

-Right.

-The house was a state.

0:23:530:23:55

And we were told last year

0:23:550:23:56

that the roof and the loft are all under regs.

0:23:560:23:59

-Right.

-And we were also told

0:23:590:24:00

we were going to get new re-rendering in April.

0:24:000:24:03

-Mm-hm.

-Um...

0:24:030:24:05

In the kids' bedrooms, basically, every time it rains,

0:24:050:24:07

all the water comes down the walls.

0:24:070:24:09

This one spent all last winter

0:24:090:24:11

on inhalers and steroids for his chest.

0:24:110:24:13

But no-one is doing nothing.

0:24:130:24:16

I know it's not you.

0:24:160:24:17

-No. It's fine.

-But if he gets ill again this year,

0:24:170:24:19

I will be camping out in reception at the council.

0:24:190:24:21

Yeah, no, I understand that completely.

0:24:210:24:23

No offence, but it is our palace, you know.

0:24:230:24:25

It's just I go to bed worrying that roof's going to cave in.

0:24:250:24:27

'With the problems affecting the health of her children,

0:24:270:24:31

'it is unsurprising Jodie was so keen to grab our attention.'

0:24:310:24:34

Are we going left, right?

0:24:340:24:37

Left. Into the blue one.

0:24:370:24:39

This one here, right.

0:24:390:24:40

There is a little bit you can just see in the corners there.

0:24:400:24:44

WATER TRICKLES

0:24:440:24:46

Is that where it is, Jodie? Just in that corner there?

0:24:460:24:48

Yeah. Up on my little girl's wardrobe, it was smelling there.

0:24:480:24:51

Everything just reeks.

0:24:510:24:53

-That is the main corners...

-Yeah.

0:24:530:24:55

..and then it was coming through in here as well.

0:24:550:24:58

Cos we have established it isn't condensation.

0:24:580:25:00

There are holes in the roof.

0:25:000:25:01

They said light is coming through so even a hairline crack,

0:25:010:25:04

water can come through.

0:25:040:25:05

Well, we've made such improvements with the double glazing,

0:25:050:25:08

it unfortunately keeps all the moisture in

0:25:080:25:10

so adding extra vents, like fans, is never a bad thing,

0:25:100:25:13

especially in the young ones' room.

0:25:130:25:14

As Jodie says, this place is her palace,

0:25:140:25:16

and hopefully now with Joe on the case,

0:25:160:25:19

it means she and her children will be able to enjoy it

0:25:190:25:21

even more in the future.

0:25:210:25:23

It is another example of how an average day

0:25:230:25:26

in the life of a housing officer can prove to be anything but.

0:25:260:25:28

Well, there you go, you see.

0:25:280:25:30

When you leave the office wearing the fleece,

0:25:300:25:33

you're kind of...

0:25:330:25:34

You are there, aren't you?

0:25:340:25:36

You're in the firing line straightaway.

0:25:360:25:38

You're in the target. So with that place there,

0:25:380:25:41

obviously, she is a bit upset about the state of the roof

0:25:410:25:45

and what is happening, so is that your role?

0:25:450:25:47

Or do you pass that one straight on?

0:25:470:25:49

It is not my role, but I'll pass it on to someone

0:25:490:25:51

who I know can make contact.

0:25:510:25:53

They might not be the person who ends up resolving it,

0:25:530:25:55

but at least it is someone I know

0:25:550:25:57

who can sort out where it needs to go.

0:25:570:25:59

So after our second detour of the day,

0:25:590:26:01

time to get back on track

0:26:010:26:03

and another tenant who is struggling with debt.

0:26:030:26:06

What about the next one on the list?

0:26:070:26:09

Yeah, so the next one is a young chap

0:26:090:26:12

who lives in a one-bed flat.

0:26:120:26:14

He's had a few problems with rent arrears

0:26:140:26:16

to the point where we've issued a notice on him

0:26:160:26:20

and since that notice, we have had a review

0:26:200:26:23

which has said we are going to allow him to stay under certain terms,

0:26:230:26:27

as long as he meets the criteria for meeting his rent

0:26:270:26:29

plus paying a little bit extra to clear off the rent arrears.

0:26:290:26:32

Now, the problem is the chap has had a motor vehicle accident

0:26:320:26:38

and has got some brain injuries

0:26:380:26:41

which may mean that he has memory problems.

