0:00:02 > 0:00:05The law says everyone has the right to a safe place to live.
0:00:05 > 0:00:07- See those flies?- Yeah.
0:00:07 > 0:00:09But for thousands of people across Britain,
0:00:09 > 0:00:11the reality can be more hovel than home.
0:00:13 > 0:00:15Vermin, vermin, filth.
0:00:15 > 0:00:17- Oh!- Oh!
0:00:17 > 0:00:18It's not me, it's the landlord.
0:00:18 > 0:00:21In the battle between tenants and landlords,
0:00:21 > 0:00:25it's local housing officers who are on the front line.
0:00:25 > 0:00:27- Yes.- No, we're not, we're coming in. - No, no.
0:00:27 > 0:00:29- We're police.- Excuse me.
0:00:29 > 0:00:30I'm Matt Allwright.
0:00:30 > 0:00:32I'm trying to understand how the property
0:00:32 > 0:00:37could be in this condition while rent is still coming in.
0:00:37 > 0:00:38I'm back on the job,
0:00:38 > 0:00:41once again joining the ranks of the Housing Enforcers.
0:00:41 > 0:00:43It smells like pee.
0:00:43 > 0:00:44This is somebody's playground.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47They're tackling problem properties...
0:00:47 > 0:00:49It just feels like a time bomb.
0:00:49 > 0:00:51..dealing with the consequences of nightmare neighbours...
0:00:51 > 0:00:54- And he called me a- BLEEP.
0:00:54 > 0:00:57..and doing their best to help those in need.
0:00:57 > 0:01:01You can stand here and look at the very rich people looking back down.
0:01:05 > 0:01:09Today, I follow up one tenant's shocking complaints...
0:01:09 > 0:01:11Rather not touch that.
0:01:11 > 0:01:13Well, you can't smell it, but I can.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17One dispute gets so heated that the police are called...
0:01:17 > 0:01:19You're operating an unlicensed HMO.
0:01:19 > 0:01:22..and the tenant isn't happy.
0:01:22 > 0:01:24I don't want to stay here.
0:01:24 > 0:01:27And I meet a family in desperate need of a new home
0:01:27 > 0:01:29after some tragic news.
0:01:29 > 0:01:32I went to see a neurologist.
0:01:32 > 0:01:34She needed to admit me right there and then.
0:01:34 > 0:01:36I was at the end of my life, basically.
0:01:40 > 0:01:42Britain is in the middle of a housing crisis.
0:01:42 > 0:01:44The government reckons, to meet demand,
0:01:44 > 0:01:47we need to be building nearly a quarter of a million homes
0:01:47 > 0:01:52every year but the reality is, we are only managing about half that.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55It is just one of the reasons why the number of people
0:01:55 > 0:02:01renting their homes right now is at its highest since the 1950s.
0:02:01 > 0:02:05At the front line of this crisis are the country's Housing Enforcers,
0:02:05 > 0:02:08and in this programme, I'm training to become one.
0:02:16 > 0:02:18Clacton-on-Sea in Essex.
0:02:19 > 0:02:21Like many seaside towns around the country,
0:02:21 > 0:02:24it has a large number of homes that have been divided up
0:02:24 > 0:02:27and converted into flats.
0:02:27 > 0:02:31The quality of these alterations by property developers can vary hugely,
0:02:31 > 0:02:35and in the worst cases, it can cause big problems for the local council.
0:02:37 > 0:02:41Today, I'm shadowing housing officer, Rob Goswell.
0:02:41 > 0:02:43What we've got today is, we've got a complaint,
0:02:43 > 0:02:45just over... Just in town.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48He's due to inspect a top floor flat after receiving a complaint
0:02:48 > 0:02:52about serious issues in a privately rented property.
0:02:52 > 0:02:56- Wringing wet walls about to fall down.- Yep.
0:02:56 > 0:02:59- Gas isn't connected to the hot water.- Yep.
0:02:59 > 0:03:01The tenant says that's affecting their health.
0:03:01 > 0:03:03People do always get a little bit of respiratory thing
0:03:03 > 0:03:05when it comes to damp and mould and that.
0:03:05 > 0:03:07With no hot water, that can be quite serious
0:03:07 > 0:03:11so that's why we're going over to that one today.
0:03:11 > 0:03:16Any flat occupied by a tenant must meet basic minimum standards and
0:03:16 > 0:03:20it's the landlord's responsibility to make sure they're in place.
