0:00:02 > 0:00:05The law says everyone has the right to a safe place to live.
0:00:05 > 0:00:07I worry about the fire risk here.
0:00:07 > 0:00:10But for thousands of people across Britain right now,
0:00:10 > 0:00:13the reality can be more hovel than home.
0:00:13 > 0:00:16How many months ago was it we had this place?
0:00:16 > 0:00:19- The whole of that but goes black with mould.- Hello.
0:00:19 > 0:00:24- In the battle between tenants and landlords...- It's your fault not the door's fault...
0:00:24 > 0:00:29- ..it's local housing officers... - What's causing that smell? - ..who are on the front line.
0:00:29 > 0:00:32The son's come out with baseball bats and knives...
0:00:32 > 0:00:33'I'm Matt Allwright.'
0:00:33 > 0:00:36A lot of this problem is caused by the dogs.
0:00:36 > 0:00:38That's your responsibility.
0:00:38 > 0:00:40And I'm back on the job once again joining
0:00:40 > 0:00:42the ranks of the housing enforcers.
0:00:42 > 0:00:44It's got that mouse smell.
0:00:44 > 0:00:46They're tackling problem properties.
0:00:46 > 0:00:49It feels like an accident waiting to happen.
0:00:49 > 0:00:52Dealing with the consequences of nightmare neighbours.
0:00:52 > 0:00:55So, I need to tell you that you are committing an offence under the Housing Act.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58And doing their best to help those in need.
0:01:05 > 0:01:09Today I uncover a shocking case of overcrowding.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12I think you've got at least two beds in here
0:01:12 > 0:01:17and possibly this one as well. This is bed number eight.
0:01:17 > 0:01:18A dispute between landlord
0:01:18 > 0:01:22and tenant has left a flat in urgent need of upkeep.
0:01:22 > 0:01:25It needs to be done properly. He has been cutting corners too long.
0:01:25 > 0:01:30The biggest problem we have is access, and he doesn't actually allow us in.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33And we meet someone living in a space the same size as a garage
0:01:33 > 0:01:36because...it is a garage.
0:01:36 > 0:01:40I've been using the bed, sitting while I'm eating, to watch telly,
0:01:40 > 0:01:42this is the whole space I have.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45All of this, I would say, took up the space of a car.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52It is said that an Englishman's home is his castle but,
0:01:52 > 0:01:56if that is a rented castle, then it is the job of housing officers
0:01:56 > 0:02:00to make sure that it is a safe and decent place to live.
0:02:00 > 0:02:01They keep an eye on landlords
0:02:01 > 0:02:03to make sure the property's up to scratch
0:02:03 > 0:02:06and on some tenants to make sure
0:02:06 > 0:02:09they are keeping their half of the bargain.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14In Sandwell, West Midlands, a dispute between a tenant
0:02:14 > 0:02:18and a landlord has reached crisis point.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21Housing officer Richard Hawkins is briefing me on the case.
0:02:21 > 0:02:25We're going to be looking at a house, a guy called Claude.
0:02:25 > 0:02:28He is living literally in a flat above a shop
0:02:28 > 0:02:30and he has had a few problems with disrepairs
0:02:30 > 0:02:32and there are some issues between him and his landlord
0:02:32 > 0:02:35which we haven't quite got to the bottom of, yet.
0:02:35 > 0:02:37We're talking about big stuff that needs doing.
0:02:37 > 0:02:38We're talking about big stuff.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41We're talking about fire exits, which is obviously serious.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44It is a life or death situation. Fire kills, smoke kills.
0:02:44 > 0:02:46- What kind of shop is it? - It's a chip shop.
0:02:46 > 0:02:49So he needs a little bit more protection and oversight than elsewhere.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52I have already served a notice to the landlord,
0:02:52 > 0:02:54to let him know of the problems that I've found.
0:02:54 > 0:02:58I want to see that the landlord has done something today.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01Fire safety in any property is a deadly serious issue.
0:03:01 > 0:03:05But the landlord is claiming that part-time musician, Claude,
0:03:05 > 0:03:10hasn't allowed him access to do the repairs and now he wants him evicted.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13The landlord had more than enough time to help me out but he didn't.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16And he didn't want to. If you don't maintain it it'll get worse.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19If he did look after it before, it wouldn't have gotten to this stage.
0:03:19 > 0:03:23- Do you know what I mean?- Like any story, this one has got two sides.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26First, let's see what Claude has to say.