0:26:410:26:45

And the main problem with that

0:26:450:26:46

is that it is very hard to deal with the rent arrears

0:26:460:26:50

and understand whether he is not paying the rent

0:26:500:26:52

because of his brain injury,

0:26:520:26:55

or because it is some other reason

0:26:550:26:57

and it is really difficult to understand that

0:26:570:26:59

without having a chat.

0:26:590:27:01

This visit is a perfect illustration

0:27:010:27:03

of the daily challenge people like Joe face in their role.

0:27:030:27:06

The reasons for tenants getting into rent arrears

0:27:060:27:09

are rarely black and white

0:27:090:27:11

and Joe is dealing with people often with complicated needs.

0:27:110:27:14

-These are great, aren't they?

-Yeah.

0:27:160:27:18

Really unique as well in Stroud.

0:27:210:27:22

-They don't build any more like this.

-No.

0:27:220:27:24

It is the end of a long day, so we're hoping this final trip

0:27:250:27:28

is going to prove nice and straightforward

0:27:280:27:31

without any further distraction.

0:27:310:27:33

-SIGHING:

-Oh, God...!

0:27:340:27:36

Yeah, spoke too soon.

0:27:380:27:40

Before we do anything,

0:27:400:27:41

I'm just going to take a photo of this.

0:27:410:27:43

Another illegally dumped sofa and another unscheduled task.

0:27:430:27:47

These items in the corridor are a clear fire risk,

0:27:470:27:49

so Joe will make sure this gets reported back

0:27:490:27:52

to the right people at the council.

0:27:520:27:54

And further inspection reveals another shocking crime.

0:27:540:27:58

Engelbert Humperdinck.

0:27:590:28:02

I'm not sure it's in VGC, though.

0:28:020:28:04

Yeah...

0:28:050:28:06

There's probably a couple of tracks you could play on it.

0:28:080:28:10

Anyway, back to the task at hand.

0:28:100:28:13

Joe has come for a face-to-face meeting

0:28:130:28:15

with a tenant who is in real danger

0:28:150:28:16

of finding himself on the wrong end of the eviction process.

0:28:160:28:20

But with any luck, Joe's intervention

0:28:200:28:22

could help put him back on the right track.

0:28:220:28:24

I know he's not in because there is a padlock

0:28:240:28:26

on the outside of the door, which means that...

0:28:260:28:28

-You can't lock that from the inside, so he must be out.

-So that's that.

0:28:280:28:31

That's that, yeah. I'll leave my card,

0:28:310:28:33

as I do with all people who aren't in,

0:28:330:28:35

letting him know I need to speak to him about his rent urgently.

0:28:350:28:38

And hopefully he will get back in touch with me.

0:28:380:28:40

For now, that is all Joe can do.

0:28:400:28:42

He will look to follow up on all his attempts

0:28:420:28:44

to speak to the tenants he couldn't find today

0:28:440:28:46

as well as deal with illegal fly-tipping,

0:28:460:28:49

removal of fire hazards and treatment of damp bedrooms.

0:28:490:28:52

All in all, the end of a typical, normal day.

0:28:520:28:54

Well, after Joe's long and eventful walkabout,

0:28:560:28:59

he reported back his findings.

0:28:590:29:01

Firstly, all the people on his list who were in danger of eviction

0:29:010:29:04

have now been contacted and each one is making arrangements

0:29:040:29:08

to clear their debts.

0:29:080:29:10

That discarded furniture was removed from the street

0:29:100:29:13

and at Jodie's property,

0:29:130:29:15

a follow-up inspection discovered the cause of the damp

0:29:150:29:18

was linked to the problems with the rendering.

0:29:180:29:21

The council are now in the process of fixing this up,

0:29:210:29:24

which is great news for her young family.

0:29:240:29:26

Sadly, though, the Engelbert Humperdinck LP

0:29:260:29:29

was revealed to be beyond repair.

0:29:290:29:32

Owning your own home is the dream of many of us here in the UK,

0:29:370:29:41

which is why the government created legislation

0:29:410:29:43

called the Right To Buy scheme.

0:29:430:29:45

Introduced in 1980,

0:29:450:29:47

it allowed tenants the chance to buy their council house,

0:29:470:29:50

often at a big discount on the market value.