0:03:20 > 0:03:24Cos obviously, everyone needs to be able to have facilities to wash
0:03:24 > 0:03:27and obviously hot water being essential to one of those things.
0:03:27 > 0:03:31So, hygiene, sanitation and drains, so you're looking really for...
0:03:31 > 0:03:35- Hot water...- Yeah.- ..some way of applying it to yourself...- Yeah.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38- ..like a shower or a bath, a working loo...- Yeah.
0:03:38 > 0:03:42- ..and drains that aren't blocked. - Yeah, that's it.- Right, let's go.
0:03:46 > 0:03:47To gain access to the flat,
0:03:47 > 0:03:51Rob and I are meeting with the letting agent who's only recently
0:03:51 > 0:03:54taken on managing the property for the landlord.
0:03:55 > 0:03:57The tenant, who didn't want to be filmed,
0:03:57 > 0:04:00has drawn up a list of the problem areas he's worried about.
0:04:02 > 0:04:04So what we've got is a bay window here,
0:04:04 > 0:04:06and this is on the first floor,
0:04:06 > 0:04:10and as you can see, if we just pull back the curtain here...
0:04:12 > 0:04:14..got pretty extensive damp.
0:04:14 > 0:04:18Now the tenant here says that in the past he's made efforts to clean it
0:04:18 > 0:04:22and paint it and do what he can but now he's just fed up with it,
0:04:22 > 0:04:26it just comes back and you end up with...
0:04:26 > 0:04:29Well, you can't smell it, but I can, it is a very damp smell
0:04:29 > 0:04:30and this is his bedroom.
0:04:30 > 0:04:34The other thing that he's complained about is the window.
0:04:34 > 0:04:36Let's keep going.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39This is the tenant's living room and again,
0:04:39 > 0:04:43we've got sort of damp and mould in this bay area,
0:04:43 > 0:04:45just underneath the window.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48But what he's told us is part of the problem could be
0:04:48 > 0:04:52that he hasn't got enough money to heat this property.
0:04:52 > 0:04:54The flat clearly has a problem with damp.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57You haven't got a substantial amount of mould growth here
0:04:57 > 0:05:00but you can see it's soaking wet so we will get that eventually.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03And the general condition in places is beginning to look dangerous.
0:05:03 > 0:05:07Yeah, I'll take that down. I'd rather not touch that.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10One of the main complaints Rob is keen to investigate
0:05:10 > 0:05:14is the reported lack of hot water for washing.
0:05:14 > 0:05:16That's just for the central heating and then hot water is coming
0:05:16 > 0:05:19from the immersion heater that is plugged into the tank there.
0:05:19 > 0:05:21They're not the most efficient
0:05:21 > 0:05:24but it isn't actually working anyway at the moment so... We need water.
0:05:24 > 0:05:26- It's like a big kettle.- Absolutely.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29But need to get that sorted straightaway.
0:05:29 > 0:05:31Which should be relatively straightforward
0:05:31 > 0:05:34but the saturated wall at the back of the flat could indicate
0:05:34 > 0:05:37a more serious underlying problem.
0:05:37 > 0:05:38Yeah, we'll check them on the outside.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41We hope to find the source of the water getting in
0:05:41 > 0:05:44by taking a closer look from the outside.
0:05:44 > 0:05:45Look at that roof.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48I know, you can see, there's something going on there.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51- There's something bizarre going on with the chimney at the back.- Yeah.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53That's a good spot, actually,
0:05:53 > 0:05:56you can actually see that a lot of the tiles are coming away there.
0:05:56 > 0:05:58- If you look at the end of that gutter...- Yeah.
0:05:58 > 0:05:59- ..which is right up at an angle... - Yeah.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02..it's not joined into the down-pipe either.
0:06:02 > 0:06:04It looks like we found the root of the problem
0:06:04 > 0:06:09but Rob wants to see if the back wall can offer up any more clues.
0:06:09 > 0:06:11We've been given access to the rear garden
0:06:11 > 0:06:14by the lady who owns and lives in the ground-floor flat.
0:06:14 > 0:06:16Looking at that, it tells a story, just looking at that,
0:06:16 > 0:06:20you've got lovely, sort of clean, double glazing downstairs,
0:06:20 > 0:06:24keeping you nice and warm and cosy and then look at that upstairs.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27You can see a difference. I mean, it's a world apart, isn't it?
0:06:27 > 0:06:30With a damp situation that is clearly getting worse,
0:06:30 > 0:06:33it'll be the responsibility of the landlord to get it resolved.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37But what does the letting agent think?