0:03:26 > 0:03:30Is this the bedroom, obviously? And this is your living area as well.
0:03:30 > 0:03:35- Yes.- OK. You've been in this flat now for eight years.- Over eight years.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38- Going on nine.- Has it always been like this or has it changed over time?
0:03:38 > 0:03:43It was all right before when, say, the first two or three years.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46When things are supposed to get done properly he tries to do it himself.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49Your impression then is that he will only do the work
0:03:49 > 0:03:52- when something like this is about to happen?- Yes, yes.
0:03:52 > 0:03:56From the stuff that we know, Richard, that has got to be sorted out,
0:03:56 > 0:03:58we ought to have a check round and see what has been done.
0:03:58 > 0:04:02- Have you let them in to do any work at all?- No, they are only just trying to do it now.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05- They have not been trying to do it all the time.- Right.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08If Richard and I go to him and say, "You have got to do this work",
0:04:08 > 0:04:14- would you let him in now?- Yes.- To sort these problems out.- Yes.- OK.
0:04:14 > 0:04:18The first issue on the list, some very dodgy smoke alarms.
0:04:18 > 0:04:23- Right.- So we've got a smoke alarm, and the battery is going.
0:04:25 > 0:04:26It's working, for now.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29I mean, the issue we've got there is if that was beeping,
0:04:29 > 0:04:31it shouldn't be doing that. It is a battery alarm.
0:04:31 > 0:04:35I have seen no certification from the landlord so far
0:04:35 > 0:04:38so at the moment, that's not good enough.
0:04:38 > 0:04:40It's his bedroom as well, so...
0:04:40 > 0:04:42Let's have a look at the one in the bedroom.
0:04:42 > 0:04:46I don't know. How does that work? It is kind of hanging off.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49I mean, it may be a hard-wired detector with a battery backup
0:04:49 > 0:04:53and what's happened is the reason that was beeping in there is because the power is cut to it.
0:04:53 > 0:04:55We're asking him to provide the certificates.
0:04:55 > 0:04:59If he doesn't provide the certificates then how are we meant to know?
0:04:59 > 0:05:02You are at least four times more likely to die in a fire
0:05:02 > 0:05:04if there is no working smoke alarm.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07So it's crucial that this gets sorted as soon as possible.
0:05:07 > 0:05:09Right, kitchen door.
0:05:09 > 0:05:10In a rented property,
0:05:10 > 0:05:14decent fire doors could also make the difference between life and death.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17It has got a brush on it. We still want to see the certification.
0:05:17 > 0:05:21He should have certificates for it when it was fitted, and we've just asked him to provide that.
0:05:21 > 0:05:23It is a perfectly reasonable thing to ask.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26If you are managing a building like this, certainly
0:05:26 > 0:05:29something that is above a chip shop, carries those extra risks...
0:05:29 > 0:05:33I am really concerned about the fire risks in this property.
0:05:33 > 0:05:35That's what we've gone round and looked at.
0:05:35 > 0:05:37So I'm going to give a call to some of my colleagues
0:05:37 > 0:05:41at West Midlands Fire Service and I'm going to ask them to send one of their officers.
0:05:41 > 0:05:46It needs to be done properly. He has been cutting corners too long. Do you know what I mean?
0:05:46 > 0:05:49And you're making me worried now thinking about my life.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52Right now I've had enough of him and I just want to get out.
0:05:52 > 0:05:56- Well, let's see what we can do to try and lower the risk for you, all right?- Thank you.
0:05:56 > 0:06:00Coming up, the landlord puts his side of the story.
0:06:00 > 0:06:04- We try our best. He just does not allow us access.- Right.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07That is the biggest issue we have got at this present moment.
0:06:12 > 0:06:16My next assignment is taking me south, to the city of Oxford,
0:06:16 > 0:06:20where housing officer Matt Kidger is on the case of a private tenant
0:06:20 > 0:06:24who is apparently living in severely cramped conditions.
0:06:24 > 0:06:30So, we've tied our horses up. And just around the corner is the house that we're going to.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33Only this isn't a house after all.
0:06:33 > 0:06:37To my astonishment, it turns out that this tenant is living in a converted garage.
0:06:37 > 0:06:41There is a really high demand for housing in Oxford.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44And I think that has pushed people into wanting to use
0:06:44 > 0:06:51quite small spaces, buildings in the back garden, and sometimes even sheds to live in,
0:06:51 > 0:06:54because unfortunately, that is all they can afford at this time.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57And Oxford Council's currently investigating
0:06:57 > 0:07:01over 250 of these outbuildings in and around the city.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03We're going to have a knock...
