0:00:02 > 0:00:05The law says everyone has the right to a decent place to live.
0:00:05 > 0:00:08This isn't about you, this is to do with the building.
0:00:08 > 0:00:10But for thousands of people across Britain,
0:00:10 > 0:00:13the reality can be more hovel than home.
0:00:13 > 0:00:17The landlord has got concerns. He would be worried about fire risks.
0:00:17 > 0:00:19In the battle between tenants and landlords,
0:00:19 > 0:00:22it's local housing officers who are on the front line.
0:00:22 > 0:00:25You can't start blaming the ills of society on landlords,
0:00:25 > 0:00:26do you know what I mean?
0:00:26 > 0:00:28I'm Matt Allwright and I've been training hard,
0:00:28 > 0:00:31ready to join the ranks of these housing enforcers.
0:00:31 > 0:00:33Show me your rat holes.
0:00:33 > 0:00:35Oh, my God! Look!
0:00:35 > 0:00:37Tackling problem properties...
0:00:37 > 0:00:39They had to go through the whole winter with it like that.
0:00:39 > 0:00:42There's fresh rat droppings down here.
0:00:42 > 0:00:44..dealing with the consequences of nightmare neighbours...
0:00:44 > 0:00:47- What was it that happened? - Catapult job.
0:00:47 > 0:00:48..and everything in between.
0:00:48 > 0:00:51I can get a warrant from court and that would be the next step.
0:00:51 > 0:00:54- Do you like the big house? - Yeah.- Do you?
0:00:54 > 0:00:55Stop filming and leave my house.
0:00:55 > 0:00:57OK. We've been asked to leave, we'll leave.
0:01:02 > 0:01:03Coming up...
0:01:03 > 0:01:07I'm on the trail of a very elusive landlord whose tenants
0:01:07 > 0:01:08have had enough.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11It's freezing cold, you get frustrated and you're angry,
0:01:11 > 0:01:13and it's just...it's not easy.
0:01:13 > 0:01:17I would be absolutely bricking it, you know, if this was my property.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20I'd be thinking, "Oh, my God, "the council are coming round."
0:01:20 > 0:01:23Housing Officer Grant is fighting a losing battle
0:01:23 > 0:01:25with problem properties.
0:01:25 > 0:01:27We're trying to do our best to sort of improve the house
0:01:27 > 0:01:29and conditions down there,
0:01:29 > 0:01:32but it's trying to put sticking plaster over a dam, really.
0:01:32 > 0:01:37And I introduce a sofa-surfing couple to their very first home.
0:01:37 > 0:01:41Compare this to where you've been sleeping over the last few months.
0:01:41 > 0:01:43A million times better.
0:01:43 > 0:01:45This will be our first proper bed in a long while.
0:01:49 > 0:01:51An Englishman's home is his castle,
0:01:51 > 0:01:54but if that home is owned by somebody else, well,
0:01:54 > 0:01:58then you may need to know where to find your local housing officer.
0:01:58 > 0:02:01They're responsible for making sure that landlords live up to
0:02:01 > 0:02:03their duties and obligations.
0:02:03 > 0:02:09Namely, providing somewhere to live that is safe and decent.
0:02:09 > 0:02:11In St Helens, Merseyside,
0:02:11 > 0:02:15there are more than 7,000 rental properties, but, shockingly,
0:02:15 > 0:02:18more than 50% fail what's known as the decency standard.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23I'm working with seasoned housing officers Pam Coppock
0:02:23 > 0:02:24and Chrissy Nevitt.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31- You do, literally, have to be ready for anything.- OK.- OK.
0:02:31 > 0:02:34And we're heading to an old terraced house that's been let out
0:02:34 > 0:02:36as seven individual bedsits.
0:02:37 > 0:02:41Tenants have made complaints about a dangerous lack of maintenance,
0:02:41 > 0:02:43and the way they're being treated by the landlord,
0:02:43 > 0:02:46who, despite being chased for the last seven months,
0:02:46 > 0:02:50doesn't even have a licence to rent out the house.
0:02:50 > 0:02:54Chrissy's gone on ahead so Pam can brief me on the way to the property.
0:02:55 > 0:02:58It should be his fifth year of licensing,
0:02:58 > 0:03:01and we've not had any correspondence from him.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04So we're going to try and chase it up, really.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07That seems like a long time, considering that this could be
0:03:07 > 0:03:10a house that is unsafe for one reason or another.
0:03:10 > 0:03:14That feels like a long time that he can get away with it for.
0:03:14 > 0:03:18Well, this is his second invite to join us
0:03:18 > 0:03:19and look over the property with us,
0:03:19 > 0:03:21so whether he'll turn up or not I don't know.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25By law, housing officers have to give the tenants
0:03:25 > 0:03:29and the landlord 24 hours' notice to enter the property.
0:03:29 > 0:03:30- This one here?- It is.
0:03:32 > 0:03:34And even though they're not expecting any trouble,
0:03:34 > 0:03:37police are always present on this sort of inspection
0:03:37 > 0:03:39in this neck of the woods.
0:03:39 > 0:03:41Are you happy to sort of guide us through the property?
0:03:41 > 0:03:42Yeah, of course.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45- Pam will do the inspection of the rooms.- Yeah.- Is that all right?
0:03:45 > 0:03:49- Yeah, yeah.- Tenant Gary made the initial complaint.
0:03:49 > 0:03:51He lives at the very top of the house.
0:03:51 > 0:03:53I had a mate who lived upstairs who moved me in here.
0:03:53 > 0:03:55It seemed all right at the time.
0:03:55 > 0:03:57I phoned the council because the hot water went off.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59It was off for about a week, something like that.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02I asked them to get it fixed, nothing was getting done.
0:04:02 > 0:04:04I had no other option but to phone the council
0:04:04 > 0:04:07and get something done properly. There's just always something wrong.
0:04:07 > 0:04:11As soon as Pam walks into Gary's flat, she spots a serious fire risk.
0:04:11 > 0:04:15Oh, that's a serious fire risk, isn't it?
0:04:15 > 0:04:19We've got problems, cos we're coming straight in from the main door
0:04:19 > 0:04:20past a cooker.
0:04:20 > 0:04:25Oh, so, the fire's in here, you're in there, you can't get out.
0:04:25 > 0:04:26So, fire safety.
0:04:26 > 0:04:28If a fire did break out,
0:04:28 > 0:04:31Gary's only escape route is through the window, which is 25 metres
0:04:31 > 0:04:34above street level - that's a big drop.
0:04:35 > 0:04:39Anything over four and a half metres is considered to be too high
0:04:39 > 0:04:40to jump by the council.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43That's a long way down.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46You're not going to survive the drop.
0:04:46 > 0:04:48- You've got a gas cooker?- Yes.
0:04:48 > 0:04:50Does your landlord do a regular gas safety check?
0:04:50 > 0:04:52No, nothing at all, no.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55Have you got any fire detectors in here? Smoke detectors?
0:04:55 > 0:04:57Yes, that actually doesn't work.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00Cos the electrics keep tripping, the fire alarm's went off
0:05:00 > 0:05:03a couple of times in here, and I can just about hear it.
0:05:03 > 0:05:05It's only when I'm awake that I know it's going off downstairs.
0:05:05 > 0:05:07So I can't even hear that, either.
0:05:07 > 0:05:09Does that actually trip them?
0:05:09 > 0:05:11We don't know if that's working or not.
0:05:11 > 0:05:13No, I've been asleep all night, woke up the next morning
0:05:13 > 0:05:15and I've just about heard it downstairs,
0:05:15 > 0:05:18everyone going off their head, cos they can hear it from downstairs,
0:05:18 > 0:05:20- apart from me cos I'm all the way up here.- Right.