0:06:37 > 0:06:41Basically, what we do is, obviously we do inspections for the landlord
0:06:41 > 0:06:43and we report to the landlord any issues that the tenant raises
0:06:43 > 0:06:45and get it addressed as quickly as possible.
0:06:45 > 0:06:48It does seem like these problems have been there
0:06:48 > 0:06:52for quite some time and according to him, certainly,
0:06:52 > 0:06:54he's raised these problems and they have not been sorted out.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57That's something that we'll need to double check.
0:06:57 > 0:06:59Obviously we'll find out when he has reported them,
0:06:59 > 0:07:01what actions obviously the landlord has taken, and
0:07:01 > 0:07:06obviously then we can obviously address it from that point onwards.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09In a way, this is the story of two storeys.
0:07:09 > 0:07:13Downstairs, owner-occupied, look at it, it is absolutely stunning
0:07:13 > 0:07:17and you can even feel how warm it is inside there.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20And then upstairs, well, you've got...
0:07:20 > 0:07:23Really affecting life for the occupant.
0:07:23 > 0:07:28No hot water or occasional hot water, and structural problems that
0:07:28 > 0:07:32are allowing some of the rooms to be really quite unpleasant and damp.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35It needs sorting out. Can Rob work his magic?
0:07:43 > 0:07:45We've heard from the landlord.
0:07:45 > 0:07:49He says that the tenant has been reporting problems to the council
0:07:49 > 0:07:53and not to the letting agents, which has caused confusion.
0:07:53 > 0:07:57He told us that all the repairs have either been done or about to be.
0:07:57 > 0:07:59He also says that in the past,
0:07:59 > 0:08:04the tenant had refused contractors access to carry out repairs.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07Now that they're talking, hopefully the landlord will be told
0:08:07 > 0:08:09when work needs to be done
0:08:09 > 0:08:13and the tenant can be confident that the work will happen quickly.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24The city of Oxford is famous for spires and students...
0:08:27 > 0:08:30..and is home to over 150,000 people.
0:08:30 > 0:08:34It's a very compact city, well-known for its stunning architecture
0:08:34 > 0:08:37and historical buildings.
0:08:37 > 0:08:40However, the local housing officers know that not all the residents
0:08:40 > 0:08:45are fortunate enough to live in a safe and comfortable home.
0:08:45 > 0:08:48It is just there actually, you can see from behind these gates.
0:08:48 > 0:08:53Housing officer Adrian Chowns is on his way to meet with a tenant
0:08:53 > 0:08:55who is having issues with his landlord.
0:08:55 > 0:08:59He rents a room in a three-bedroom flat, positioned above a shop.
0:08:59 > 0:09:01His brother has helped him by calling in the council
0:09:01 > 0:09:04to deal with his complaints.
0:09:04 > 0:09:06This guy is a bit vulnerable as well, apparently,
0:09:06 > 0:09:10He's got some learning difficulties, so it is not an ideal situation.
0:09:10 > 0:09:12The brother of the tenant has said that there are some
0:09:12 > 0:09:15dangerous electrics, there is a problem with the gas certificate.
0:09:15 > 0:09:16OK, Gary.
0:09:16 > 0:09:19Can I just get a few details from you first?
0:09:19 > 0:09:21- How long have you lived here?- Three months.
0:09:21 > 0:09:23- Three months.- Yeah.- Yeah?
0:09:24 > 0:09:28- And how much rent are you paying? - 450 a month.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31Is there any other people living in the building?
0:09:31 > 0:09:36Yes, there's two girls that live in the end room here and there's two...
0:09:36 > 0:09:39There's a couple that live in the same room there.
0:09:39 > 0:09:41What problems have you got then, Gary? We can start in the kitchen.
0:09:41 > 0:09:46- The stove blows all the fuses when it is on.- Yeah.
0:09:46 > 0:09:48It has been reported.
0:09:48 > 0:09:53- OK, so when did you report that? - I reported it Friday to him.
0:09:53 > 0:09:55His excuse was, he couldn't afford to change it
0:09:55 > 0:09:57while the rent was paid.
0:09:57 > 0:09:59Is that normal? Is that the sort of thing...
0:09:59 > 0:10:01His hands are tied, sort of thing.
0:10:01 > 0:10:03Is this from the landlord, is it?
