0:00:02 > 0:00:03Hello? Can you just let me in?
0:00:03 > 0:00:06The law says everyone has the right to a safe place to live.
0:00:06 > 0:00:09I wouldn't keep my dog there, is the honest truth.
0:00:10 > 0:00:12But for thousands of people across the UK,
0:00:12 > 0:00:15the reality can be more hovel than home.
0:00:15 > 0:00:18The house is falling to bits. There's nothing I can do.
0:00:18 > 0:00:20In the battle for decent housing...
0:00:20 > 0:00:22We've just got conditions that are just appalling.
0:00:22 > 0:00:25I don't know how the people are coping, to be quite honest.
0:00:25 > 0:00:28..it's local housing officers who are on the front line.
0:00:28 > 0:00:29If somebody had have died here,
0:00:29 > 0:00:32you would've been standing in the coroner's court.
0:00:33 > 0:00:37I'm Matt Allwright and I'm back with the housing enforcers.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40- 15 people in this house? - 15 people in total living in here.
0:00:40 > 0:00:42I'll be with them as they tackle
0:00:42 > 0:00:44problem properties and slum conditions...
0:00:44 > 0:00:47It really does look a shanty town.
0:00:47 > 0:00:49Yeah, it's not up to standard.
0:00:49 > 0:00:52..as they deal with dodgy landlords, nightmare neighbours
0:00:52 > 0:00:53and everything in between...
0:00:53 > 0:00:57Oh, my God, straight away, there's the smell of dog muck.
0:00:57 > 0:00:58You never know what you're going to find.
0:00:58 > 0:01:02..to help those in need of a happy and healthy home.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12Today, a landlord who's carved up a family house
0:01:12 > 0:01:15ignores council orders to put things right.
0:01:15 > 0:01:19Now they've been partitioned off, this middle room is like a hellhole.
0:01:19 > 0:01:22- There's no lights, no ventilation. - No, exactly.
0:01:22 > 0:01:24- It's just the worst option, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:01:24 > 0:01:28A mysterious damp problem puts a family's health in danger.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31It's disgusting. It does leak into the light switch as well.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34So I tell the boys not to turn on the bathroom light at all
0:01:34 > 0:01:36because I don't want them getting electrocuted.
0:01:36 > 0:01:40And one man and his dog find happiness in a new home.
0:01:40 > 0:01:42Every day is going to be a happy day here, I think.
0:01:42 > 0:01:44Every day will be, definitely.
0:01:44 > 0:01:46Just to know I can just pop down the road
0:01:46 > 0:01:49and see my grandchildren and my children.
0:01:53 > 0:01:55We might not always know it,
0:01:55 > 0:01:58but there are people from every local council
0:01:58 > 0:02:03whose job it is to make sure we have a safe roof over our heads.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06I'm working alongside the men and the women
0:02:06 > 0:02:11who use the law to make sure we don't live in slums,
0:02:11 > 0:02:16but in homes fit to raise a family or enjoy our retirement.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19They can make sure that you have the facilities you need
0:02:19 > 0:02:21as you get older.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24They also have the power to start the process
0:02:24 > 0:02:30that can send a bad landlord to prison or help evict a bad tenant.
0:02:30 > 0:02:32They are...the housing enforcers.
0:02:39 > 0:02:41There's a housing shortage in London,
0:02:41 > 0:02:43so landlords are keen to plug the gap
0:02:43 > 0:02:47by converting family houses into shared homes.
0:02:47 > 0:02:49But in the London borough of Newham,
0:02:49 > 0:02:52the council takes a dim view of properties
0:02:52 > 0:02:54that are unlawfully converted.
0:02:54 > 0:02:59They reckon that a quarter of all rental properties in their patch are shared houses,
0:02:59 > 0:03:01what they call houses of multiple occupation,
0:03:01 > 0:03:03and not all of them have planning permission.
0:03:03 > 0:03:07Housing officer Stephen Pavett is taking me to one of them.
0:03:07 > 0:03:09It's got an unusual history.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15This one has two enforcement notices on it.
0:03:15 > 0:03:19People were collecting scrap metal and storing it at the property.
0:03:19 > 0:03:23So the house itself was being used as a scrap metal dealership or storage?
0:03:23 > 0:03:27Yeah, essentially, by the people who were living there.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30Erm...last time I visited.
0:03:30 > 0:03:33I'd found that the use had ceased as a scrap metal storage,
0:03:33 > 0:03:37but the large home of multiple occupation was still occurring.
0:03:37 > 0:03:41And the choice to go to prosecution would be based upon the level of risk
0:03:41 > 0:03:44that those people are being exposed to?