0:07:03 > 0:07:06Although we were allowed access to the property,
0:07:06 > 0:07:07the tenant didn't want to be filmed.
0:07:07 > 0:07:13She did consent to an interview after our visit on the condition that she remains anonymous.
0:07:13 > 0:07:21This is basically a garage converted...sort of studio.
0:07:21 > 0:07:26This is my kitchen, as you can see. My little stove, this is where I do the cooking.
0:07:26 > 0:07:32This is my bedroom/lounge/dining room...
0:07:32 > 0:07:36Yeah, because then I'll be using my bed, sitting while I'm eating, to watch telly.
0:07:36 > 0:07:42And this is the whole space I have.
0:07:42 > 0:07:44To say there is no room to swing a cat is putting it mildly.
0:07:44 > 0:07:49And the tenant is paying £480 a month for the privilege.
0:07:49 > 0:07:54One-bed properties in the area average between £600-£800 a month.
0:07:54 > 0:07:58It is not really that much of a saving when you think she is living in a garage.
0:08:00 > 0:08:05This is the sliding door towards my toilet. It's pretty small.
0:08:05 > 0:08:07It is extremely small.
0:08:07 > 0:08:11Most of my clothes are in here. It's actually part of my wardrobe.
0:08:11 > 0:08:15You know, it doesn't have any ceiling. At night, it is really freezing. It is...
0:08:15 > 0:08:18Actually the whole house is very, very cold.
0:08:18 > 0:08:22That is the only heating for the whole place.
0:08:22 > 0:08:27It is not well built for any living human being to be here.
0:08:27 > 0:08:32And you only realise those things when you are in here and living.
0:08:32 > 0:08:36Because it is not built properly for anybody to live in.
0:08:36 > 0:08:40It's hard to believe anyone's existing in such incredibly
0:08:40 > 0:08:42confined conditions.
0:08:44 > 0:08:46I'm trying to make sense of the permutations in that house.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49We have a garage that's been turned into a tiny dwelling
0:08:49 > 0:08:51with its own front door.
0:08:51 > 0:08:55Yes, it's a very small space and also,
0:08:55 > 0:08:59the bathing facilities are situated under a clear plastic roof,
0:08:59 > 0:09:02which isn't going to be very warm particularly.
0:09:02 > 0:09:06It's not going to have very good what we call insulative properties.
0:09:06 > 0:09:11- All of this, I would say, took up the space of a car and a bit.- Yeah.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14- So, really tiny.- Really small, yeah.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17And one thing I may look at is, you've got a lot of soft
0:09:17 > 0:09:19furnishings in there, bedding, clothing,
0:09:19 > 0:09:23and it's all very close to the cooking facilities, where the
0:09:23 > 0:09:27hob is, the oven, which is a potential source of ignition,
0:09:27 > 0:09:29so you don't want it going up in flame.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32But it's not just a case of turning up on the doorstep
0:09:32 > 0:09:35and deeming this a home not fit to live in.
0:09:35 > 0:09:39The difficulty is that this is somewhere for somebody to live.
0:09:39 > 0:09:41- Yeah, of course. - And, I mean, we've got
0:09:41 > 0:09:45a job here where we have to make a decision about whether,
0:09:45 > 0:09:48effectively, that person will have to find somewhere else.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51Yeah, it's a really... Not a very nice circumstance at all.
0:09:51 > 0:09:53Ideally, when we go to properties, what
0:09:53 > 0:09:58I want to be doing is recommending or requiring improvements.
0:09:58 > 0:10:03In tough circumstances like this, we've got a very small space.
0:10:03 > 0:10:07It may not be able to be brought up to standard
0:10:07 > 0:10:11and the tenant may have to move on, which is not a good thing.
0:10:11 > 0:10:15So, it's on to our bikes and back to the office to try
0:10:15 > 0:10:19and work out what's the best thing to do next.
0:10:20 > 0:10:25That's the difficult bit about this job, is that yeah, of course, that
0:10:25 > 0:10:30place is too small and dangerous and cold, but it's still her home.
0:10:30 > 0:10:34It means that possibly there'll be a decision made in this
0:10:34 > 0:10:38room that will make her homeless and that's not easy.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41Coming up, we find out why this lady's prepared to put up
0:10:41 > 0:10:44- with these living conditions. - I've come from my...