0:10:03 > 0:10:05I don't know who's written that
0:10:05 > 0:10:08but that is what we pay every seven days, the three of us.
0:10:08 > 0:10:10- You pay £20...- £20, yeah...
0:10:10 > 0:10:13- ..a week...- ..a week. - ..each?- ..each.
0:10:13 > 0:10:17- That's quite a lot, isn't it? - It is quite a lot.- Right, OK.
0:10:17 > 0:10:20That has only just been fixed. That was all taped up, you can see
0:10:20 > 0:10:25- the tape on it.- Yeah.- He got that fixed Saturday morning.- Right.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29And if there is a fire, this is unbelievable...
0:10:33 > 0:10:38- Virtually impossible.- Yeah, it is a struggle, cos that's your escape.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41You can't unlock it to get out of the building if there is a fire.
0:10:41 > 0:10:46- This has been reported on Friday. Nothing done about it.- Yeah.
0:10:46 > 0:10:49Adrian's only inspected the kitchen, and already,
0:10:49 > 0:10:53there's a list of safety issues that the landlord will need to resolve.
0:10:55 > 0:10:57In his bedroom, there are also a number of problems
0:10:57 > 0:11:00that Gary wants Adrian to take a look at.
0:11:00 > 0:11:04- Yeah, your brother mentioned about the boiler in the cupboard.- Yeah.
0:11:04 > 0:11:06You haven't had a gas safety certificate?
0:11:06 > 0:11:09I asked him about that and he said he had one done three years ago.
0:11:09 > 0:11:11That was his exact answer.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17- That isn't a fire door. - No, none of them are fire doors.
0:11:17 > 0:11:22- And you're literally straight off the kitchen here.- Yeah.- So...
0:11:22 > 0:11:25- And if there is a fire, they have got no chance of getting out.- Yeah.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30All of these things that I'm taking photos of, Gary,
0:11:30 > 0:11:34- are things that the landlord is responsible for.- Yeah.
0:11:34 > 0:11:38You know, because of the type of property that you are living in,
0:11:38 > 0:11:41- it's classed as a House in Multiple Occupation.- Yeah.
0:11:41 > 0:11:45In Oxford, a House in Multiple Occupation is defined as...
0:11:54 > 0:11:56An HMO must be licensed with the council
0:11:56 > 0:12:00and meet a rigorous set of safety standards.
0:12:00 > 0:12:02- You're all off this kitchen, aren't you?- Yeah, yeah.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05There's one way out and that is hard to get out of,
0:12:05 > 0:12:07- if that door is locked.- Well, yeah.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10I mean, it's a tiny little place, isn't it?
0:12:10 > 0:12:13You can't believe there are five of you living in here.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16If there is one cooking in the kitchen, you've got to wait.
0:12:16 > 0:12:18- That is your only saving grace, really...- Yeah.
0:12:18 > 0:12:20..that you've got that smoke alarm there.
0:12:20 > 0:12:22If there's a fire in this kitchen, I don't really fancy...
0:12:22 > 0:12:25- No, I don't either.- ..your chances.
0:12:25 > 0:12:26Adrian's seen enough.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29It's obvious there's a number of hazards that all need
0:12:29 > 0:12:30immediate attention.
0:12:30 > 0:12:33..which will be to get that back door fixed,
0:12:33 > 0:12:35get some fire detection...
0:12:35 > 0:12:38- Better fire detection in here, in each of the rooms...- Yeah.
0:12:38 > 0:12:42..get some proper fire doors on each of the bedrooms
0:12:42 > 0:12:44- and deal with the electrics. - Yeah.- OK, Gary.
0:12:44 > 0:12:46- Thank you very much, thank you. - Cheers.
0:12:46 > 0:12:48Today's meeting has been worthwhile
0:12:48 > 0:12:51but Gary isn't hopeful of a quick and easy resolution.
0:12:51 > 0:12:54I do think the council will make a difference.
0:12:54 > 0:12:57It's how the landlord is going to react now.
0:12:59 > 0:13:01It's just ringing out.
0:13:04 > 0:13:07Coming up - Adrian returns to Gary's flat.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12He wants to see if the landlord has made the place safe to live in.
0:13:19 > 0:13:21Being a housing officer isn't just about
0:13:21 > 0:13:24dealing with dodgy landlords and leaking roofs.
0:13:24 > 0:13:28For people in crisis, they can provide a crucial lifeline too.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35I'm heading to Swale in Kent to meet a young family
0:13:35 > 0:13:38whose personal circumstances have changed so dramatically
0:13:38 > 0:13:42that their current house is no longer suitable.