0:05:20 > 0:05:22You've got no electric at the moment?
0:05:22 > 0:05:24The electric's been off now for about two weeks, I think.
0:05:24 > 0:05:27Are you all right if we just have a bob around the flat and have a look?
0:05:27 > 0:05:29Of course, yeah.
0:05:29 > 0:05:32In the bathroom, Pam wants to know why the window's been boarded up.
0:05:32 > 0:05:36Since I moved in the outside of the glass was already smashed,
0:05:36 > 0:05:38which I told them when I came in to view the flat.
0:05:38 > 0:05:39He said, "I'll get that fixed."
0:05:39 > 0:05:42Er, I think it was some point last year.
0:05:42 > 0:05:45Would you mind taking it off, because if I break your window...
0:05:45 > 0:05:46Yeah, yeah...
0:05:54 > 0:05:57Oh, my word...
0:05:57 > 0:06:00Yeah, the outside's been like that since I moved in.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03Gary's been living like this for the last two years,
0:06:03 > 0:06:06but with all the problems he's reached breaking point.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09So have you withheld rent?
0:06:09 > 0:06:13- Yeah.- Because the works aren't done.- We've got no hot water for...
0:06:13 > 0:06:16it's been about two months there was no hot water, no heating,
0:06:16 > 0:06:18nothing like that. So I refused to pay him rent.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20He served me my notice, I said fair enough, when do you want me out by,
0:06:20 > 0:06:23and then arguments basically started from there.
0:06:23 > 0:06:25He came out, he said you've got, like, a week, something like that,
0:06:25 > 0:06:28I said I need a bit more time to save a deposit.
0:06:28 > 0:06:31But your notice is supposed to be two months. Is that right?
0:06:31 > 0:06:33- Yeah.- Section 21.
0:06:33 > 0:06:37- Section 21, two months.- And he gave me, basically, a week after that.
0:06:37 > 0:06:38Cos I argued with him,
0:06:38 > 0:06:41and I got quite a bit of legal advice over the phone and stuff.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44I told him about it and he's backed off a bit, like.
0:06:44 > 0:06:45Can I ask how much you pay for this?
0:06:45 > 0:06:49It's £350 a month. It's supposed to be all bills included.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52I can see that Pam's worried about Gary's situation.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55He might not have done himself any favours.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58Where does Gary stand with this, cos he stopped paying the rent?
0:06:58 > 0:07:00Yeah. We never advise that.
0:07:00 > 0:07:02We always tell a tenant to carry on paying the rent
0:07:02 > 0:07:05because a tenancy agreement is a contract.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08One half of the tenancy agreement is the landlord will always do
0:07:08 > 0:07:10the maintenance and keep the place in good repair.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13The tenant's side is that he will always pay his rent.
0:07:13 > 0:07:14But surely we're at the point
0:07:14 > 0:07:17when the landlord has failed to provide the things
0:07:17 > 0:07:19he said he's going to provide. He's broken the contract first,
0:07:19 > 0:07:21so why would you continue to pay?
0:07:21 > 0:07:24Because if it ever goes to tribunal, or if we get involved,
0:07:24 > 0:07:28or you're trying to show that you've been a reasonable person,
0:07:28 > 0:07:31you've adhered to your contract, you haven't done anything wrong,
0:07:31 > 0:07:33you've met your contractual agreements.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36What do you think of this place so far?
0:07:36 > 0:07:38Erm... A bit worried at the moment.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41- We've only seen one room. - I know. I know.
0:07:41 > 0:07:43And we need to see the others.
0:07:43 > 0:07:47But later, when we inspect the house, the list of problems
0:07:47 > 0:07:48gets even longer.
0:07:50 > 0:07:54If we can see out, that means rats can see in.
0:08:02 > 0:08:04Next we're off to the seaside village of Jaywick
0:08:04 > 0:08:06on the Essex coast.
0:08:06 > 0:08:10Housing officers Grant Fenton-Jones and Rob Goswell are on the road!
0:08:10 > 0:08:13I've been to some of those famous beaches, like Brighton
0:08:13 > 0:08:17and that, and I thought, "This is nothing compared to Jaywick."
0:08:17 > 0:08:20It's definitely something original, innit?
0:08:20 > 0:08:21Yeah.
0:08:23 > 0:08:27Despite its beauty, Jaywick is a problem patch for Grant and Rob.
0:08:27 > 0:08:29In fact, the village has been named
0:08:29 > 0:08:32one of the most deprived areas in Britain.
0:08:32 > 0:08:34Today they're heading to the latest property to fall victim
0:08:34 > 0:08:36to antisocial behaviour.
0:08:37 > 0:08:40- It's unsecured, so all the kids are getting in.- Lovely.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43Trouble is, there's also the chance
0:08:43 > 0:08:45that someone will end up getting hurt.
0:08:45 > 0:08:48Landlord's had a notice, he's not complied with it.
0:08:48 > 0:08:52This half-renovated seaside home has been abandoned.
0:08:52 > 0:08:55It's an all-too-familiar story in Jaywick.
0:08:55 > 0:08:57I do like how they always seem to get me XXXL.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00Need an adult to dress me. Look at this, look.
0:09:00 > 0:09:01Oh, dear.
0:09:03 > 0:09:05- Morning!- All right, mate?
0:09:05 > 0:09:07Having tried and failed to contact the owner,
0:09:07 > 0:09:10Grant and Rob are having to assess the latest trail
0:09:10 > 0:09:11of destruction here.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14- Smoothly done, mate.- You all right? - Yeah.
0:09:15 > 0:09:17Watch out for me big helmet.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20You've got a massive hole there, watch out, mate.
0:09:20 > 0:09:22We had a quite a few fires in here.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25You can actually see the evidence there on the insulation over there.
0:09:26 > 0:09:28They were saying they're coming through the roof.
0:09:28 > 0:09:30Yes! And sort of kicking it all apart in here.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35It seems like unwelcome intruders will go to any lengths to
0:09:35 > 0:09:37get into a derelict house.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40This property now has to be boarded up again
0:09:40 > 0:09:42and secured with a heavy-duty tarpaulin.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47As a local authority we've got a duty to sort of make sure
0:09:47 > 0:09:49that this is safe, so we've served a notice,
0:09:49 > 0:09:52it's not been complied with, so we're doing the works in default.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54And now we'll look at it as a long-term empty
0:09:54 > 0:09:57and we will serve another notice,
0:09:57 > 0:10:01requiring the landlord to either renovate or demolish.
0:10:01 > 0:10:03So give him six months on that notice,
0:10:03 > 0:10:07but at least we can keep it secure and safe as best we can.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09That's one property tackled,
0:10:09 > 0:10:13but Grant and Rob are dealing with a unique problem in Jaywick.
0:10:15 > 0:10:17The village was originally developed
0:10:17 > 0:10:19to be a summer getaway for Londoners,
0:10:19 > 0:10:23so many of its houses weren't designed as permanent residences,
0:10:23 > 0:10:25and they're now beginning to show their age.
0:10:27 > 0:10:29The area is also at risk of flooding,
0:10:29 > 0:10:32so owners are deserting their properties and are reluctant
0:10:32 > 0:10:36to spend money on maintenance, which leaves the place open to vandalism.
0:10:38 > 0:10:40- DOG BARKS - All right, fella. All right.
0:10:40 > 0:10:41Hello.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45A waste management team has been sent in to sort out this
0:10:45 > 0:10:49abandoned house, but the clear-up process has now ground to a halt.