0:03:44 > 0:03:46Yeah, it is a last resort. We're left with no option
0:03:46 > 0:03:49than to consider prosecuting the owner for this.
0:03:49 > 0:03:55Since April 2015, Newham Council have carried out 400 inspections of shared houses
0:03:55 > 0:04:00and that's resulted in 200 prosecutions or cautions.
0:04:00 > 0:04:04This property's a small terraced house on a quiet residential street.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07Not somewhere you would expect scrap metal to be stored,
0:04:07 > 0:04:09or a large number of people to be living.
0:04:18 > 0:04:20Hello. We're from the planning department from Newham Council.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23We're here today to do an inspection of the property at the moment.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26I want to see all of the house today.
0:04:26 > 0:04:28Yes? OK?
0:04:28 > 0:04:30We need to come in, please.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32Which bed are you sleeping in?
0:04:32 > 0:04:35So we've come into the front room and straight away there are...
0:04:35 > 0:04:38there's one bed, there's a sofa, and there's a mattress.
0:04:40 > 0:04:42And it looks like all three have been slept in.
0:04:42 > 0:04:48But the guy that Steve is speaking to claims just to be a guest
0:04:48 > 0:04:50and not living here at all.
0:04:50 > 0:04:54So in there, Stephen, straight away it looks like we've got three guys sleeping.
0:04:54 > 0:04:58- There's the bed, there's the mattress on the floor and then there's the sofa.- Sofa, yeah.
0:04:58 > 0:05:00The downstairs of the property has been converted,
0:05:00 > 0:05:03creating an additional windowless room
0:05:03 > 0:05:05in the middle of the ground floor.
0:05:06 > 0:05:07OK, so there's no-one in this room.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10No, there is. There's a chap asleep there.
0:05:10 > 0:05:11He is there, too.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14So you've got another guy asleep here
0:05:14 > 0:05:15and you've got a bed,
0:05:15 > 0:05:17no windows at all.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21Five people so far in these two rooms
0:05:21 > 0:05:25and all the signs of, you know, a large number of people living here.
0:05:27 > 0:05:29All of these houses that we see, these terraces,
0:05:29 > 0:05:32used to have big, long living rooms that went all the way through
0:05:32 > 0:05:35for a family to sit in together, with a dining room maybe at the back.
0:05:35 > 0:05:37- That's right.- And now they're being partitioned off.
0:05:37 > 0:05:41- This middle room is like a hellhole. It's horrible.- Yes.
0:05:41 > 0:05:43- There's no lights. - There's no ventilation.
0:05:43 > 0:05:45- There's no ventilation.- No, exactly.
0:05:45 > 0:05:47- It's just... It's the worst option, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:05:48 > 0:05:52While housing officers are more interested in the numbers of people in these small family homes,
0:05:52 > 0:05:55I'm concerned about the deeply unpleasant conditions,
0:05:55 > 0:06:00which also extend to the essential facilities.
0:06:00 > 0:06:04- The kitchen has a feeling of coming in for some pretty heavy use.- Yeah.
0:06:04 > 0:06:09And the stove... Obviously, they're not worrying about cleaning, particularly.
0:06:10 > 0:06:14All these people and use, again, will attract things like mice, rats.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17Overuse of the property, really, and not being cleaned.
0:06:18 > 0:06:22I'm going to open a cupboard and I'm going to see my arch enemy - the cockroach.
0:06:25 > 0:06:27WHSIPERS: He's long gone.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30Well, no cockroaches, but the poor state of the kitchen
0:06:30 > 0:06:33coupled with a lot of people living in close proximity,
0:06:33 > 0:06:35is not a good mix.
0:06:35 > 0:06:37And we haven't even ventured upstairs yet.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43It looks as though there are people occupying the upstairs bedrooms.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45I can see things in windows.
0:06:45 > 0:06:49So I think, if we wander up there now and have a look and see if they're awake...
0:06:51 > 0:06:53So five so far on the ground floor.
0:06:53 > 0:06:54Yeah.
0:06:55 > 0:06:57Coming up...
0:06:57 > 0:07:00We discover even more people living upstairs.
0:07:00 > 0:07:02So we've got here two more.
0:07:02 > 0:07:05So that's... I think we're up to seven so far.
0:07:05 > 0:07:07Up to seven people so far, yeah.
0:07:07 > 0:07:08Yeah.
0:07:11 > 0:07:15Damp and mould are among the most common causes of complaint
0:07:15 > 0:07:18to housing departments all over the UK.