0:10:44 > 0:10:48All the comfort and the luxury that I could have given myself to
0:10:48 > 0:10:51give my child the best education.
0:10:57 > 0:11:01Back in Sandwell, a dispute with his landlord has left part-time
0:11:01 > 0:11:04musician Claude on the brink of being evicted.
0:11:04 > 0:11:09It needs to be done properly. He's been cutting corners too long.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12What we need to do is address the breakdown in relations
0:11:12 > 0:11:16with his landlord, who insists that Claude hasn't been
0:11:16 > 0:11:17letting him in to do the repairs,
0:11:17 > 0:11:20and is threatening him with eviction.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23Luckily, the landlord's son has agreed to speak to me
0:11:23 > 0:11:27on camera, but he's asked for his face not to be shown.
0:11:28 > 0:11:30You can carry on with the eviction
0:11:30 > 0:11:33and Claude will have to find somewhere else to live.
0:11:33 > 0:11:35You've got to find a tenant as well.
0:11:35 > 0:11:39But there's a chance today to maybe kind of reset this whole thing
0:11:39 > 0:11:41and start again. Is that something that you'd be happy to do?
0:11:41 > 0:11:43I am more than happy to do that.
0:11:43 > 0:11:45I am happy to get the work done first, if need be,
0:11:45 > 0:11:46and then we can look into...
0:11:46 > 0:11:49As long as the housing benefit starts paying,
0:11:49 > 0:11:53or whatever needs to be done. My duty is to make sure that he's safe in there and we try our best.
0:11:53 > 0:11:55- He just does not allow us access. - Right.- You know...
0:11:55 > 0:11:58That is the biggest issue we've got at this present moment.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01- Ideally, Claude could move out somewhere...- Yeah.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04- Just do all the work that needs to be done...- That's the best scenario.
0:12:04 > 0:12:07Have you got other properties he could go into temporarily?
0:12:07 > 0:12:09I can possibly get something arranged, yes.
0:12:09 > 0:12:14- Can I take that message to him and see what happens?- Yes, of course you can.- Thank you for talking to me.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17So that is potentially good news.
0:12:17 > 0:12:19Just goes to show that clear communication between a tenant
0:12:19 > 0:12:22and a landlord is absolutely crucial.
0:12:22 > 0:12:26- We might have a bit of a solution. - Yeah, yeah.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29Yeah, the landlord's said that he wants to let you stay,
0:12:29 > 0:12:32if you want to, on the understanding that you let him
0:12:32 > 0:12:35in to get the work done, so he can improve it for you,
0:12:35 > 0:12:37the things that I've asked him to do.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40And the benefits are sorted out, so that he's being paid again.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43We can get the problems sorted out in this flat for you.
0:12:43 > 0:12:45You're going to have somewhere safe to live, you're going
0:12:45 > 0:12:50to have a roof over your head and the landlord's obviously then going to get everything sorted for you.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53Claude, I came here on day one, told you I was going to look after you...
0:12:53 > 0:12:57- Yes, you did.- And I've looked after you.- Yes.- And we'll make sure that everything's sorted for you.
0:12:57 > 0:13:01- All you've got to do is do what we've asked. - Not a problem.- All right?- I will do.
0:13:01 > 0:13:06- Thank you very much.- It's all right. - Thank you.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09Coming up, things take a turn for the worse for Claude.
0:13:09 > 0:13:13In two weeks' time, he is going to have bailiffs here.
0:13:13 > 0:13:14I ain't bothered.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17- What can they do?- They'll throw you out on the street.
0:13:24 > 0:13:28Back in Oxford, we're investigating the case of a tenant who
0:13:28 > 0:13:32has been living in a tiny converted garage for over four years.
0:13:32 > 0:13:37Not built properly for anybody to live in.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40It's the turn of housing officer Paul Fitzgerald to visit this
0:13:40 > 0:13:43miniature property and make an assessment as to
0:13:43 > 0:13:47whether it's deemed suitable for someone to call home.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50As you can see, the living accommodation is not really,
0:13:50 > 0:13:54I think, to standard for a normal living person.
0:13:54 > 0:13:59Because of the desperation and lack of choice,
0:13:59 > 0:14:01you find yourself living in this condition.
0:14:01 > 0:14:04This tenant works as a care assistant and incredibly,
0:14:04 > 0:14:09her tiny garage is also home to her 13-year-old son.
0:14:09 > 0:14:14My son sleeps here and I sleep on the other side.