0:10:51 > 0:10:55So they've found asbestos in the mess somewhere,
0:10:55 > 0:10:57and so that's why they've stopped doing work.
0:10:57 > 0:10:58A load of glass here.
0:10:58 > 0:11:02Yeah, I know. Problem is, you start on turning up this grass
0:11:02 > 0:11:05- and it's going to be more and more... - Ah, there we are.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08Yeah, they've downed tools, pretty much, haven't they?
0:11:08 > 0:11:11It's not just asbestos the pair have to deal with.
0:11:13 > 0:11:15Can you gain access from underneath?
0:11:16 > 0:11:18- Yes, you can.- Can you?
0:11:19 > 0:11:21Hello, love, straight in here, look.
0:11:23 > 0:11:25You know what they've done, don't you, they've set a fire.
0:11:25 > 0:11:27- Yeah, to get into it. - This is what happened,
0:11:27 > 0:11:29they've lit a fire, so they've got in.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32It's like time has forgotten in here, isn't it?
0:11:32 > 0:11:36It's been a long-term empty property, which obviously
0:11:36 > 0:11:37we were getting boarded up.
0:11:37 > 0:11:41We've now been told that the waste contractors can't continue
0:11:41 > 0:11:44any longer, so we've come to have a look and investigate
0:11:44 > 0:11:47and we've also found that it's no longer secure either.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50So we need to get this all boarded up, cos the last thing
0:11:50 > 0:11:54we want is the place to be burnt down or anyone injured
0:11:54 > 0:11:57gaining access, like children or whatever.
0:11:57 > 0:12:01We'll look at serving a notice under Section 79 of the Building Act,
0:12:01 > 0:12:06which will give the owner the opportunity to either renovate
0:12:06 > 0:12:08or demolish.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11We'll probably give them a six-month time span on that.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16Once again, the council is left to sort out the problem,
0:12:16 > 0:12:18when it should be the owner who foots the bill.
0:12:20 > 0:12:22We are trying to do our best to sort of improve
0:12:22 > 0:12:24the housing conditions down here,
0:12:24 > 0:12:27but when you get these privately rented properties,
0:12:27 > 0:12:30sometimes the landlord, I think maybe they lose heart
0:12:30 > 0:12:33cos over a period of time their properties have been attacked
0:12:33 > 0:12:37and burnt down or vandalised,
0:12:37 > 0:12:40and it's trying to put sticking plaster over a dam, really,
0:12:40 > 0:12:44trying to keep up with the amount of work that we need to do here.
0:12:45 > 0:12:49I'm starting to realise just how frustrating this situation is
0:12:49 > 0:12:51for our housing officers.
0:12:51 > 0:12:54It's very difficult to deal with these. It is almost, to a degree,
0:12:54 > 0:12:57like, sort of playing whack a mole, almost.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00We get one bit done and something else kind of raises up.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03So the council is very pro-active dealing with these ones,
0:13:03 > 0:13:05- hence the reason why we're here. - But it costs money.
0:13:05 > 0:13:07But it does cost considerable amounts of money.
0:13:07 > 0:13:10It's important to track down the owner of this property
0:13:10 > 0:13:13and get it sorted out, especially as somebody seems to be
0:13:13 > 0:13:16attempting what's commonly known as a land grab.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22See whether or not people are just trying to do a land grab
0:13:22 > 0:13:24and pretend they've sort of been maintaining it for ten years
0:13:24 > 0:13:26and then claim it as their own.
0:13:26 > 0:13:28- Sort of maintaining it. - Yes, sort of maintaining it.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33What they'll do is, you have a vacant plot or a house,
0:13:33 > 0:13:35and they'll find out on land registry whether or not
0:13:35 > 0:13:37it's been registered.
0:13:37 > 0:13:39If it's not been registered, they'll then fence it off,
0:13:39 > 0:13:41and maintain the land, sometimes they're not.
0:13:41 > 0:13:44If they can prove they've been doing it for ten years or so,
0:13:44 > 0:13:46they can then register the land in their name.
0:13:46 > 0:13:48So that has happened, or attempted to be happened
0:13:48 > 0:13:50in the past down there.
0:13:50 > 0:13:54For now, all Grant and Rob can do is remove the immediate risk
0:13:54 > 0:13:57by making the building safe and secure.
0:13:57 > 0:13:59It's secure round near the windows,
0:13:59 > 0:14:02so now we're going to get it skirted underneath so no-one can set a fire
0:14:02 > 0:14:04like they've done before and come up from underneath.
0:14:04 > 0:14:07And Rob can get to work on solving the mystery
0:14:07 > 0:14:10of who owns the property. We'll have an update later.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18Back in St Helens, there's growing concern
0:14:18 > 0:14:21about the state of this unlicensed block of bedsits.
0:14:26 > 0:14:28There's no fire exit from Gary's flat.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32You're not going to survive the drop.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35And things get even worse as we head down to the basement.
0:14:35 > 0:14:38There's not actually any lights down here.
0:14:39 > 0:14:42There's a broken step second from the bottom.
0:14:42 > 0:14:44Just be careful.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47Down here there are two separate shower rooms
0:14:47 > 0:14:51that are the only washing facilities for two of the flats.
0:14:51 > 0:14:53And next door there's a boiler that heats the whole house,
0:14:53 > 0:14:56but the wall it's attached to is in a shocking state.
0:14:57 > 0:14:59There's a hole under the boiler
0:14:59 > 0:15:01that goes straight out to the back garden.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04You can see daylight and the back garden.
0:15:04 > 0:15:07And if we can see out, that means rats can see in.
0:15:09 > 0:15:13It's clear this household needs serious maintenance to make it safe.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16Yet the landlord still charges £350 per month for the room -
0:15:16 > 0:15:21that's nearly £30,000 a year when the place is fully tenanted.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24So where is the landlord?
0:15:24 > 0:15:27I would be absolutely bricking it, you know,
0:15:27 > 0:15:30if this was my property. I'd be thinking, "Oh, my God
0:15:30 > 0:15:33"the council are coming round." You know? He's not here.
0:15:33 > 0:15:36- He's still getting the money coming in...- Yeah.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39..but he's not here to put things right at the point
0:15:39 > 0:15:43when it's getting quite close to last-chance saloon, really.
0:15:43 > 0:15:47You've got the top-floor flat with the cooking and the drop-out window,
0:15:47 > 0:15:50you've got down here that doesn't even have any electrical lights
0:15:50 > 0:15:51to come down the stairs.
0:15:51 > 0:15:54It's great if you've got your big torches,
0:15:54 > 0:15:57but that tenant has to come down and use this facility
0:15:57 > 0:15:59in the middle of the night if she needs to,
0:15:59 > 0:16:04and she doesn't even have lights on the staircase, so it's not great.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07Back up on the ground floor, I meet another disgruntled tenant,
0:16:07 > 0:16:11young mum Faye, who lives here with her three-year-old son.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15Have you brought up a lot of the problems with this place
0:16:15 > 0:16:16with the landlord?
0:16:16 > 0:16:19He is aware of them, and I have spoken to him about them,
0:16:19 > 0:16:22so he does know, but, erm...
0:16:22 > 0:16:25- he's not...you know... - Just not responsive?
0:16:25 > 0:16:29No. He always says, "Oh, yeah, I'll fix it, I'll fix it."
0:16:29 > 0:16:33And then weeks pass and months pass and nothing gets done.
0:16:33 > 0:16:37Can you describe what it's like living under these conditions?