0:13:42 > 0:13:45When he was diagnosed, David's life was turned upside down.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52Up to that point, how would you have described yourself?
0:13:52 > 0:13:56What was the picture of you, if you like, if you had to paint that,
0:13:56 > 0:13:5716, 18 months ago?
0:13:58 > 0:14:02I would work from six o'clock in the morning until ten o'clock at night.
0:14:04 > 0:14:06I used to love work. I was so active.
0:14:07 > 0:14:11David's work as a builder allowed him to rent a nice home for him,
0:14:11 > 0:14:14his partner Monica and their three children.
0:14:14 > 0:14:18But things changed when he started to feel seriously unwell.
0:14:18 > 0:14:21The brain, is that something that you had kind of been aware of
0:14:21 > 0:14:22for a while or did it come out of the blue?
0:14:22 > 0:14:27I just had headaches for two and a half years before that.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30But the brain tumour was 15 years old.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33- So it had been with you for all that time?- Yeah.
0:14:33 > 0:14:36You'd been having headaches that had got steadily worse
0:14:36 > 0:14:40and then what made you decide to get something sorted
0:14:40 > 0:14:42and find out about it?
0:14:44 > 0:14:45Walking down the street and...
0:14:48 > 0:14:54..the feeling of being drunk, constantly going to one side
0:14:54 > 0:14:56and hitting walls or bumping into people.
0:14:56 > 0:15:03I went to see a neurologist and it took her all of about
0:15:03 > 0:15:06two minutes to say that she needed to admit me right there and then.
0:15:08 > 0:15:12- Wow.- Because I was at the end of my life, basically.
0:15:12 > 0:15:14With time running out,
0:15:14 > 0:15:17David was rushed into hospital for emergency surgery.
0:15:17 > 0:15:23They had to put a shunt in my head to take out the fluid from the brain
0:15:23 > 0:15:26and then the swelling reduced
0:15:26 > 0:15:28and they could operate on the tumour,
0:15:28 > 0:15:31which was not a very easy thing for them to do
0:15:31 > 0:15:34because of where it was situated.
0:15:34 > 0:15:37It sounds like an incredibly scary time for you.
0:15:40 > 0:15:41Yeah.
0:15:42 > 0:15:46With the tumour removed, David's now on the road to recovery,
0:15:46 > 0:15:50but it's become clear that the house he rents is no longer suitable.
0:15:50 > 0:15:55As he currently can't work, he has turned to the council for help.
0:15:55 > 0:15:57What particular challenges have you got now?
0:15:59 > 0:16:03My mobility, especially with my leg,
0:16:03 > 0:16:08because I've got early degenerative knee disease as well.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11The access into this property is the stairs.
0:16:13 > 0:16:16And it's quite slippy out there as well
0:16:16 > 0:16:18and now I can't be as active as I was.
0:16:20 > 0:16:23As well as the physical toll the illness has taken on David,
0:16:23 > 0:16:26the emotional impact on the family makes finding a larger home
0:16:26 > 0:16:29especially important.
0:16:29 > 0:16:36It's not just my space to get better, it's space for our family,
0:16:36 > 0:16:40so we can all sort of get over what we've been through together.
0:16:40 > 0:16:43It is clear David and his family desperately need to make
0:16:43 > 0:16:45a fresh start in a new home.
0:16:46 > 0:16:50But so far, the properties they have viewed haven't been suitable.
0:16:50 > 0:16:52Their options are running out fast.
0:16:52 > 0:16:56Housing officer Kirsty Moore thinks she's found a place that might
0:16:56 > 0:16:57fit the bill.
0:16:57 > 0:17:00Remember, if it's not right for medical reasons,
0:17:00 > 0:17:01you need to say that.
0:17:02 > 0:17:04The question is this -
0:17:04 > 0:17:08will the house be right for David and his family?
0:17:08 > 0:17:10- OK, you ready to come in?- Yeah.
0:17:10 > 0:17:12- First look? - Kirsty's colleague Shalina
0:17:12 > 0:17:15is waiting to show us around.
0:17:15 > 0:17:20OK, come through, I'll take you straight into the living room.
0:17:21 > 0:17:23We'll do the downstairs first, is that OK?
0:17:24 > 0:17:27The lounge is a decent size but David and Monica
0:17:27 > 0:17:30also really want a good-sized garden for the kids.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33- This is nice.- Big.