0:29:500:29:53

As you can imagine, this provided quite an opportunity,

0:29:530:29:55

and councils have been keen to make sure the rule is not abused.

0:29:550:30:00

Today, Andrew Weavers is visiting a house in Suffolk

0:30:000:30:03

after suspicions were raised

0:30:030:30:04

when the tenant applied to purchase the property.

0:30:040:30:07

Right, we're going to one of our more rural villages

0:30:080:30:11

called Fressingfield, on the Suffolk-Norfolk border.

0:30:110:30:13

We've got a property there, a three-bedroom house.

0:30:130:30:15

Tenant has put in a right to buy on the property.

0:30:150:30:18

Because our right to buy team found it difficult

0:30:180:30:21

to contact our tenant, the alarm bells rang.

0:30:210:30:25

They did quite a lot of delving and digging

0:30:250:30:28

and found out that she had private rented in a property

0:30:280:30:32

about 40 minutes away from the house they were a tenant of.

0:30:320:30:36

With more than 1.8 million council homes bought by tenants

0:30:370:30:40

since its inception,

0:30:400:30:41

the scheme has certainly proved popular.

0:30:410:30:44

However, one of the central pillars of Right To Buy

0:30:440:30:46

is that you are only able to purchase your council house

0:30:460:30:49

if it is your only or principal home.

0:30:490:30:52

So, with this tenant living elsewhere,

0:30:520:30:55

instead of becoming a proud new homeowner,

0:30:550:30:57

she got a visit from Andrew at her new house.

0:30:570:31:00

I told her who I was,

0:31:000:31:01

said that I had two bits of bad news for her,

0:31:010:31:04

one being we were cancelling the right to buy,

0:31:040:31:07

and the other bit of bad news

0:31:070:31:08

was I was serving a notice to quit the property.

0:31:080:31:12

I think she was a bit stunned I was on the doorstep, to be honest.

0:31:120:31:15

I am sure she was, Andrew.

0:31:150:31:17

And after this timely intervention,

0:31:170:31:19

the tenant and her son were given four weeks

0:31:190:31:21

to remove their belongings from their former property.

0:31:210:31:24

I'm not sure if it is empty.

0:31:240:31:26

I don't know what I'm going to find there

0:31:260:31:29

but if there is evidence that the people have gone,

0:31:290:31:33

then we will change the locks and take the property back

0:31:330:31:35

and make sure a family gets hold of that property

0:31:350:31:38

and is able to rent it.

0:31:380:31:39

Andrew has arranged for a locksmith to meet him at the property.

0:31:400:31:44

Going to try and knock at the door, go and see if there is anyone in,

0:31:440:31:48

cos I don't know what's going to happen,

0:31:480:31:51

and then I'm going to sort of...

0:31:510:31:52

We've got a key to get in, so we don't have to break in.

0:31:520:31:55

And if I think that there's no-one living there,

0:31:550:31:58

then I think we'll change the locks.

0:31:580:31:59

-OK.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

-Cool beans.

0:31:590:32:01

So I'll go and have a little snout round first.

0:32:010:32:04

The four-week deadline has already passed,

0:32:040:32:06

so the property is supposed to be empty,

0:32:060:32:09

but Andrew is taking no chances.

0:32:090:32:11

Just look through the window. It seems really quite basic in there.

0:32:110:32:14

I'm just going to go and have a look round the back.

0:32:140:32:17

If I find someone in there,

0:32:250:32:27

I'll have to have a little chat, but it looks reasonably empty,

0:32:270:32:31

but I'm keen to get these windows shut

0:32:310:32:33

because you can obviously get on this flat roof and get in there,

0:32:330:32:36

so I want to get this property secure.

0:32:360:32:38

After gaining entry to the property...

0:32:400:32:42

Hello?

0:32:420:32:43

..it all seems very quiet.

0:32:430:32:47

I'll just have a quick snoop around

0:32:470:32:48

and see if there's anybody, any sign of life.

0:32:480:32:51

There's definitely nobody at home.

0:32:540:32:56

All that remains is the remnants of the former tenants' lives

0:32:560:32:59

and although they have left quite a lot of rubbish behind,

0:32:590:33:02

it seems they've taken most of the kitchen with them.