0:07:18 > 0:07:23But you don't expect to find them in a modern, purpose-built block of flats like this one.
0:07:26 > 0:07:28In Wolverhampton in the West Midlands,
0:07:28 > 0:07:33mum Kattrina Haney and her two sons moved into a flat here three years ago.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36But since then, she says damp has got steadily worse,
0:07:36 > 0:07:40making electrical sockets dangerous and damaging the family's health.
0:07:41 > 0:07:43OK, well, this started off as a leak.
0:07:43 > 0:07:45Just a damp patch.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48And it's obviously got a lot worser.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51It comes down right into the back of the cupboards.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55It's disgusting and it's in the next one, too.
0:07:55 > 0:07:56The flat is privately owned,
0:07:56 > 0:07:59but leased and managed by a housing association.
0:07:59 > 0:08:01After three years of asking them to help,
0:08:01 > 0:08:04Kattrina finally contacted her local council.
0:08:04 > 0:08:08Housing officer Ravi Phull took up Kattrina's case
0:08:08 > 0:08:11and got in touch with the owner of the flat on her behalf,
0:08:11 > 0:08:14advising them that work needed to be done.
0:08:14 > 0:08:18It started the day I signed my contract, actually.
0:08:18 > 0:08:19It was just a damp patch.
0:08:19 > 0:08:21A little, light faded patch.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24And they says that someone was going to come out and fix it.
0:08:24 > 0:08:27You know, clean it up and repaint it.
0:08:27 > 0:08:28But no-one's ever been since.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31So it's been going on for three years.
0:08:31 > 0:08:33Got worser over the years, obviously.
0:08:33 > 0:08:35And now it's just a state. It's disgusting.
0:08:35 > 0:08:37There's a smell to it. You know, a damp smell.
0:08:37 > 0:08:39Horrible.
0:08:39 > 0:08:41It's disgusting.
0:08:41 > 0:08:43And it's not just the kitchen.
0:08:44 > 0:08:45OK, this is the hallway.
0:08:45 > 0:08:48Obviously, it's all come out into the hallway down the frame.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51All the ceiling is starting to turn black now.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54It does leak into the light switch, as well.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57So I tell the boys not to turn on the bathroom light at all
0:08:57 > 0:08:59because I don't want them getting electrocuted.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02This is the bedroom where I sleep.
0:09:03 > 0:09:07And it's all in the ceiling there, where the flue runs.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10It runs down, straight down the wall.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13As you can see, the wood is coming away from the ceiling,
0:09:13 > 0:09:15and it's mould again.
0:09:15 > 0:09:17This is not only nasty to look at.
0:09:17 > 0:09:21Living in an atmosphere of mould and damp can also be a health hazard,
0:09:21 > 0:09:25affecting the immune system and aggravating asthma attacks -
0:09:25 > 0:09:28something Kattrina's sons already suffer from.
0:09:28 > 0:09:30The dirtiness of it.
0:09:30 > 0:09:33And having two children, it's not hygienic at all,
0:09:33 > 0:09:35especially them having asthma.
0:09:35 > 0:09:39I mean, one's got a chest infection now and has been off school since last week
0:09:39 > 0:09:41and the other one's got tonsillitis.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44So living in this environment is not helping them at all.
0:09:44 > 0:09:48I've complained to the housing association that I rent the property from.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51Someone should have already been out and dealt with it.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54But I've never had an appointment for anybody to come.
0:09:54 > 0:10:00I phoned the council because I think the housing association would listen to them more
0:10:00 > 0:10:03than they'd maybe listen to me.
0:10:03 > 0:10:05And I'd get somewhere a bit more quicker,
0:10:05 > 0:10:07after waiting so long already.
0:10:09 > 0:10:11The council listened to Kattrina.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14But did the landlord and the housing association respond?
0:10:14 > 0:10:18Ravi's arrived at Kattrina's flat to see if the repairs have been done.
0:10:18 > 0:10:20This is a revisit of a property.
0:10:20 > 0:10:22An inspection was carried out.
0:10:22 > 0:10:23Hazards were identified.
0:10:23 > 0:10:26The landlord was written out to
0:10:26 > 0:10:27and we're just doing a re-inspection
0:10:27 > 0:10:30to see how much of the works have been complied with or have been done.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33Ravi wants to know if anything's happened
0:10:33 > 0:10:35since the council stepped in.
0:10:35 > 0:10:38Repairs and maintenance are the responsibility of the landlord.
0:10:38 > 0:10:42But he or she would expect to be alerted to any problems by the housing association,
0:10:42 > 0:10:44who are managing the flat.