0:17:33 > 0:17:35Lots of outside space for the kids
0:17:35 > 0:17:38means a better quality of life for everybody.
0:17:38 > 0:17:40- First impressions?- Very nice.
0:17:40 > 0:17:44Garden, it's lovely, kitchen, it's lovely.
0:17:44 > 0:17:49So things downstairs are looking good. What about upstairs?
0:17:49 > 0:17:51This is lovely, having a handrail.
0:17:53 > 0:17:55So what have we got, two bedrooms?
0:17:55 > 0:17:57- You don't have to stay with this. - No, I won't.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02The decoration is probably not quite to suit
0:18:02 > 0:18:05but we're providing you with a decoration pack
0:18:05 > 0:18:08so you'll be provided with all the paint that you will desire
0:18:08 > 0:18:10to paint the whole house.
0:18:10 > 0:18:13- All right, brilliant.- OK.- Thank you.
0:18:13 > 0:18:17I am really pleased David and Monica like what they have seen so far.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20- Yeah, really happy.- Good.
0:18:20 > 0:18:23But there's no ignoring the challenges ahead.
0:18:23 > 0:18:24How much do you know about going forwards,
0:18:24 > 0:18:28the next sort of five years, and how your needs might change?
0:18:28 > 0:18:32I'm going to see a neurologist next month
0:18:32 > 0:18:35but it is just an ongoing thing.
0:18:35 > 0:18:39- I'm always going to be tested for tumours.- Yeah.
0:18:40 > 0:18:41With the tour complete,
0:18:41 > 0:18:44it's time for Shalina to sort out the formalities.
0:18:46 > 0:18:50- Here are your new keys, congratulations.- Thank you.
0:18:50 > 0:18:54- Thank you.- Congratulations. - Thank you.- well done.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57- Well done, Monica.- Thank you.
0:18:57 > 0:18:59With plenty of space for the whole family, it looks like
0:18:59 > 0:19:02David and Monica finally have the home they want.
0:19:04 > 0:19:06- Good stuff, I think our work here is done.- Yeah.
0:19:06 > 0:19:08- I'm really pleased for you both.- Thank you.
0:19:08 > 0:19:10- I hope it really works out. - I am very happy.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13- Well, if you're happy, we're happy.- Thank you.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16Coming up - Kirsty's catch-up reveals a few changes.
0:19:17 > 0:19:21Oh, wow, it's so much different from when we first came
0:19:21 > 0:19:22and it's so much more homely.
0:19:29 > 0:19:30We're back in Oxford.
0:19:30 > 0:19:36Famous for its university, its museums and its culture.
0:19:36 > 0:19:39But there is a side to the city that most visitors don't get to see.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42Earlier on, housing officer Adrian Chowns visited Gary
0:19:42 > 0:19:46in his privately rented flat on the outskirts of the city.
0:19:46 > 0:19:49- Try to lock...- That's your escape...
0:19:49 > 0:19:53If there's a fire in the kitchen, I don't really fancy your chances.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57A few days later and he's on his way back.
0:19:57 > 0:20:01There were some problems which we asked the landlord to put right,
0:20:01 > 0:20:04we are just going there now to see if he has done that.
0:20:04 > 0:20:09I have brought another officer with me just in case, because he was...
0:20:09 > 0:20:12When I spoke to him over the phone, he was a bit...
0:20:12 > 0:20:17He did begin to be a bit abusive until I told him to pack it in.
0:20:17 > 0:20:19He was swearing and shouting,
0:20:19 > 0:20:22he wasn't happy that the tenant had reported the problems.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25He wasn't happy that I had been in and hadn't told him
0:20:25 > 0:20:29that I was going there. You know, usual stuff, really.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32But when they arrive at the flat, the police have been called
0:20:32 > 0:20:36following a confrontation between Gary and his landlord.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39By the sounds of it, they have been having
0:20:39 > 0:20:43a bit of argy-bargy between the landlord and tenant.
0:20:43 > 0:20:44So the police have turned up,
0:20:44 > 0:20:47just to make sure there is no breach of the peace.
0:20:47 > 0:20:51They said that the tenant has turned up with his brother
0:20:51 > 0:20:54and some of his mates and they have threatened the landlord and now
0:20:54 > 0:20:57the landlord has reported the tenant,
0:20:57 > 0:20:59you know, for threatening behaviour.
0:21:00 > 0:21:02Once the police have calmed the situation down,
0:21:02 > 0:21:05Adrian lays down the law to the landlord.