0:14:14 > 0:14:18It turns out that she's prepared to sacrifice her own
0:14:18 > 0:14:22comfort in order to fund her son's private education.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25With the money that I earn, me and his dad,
0:14:25 > 0:14:29we contribute to take him to a prep school.
0:14:29 > 0:14:33The fees are close to £5,000 per term.
0:14:33 > 0:14:37It's one of the best schools around. Very expensive.
0:14:37 > 0:14:42It was pretty hard for him because almost every parent there was
0:14:42 > 0:14:45driving the most expensive car you can think of.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48He was not even aware that we were living in a garage until his
0:14:48 > 0:14:53friends said to him, so it was pretty obvious that we're not rich.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56I used to feel bad at first, but I said to myself - you know what?
0:14:56 > 0:15:02I'm not here for them, I'm here for him. He is the most important person.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05I compromised all the comfort
0:15:05 > 0:15:09and the luxury that I could have given myself getting a two-bedroom
0:15:09 > 0:15:15flat or a one-bedroom flat to give my child the best education.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18After his assessment, housing officer Paul is far from happy
0:15:18 > 0:15:20with the state of this cramped accommodation.
0:15:20 > 0:15:23And his concerns about the lack of heating
0:15:23 > 0:15:27and potential fire risk lead him to only one conclusion.
0:15:27 > 0:15:31Most likely outcome on this will be a planning enforcement notice
0:15:31 > 0:15:34because of the addition that's been built on to the back
0:15:34 > 0:15:38of the garage, which now houses the shower room.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41And I will be serving a prohibition order prohibiting
0:15:41 > 0:15:45the residential use of the garage.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48The prohibition order won't come in to effect immediately.
0:15:48 > 0:15:53So, the tenant will have time to find alternative accommodation.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56Our tenant's unaware that she may be forced out of this inadequate
0:15:56 > 0:16:01property, but she's still pleased that the authorities are looking into her case.
0:16:01 > 0:16:05I'm happy that the council got involved and I think they are doing a good job and them
0:16:05 > 0:16:08coming here just to evaluate and check
0:16:08 > 0:16:11and do checks is more important for people like us
0:16:11 > 0:16:14and in that way, it gives us the dignity in ourselves to
0:16:14 > 0:16:18live like human beings, rather than living like, you know, animals.
0:16:20 > 0:16:22We blurred the face of the lady we met in Oxford
0:16:22 > 0:16:25because she didn't want anyone to know that she
0:16:25 > 0:16:28lived in a converted garage, even though she made that
0:16:28 > 0:16:32decision for the very best of reasons - her son's education.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35The council's now placed a prohibition order on that
0:16:35 > 0:16:39property, which means that neither she nor anybody else will be
0:16:39 > 0:16:41living in that converted garage.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44Meanwhile, they're doing their very best to find her somewhere
0:16:44 > 0:16:46else to live.
0:16:50 > 0:16:54I'm back in Oxford, with housing officer Clive Salisbury.
0:16:54 > 0:16:56He's been tipped off about
0:16:56 > 0:16:59something that sounds pretty suspicious.
0:16:59 > 0:17:03We've had a report of a property in the Cowley Road area that
0:17:03 > 0:17:06- maybe has too many people living in it.- Right.
0:17:06 > 0:17:09And doesn't have a licence. So we're going to go and have a look at that.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12Oxford has more than 7,000 homes that must be
0:17:12 > 0:17:15licensed as houses of multiple occupation, or HMOs,
0:17:15 > 0:17:18in order to accommodate more than three people.
0:17:18 > 0:17:22But it sounds like this unlicensed property could be bursting at the seams.
0:17:22 > 0:17:24Knock on the door and see what we see.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27KNOCKS ON DOOR
0:17:28 > 0:17:30From the very first room we enter,
0:17:30 > 0:17:34it's clear there's more than one person sleeping here.
0:17:34 > 0:17:36There is no smoke detection in this room.
0:17:36 > 0:17:40Landlords are legally required to make sure smoke
0:17:40 > 0:17:42alarms are kept in working order,
0:17:42 > 0:17:45but on the ground floor at least, this doesn't seem to be happening.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48- Do you want to check the smoke alarm? - Yeah.
0:17:48 > 0:17:52Since that might not... OK. That's not very good.
0:17:52 > 0:17:56Into the next room and the evidence continues to stack up.
0:17:56 > 0:18:00OK, so first impressions in here, Matt?