0:10:44 > 0:10:46What's been done?
0:10:46 > 0:10:48The boiler's been repaired.
0:10:48 > 0:10:50It was leaking constantly.
0:10:50 > 0:10:52And that's been repaired.
0:10:52 > 0:10:54And the lights in the kitchen.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57What was wrong with the lights in the kitchen? Remind me again.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00Water had leaked into them and they just kept blowing.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03Carrying out these repairs has definitely made a difference.
0:11:03 > 0:11:07But Ravi knows that, unless the source of the problem has been found and dealt with,
0:11:07 > 0:11:08the damp won't go away.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11Did they actually find the cause of the leak and remedy it
0:11:11 > 0:11:13or did it just stop itself?
0:11:13 > 0:11:16- The leaks do stop and carry on and stop and carry on.- OK.
0:11:16 > 0:11:22Someone did come out, says that the leak could be from my boiler or the man who lives upstairs.
0:11:22 > 0:11:26But no-one's actually been out and investigated the leak.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29If the other tenants are having problems, too,
0:11:29 > 0:11:33there could be a serious underlying issue with this building.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36The man upstairs called his agent, because we're with different agencies.
0:11:36 > 0:11:40- He did say that he had a leak in his boiler.- OK.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43So that could be the cause of what's happened in my kitchen.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46So even though the leak's in his flat...
0:11:46 > 0:11:49Until we go in there, we won't know.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52But there's no hazards. It's creating hazards in your flat, right?
0:11:52 > 0:11:55But then there's downstairs, as well.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58He knocked me and says there is a leak. Have I got something leaking?
0:11:58 > 0:12:00- So you're potentially leaking downstairs?- Yeah.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03- So there seems to be a systemic problem.- Yeah.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06- OK. Can we have a look in the other room?- Yeah.
0:12:09 > 0:12:10Oh, goodness me! OK.
0:12:10 > 0:12:12- It's vile.- Yeah, OK.
0:12:13 > 0:12:14It's just too much.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17And having two kids, as well, right next to the sink.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20All right. Well, obviously, there is also a concern
0:12:20 > 0:12:22because of the water coming in from upstairs.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25We've also got a concern if it's getting into the electrics,
0:12:25 > 0:12:27which is a even bigger issue, really.
0:12:27 > 0:12:30- I have got a damp patch around my electric box.- Right.
0:12:30 > 0:12:33But it's not, like, a leak, it's just a patch.
0:12:33 > 0:12:37The bathroom is a very similar story to the kitchen.
0:12:37 > 0:12:39Water has been seeping into the electrical sockets.
0:12:39 > 0:12:42Ravi isn't happy about this.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45Nor is she happy about the amount of mould the family are living with.
0:12:45 > 0:12:47It's even crept into Kattrina's bedroom.
0:12:47 > 0:12:51Ravi wants the source found and this flat cleaned up and made safe.
0:12:51 > 0:12:53Damp is the main issue.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56- And it is bad.- It is bad.
0:12:56 > 0:12:57So what we're now going to do
0:12:57 > 0:13:00is we're going to get on to the next stage -
0:13:00 > 0:13:03to serve notice on the landlord.
0:13:03 > 0:13:05He's going to be charged for that notice, as well,
0:13:05 > 0:13:08because there's a fine that comes with it.
0:13:08 > 0:13:09And if they don't comply with the notice,
0:13:09 > 0:13:11then we will look to prosecute them.
0:13:11 > 0:13:13The council can now make sure
0:13:13 > 0:13:18that action is taken to put things right for Kattrina and her sons.
0:13:18 > 0:13:19And you'll hear from us.
0:13:19 > 0:13:23- You'll get a copy of all the notices served et cetera, as well.- OK.
0:13:23 > 0:13:25- Thank you very much for your help. - All right, no worries.
0:13:25 > 0:13:29It's Ravi's job to make sure that standards in the flat are improved
0:13:29 > 0:13:32to make it a safe environment for all the family.
0:13:32 > 0:13:37She has no hesitation in getting straight on to the housing association and the landlord
0:13:37 > 0:13:39to remind them of their obligations.
0:13:39 > 0:13:43They need to dig a little further into where the leak's coming from,
0:13:43 > 0:13:45if the leak has actually been stopped now.
0:13:45 > 0:13:49It's not just a case of just patching up visibly whatever is there,
0:13:49 > 0:13:53but to make sure that whatever is going on doesn't recur.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56Kattrina turned to the council for help
0:13:56 > 0:14:00because she says she was unable to get the housing association to do the work.