0:16:37 > 0:16:40It's freezing cold, you get frustrated and you're angry,
0:16:40 > 0:16:43and it's just... it's not easy, you know?
0:16:43 > 0:16:46Sometimes you've got to get a wash, you've got to be somewhere,
0:16:46 > 0:16:48you've got to be presentable
0:16:48 > 0:16:51and you can't because the shower is freezing cold,
0:16:51 > 0:16:55and the inside is freezing cold, and it's just horrible.
0:16:55 > 0:16:56And your little chap is...
0:16:56 > 0:17:00Exactly. It's not fair on him at all Just not fair.
0:17:00 > 0:17:04Faye's flat does have access to a back yard which is her son's only
0:17:04 > 0:17:08play area, but the steps are so slippery anyone using them
0:17:08 > 0:17:10could have a serious accident.
0:17:12 > 0:17:16Be careful, because they're really, really slippy.
0:17:16 > 0:17:19I can't even go down on these. I can't.
0:17:19 > 0:17:21I'm going to come a cropper.
0:17:21 > 0:17:23Yeah, no, don't go down. There's no handrail.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26It's slippy, and I don't know whether they're secure.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29It is heartbreaking to find a young mum with a toddler
0:17:29 > 0:17:30living in these conditions,
0:17:30 > 0:17:34but it's not down to Pam's team to find Faye a home.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37- Our remit isn't to get you rehoused. I can't do that.- Yeah, I know.
0:17:37 > 0:17:41But I can let them know what the conditions are like you're living in,
0:17:41 > 0:17:44- and sort of like put in a good word. - Thank you.
0:17:44 > 0:17:47- All right?- Yeah.- And then we'll see, because, er...
0:17:47 > 0:17:50I am a bit worried about you.
0:17:50 > 0:17:52Thanks very much, Faye.
0:17:52 > 0:17:54OK, so what happens from here, then?
0:17:54 > 0:17:59What can you make happen quickly and then in the slightly longer term?
0:17:59 > 0:18:02Make sure that the landlord realises his responsibilities.
0:18:02 > 0:18:07He comes down, he gets the works started, and we're confident they're
0:18:07 > 0:18:10going to be completed, because as it stands he doesn't get a licence.
0:18:10 > 0:18:12We can't licence the property.
0:18:12 > 0:18:16If you knowingly run a property that should have a licence
0:18:16 > 0:18:18and it doesn't, you can be prosecuted,
0:18:18 > 0:18:23and it's up to a £20,000 fine and/or five years in prison.
0:18:23 > 0:18:27Coming up, there's more bad news for the tenants.
0:18:27 > 0:18:28I'm a bit angry about it
0:18:28 > 0:18:33because I feel sorry for the new tenants who've just moved in.
0:18:33 > 0:18:34It's not fair on us.
0:18:38 > 0:18:42It's the job of housing officers across the UK to make sure
0:18:42 > 0:18:45that people have a decent place to live.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48I'm really concerned about what you're living in here,
0:18:48 > 0:18:49and I want to get it fixed for you.
0:18:49 > 0:18:54I'm going to be working alongside the men and women who do just that.
0:18:54 > 0:18:56There's a thing down in the corner there growing out of the skirts
0:18:56 > 0:18:58and it looks like a sea sponge.
0:18:58 > 0:18:59I'm hitting the streets.
0:19:01 > 0:19:02I'm learning on the job.
0:19:02 > 0:19:03We call that flash banding.
0:19:03 > 0:19:05That's like a temporary fix, isn't it?
0:19:05 > 0:19:10To find out what it takes to make sure that every house
0:19:10 > 0:19:11is fit to be called a home.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14I know I've only been in the job for a bit, but this is a shock.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17You've got three boys? Where does everybody sleep?
0:19:17 > 0:19:18You seem to get very angry.
0:19:18 > 0:19:20I've had too many people mug me off.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27Next up, we're off to Stevenage in Hertfordshire,
0:19:27 > 0:19:30where housing officer Emma Williams is on her way to visit
0:19:30 > 0:19:33a young mum on benefits in desperate need of rehousing.
0:19:33 > 0:19:35The lady that we're going to see now contacted us
0:19:35 > 0:19:37about three or four months ago.
0:19:37 > 0:19:42She was having some difficulties in her relationship,
0:19:42 > 0:19:44basically a relationship breakdown.
0:19:46 > 0:19:48Lauren and her daughter Faith are just two of
0:19:48 > 0:19:52the tens of thousands of people who register themselves
0:19:52 > 0:19:54as homeless each year in the UK.
0:19:54 > 0:19:56They've been living in emergency housing
0:19:56 > 0:19:58since Lauren split from her partner.
0:19:59 > 0:20:01We tried to live together for Faith's sake for about
0:20:01 > 0:20:03a year and half.
0:20:03 > 0:20:05And it was just getting worse and worse
0:20:05 > 0:20:08and she was starting to, like, I suppose, understand.
0:20:08 > 0:20:10So when we'd start talking
0:20:10 > 0:20:13she'd instantly think that we was going to argue.
0:20:13 > 0:20:15So she would say - "Mummy, Daddy, stop talking,
0:20:15 > 0:20:16"stop talking."
0:20:16 > 0:20:18Shall we put a hair band in her hair?
0:20:18 > 0:20:20Lauren's current home is a cramped bedsit.
0:20:22 > 0:20:24This is the hallway.
0:20:24 > 0:20:27And then just in here is our bathroom.
0:20:27 > 0:20:30Got bath, sink, normal stuff.
0:20:30 > 0:20:34So in here is the bedroom and living room and in this bit
0:20:34 > 0:20:38here is the kitchen - we've got everything, cooker, new cooker
0:20:38 > 0:20:41and then the fridge is just in the bedroom as well.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44It's been OK, the only thing that really gets me
0:20:44 > 0:20:48is that I have to go to bed when she goes to bed otherwise she won't
0:20:48 > 0:20:52go to sleep, so I've been going to bed at, like, seven o'clock with her.
0:20:52 > 0:20:54Where? Where? Where? Where...
0:20:54 > 0:20:57But for Lauren, there could be good news round the corner.
0:20:57 > 0:21:02Emma's found a one-bedroom flat that could be perfect for the family.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05But with housing in such high demand,
0:21:05 > 0:21:08the landlord will have his pick of potential tenants.
0:21:08 > 0:21:13They like to see how the person's dressed,
0:21:13 > 0:21:14how they present themselves.
0:21:14 > 0:21:17If they believe they might have an issue,
0:21:17 > 0:21:20and I suppose you don't really know until, I would say, at least two or
0:21:20 > 0:21:25three months into the tenancy whether or not this person
0:21:25 > 0:21:29is going to be a bad tenant. You know, we would want to find
0:21:29 > 0:21:32the best tenants for them as possible.
0:21:32 > 0:21:37Today landlord Mark has two families booked in to view the property,
0:21:37 > 0:21:41so the pressure's on for Lauren and Faith to make a good impression.
0:21:41 > 0:21:42You know, we've got
0:21:42 > 0:21:45such a massive list of people who need properties
0:21:45 > 0:21:49and, you know, there is only one to go around and I suppose the landlord
0:21:49 > 0:21:52has to make the choice and when you have to break that news to them
0:21:52 > 0:21:54they are very sad about it.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57Look, there's a park just across the road. That's good, isn't it?
0:21:57 > 0:22:00- I want to go there. - You want to go there, oh.