0:33:020:33:05

They've really ripped this all out. A lot of kitchen...

0:33:050:33:08

Kitchen bits and pieces out, right off the wall.

0:33:080:33:11

But there's a more permanent addition to the property

0:33:120:33:14

that's caused the biggest shock -

0:33:140:33:16

a conservatory.

0:33:160:33:17

This was put up without any permission.

0:33:190:33:21

I imagine it's a tenant's alteration. We'll check it out.

0:33:210:33:24

It looks as if they've built onto the back of the house

0:33:250:33:28

without seeking approval from the council.

0:33:280:33:30

When we first served notice,

0:33:300:33:32

I think they did admit there were a few unauthorised alterations here

0:33:320:33:35

and they would kindly put it right

0:33:350:33:37

and make sure the property was handed back in decent condition,

0:33:370:33:40

but, as you see, that didn't quite happen.

0:33:400:33:43

If Andrew was hoping conditions might improve upstairs,

0:33:440:33:47

he is about to be disappointed.

0:33:470:33:49

They've not left it in prime condition,

0:33:490:33:52

ready for re-let, I'm afraid.

0:33:520:33:53

There's a lot of work to do here and a lot of money to be spent.

0:33:530:33:56

We will try and recharge the tenant for that.

0:33:560:33:59

Whether we get any money out of them, or not,

0:33:590:34:02

remains to be seen, but we know where they are.

0:34:020:34:04

But as you can see, there is no-one living here now.

0:34:060:34:10

I can safely say that they've gone.

0:34:100:34:13

If there's anything worth anything, I'll put a sign on the door to say

0:34:150:34:19

that they've got 28 days to come and collect.

0:34:190:34:23

But I think we're quite safe to take the property back.

0:34:230:34:26

It's so frustrating to see a council property

0:34:260:34:28

left in such poor condition by the outgoing tenants.

0:34:280:34:31

Their actions mean that families in genuine need of housing

0:34:310:34:34

will be on the waiting list even longer.

0:34:340:34:37

The next step for this house will be an assessment

0:34:370:34:39

of what work needs to be done before it is fit to be let to a new family.

0:34:390:34:43

Yeah, there's quite a lot of money spent on here.

0:34:430:34:45

It looks like a brand-new kitchen.

0:34:450:34:47

Quite possibly bathroom, maybe.

0:34:470:34:49

Getting everything out and cleaned up a bit,

0:34:520:34:54

I think that will be the biggest cost.

0:34:540:34:57

All right, just go and have a chat with our carpenter

0:35:000:35:02

and see if he'll come and change the locks.

0:35:020:35:05

Hi, mate. I've been in. They seem to have gone.

0:35:070:35:12

I got in through the back door, so that's the back door key there.

0:35:120:35:15

I think that might be the front, but we'll get those locks changed

0:35:150:35:17

cos I'm confident they are not... Well, they're gone now.

0:35:170:35:20

So if we can get those locks changed that would be excellent.

0:35:200:35:23

-Will do.

-Thank you, mate.

0:35:230:35:25

Evicting tenants is always a last resort,

0:35:260:35:29

but here in Mid-Suffolk,

0:35:290:35:30

there are more than 2,000 households on the council home waiting list,

0:35:300:35:34

so it is vital to turn this property around as fast as possible

0:35:340:35:37

for a family in genuine need.

0:35:370:35:39

What we do now is we make sure

0:35:390:35:42

the tenant knows that they have got 28 days

0:35:420:35:45

to pick up anything that they want.

0:35:450:35:47

The rest of the stuff here will be disposed of.

0:35:470:35:49

If there was anything worth any money,

0:35:490:35:51

then we'd sell it and try and retrieve some of the costs,

0:35:510:35:53

but I don't think there will be anything.

0:35:530:35:56

While we are doing that, we will get our team in

0:35:560:35:59

to go and get this place up to a lettable standard.

0:35:590:36:02

I don't want to muddle them up. Have I got the right keys?

0:36:040:36:06

I've got the back door in one pocket,

0:36:060:36:09

and the front door in another.

0:36:090:36:11

There you are. Back door in that pocket,

0:36:110:36:14

front door, I'll put into that pocket

0:36:140:36:15

and then I'll just put a lovely little reminder on the door

0:36:150:36:19

that if they want all their beautiful stuff back,

0:36:190:36:21

all they've got to do is give us a ring. They get 28 days.