0:14:00 > 0:14:05She's hoping it won't be long now before the mysterious hidden leak can be located
0:14:05 > 0:14:07and the damp and mould are finally cleaned up for good.
0:14:15 > 0:14:20The agents for the property told us that, under the terms of Miss Harvey's tenancy agreement,
0:14:20 > 0:14:23she should have reported defects straight to them
0:14:23 > 0:14:25but, instead, she reported them to the council.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28When they were told of the issues, they said they inspected the property
0:14:28 > 0:14:31and, as a responsible housing association,
0:14:31 > 0:14:34agreed to repair and to recharge the costs back to the landlord,
0:14:34 > 0:14:36in line with the terms of the lease.
0:14:36 > 0:14:40They also said some repairs had already been done
0:14:40 > 0:14:43and they'd contacted the tenant on several occasions to do more work,
0:14:43 > 0:14:46but had been unable to arrange access to the flat.
0:14:50 > 0:14:52Defending our right to a safe place to live
0:14:52 > 0:14:56is the job of housing officers right across the UK.
0:14:56 > 0:15:00This is not really an acceptable way of leaving the property behind.
0:15:00 > 0:15:01Do you think?!
0:15:01 > 0:15:05I'm working alongside the men and women that do exactly that.
0:15:05 > 0:15:07- Top marks.- Yes!
0:15:07 > 0:15:08I'm hitting the streets...
0:15:10 > 0:15:12That's ready to collapse.
0:15:12 > 0:15:14..finding out what's happening on the front line...
0:15:14 > 0:15:16The cistern's in the bath.
0:15:16 > 0:15:18I don't know how they flush it.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21..and learning what it takes to make sure
0:15:21 > 0:15:23a house is fit to be called a home.
0:15:23 > 0:15:25I'm very shocked. This is ridiculous.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28You shouldn't have people living in here.
0:15:33 > 0:15:35Earlier, housing officer Stephen Pavett
0:15:35 > 0:15:38showed me a terraced house in Newham, East London.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41The council has served two enforcement notices on the landlord
0:15:41 > 0:15:44because the property was being used to store scrap metal
0:15:44 > 0:15:48and it's been unlawfully converted into bedsits.
0:15:48 > 0:15:50I want to see all of the house today.
0:15:50 > 0:15:52Yes? OK?
0:15:53 > 0:15:57Stephen's here to check if the landlord's changed the property back to a single home.
0:15:57 > 0:16:02He reckons that as many as five people were living on the ground floor alone.
0:16:06 > 0:16:08All right, so we've got three doors here.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12Hello. From the planning department. Newham Council.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15I just need to have a quick look around your room, please.
0:16:15 > 0:16:17- Are you living here in this room by yourself?- Yes.
0:16:17 > 0:16:18Just yourself.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21- How much rent do you pay per month for the room?- £400.
0:16:21 > 0:16:23£400.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26And do you have a tenancy agreement or anything like that that you pay rent to?
0:16:26 > 0:16:27How do you pay your money?
0:16:34 > 0:16:36So you pay the money to someone in the house
0:16:36 > 0:16:39and they pay the money to someone else? OK.
0:16:39 > 0:16:41Thank you.
0:16:44 > 0:16:49It's worrying that this tenant doesn't pay his rent directly to the landlord,
0:16:49 > 0:16:51but to one of the other tenants in the house.
0:16:53 > 0:16:55Another bedroom here.
0:16:56 > 0:16:58But it seems like, from what the other guy was saying,
0:16:58 > 0:17:01- that he's paying his rent to somebody else here.- Yeah.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04So there's a possibility that it's being sublet?
0:17:04 > 0:17:06Is there sometimes the case
0:17:06 > 0:17:09where actually the owners have no idea what's going on within their property,
0:17:09 > 0:17:12that it's being let out without their knowledge?
0:17:12 > 0:17:14Yeah, it could be that.
0:17:14 > 0:17:19But, you know, it's up to the owners and the landlords to know what's going on in their own property
0:17:19 > 0:17:21and for them to carry out checks if they need to.
0:17:21 > 0:17:23But whichever way you look at it,
0:17:23 > 0:17:26it seems there are still too many people living in this house.
0:17:26 > 0:17:28So we've got here two more.
0:17:28 > 0:17:31So that's... I think we're up to seven so far?
0:17:31 > 0:17:33Up to seven people so far, yeah.
0:17:33 > 0:17:34Yeah.
0:17:34 > 0:17:35It's over six people.
0:17:35 > 0:17:39OK, so over six to be a large house of multiple occupation,
0:17:39 > 0:17:41for which a special licence is needed.