0:18:00 > 0:18:03First impressions are that we've got three beds...
0:18:03 > 0:18:07All the beds are used, it's got a warm fuggy smell. Not ventilated.
0:18:07 > 0:18:09Clothes hanging around.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12There's a window, but the window's only to another room.
0:18:12 > 0:18:16So you're never going to get any fresh air in here. You've got three people sleeping in here.
0:18:16 > 0:18:20We've been to two rooms so far in this terrace and already, we've found five people.
0:18:20 > 0:18:24And I have come across situations like this before, where restaurant staff...
0:18:24 > 0:18:27They work at lunchtime and they work in the evening and they have a
0:18:27 > 0:18:30day room, as they would call it, just to rest in between shifts.
0:18:30 > 0:18:32Houses of multiple occupation must
0:18:32 > 0:18:35be licensed by the council to make sure they're safe and suitable
0:18:35 > 0:18:37for the number of people living there.
0:18:37 > 0:18:41Landlords of unlicensed HMOs face fines of up to £20,000.
0:18:42 > 0:18:46If this is the landlord and his family living here
0:18:46 > 0:18:53then he has a family predominantly of young to middle-aged men, that's it.
0:18:53 > 0:18:55It's not shaping up at the moment to be a family.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58It's not looking like a family house. Anyway, maybe we'll find out.
0:18:58 > 0:19:00Let's move on.
0:19:00 > 0:19:03Things don't improve when we head towards the kitchen.
0:19:03 > 0:19:05So good shots of the work surfaces
0:19:05 > 0:19:08and particularly the cooker, which could do with a bit of a clean.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11This is a high-risk room
0:19:11 > 0:19:16and I can't see any kind of fire detection or smoke detection at all.
0:19:16 > 0:19:18Everywhere we look in this property there are clear
0:19:18 > 0:19:21indications of a large number of tenants.
0:19:21 > 0:19:24So far, we've got five beds in here
0:19:24 > 0:19:28and another mattress actually says two beds in there.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31So we're up to seven, no, hold on,
0:19:31 > 0:19:36yeah, seven and we're still on the ground floor.
0:19:36 > 0:19:38Coming up, the bed count continues.
0:19:38 > 0:19:42This is bed number eight, so far.
0:19:47 > 0:19:51In Sandwell, when tenant Claude finally agreed to allow his landlord
0:19:51 > 0:19:55access to make repairs in his flat, things were looking up.
0:19:55 > 0:20:00- All you've got to do is do what we've asked, all right?- I will do.
0:20:00 > 0:20:01Thank you very much.
0:20:03 > 0:20:06But, a few days later, housing officer Richard
0:20:06 > 0:20:07has had some bad news.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12This morning I spoke with the landlord of Claude's flat and
0:20:12 > 0:20:18we discussed the works that he's been doing and unfortunately he slipped in that
0:20:18 > 0:20:23he's going to potentially be evicting Claude in the next two weeks.
0:20:23 > 0:20:27Unfortunately, Claude hasn't been allowing access to the flat to get
0:20:27 > 0:20:30the works done which is, from what I can tell from the landlord,
0:20:30 > 0:20:32frustrated him somewhat.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37If a possession order is served, Claude could find himself
0:20:37 > 0:20:41out on the street, so Richard now needs to lay it on the line.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45- Claude, is it OK to come in?- Yes.
0:20:45 > 0:20:47Right, the repairs.
0:20:48 > 0:20:52- He's been trying to do some. - Have you let him in the flat?
0:20:52 > 0:20:56No, because he doesn't want to do my flat.
0:20:56 > 0:21:00So Claude still isn't letting the landlord in.
0:21:00 > 0:21:04And to make matters worse, his rent payments have now stopped completely.
0:21:04 > 0:21:06It seems the landlord has tried his best
0:21:06 > 0:21:09and he is well within his rights to take action.
0:21:09 > 0:21:14- In two weeks' time he's going to have bailiffs here.- I ain't bothered.
0:21:14 > 0:21:16He can come round with the bailiffs, what can they do?
0:21:16 > 0:21:18They'll throw you out on the street.
0:21:18 > 0:21:22All Richard can do now is help Claude to prepare for the worst.
0:21:22 > 0:21:26I need to know that if you're going to be moving out that you have
0:21:26 > 0:21:30been given opportunity to get yourself somewhere else to live
0:21:30 > 0:21:33if you're moving out from here.