0:36:210:36:25

So I will put one on the front and one on the back,

0:36:280:36:30

just so that we are covered.

0:36:300:36:33

Right. That's that job done.

0:36:420:36:45

After Andrew's inspection,

0:36:520:36:53

he did some digging through the council's paperwork

0:36:530:36:56

and discovered the former tenant of the property

0:36:560:36:59

didn't have permission to build the conservatory.

0:36:590:37:02

Work was carried out to have it removed

0:37:020:37:05

and repairs have also had to be made to the kitchen, bathroom and garden,

0:37:050:37:08

at a cost of more than £11,500.

0:37:080:37:12

That bill has been sent to the former tenant

0:37:120:37:14

and, in the meantime, the newly repaired property

0:37:140:37:16

has been re-let to a new family.

0:37:160:37:19

It is estimated that almost half the households in the UK have a pet,

0:37:260:37:29

with animals almost outnumbering people -

0:37:290:37:32

that's if you include fish.

0:37:320:37:34

And let's face it, why wouldn't you include fish?

0:37:340:37:36

But what happens when a tenant

0:37:360:37:38

has to vacate their property unexpectedly,

0:37:380:37:41

leaving their pets to fend for themselves?

0:37:410:37:43

Well, here in Berwick-upon-Tweed,

0:37:430:37:45

that is the challenge facing housing officer Lindsay Jones.

0:37:450:37:48

We have been given information by the local police

0:37:480:37:52

that a tenant of ours is no longer in the property

0:37:520:37:55

and they have a concern about animal welfare,

0:37:550:37:57

so we have arranged for a joiner

0:37:570:37:59

from the property services department this morning

0:37:590:38:02

to gain access

0:38:020:38:04

and I have also been in touch with a local animal rescue centre

0:38:040:38:09

who are potentially going to take the animals

0:38:090:38:11

if they are in the property.

0:38:110:38:13

The information that Lindsay has received

0:38:130:38:16

suggests that the absent tenant

0:38:160:38:18

won't be returning to the property any time soon.

0:38:180:38:21

So she is hoping to rescue the pets before it is too late.

0:38:210:38:24

But she is also a little bit nervous of reports of squawking noises

0:38:240:38:27

coming from inside.

0:38:270:38:29

Don't really do birds.

0:38:290:38:31

And I'm not sure how I'm going to catch it.

0:38:310:38:33

So hopefully that is going to be in a cage

0:38:330:38:34

and I'll be able to carry that out in a cage.

0:38:340:38:36

I have got a key to get into the communal block.

0:38:360:38:40

That is why the joiner is here, because we are going to gain entry.

0:38:400:38:44

He'll drill out the locks and we'll do a lock change

0:38:440:38:46

and make sure the property is then secure.

0:38:460:38:48

Rescuing pets is not part of a normal day for a housing officer,

0:38:480:38:51

but with time being of the essence,

0:38:510:38:53

it is left to Lindsay to try and resolve

0:38:530:38:55

this particularly worrying homelessness case.

0:38:550:38:58

Is anybody in? It is Isos Housing.

0:38:580:39:00

There are quite a few occasions where we've gone in

0:39:010:39:03

and there has been pets in the property

0:39:030:39:05

and they've been locked in for quite a time.

0:39:050:39:07

They are either in a very, sort of, malnourished state

0:39:070:39:11

or they haven't survived at all.

0:39:110:39:13

The joiner has managed to gain entry.

0:39:190:39:21

Hello?

0:39:210:39:24

There's no telling if the animals will be in distress,

0:39:240:39:26

so Lindsay is going to have to tread very carefully.

0:39:260:39:29

There's definitely no sign of the tenants, but thankfully,

0:39:300:39:33

she does find the pets.

0:39:330:39:35

It is a bird.

0:39:350:39:37

The cat is here somewhere.

0:39:370:39:39

Oh! There it is.

0:39:400:39:42

Both the cat and the budgie appear safe and well,

0:39:430:39:46

and after a little scramble trying to bring them to heel...

0:39:460:39:49

Come on. In you go.

0:39:490:39:53

..the pets have been rescued.