0:17:41 > 0:17:45- Planning permission is needed for the planning department.- Right.
0:17:45 > 0:17:49- They'd also need a licence from the housing department, as well.- OK.
0:17:49 > 0:17:51So the plus side is we haven't seen any scrap metal here.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54No. But we're here to see all the rooms, but...
0:17:54 > 0:17:57- We've got one more room to go in. - We've got one more room.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00- Hello. I'm from the planning department from the council.- Yeah.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03We need to just have a quick look around your room, please.
0:18:03 > 0:18:04Thank you.
0:18:04 > 0:18:06Are you living here at the moment?
0:18:07 > 0:18:08So how long have you lived in here?
0:18:11 > 0:18:14So in this room he's got a couple...
0:18:15 > 0:18:17..and a double bed and that's it.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21So how much rent a month do you pay for the room?
0:18:24 > 0:18:25For which bit, the whole property?
0:18:27 > 0:18:31So are you the gentleman who's got the lease of this property?
0:18:36 > 0:18:38Right. So how much do you actually pay yourself?
0:18:42 > 0:18:43Right, OK.
0:18:48 > 0:18:49The plot thickens.
0:18:49 > 0:18:51The couple in this room
0:18:51 > 0:18:54appear to be looking after the bills for the whole house,
0:18:54 > 0:18:58although the gentleman says that someone else, who left recently, owns the lease to the house.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01It's possible that the owner of the house is unaware
0:19:01 > 0:19:04that his tenant is subletting rooms.
0:19:04 > 0:19:05Thank you.
0:19:05 > 0:19:07Thank you very much. Sorry to disturb you.
0:19:10 > 0:19:12From Stephen's investigations,
0:19:12 > 0:19:16it looks like as many as nine people may be living in this house.
0:19:16 > 0:19:18It's supposed to be a family home,
0:19:18 > 0:19:21but none of them appear to be related to each other.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25One of the things I really like about Newham
0:19:25 > 0:19:27is that it's really straightforward here.
0:19:27 > 0:19:31You know, we could see that there were things wrong with that property,
0:19:31 > 0:19:33you know, in terms of the condition.
0:19:33 > 0:19:35- But actually, this is a planning matter.- Yes.
0:19:35 > 0:19:39There just shouldn't be that many people living in that way in that house.
0:19:39 > 0:19:43It has to go back to a family dwelling and that's all there is about it.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46There's no other use they can use for that property at this stage in Newham.
0:19:46 > 0:19:47So the next step, then.
0:19:47 > 0:19:49Are we looking at a prosecution here?
0:19:49 > 0:19:53Yeah, I've sent letters of warning of a prosecution in the past.
0:19:54 > 0:19:59And this further visit just confirms it's still in breach of our notice.
0:19:59 > 0:20:01Even with the warning of a prosecution,
0:20:01 > 0:20:06the owners still haven't done anything about putting it back to a single family home.
0:20:06 > 0:20:08So we've got nowhere else to go now,
0:20:08 > 0:20:12other than to look to pursuing more proceedings as a prosecution.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19The council have since told us that they didn't find enough evidence
0:20:19 > 0:20:23to prove that the property was still being used as a shared house.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26However, they say they'll keep on visiting
0:20:26 > 0:20:29to make sure that compliance with the enforcement notice continues.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39There's a saying that home is where the heart is.
0:20:39 > 0:20:41But for some people, their home is in one place
0:20:41 > 0:20:45and their heart is somewhere entirely different.
0:20:45 > 0:20:47In Stroud, housing officer Rachel Pugh
0:20:47 > 0:20:49is waiting to welcome a new tenant
0:20:49 > 0:20:52who's taken the huge step of giving up his home
0:20:52 > 0:20:57and moving 200 miles to be closer to the people he loves the most.
0:20:57 > 0:20:58We're meeting Mr Weston today.
0:20:58 > 0:21:02He's relocating from Ipswich to be nearer his family.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04So from being very isolated, he's moving a lot closer
0:21:04 > 0:21:07to everybody and he's really excited about it.
0:21:07 > 0:21:09He might be excited now,
0:21:09 > 0:21:13but still in Ipswich, Pete Weston's decision to up sticks and move
0:21:13 > 0:21:15three-and-a-half hours away from his home
0:21:15 > 0:21:16hasn't been an easy one.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20One of my sons and his girlfriend moved down to Stroud,
0:21:20 > 0:21:21where they'd been given a job.
0:21:21 > 0:21:25Four or five years later, my youngest son, he moved there, as well,
0:21:25 > 0:21:28which then left me here on my own.