0:21:33 > 0:21:36What I'm going to do, Claude, I'm going to pass your details on to
0:21:36 > 0:21:43Housing Options, they're our team that manage homeless cases.
0:21:43 > 0:21:47I'm going to ask them to speak with you to help you find another property.
0:21:47 > 0:21:49If you can, I would be glad.
0:21:49 > 0:21:51I hope he's listened to what I said to him today,
0:21:51 > 0:21:53I don't think I could be clearer.
0:21:53 > 0:21:55I will try and get him the help he needs.
0:21:55 > 0:21:59If he doesn't take it, he may be in trouble, he may be OK.
0:22:00 > 0:22:02We'll have to see.
0:22:02 > 0:22:06With the possession order in place, Claude's eviction is imminent.
0:22:06 > 0:22:10Luckily, he's taken Richard's advice because within days,
0:22:10 > 0:22:12he's got a meeting with housing officer, Raj.
0:22:12 > 0:22:13OK, take a seat, Claude.
0:22:13 > 0:22:16It's Raj's job to find Claude somewhere to live
0:22:16 > 0:22:18and keep him off the streets.
0:22:18 > 0:22:23Because you're housing options and your homelessness,
0:22:23 > 0:22:26we've done the homelessness application already.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29OK, we've got some here in the Smethwick area.
0:22:29 > 0:22:31They're on the fifth floor, this one is.
0:22:31 > 0:22:33That one's on eighth and that one's on the 11th.
0:22:33 > 0:22:37Anywhere, really, just a good house, really, to tell you the truth.
0:22:37 > 0:22:41I'm going like I can choose but anything is better than there.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44Last night was cold and I still opened a window.
0:22:46 > 0:22:49OK, that's Lancaster House, there. The view is good.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52Yeah, I'll look up that one.
0:22:52 > 0:22:54And that one as well.
0:22:54 > 0:22:56Two is enough for a day, innit?
0:22:56 > 0:22:58I'll arrange a viewing for that.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01OK, thank you. I'll see you soon then. Thank you.
0:23:03 > 0:23:04The meeting went well.
0:23:04 > 0:23:08He's got a couple of properties that he's going to be viewing.
0:23:08 > 0:23:11It seemed that he wants to go into one of the properties that
0:23:11 > 0:23:14he's seeing so I'm very hopeful.
0:23:15 > 0:23:17With Raj's help, a few days later,
0:23:17 > 0:23:19Claude's getting ready to move out to a new place.
0:23:21 > 0:23:25It's all right moving out. I've got to look at it on the bright side.
0:23:25 > 0:23:29I'm very happy to move out of here. Very, very, very, very happy.
0:23:30 > 0:23:32Claude may be leaving his home of eight years
0:23:32 > 0:23:35but at least he's not facing life on the street.
0:23:35 > 0:23:37Hopefully I should be in by Wednesday,
0:23:37 > 0:23:40moving into a brand-new house.
0:23:40 > 0:23:42Richard has been really good.
0:23:42 > 0:23:43He's listened to my story.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46If I get £1 million tomorrow I'm surely going to buy him
0:23:46 > 0:23:49a drink, you know what I mean? Definitely.
0:23:49 > 0:23:51Claude's now moved into his new flat.
0:23:51 > 0:23:52Great news for him
0:23:52 > 0:23:56and his landlord, who can at last get on with repairing his property.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07Back in Oxford, I'm visiting an overcrowded house, whose owner
0:24:07 > 0:24:11is trying to evade the council rules designed to keep tenants safe.
0:24:12 > 0:24:16If this is the landlord and his family living here,
0:24:16 > 0:24:23then he has a family predominantly of young to middle-aged men, that's it.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26It's not shaping up at the moment to be a family room, is it?
0:24:26 > 0:24:28It's not looking like a family house.
0:24:28 > 0:24:29We're still on the ground floor
0:24:29 > 0:24:32but already we've seen signs that five people are living here
0:24:32 > 0:24:36and every available space seems like it's being used as a bedroom.
0:24:36 > 0:24:40It's got beds in it, but it's also got a plastic roof.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43It'll be a bit chilly in the winter in here then.
0:24:43 > 0:24:44Despite these appalling conditions,
0:24:44 > 0:24:48it's clear people are using this makeshift space to sleep in.
0:24:48 > 0:24:53Time to move upstairs, to see how many more tenants are squeezed into this house.
0:24:53 > 0:24:56It's damp in here and it's cold as well.