0:21:05 > 0:21:07You are in a worse position here, than the tenant.
0:21:07 > 0:21:10You've allowed those people to live there,
0:21:10 > 0:21:13you're operating in an unlicensed HMO, which is an offence,
0:21:13 > 0:21:16which carries a fine of up to £20,000.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19With the threat of a hefty fine, the landlord,
0:21:19 > 0:21:22who also owns the shop directly below Gary's flat,
0:21:22 > 0:21:26soon realises the seriousness of the situation.
0:21:26 > 0:21:27Let me go and have a look,
0:21:27 > 0:21:30and then I'll come and get your side of what has happened as well.
0:21:30 > 0:21:31I'm not treating...
0:21:31 > 0:21:34Trying to be unfair to anybody, but I just need to get in
0:21:34 > 0:21:38and have a look first and then I can come and see you.
0:21:38 > 0:21:39The landlord has told Adrian
0:21:39 > 0:21:42he has already fixed the lock on the front door
0:21:42 > 0:21:46and that he now has a safety certificate for the boiler.
0:21:46 > 0:21:47Hello, Gary.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50However, it seems an argument has started
0:21:50 > 0:21:54because he didn't give Gary notice before going into his room.
0:21:54 > 0:21:58I've come back Friday afternoon, they have been in my room
0:21:58 > 0:22:00and he said he's got to give me notice to come in my room.
0:22:00 > 0:22:05I've had no notice off him, he has come in my room, his answer was,
0:22:05 > 0:22:09- I've got a gas emergency.- Yeah. - Didn't want to listen to it all.
0:22:09 > 0:22:14I've got to move now by Friday. Basically, I'm homeless now.
0:22:14 > 0:22:15Well, you haven't, Gary, you haven't.
0:22:15 > 0:22:17That's what I've said to you, you haven't got to move.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20I know it's not very nice, but you don't have to move.
0:22:20 > 0:22:24This is your home and if he wants to get you out,
0:22:24 > 0:22:27he has to go through the proper legal process to do that.
0:22:27 > 0:22:31Well, you obviously see he doesn't do anything proper, does he?
0:22:31 > 0:22:34He doesn't go through the legal processes.
0:22:34 > 0:22:38Disagreements to one side, Adrian's job is now to reinspect
0:22:38 > 0:22:41the flat to see what improvements the landlord has made.
0:22:41 > 0:22:45One of the major problems we had was that this door, when you locked it
0:22:45 > 0:22:50with the key, it took Gary and me about ten minutes to unlock it,
0:22:50 > 0:22:53so we asked the landlord to fit this special type of lock,
0:22:53 > 0:22:56which is a thumb turn, so when you lock it,
0:22:56 > 0:23:00you still can't open the door but you can unlock it quickly
0:23:00 > 0:23:02and easily without having to fumble around for a key.
0:23:02 > 0:23:07That is a lot better, isn't it, now? So he has done that.
0:23:07 > 0:23:10The other issue for us was the smoke detection in here.
0:23:10 > 0:23:15So these smoke detectors weren't working properly when I came.
0:23:15 > 0:23:19That has now been changed, that is a new detector
0:23:19 > 0:23:23and I am just going to... SMOKE DETECTOR BLEEPS
0:23:23 > 0:23:26As you can hear, that is now linked to the other ones as well,
0:23:26 > 0:23:29there weren't any linked smoke detectors in here,
0:23:29 > 0:23:33so if there is a fire in this area, that is going to go off quickly,
0:23:33 > 0:23:36everybody is going to know, everybody can get out quickly.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39Adrian can see that Gary is worried.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42He wants to calm his fears about what happens next.
0:23:42 > 0:23:44SMOKE DETECTOR BLEEPS
0:23:44 > 0:23:47If he doesn't license and he carries on,
0:23:47 > 0:23:49- you know, and he doesn't cooperate...- Yeah.
0:23:49 > 0:23:52- ..we can take over this house, if we want to, as the council.- Yeah, yeah.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55But I can't do that until I offer him the opportunity to license.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58- Yeah.- If he hasn't licensed it in a couple of weeks' time,
0:23:58 > 0:24:00we'll interview him and find out why he hasn't
0:24:00 > 0:24:03and find out all the other things that have been going on
0:24:03 > 0:24:05and then we'll... That is the next step.
0:24:05 > 0:24:09- And then we'll take it from there. - Yeah.- OK?- Yeah, yeah, that's fine.