0:21:28 > 0:21:30Which was about seven or eight years ago, I think.
0:21:30 > 0:21:34Despite feeling increasingly isolated in his own home
0:21:34 > 0:21:37and with only his dog Saffy for company,
0:21:37 > 0:21:39even pleas from his family to join them
0:21:39 > 0:21:43weren't enough to convince him to pack up his whole life and start again somewhere new.
0:21:45 > 0:21:49They were always saying that I should move down there and I was agreeing,
0:21:49 > 0:21:52but I could never see a way of doing it, for some reason.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55It seemed such a daunting thing to do, to have to move
0:21:55 > 0:21:57after all these years in the same place.
0:21:57 > 0:22:01Despite the fact that your sons from a distance are saying, "It'll be all right, Dad,
0:22:01 > 0:22:03"we'll do everything for you."
0:22:03 > 0:22:06Pete's worries were made worse by health problems
0:22:06 > 0:22:11caused by a medical condition which severely affects his nervous system.
0:22:11 > 0:22:13It causes quite severe muscle spasms
0:22:13 > 0:22:17in the upper back and the legs and feet, mostly,
0:22:17 > 0:22:19which can be incredibly painful.
0:22:20 > 0:22:23So doing something like moving, trying to arrange everything,
0:22:23 > 0:22:25think of what needs to be done and when
0:22:25 > 0:22:28is incredibly difficult, it really is.
0:22:28 > 0:22:30I still had this thought in my mind, "It's just too much.
0:22:30 > 0:22:34"I won't be able to do it, I'm better off just staying where I am."
0:22:34 > 0:22:40Which is silly because, behind that, I know I'll be better off with them.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43But finally, Pete found the courage to take the plunge.
0:22:43 > 0:22:48Just six weeks after applying for a place on Stroud District Council's housing list,
0:22:48 > 0:22:50they offered him a new home.
0:22:50 > 0:22:52Now Pete can't wait to have his family just round the corner.
0:22:54 > 0:22:56I haven't seen a great deal of them over the years.
0:22:56 > 0:23:01I mean, my children have been up here with my grandchildren,
0:23:01 > 0:23:06but it's not the same as having lived near them for any length of time.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09So I'm really looking forward to going down there and spending time with them.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12It'll be absolutely brilliant.
0:23:12 > 0:23:13With the big day here,
0:23:13 > 0:23:16it's housing officer Rachel's job to oversee the handover
0:23:16 > 0:23:21and help get the council's newest tenant settled into his new home.
0:23:21 > 0:23:24It was almost ready when he saw it last time.
0:23:24 > 0:23:26And he seemed really pleased.
0:23:26 > 0:23:29So I hope he's going to be thrilled with the final result.
0:23:29 > 0:23:33And I shall be signing a few bits of paper with him, make it all official.
0:23:33 > 0:23:36Pete's all packed up and on the road.
0:23:36 > 0:23:41But the move's happening so quickly, reality hasn't quite sunk in.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44I think once I'm there and I've got the keys and my boys turn up...
0:23:46 > 0:23:49..I will start believing it's actually happening.
0:23:50 > 0:23:52I never had any high hopes
0:23:52 > 0:23:56that I would be able to find anywhere to live down here.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59I certainly didn't expect it to be so easy.
0:23:59 > 0:24:04I'm just overjoyed that I'm going to be three miles away from my granddaughters.
0:24:04 > 0:24:06And my little dog Saffy is absolutely fine
0:24:06 > 0:24:09and I think she's going to love it when we get there.
0:24:09 > 0:24:13I'd say, on a scale of one to ten of being happy at the moment,
0:24:13 > 0:24:14I'm 11.
0:24:14 > 0:24:18I'm beyond happy at this moment.
0:24:20 > 0:24:22Come on, then.
0:24:22 > 0:24:23Good girl.
0:24:23 > 0:24:25This is our new home, Saffy.
0:24:25 > 0:24:27- Hi, Rachel.- Hello.
0:24:27 > 0:24:29- Hello.- Nice to see you again.
0:24:29 > 0:24:31- Are you ready?- I am indeed, yes.
0:24:31 > 0:24:33OK. Let's go.
0:24:33 > 0:24:35I've got butterflies.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38And I'm feeling a little bit nervous at this moment, but...
0:24:38 > 0:24:40- That's all right. - ..but happy and good.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43Pete's only seen his new home once.
0:24:43 > 0:24:47This is the first time since it's been redecorated.