0:22:00 > 0:22:02OK, this is the bathroom.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06This is a nice property, it's um, obviously, a lot better than what
0:22:06 > 0:22:09I'm in at the minute and the park is just across the road
0:22:09 > 0:22:11so it's ideal, really.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14We've got another viewing coming in a minute.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17We'll know from that viewing as to who they're going to choose
0:22:17 > 0:22:20but from there we'll definitely tell you by today
0:22:20 > 0:22:21as to what the situation will be.
0:22:21 > 0:22:25Thank you. Thank you. Come on then, Faithie, let's go.
0:22:25 > 0:22:27With Lauren and Faith clearly sold on the house,
0:22:27 > 0:22:31they now face an anxious wait while the second couple are shown round.
0:22:32 > 0:22:36Some cases it can be quite demoralising
0:22:36 > 0:22:38and they don't like the property or especially
0:22:38 > 0:22:40if the landlords don't want to go with them either
0:22:40 > 0:22:43and having to tell them and break that news to them,
0:22:43 > 0:22:45it can be quite heartbreaking.
0:22:45 > 0:22:48The viewings are over. It's now crunch time,
0:22:48 > 0:22:51the landlord has to choose between the two families.
0:22:51 > 0:22:54I would be happier that there was just the one person in here
0:22:54 > 0:22:56and I think the size of the flat kind of lends itself
0:22:56 > 0:22:58to one person and a child rather than a couple.
0:22:58 > 0:23:00Yeah, yeah.
0:23:00 > 0:23:02With a baby like that. Because I think there's
0:23:02 > 0:23:05too many adults in a smaller place, potentially.
0:23:05 > 0:23:08Do you think she's quite happy to move in?
0:23:08 > 0:23:11Yeah, I think Lauren would be the better candidate
0:23:11 > 0:23:13- for the property.- I think so.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16- She will be so happy, definitely. - Good. Definitely, yes.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21Oh, that went so well, that went really, really well.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23Really happy for the landlord, um,
0:23:23 > 0:23:26yeah, we're going to make some very happy people.
0:23:26 > 0:23:29The landlord believes his flat may not be big enough for a couple
0:23:29 > 0:23:32and would prefer a tenant who is single.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35All that's left for Lauren to do is sign the paperwork
0:23:35 > 0:23:36and begin her new life.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40- Write my name. - You want to write your name, do you?
0:23:40 > 0:23:42Mummy will get you some paper.
0:23:42 > 0:23:44When all the paperwork has been sorted,
0:23:44 > 0:23:47we've made someone, like - not homeless!
0:23:47 > 0:23:49Which is always good in our jobs.
0:23:55 > 0:23:59Back in St Helens, I've been working with Housing Officers Pam
0:23:59 > 0:24:02and Chrissy on the trail of a landlord who's been renting
0:24:02 > 0:24:04a property out as bedsits.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07But not only is the building in need of serious maintenance...
0:24:07 > 0:24:09Er, the outside has been like that
0:24:09 > 0:24:13- since we moved in.- ..the landlord doesn't even have a proper licence.
0:24:13 > 0:24:17If you knowingly run a property that should have a licence
0:24:17 > 0:24:20and it doesn't, you can be prosecuted.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23Now, since our last visit, some things have been fixed,
0:24:23 > 0:24:27such as tenant Gary's smashed window and the wall behind the boiler.
0:24:27 > 0:24:31But the boiler itself is still inadequate for a house this size,
0:24:31 > 0:24:35and Gary still doesn't have a proper fire exit.
0:24:35 > 0:24:39Bad enough, you might think, but Pam has some even worse news.
0:24:40 > 0:24:44It's been alleged that the landlord has said
0:24:44 > 0:24:47we're insisting on vacation so that he can close the property.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50So the council is insisting on, on everyone moving out,
0:24:50 > 0:24:53- that's what he's claiming? - That's what he's claiming,
0:24:53 > 0:24:55- obviously, we're not... - That's not the case.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58..we're asking for it to be licensed, which it needs to be done.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01To add insult to injury, since our last visit,
0:25:01 > 0:25:04he's only gone and rented out another of the flats!
0:25:04 > 0:25:06Can we come in? Is that all right?
0:25:06 > 0:25:08- Thanks, Laura.- Thanks, Laura.
0:25:08 > 0:25:13What tenancy agreement have you got? What type of agreement is it?
0:25:13 > 0:25:15Six months.
0:25:15 > 0:25:19'Despite Laura only moving in two weeks ago, she's now being evicted.
0:25:19 > 0:25:21'But the letter the landlord has given her
0:25:21 > 0:25:25'is from HIS mortgage company threatening HIM with repossession.'
0:25:25 > 0:25:28They're still working under the assumption here that
0:25:28 > 0:25:31everything within this property belongs to him, as if it's his home.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34- As if it's his home. Yeah.- They need to know as soon as possible
0:25:34 > 0:25:37that there are tenants here with their own property
0:25:37 > 0:25:40and possessions here that the bailiffs have no right to touch.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43Thanks a lot, guys.
0:25:43 > 0:25:47For young mum Faye, news of a possible eviction is the last straw.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50The council have found her a place in a hostel,
0:25:50 > 0:25:53so she's moving with her son until she can find a new flat.
0:25:53 > 0:25:58I'm a bit angry about it, because I feel sorry for the new tenants
0:25:58 > 0:26:01who've just moved in, they moved in and not even a week later
0:26:01 > 0:26:04that letter arrived and they've got to find somewhere else
0:26:04 > 0:26:08now as well. It's not fair on us, do you know what I mean?
0:26:08 > 0:26:09And how about you for the future?
0:26:09 > 0:26:12Are you looking forward to the next place you're going to?
0:26:12 > 0:26:14I'm so excited, I can't wait to get out of here.
0:26:14 > 0:26:16Just have my own space, you know what I mean?
0:26:16 > 0:26:19I'll be able to finally settle down.
0:26:19 > 0:26:21I wish you all the best, I really do, for both of you.
0:26:21 > 0:26:23Thank you.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26It's great that Faye's feeling so positive about the future but that
0:26:26 > 0:26:29still leaves the threat of eviction hanging over the other tenants.
0:26:29 > 0:26:32We'll get an update on what's facing them, later.
0:26:40 > 0:26:43Back in Essex in the district of Tendring,
0:26:43 > 0:26:46housing officer Grant Fenton-Jones, this time joined
0:26:46 > 0:26:50by Ian Kavanagh, is about to face another day of problem properties.
0:26:50 > 0:26:52- Oh, we'll get you up a ladder again today!- Oh!
0:26:52 > 0:26:54I forgot about that, well done.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57Oh, no! As long as you don't look down
0:26:57 > 0:27:00- it's not so bad.- You get vertigo cleaning the windows, don't you?
0:27:00 > 0:27:03This pair are the go-to guys when it gets grimy.
0:27:03 > 0:27:06- Where did we put all the shoe covers? - I don't know.
0:27:06 > 0:27:08With nearly 20 years on the job between them,
0:27:08 > 0:27:10this pair have seen it all.
0:27:10 > 0:27:14We regularly visit properties that are, um, less than clean,
0:27:14 > 0:27:18shall we say? Normally we have to wipe our feet on the way out.
0:27:18 > 0:27:20See you later, Marion - I love you too.
0:27:22 > 0:27:26Today they've been called out to a very special property
0:27:26 > 0:27:28that Grant hasn't set foot in for a long time.
0:27:28 > 0:27:30It's his old childhood home.
0:27:30 > 0:27:34It's going to be a bit of a trip down memory lane for me.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37- We were so poor we never had a bath. - You didn't have a bath?
0:27:37 > 0:27:39- No, we never had a bathroom. - You're not that old, Grant.