0:39:540:39:56

It is a shame that we had to force entry into someone's property,

0:39:560:39:58

but on the plus side, we were made aware the pets were here.

0:39:580:40:01

Could have been a lot worse.

0:40:010:40:03

So glad the bird was in the cage.

0:40:030:40:06

I just don't do birds at all.

0:40:060:40:08

I'm not running around after that.

0:40:080:40:10

With the animals now safety collected,

0:40:120:40:14

Lindsay's next task is to see

0:40:140:40:16

about getting her furry and feathered friends a new home.

0:40:160:40:19

-We've got a finch, we suspect.

-Right, OK.

-And a cat.

0:40:190:40:23

Quite a young cat.

0:40:230:40:26

-It's very, very feisty.

-It will be. It will be very frightened as well.

0:40:260:40:29

We should have a towel, maybe, to put over it.

0:40:290:40:31

No, the bird is fine. It's the cat that has been feisty.

0:40:310:40:34

-Come on, sweetheart.

-I know.

0:40:360:40:38

Pets, for most people,

0:40:410:40:42

are considered to be a part of the family

0:40:420:40:44

and part of what makes a house a home.

0:40:440:40:47

But in cases like these, sadly, they must end up here,

0:40:470:40:49

in an animal shelter.

0:40:490:40:51

If we take her through and let her out the crate,

0:40:510:40:53

we can check to see if she's chipped.

0:40:530:40:56

You, Tweetie, will have to wait.

0:40:560:40:58

I don't normally like...

0:40:580:41:01

Hello, gorgeous.

0:41:010:41:02

Oh, darling. Bless her.

0:41:020:41:07

We'll leave her in peace for a little while.

0:41:070:41:10

We'll come back later - I'd quite like to keep the skin on my hand.

0:41:100:41:15

But she will probably be quite frightened

0:41:150:41:17

for the first sort of couple days.

0:41:170:41:18

-She was fine when I first picked her up.

-Well, yes.

0:41:180:41:20

"What are you doing?"

0:41:200:41:22

-But then she got very agitated.

-Which is fair enough.

0:41:220:41:25

Bless her. She will be frightened.

0:41:250:41:27

She is very pretty.

0:41:270:41:30

But what we'll have to do

0:41:300:41:31

is we'll have to take her in as a stray.

0:41:310:41:34

-Yes.

-So what we have to do, we have to advertise her as a stray

0:41:340:41:36

for seven days, to see if an owner comes forward.

0:41:360:41:41

The pets do appear to be well looked after,

0:41:440:41:46

so the rescue centre will hold the animals for a week

0:41:460:41:48

and give the current owner a chance to reclaim them.

0:41:480:41:51

But if they're not, they will be offered up to caring new owners.

0:41:510:41:56

Then if you could just sign...that one for the bird as well.

0:41:560:42:00

-She will be a nice cat.

-She's lovely.

-She's just frightened.

0:42:010:42:04

All good. She's having breakfast, so that's quite good.

0:42:040:42:09

-I will ring up and check on them.

-Yes, give us a ring. Thank you.

0:42:090:42:11

-Thank you very much.

-Lovely. Thank you.

0:42:110:42:13

Has Lindsay bonded with the cat sufficiently

0:42:140:42:17

to consider adopting it herself?

0:42:170:42:19

I've got one cat already. That is certainly enough for me, thank you.

0:42:190:42:22

And it was a very, very feisty cat, so no,

0:42:220:42:24

I am quite happy to leave it in there,

0:42:240:42:26

but I'm sure it won't take long before someone else snaps it up.

0:42:260:42:29

Well, the good news is that,

0:42:310:42:32

thanks to Lindsay's timely intervention,

0:42:320:42:35

both animals were cared for at the shelter

0:42:350:42:38

and both found new, welcoming homes,

0:42:380:42:40

proving that it is not just people

0:42:400:42:42

that housing officers can help to get rehoused.

0:42:420:42:46

Well, as we have just seen, being a housing officer

0:42:500:42:54

means a daily dose of tough choices and difficult decisions,

0:42:540:42:57

but it is all in a day's work for the men and women

0:42:570:43:00

fighting to ensure we can enjoy a safe place to call home.

0:43:000:43:04

That is it for today, but join me again next time

0:43:040:43:07

when I'll be back on the front line with the housing enforcers.

0:43:070:43:10

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