0:24:47 > 0:24:49It looks just as nice as when I came before.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52- Come on in. - Saffy, you're going the wrong way.
0:24:52 > 0:24:53It's got a new floor everywhere now.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55Oh, my goodness! I wasn't expecting that.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58- So we've gone over all the tiles. - Oh, yeah. Yep.
0:24:58 > 0:25:00Right, bedroom in here.
0:25:03 > 0:25:05- Yeah. Oh, it's so light.- Yeah.
0:25:05 > 0:25:07It's so light.
0:25:07 > 0:25:09It's the big windows, makes such a difference.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12Ah! I love it when the light... It's brilliant.
0:25:13 > 0:25:15It's absolutely wonderful.
0:25:15 > 0:25:17It really is.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20It's so light. It's spacious. It's brilliant.
0:25:20 > 0:25:22I love it. I love it.
0:25:23 > 0:25:27It's not only Pete who's got to get used to some new rules and regulations.
0:25:28 > 0:25:30So with pets, with Saffy,
0:25:30 > 0:25:33we have a pet policy that we ask you to fill in.
0:25:33 > 0:25:37- All I need to do first is to check out the local cats and where they are.- OK.
0:25:37 > 0:25:39Apart from that, she is absolutely fine.
0:25:39 > 0:25:41It might be an idea, perhaps, to keep her on a lead,
0:25:41 > 0:25:44until you've sussed out the cat situation.
0:25:44 > 0:25:48I'll just ask you to sign it now and then it's a done deal.
0:25:49 > 0:25:50If you...
0:25:50 > 0:25:53- Just under your name there.- OK.
0:25:55 > 0:25:57That's it! It's all official, Mr Weston. So here are your keys.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00- Thanks for your help.- Pleasure. - That's lovely, thank you. - Bye-bye.- Bye.
0:26:00 > 0:26:04Formalities over, Pete can get stuck into the job of moving in.
0:26:04 > 0:26:07And with all three of his sons on hand to do the hard work,
0:26:07 > 0:26:12it seems he and Saffy are planning, well, a more supervisory role.
0:26:12 > 0:26:13I'm looking forward to it immensely.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16I'm looking forward to getting my armchair in.
0:26:16 > 0:26:17I'm looking forward to getting my bed made.
0:26:17 > 0:26:19I'm looking forward to getting my garden chair
0:26:19 > 0:26:22and just sit out here for an hour or two, I think.
0:26:22 > 0:26:23Let my boys do all the work.
0:26:25 > 0:26:29With their dad just minutes down the road now, rather than hours away in Suffolk,
0:26:29 > 0:26:33the whole family think Pete's exactly where he belongs.
0:26:33 > 0:26:36He's going to be back in the bosom of the family. He'll be well-supported here.
0:26:36 > 0:26:38Yeah, a good move. Definitely.
0:26:38 > 0:26:43He's only three miles away from Nicki and Dale's two eldest.
0:26:43 > 0:26:47So, yes. It's perfect for him.
0:26:47 > 0:26:49Perfect for them, as well, I hope.
0:26:49 > 0:26:52I think Grandpa moving by is going to be amazing.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55We'll come to see him every weekend.
0:26:55 > 0:26:57Saff, come here.
0:26:57 > 0:27:01Only a few weeks ago, giving up his home and moving 200 miles
0:27:01 > 0:27:03seemed like an impossible challenge for Pete.
0:27:03 > 0:27:06But thanks to Rachel and Stroud District Council's housing team,
0:27:06 > 0:27:09he can now look forward to a much brighter future.
0:27:10 > 0:27:11That all went very well.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14I've got a happy man and a happy dog in there.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17He seems really pleased, so I'm chuffed.
0:27:17 > 0:27:19Now he's installed,
0:27:19 > 0:27:22Pete's already looking forward to making a new home for himself,
0:27:22 > 0:27:24surrounded by the people he loves the most.
0:27:24 > 0:27:27Every day is going to be a happy day here, I think.
0:27:27 > 0:27:29Every day will be, definitely.
0:27:29 > 0:27:33Just to know that I can just pop down the road and see my grandchildren and my children,
0:27:33 > 0:27:35it's going to marvellous, absolutely marvellous.
0:27:35 > 0:27:38I'm relieved. I'm happy. Speechless.
0:27:38 > 0:27:41I... I'm just overcome by it all.
0:27:41 > 0:27:43It is absolutely wonderful.
0:27:50 > 0:27:52That's it for today. Join me next time,
0:27:52 > 0:27:54when I'll be learning more about what it takes
0:27:54 > 0:27:57to be a front-line housing officer.