0:27:39 > 0:27:41You weren't born in the '50s.
0:27:41 > 0:27:45- No... well, it was a rented property. - Oh, right.
0:27:45 > 0:27:47Looking forward to that.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50Whoa! That was clever, mate.
0:27:50 > 0:27:51Grant may remember his home fondly,
0:27:51 > 0:27:53but for the current tenant Naomi Warcombe,
0:27:53 > 0:27:57the house is making her family's life a misery.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00There's mould in nearly every room,
0:28:00 > 0:28:04there is some sort of, either a leaky roof or something in the roof.
0:28:04 > 0:28:06And the kitchen is coming off the walls.
0:28:06 > 0:28:08Not knowing what else to do,
0:28:08 > 0:28:11Naomi's complained directly to the council housing team.
0:28:11 > 0:28:14- Hiya.- Hello. - Tendring District Council.
0:28:14 > 0:28:16- Come on in. - Could you just give us an idea
0:28:16 > 0:28:18what the problems are and take us round?
0:28:18 > 0:28:21Come on you, you can come with us.
0:28:22 > 0:28:26Well, that is the mould, is all there, you see that
0:28:26 > 0:28:28all around the house to the point where my...
0:28:28 > 0:28:31The TV people had to come in with the TV line up the wall
0:28:31 > 0:28:34- because it corroded away down there. - Right.
0:28:34 > 0:28:37The council is obliged to inform the landlord of their inspection
0:28:37 > 0:28:38so they'll be joined by
0:28:38 > 0:28:41a representative from the letting agency.
0:28:41 > 0:28:43Naomi's main concern is how the damp
0:28:43 > 0:28:47and mould could be affecting her 18-month-old daughter Amy Lee.
0:28:47 > 0:28:49She's constantly getting ill,
0:28:49 > 0:28:52one thing after another, coming out in rashes.
0:28:52 > 0:28:55I'm not too sure whether the house is making it worse
0:28:55 > 0:28:57or if the house is what made her have it.
0:28:57 > 0:29:02But I don't think living in a mouldy house is helping her health at all.
0:29:02 > 0:29:05Damp has been linked to a number of respiratory diseases
0:29:05 > 0:29:08such as asthma and bronchitis and it's something
0:29:08 > 0:29:11none of us should have to live with. There are three types of damp.
0:29:25 > 0:29:27If the problem is structural
0:29:27 > 0:29:30then the landlord is responsible for fixing it.
0:29:30 > 0:29:33Upstairs, the detective work to hunt for the source of the problem
0:29:33 > 0:29:37begins in the one room Grant never had - the bathroom.
0:29:37 > 0:29:40This is coming off the wall... the WC cistern.
0:29:40 > 0:29:44Yeah, and it's just mould. I cleaned this just a couple of months ago.
0:29:44 > 0:29:46- So, yeah. It's just come back. - Yeah.- OK.
0:29:46 > 0:29:49Do you ventilate in here when you have a bath or anything?
0:29:49 > 0:29:50Yeah, I keep the window open,
0:29:50 > 0:29:53even when I clean it just gets left like all of that.
0:29:53 > 0:29:55Yeah, I know it's a pain but you really need to
0:29:55 > 0:29:58keep on top of this black a bit more often. Every couple of months.
0:29:58 > 0:30:01I'm going to recommend they put an extractor fan in here, as well,
0:30:01 > 0:30:04so if they don't open the window during bathing
0:30:04 > 0:30:06it will continue to pull the wet air out.
0:30:06 > 0:30:07But when Grant was a boy,
0:30:07 > 0:30:10this was an altogether different kind of room.
0:30:10 > 0:30:13That used to be my brother's bedroom, that did.
0:30:13 > 0:30:15Oh, did you have a little outhouse?
0:30:15 > 0:30:18No, we had an outside toilet and had a bath in the kitchen. Yeah.
0:30:18 > 0:30:21We had to go up to my gran's for a bath.
0:30:21 > 0:30:24We used to sit in here and listen to his records with him
0:30:24 > 0:30:28when I was about five and he was about, oh... How old is he now?
0:30:28 > 0:30:31He probably had been sort of late teens,
0:30:31 > 0:30:34I suppose, so he was probably my hero in those days, really.
0:30:34 > 0:30:37Not any more, I hate him now, but... CHUCKLING
0:30:37 > 0:30:39No, he's all right.
0:30:39 > 0:30:41Yeah, it's quite surreal, really.
0:30:41 > 0:30:43I can hear the Hovis music playing in the background.
0:30:43 > 0:30:45I know.
0:30:45 > 0:30:47Back to the job in hand. In the main bedroom,
0:30:47 > 0:30:50there's a much more significant problem.
0:30:50 > 0:30:54There's a patch with what appears to be a tide line
0:30:54 > 0:30:56where moisture could be getting in from an overflowing gutter
0:30:56 > 0:30:59or there could be a hole in the roof in that area.
0:30:59 > 0:31:02- Although, saying that, it could be flashing, couldn't it?- Yeah.
0:31:02 > 0:31:04Water is coming in from above, which means
0:31:04 > 0:31:06climbing into the roof space to investigate.
0:31:06 > 0:31:09- I don't have a ladder or anything. - We do.
0:31:09 > 0:31:10OK!
0:31:12 > 0:31:14Can you see any daylight?
0:31:14 > 0:31:17Oh, yeah, there is a bit of evidence on that the parapet.
0:31:17 > 0:31:21- It is leaking.- Yeah.- I can see streaky rain down here.
0:31:21 > 0:31:26- There is a gap around that stack as well.- Yeah. OK.
0:31:26 > 0:31:27Ow!
0:31:27 > 0:31:29Another problem identified.
0:31:29 > 0:31:32Back downstairs, the memories come flooding back.
0:31:32 > 0:31:35My dad used to sit here at the table rolling his fags.
0:31:35 > 0:31:38On this table here, on the very table, here just here.
0:31:39 > 0:31:41This used to have a door across there.
0:31:41 > 0:31:44- You got a tumble drier going in here at all?- No.
0:31:44 > 0:31:46Cos it's showing a lot of mould in here.
0:31:46 > 0:31:49Then Ian spots what could be the worst water damage yet.
0:31:49 > 0:31:51Grant, I've just noticed something here, mate.
0:31:51 > 0:31:54- What's that, mate?- That looks relatively new when the light's on.
0:31:54 > 0:31:56I can see it. That's going to go off the scale.
0:31:56 > 0:32:00- That's off the scale, mate, that's saturated.- Go around the brickwork.
0:32:00 > 0:32:03I tell you, that's absolutely saturated.
0:32:03 > 0:32:05Going in the brickwork. Yeah.
0:32:05 > 0:32:08BEEPING
0:32:08 > 0:32:11That's absolutely saturated, there's something happening there.
0:32:11 > 0:32:13Do you reckon it's where this fence is attached to the wall?
0:32:13 > 0:32:15It could be it's that.
0:32:18 > 0:32:21Crikey, Ian, you're right for a change.
0:32:21 > 0:32:23- Where that post is.- Yeah. - They've rendered round it.
0:32:23 > 0:32:25- Have they?- The water is getting in behind, round the post,
0:32:25 > 0:32:28and it's sitting behind that new render.
0:32:28 > 0:32:30Well, there is damp, but, luckily,
0:32:30 > 0:32:33Grant and Ian seem to have identified each source.
0:32:33 > 0:32:36It's not bad, the property, really. I know it's all right
0:32:36 > 0:32:39me saying that, I don't live here, but it's not particularly bad
0:32:39 > 0:32:42so that's why we've got to look at other ways
0:32:42 > 0:32:44we can improve your conditions and help you,
0:32:44 > 0:32:47- at the same time, be fair to the landlord.- Yeah.