0:24:09 > 0:24:12We have to act as a bit of a social worker as well as
0:24:12 > 0:24:18dealing with the housing issues, and you know, deal with both sides
0:24:18 > 0:24:21and look at both sets of issues.
0:24:21 > 0:24:23But hopefully, they both understand now
0:24:23 > 0:24:26that they have both got responsibilities.
0:24:27 > 0:24:29Since Adrian got involved,
0:24:29 > 0:24:32the landlord has carried out works to improve safety at the flat.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35He has also applied for an HMO licence
0:24:35 > 0:24:38but the council may still decide to prosecute for failing to
0:24:38 > 0:24:41license the property in the first place.
0:24:41 > 0:24:45And for now, importantly, Gary has decided to stay put.
0:24:50 > 0:24:51Back in Swale now.
0:24:53 > 0:24:56When David Watson was diagnosed with a brain tumour,
0:24:56 > 0:24:58his life changed overnight.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01It sounds like an incredibly scary time for you.
0:25:01 > 0:25:04Yeah, I can't imagine what other people,
0:25:04 > 0:25:08like, such as my parents, Monica and my kids, were going through.
0:25:08 > 0:25:11Problems with his mobility meant that the house he had been
0:25:11 > 0:25:16living in with partner Monica and their kids was no longer suitable.
0:25:16 > 0:25:18But thanks to housing officer Kirsty Moore,
0:25:18 > 0:25:21they've found a new home and now they have moved in.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24It's brilliant, it is everything and more.
0:25:24 > 0:25:31Quality of life for us as a family has improved 100%.
0:25:31 > 0:25:33It is a lot quieter.
0:25:33 > 0:25:35Now, two weeks after the move,
0:25:35 > 0:25:38Kirsty is here to see how they are settling in.
0:25:38 > 0:25:43Kirsty has been outstanding for helping me and the family...
0:25:45 > 0:25:48.with choosing houses, been brilliant.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51When they first arrived, the decor throughout the house,
0:25:51 > 0:25:53well, it wasn't to everyone's taste.
0:25:53 > 0:25:54Oh, wow.
0:25:54 > 0:25:57But David and Monica have been busy.
0:25:57 > 0:26:02We've had the floors done, paintwork, a bit of wallpaper.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05Really good, it looks so much different from when we first came.
0:26:05 > 0:26:07It looks so much more homely.
0:26:07 > 0:26:09And the couple have put their decorating allowance to good use
0:26:09 > 0:26:15upstairs too, creating two clean and bright bedrooms
0:26:15 > 0:26:16for them and the kids.
0:26:18 > 0:26:20The bathroom is not bad either.
0:26:21 > 0:26:27- Oh, wow.- It is so much different. - Yeah, it looks so much different.
0:26:27 > 0:26:29With two kids living in the house
0:26:29 > 0:26:33plus one from David's first marriage visiting regularly,
0:26:33 > 0:26:36a decent-sized garden was high on the couple's wish list.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41It's nice just to be able to let them run in the garden,
0:26:41 > 0:26:45and leave the door open and let the mud come in.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49David's illness means that life will never quite be the same
0:26:49 > 0:26:53for the family but now, things really are starting to look up.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57Not only has the move been a huge success
0:26:57 > 0:26:59but after a recent visit to his doctor,
0:26:59 > 0:27:03David has some exciting news - he has now been given the all clear.
0:27:03 > 0:27:07So, what does that mean? Does that mean you could go back to work?
0:27:07 > 0:27:12Potentially. Hopefully. Back to normal.
0:27:12 > 0:27:16That's wonderful news, it's really a new start for David,
0:27:16 > 0:27:19but he hasn't forgotten the help he's had from Kirsty and the team.
0:27:19 > 0:27:24- Thank you.- You've done so much. - Thank you very much.
0:27:24 > 0:27:28- I wish I could give you more.- No, it's much appreciated, thank you.
0:27:31 > 0:27:35After going through everything that they have done and the trauma that
0:27:35 > 0:27:40the operation and the brain tumour caused for David and his family,
0:27:40 > 0:27:45it's just lovely to see them so happy and in the house together.
0:27:45 > 0:27:48It has been really nice to watch his case from start to finish
0:27:48 > 0:27:50and to be part of it, really.
0:27:54 > 0:27:55That's it for today,
0:27:55 > 0:27:59Join me next time on the front line with Britain's housing officers.