0:24:56 > 0:24:58It's really damp.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02You can see the paper's all peeling from down here,
0:25:02 > 0:25:05so at some point this roof is failing.
0:25:05 > 0:25:10This is bed number eight, so far, in here.
0:25:10 > 0:25:11But this over-populated
0:25:11 > 0:25:15and dilapidated property has one more surprise in store.
0:25:15 > 0:25:20Where's my assistant gone? Oh, there he is, he's popped out the hobbit hole!
0:25:20 > 0:25:25You're going to like/not like this, Clive.
0:25:25 > 0:25:29I've made a startling discovery of my own down in the cellar.
0:25:30 > 0:25:35- Oh, that's good.- That's what you call...- Ropey electrics.
0:25:35 > 0:25:37That is what you call a shonky job.
0:25:37 > 0:25:41But the electrics aren't the only worrying thing down here.
0:25:43 > 0:25:45So a load of junk, basically.
0:25:45 > 0:25:49Three or four mattresses, half a dozen bikes, abandoned furniture.
0:25:49 > 0:25:51It's quite a state, isn't it?
0:25:51 > 0:25:54Lots of junk here. Not the only basement in the country that's full of junk,
0:25:54 > 0:25:58but then the property action's not very good, the electrics are flaky and
0:25:58 > 0:26:02we've got all the guys in the house who won't be able to get out safely.
0:26:02 > 0:26:04This is definitely the upper end of the risk.
0:26:04 > 0:26:08The number of people, the poor state of repair and all this
0:26:08 > 0:26:12down here. This doesn't add up to a happy picture.
0:26:12 > 0:26:13Back in daylight,
0:26:13 > 0:26:16Clive makes an assessment of everything we've seen this morning.
0:26:16 > 0:26:21So, Clive, what do we make of that? That's quite some property there.
0:26:21 > 0:26:25Yeah, it's pretty poor condition, isn't it? If we just summarise what we've got.
0:26:25 > 0:26:27We had 11 mattresses.
0:26:27 > 0:26:28And there was one room we didn't get into.
0:26:28 > 0:26:32- So that's 11 before we open that room.- There's more yet, probably.
0:26:32 > 0:26:35About two per room, very shoddy conversion around the back.
0:26:35 > 0:26:37Cold and damp for people to live in.
0:26:37 > 0:26:39The bathroom's a disgrace
0:26:39 > 0:26:42and the kitchen's in a pretty poor state of cleanliness.
0:26:42 > 0:26:46But, yeah, this is definitely in the poorest 10% of properties I would normally see.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49So what's the action we can take now? Because there is a licensing
0:26:49 > 0:26:53scheme for houses of multiple occupancy in Oxford,
0:26:53 > 0:26:56this isn't part of it. So does that give you teeth to do something proper?
0:26:56 > 0:27:00Ironically, it used to have a licence but it was surrendered by
0:27:00 > 0:27:03the owner six months ago, but it certainly looks like it needs one now.
0:27:03 > 0:27:06The next stop is to speak to the owner of the property,
0:27:06 > 0:27:08find out who he's renting it to and take it from there.
0:27:08 > 0:27:09Later, in the office,
0:27:09 > 0:27:12Clive's contacted by the son of the property owner.
0:27:12 > 0:27:15OK, thanks for your call. Bye.
0:27:16 > 0:27:19He's said that as far as he is aware, the house is
0:27:19 > 0:27:24rented out by his dad to a guy who runs a restaurant in Oxford and his family.
0:27:24 > 0:27:26We'll be taking it further with the owner
0:27:26 > 0:27:31and the restaurateur, to find out who gets the rent, who makes the repairs
0:27:31 > 0:27:34and who gets the tenants in there, to find out who's in charge.
0:27:34 > 0:27:38We asked the owner of the property to speak to us - he declined.
0:27:38 > 0:27:42But, shortly after filming we spoke to his brother-in-law,
0:27:42 > 0:27:44who says he sub-lets the property.
0:27:44 > 0:27:48He told us that the 11 beds we'd seen at the property were
0:27:48 > 0:27:50only being stored there.
0:27:50 > 0:27:54He also told us just a handful of relatives were actually
0:27:54 > 0:27:57living in the house, including himself.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00He said that nobody was paying any rent
0:28:00 > 0:28:03because the house was in such a state of repair.
0:28:06 > 0:28:08That's it for today's show.
0:28:08 > 0:28:10Join me next time when I'll be finding out more about what
0:28:10 > 0:28:14it takes to become a front-line housing officer.