0:32:47 > 0:32:51You know, there's one or two bits he's got to do but it's not...
0:32:51 > 0:32:55it's nothing that's going to cause him great hardship, I don't think.
0:32:55 > 0:32:58The landlord now has four weeks to respond.
0:32:58 > 0:33:00Failure to act on Grant's recommendations
0:33:00 > 0:33:02could lead to prosecution.
0:33:02 > 0:33:05Hopefully now improvements will be made -
0:33:05 > 0:33:09which will, perhaps, give Amy Lee a better chance of getting well.
0:33:09 > 0:33:13I think for Grant it's one of the stranger house calls he's made.
0:33:13 > 0:33:16A bit surreal, really, going back in there after 30,
0:33:16 > 0:33:2038 years since I was last in there.
0:33:20 > 0:33:23I didn't expect to see a bathroom, but, yeah, fairly similar.
0:33:23 > 0:33:26It was hard with four kids, Dad, and a big dog as well so you can
0:33:26 > 0:33:30imagine it in there, that kitchen was half the size of that, having to
0:33:30 > 0:33:33go outside to use the toilet, having to get in the kitchen to have a
0:33:33 > 0:33:36wash in the morning while my sister was hogging it, which was great fun.
0:33:36 > 0:33:38- But...- I'm surprised it's not you who was hogging it.
0:33:38 > 0:33:41- No, not in them days, might have been now.- Yeah, I was going to say,
0:33:41 > 0:33:44there wouldn't be enough room for all your male grooming products
0:33:44 > 0:33:46- in there, now.- It ain't done me any good, have they?- No, no.
0:33:46 > 0:33:50- You need Polyfilla, mate, that's what you need.- I know, I know I do.
0:33:58 > 0:34:00Here's a scary statistic - eight million of us
0:34:00 > 0:34:04are only a month's paycheck away from losing our homes.
0:34:04 > 0:34:07And the number of people sleeping on the streets
0:34:07 > 0:34:10has shot up by more than a third in the past few years.
0:34:11 > 0:34:15Lowestoft in Suffolk might have all of the charm of a seaside town,
0:34:15 > 0:34:19but there are plenty of people experiencing its rougher side.
0:34:19 > 0:34:22While the council can't just wave a magic wand to help
0:34:22 > 0:34:25the homeless here, they can do more than I realised.
0:34:26 > 0:34:28Today I'm working with Phil Gough,
0:34:28 > 0:34:31and we've got a very interesting case on our hands.
0:34:31 > 0:34:33Are you going to find me something useful to do?
0:34:33 > 0:34:36Oh, yes. There's a lovely job for you to do when we get there.
0:34:37 > 0:34:40We're on our way to meet young couple Jennifer Allan
0:34:40 > 0:34:42and Daniel Hallsworth.
0:34:42 > 0:34:45They've been effectively homeless for over a year now,
0:34:45 > 0:34:47but all that's about to change.
0:34:47 > 0:34:49Jennifer has found out she is pregnant.
0:34:49 > 0:34:53They have been sofa surfing around for a little while now,
0:34:53 > 0:34:56and they came to us to see what assistance we can give,
0:34:56 > 0:34:58erm...
0:34:58 > 0:35:02and... we done the assessments and things and we looked at their income
0:35:02 > 0:35:05and expenditure and we decided we could assist them
0:35:05 > 0:35:07with what's called a deposit guarantee bond.
0:35:08 > 0:35:11This is just one of the options the housing team has
0:35:11 > 0:35:15at its disposal to help the homeless get a roof over their heads.
0:35:15 > 0:35:18It's a 12-month guarantee to the landlord, that the council
0:35:18 > 0:35:22will cover the deposit on a property, if it becomes necessary.
0:35:22 > 0:35:25Tenants then have that year to raise those funds
0:35:25 > 0:35:28and pay the landlord themselves.
0:35:28 > 0:35:31It's useful for those who are struggling to gather
0:35:31 > 0:35:34the funds needed upfront as a deposit...
0:35:34 > 0:35:37and it helps to reassure landlords and encourage them
0:35:37 > 0:35:40to take on tenants who haven't got cash at hand.
0:35:40 > 0:35:43That makes a lot of sense, doesn't it? Because, actually,
0:35:43 > 0:35:46what the landlord needs is security, not cash.
0:35:46 > 0:35:49- Sure.- They want peace of mind. - Absolutely.
0:35:49 > 0:35:54It prevents homelessness, which is what our main job role is, really.
0:35:56 > 0:35:59Jennifer and Daniel have found a flat they can now afford,
0:35:59 > 0:36:01thanks to the scheme, and for Daniel,
0:36:01 > 0:36:03today can't come soon enough.
0:36:05 > 0:36:07So, Danny, you're going to be a dad.
0:36:07 > 0:36:09- How does that feel? - I'm quite excited.
0:36:09 > 0:36:13- Are you?- Yep.- Nervous?- Little bit.
0:36:13 > 0:36:16How did you find out about the bond system of being able to do this?
0:36:16 > 0:36:19We found that out through one of the homeless drop-in centres
0:36:19 > 0:36:21that they provide in town.
0:36:21 > 0:36:23You imagine in your head an idea of homelessness
0:36:23 > 0:36:26- and it's usually somebody by themselves.- Yeah.
0:36:26 > 0:36:29But as a couple and now as a family...
0:36:29 > 0:36:32is that difficult for you to take?
0:36:32 > 0:36:36It is quite hard, especially when everyone we know has only got
0:36:36 > 0:36:41little bedsits or flats, so we're crammed in on the floor or the sofa.
0:36:41 > 0:36:44Last night, for instance, was one of the nights where
0:36:44 > 0:36:47I had to stay one place and Jenny had to go somewhere else and
0:36:47 > 0:36:50we left each other for the night and then met up again in the morning.
0:36:50 > 0:36:52I mean, it is quite hard.
0:36:52 > 0:36:53After you, your place.
0:36:53 > 0:36:57'All that's about to become a thing of the past.
0:36:57 > 0:37:00'Landlord Jason Taylor is here with the keys to their new home
0:37:00 > 0:37:03'and I've got to do the formal handover.'
0:37:03 > 0:37:05- This is your job, Matt, for the day.- Right.
0:37:05 > 0:37:08The flat has been inspected previously by private sector housing
0:37:08 > 0:37:10and we just need to go through the flat with the tenants
0:37:10 > 0:37:12to make sure that everything
0:37:12 > 0:37:15- is still as it was when it was inspected.- OK.
0:37:15 > 0:37:17'Time for the clipboard.'
0:37:17 > 0:37:21We'll start in the kitchen/ living room, which is here.
0:37:21 > 0:37:23Now, I'd like you to accompany me to the front door.
0:37:25 > 0:37:29Kitchen/living room door, entrance door - black, condition good.
0:37:29 > 0:37:31- Happy with that?- Yes.- Yup.
0:37:31 > 0:37:33Now, I'm going to tick these off as we go through.
0:37:33 > 0:37:36Carpet - very nice! UPVC windows...
0:37:38 > 0:37:39- Happy with those?- Yes.
0:37:39 > 0:37:41Units - happy.
0:37:41 > 0:37:44Bathroom or bedroom? your choice, Danny.
0:37:44 > 0:37:45We'll go bedroom first.
0:37:45 > 0:37:46Bedroom first. Nice one.
0:37:47 > 0:37:51The bedroom - excellent, right, oh, this is nice.
0:37:51 > 0:37:55Compare this to where you've been sleeping over the last few months.
0:37:55 > 0:37:56A million times better.
0:37:56 > 0:38:00We've had, like, a thin futon mattress on the floor
0:38:00 > 0:38:05and stuff like that, so it'll be our first proper bed in a long while.
0:38:05 > 0:38:09We were living with friends in their house and they left the property
0:38:09 > 0:38:13and left us in the property understanding that the landlord
0:38:13 > 0:38:17was going to take us on as the tenants, but the landlord didn't.
0:38:17 > 0:38:21It was £1,000, or near on, for a deposit for a place
0:38:21 > 0:38:23and it just wasn't manageable.
0:38:23 > 0:38:26That's difficult, that puts you in a really tricky situation.
0:38:26 > 0:38:29- It was just too much money.- Can I ask you what your situation is
0:38:29 > 0:38:32at the moment with jobs, employment, how's that working out?
0:38:32 > 0:38:34We're both unemployed at the minute,
0:38:34 > 0:38:37but I will be looking for work in the future.
0:38:37 > 0:38:41This place is a platform to start doing that, is that the idea?
0:38:41 > 0:38:43Yeah, we've got somewhere now that we can reside at.
0:38:43 > 0:38:46I think we're really looking forward to having a place
0:38:46 > 0:38:49and starting to get things ready for the baby coming.
0:38:49 > 0:38:51Let's carry on.
0:38:51 > 0:38:53Are you happy with the door?
0:38:53 > 0:38:55- Yep, the door looks good.- Yes.
0:38:55 > 0:38:57'Just when it looks like my first inventory is going to be
0:38:57 > 0:39:01'a huge success, I spot a mistake.'
0:39:01 > 0:39:04Hold on a second we haven't quite finished here,
0:39:04 > 0:39:09at the bottom of the list here it says TV - black, good condition.
0:39:09 > 0:39:13That's not there, though. Phil, is this you again?
0:39:13 > 0:39:16- May have been. So...- Cross that off.
0:39:16 > 0:39:18Top points for you, as well, for that one.
0:39:18 > 0:39:20'I have a feeling that Phil's playing games with me.'
0:39:20 > 0:39:22I think that's all in order.
0:39:22 > 0:39:25- Are we good to go ahead and sign this?- That'd be good.
0:39:25 > 0:39:28Just thinking how all Danny and Jennifer need to do is put a quid
0:39:28 > 0:39:32in a pot every day and by the end of the 12 months they'll have the bond.
0:39:32 > 0:39:33So that would be perfect.
0:39:33 > 0:39:37'And it's great to see landlords like Jason are completely on board
0:39:37 > 0:39:38'with the scheme.'
0:39:39 > 0:39:42We've been doing this with the council in Waveney now
0:39:42 > 0:39:44for a lot of years, something on the region
0:39:44 > 0:39:48of probably about 40 bonds a year that we do.
0:39:48 > 0:39:52You want tenants who are...from whom you're going to get regular rent,
0:39:52 > 0:39:56no trouble, and you've got that back up from the council
0:39:56 > 0:40:00to say the deposit is going to be looked after one way or the other,
0:40:00 > 0:40:02you're protected that way.
0:40:02 > 0:40:04That's...what it's all about.
0:40:04 > 0:40:07That's your front-door keys, well done.
0:40:07 > 0:40:09'Well, to me, that seems like a simple solution.
0:40:09 > 0:40:12'I do hope it works out for Jennifer and Daniel.'
0:40:14 > 0:40:16That's a satisfying visit.
0:40:16 > 0:40:20Good stuff. There is something that's cost the council nothing,
0:40:20 > 0:40:24and it's giving them a home for 12 months,
0:40:24 > 0:40:29minimum, during which, all being well, the child will be born.
0:40:29 > 0:40:31I mean, that's a nice coming together, isn't it?
0:40:31 > 0:40:34- That's a good solution and a happy result.- Yeah.
0:40:34 > 0:40:37For them, it's such a massive event for them today.
0:40:37 > 0:40:39And it's such a nice thing to be able to do.
0:40:39 > 0:40:41It is a really rewarding job.
0:40:48 > 0:40:52And in Jaywick in Essex, there's also been some success.
0:40:52 > 0:40:55Grant and Rob were trying to reunite a derelict property with its
0:40:55 > 0:40:59rightful owner which they suspected had been claimed by a land-grabber.
0:40:59 > 0:41:02It seems Rob's detective work eventually paid off.
0:41:02 > 0:41:04Took a while, a little bit of investigating work
0:41:04 > 0:41:07because that property wasn't on land registry or anything so...
0:41:07 > 0:41:10and the person who originally owned it died so we had to
0:41:10 > 0:41:13kind of investigate into it, and we found it was actually owned
0:41:13 > 0:41:15by a gentleman who is currently serving in the army at the moment.
0:41:15 > 0:41:18And he said he is going to sort it out, do it up,
0:41:18 > 0:41:21so we've got that agreement from him.
0:41:21 > 0:41:24I don't think he fully even realised that it was his.
0:41:24 > 0:41:26And in St Helens, Pam, Chrissy and I
0:41:26 > 0:41:29were trying to help tenants faced with eviction.
0:41:29 > 0:41:31Phil, it's Chrissy Nevitt from the council.
0:41:31 > 0:41:35- Luckily, Pam and Chrissy came to the rescue.- Right.
0:41:35 > 0:41:38It doesn't appear that they actually know that there are tenants in there.
0:41:38 > 0:41:42And after some phone calls managed to get a suspended eviction notice
0:41:42 > 0:41:45giving the tenants at least two months' breathing space
0:41:45 > 0:41:48- before anything can happen. - Take care, thanks.
0:41:48 > 0:41:49Whilst all that was going on,
0:41:49 > 0:41:53landlord Tony remained conspicuous in his absence.
0:41:54 > 0:41:56Then he said he'd try to meet me at the house.
0:41:58 > 0:42:01But instead I received a message.
0:42:02 > 0:42:06So, it's five past midday, which is when Tony was supposed to
0:42:06 > 0:42:10be here to meet us but, instead he sent us a text.
0:42:10 > 0:42:13Which says, "Sorry, can't make it.
0:42:13 > 0:42:16"But again no paid rent and I can't be..." BOTHERED...
0:42:16 > 0:42:17he didn't say bothered...
0:42:17 > 0:42:19"..defending myself when one flat owes 1,800 quid,
0:42:19 > 0:42:23"another owes 17 and one flat is not paying at all.
0:42:23 > 0:42:26"They expect services - it's a joke.
0:42:26 > 0:42:29"Delete my number, please, I'm fed up."
0:42:29 > 0:42:31Faye and Laura told us they always paid their rent
0:42:31 > 0:42:33and have now both moved out.
0:42:33 > 0:42:35Gary told me he was withholding his
0:42:35 > 0:42:38because of the conditions in his bedsit.
0:42:38 > 0:42:41But there were another four people living in this building.
0:42:41 > 0:42:44Tony the landlord has now paid his mortgage arrears
0:42:44 > 0:42:49and is in dispute with the council over whether he NEEDS a licence.
0:42:49 > 0:42:52You should have come and you should have explained yourself.
0:42:52 > 0:42:54That's it for today's show.
0:42:54 > 0:42:56I've come to the end of my training session.
0:42:56 > 0:42:58And I'm leaving with a new-found respect
0:42:58 > 0:43:00for those housing enforcers
0:43:00 > 0:43:03who fight for our right to a safe place to live.