0:00:02 > 0:00:04- Hello? Can you just let me in? - BARKING
0:00:04 > 0:00:06The law says everyone has the right to a safe place to live...
0:00:06 > 0:00:10I 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 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 > 0:00:30If somebody had died here, you would've been
0:00:30 > 0:00:32standing in 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 total living in here.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43I'll be with them as they tackle problem properties
0:00:43 > 0:00:45and slum conditions...
0:00:45 > 0:00:47It really does look a shanty town.
0:00:47 > 0:00:48Yeah, it's not up to standard.
0:00:48 > 0:00:51..as they deal with dodgy landlords, nightmare neighbours
0:00:51 > 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 > 0:00:59You never know what you're going to find.
0:00:59 > 0:01:03..doing their best to help those in need of a happy and healthy home.
0:01:08 > 0:01:12Today, we find evidence that a property in Newham may have been
0:01:12 > 0:01:15unlawfully converted into a shared house.
0:01:15 > 0:01:19I don't think there's any way this is an acceptable space,
0:01:19 > 0:01:22it's just... You can't have a life here.
0:01:23 > 0:01:25In Suffolk, a visit from the council
0:01:25 > 0:01:27leaves residents with some tidying up to do.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30But what I suggest we do, give that a bit of a clean down the units
0:01:30 > 0:01:31so when they come in...
0:01:31 > 0:01:34When they inspect it, it won't be so...you know?
0:01:34 > 0:01:36- Because I suppose... - I know what you mean.
0:01:36 > 0:01:37- A bit sticky, I guess. - Yeah.
0:01:37 > 0:01:42And an oversized extension looks like it may be breaking the rules.
0:01:42 > 0:01:46"Purpose of outbuilding - storage and gymnasium."
0:01:46 > 0:01:47Yeah.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50It's very large for a storage and gymnasium.
0:01:50 > 0:01:52And would you have windows like that in it?
0:01:52 > 0:01:53No.
0:01:57 > 0:02:01Every year, more of us rent the homes that we live in,
0:02:01 > 0:02:04and every year, rents go up.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07For those of us chasing cheaper housing, that can mean
0:02:07 > 0:02:12enduring living conditions so bad that they break the law.
0:02:12 > 0:02:14I'm working alongside the men and women
0:02:14 > 0:02:17whose job it is to uphold those laws.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20They are the Housing Enforcers.
0:02:22 > 0:02:26Here in Newham and I'm on the road with housing officers
0:02:26 > 0:02:28Stephen Pavett and Holly Ripp.
0:02:28 > 0:02:32We're off to visit a property that's been on their radar for a while now.
0:02:34 > 0:02:36It's supposed to be a family home,
0:02:36 > 0:02:40but was instead being used unlawfully as a series of bedsits
0:02:40 > 0:02:44until the council told the landlord to change it back.
0:02:44 > 0:02:46So what's the place we're going to? What's going on?
0:02:46 > 0:02:50OK, so this property has an enforcement notice on it which
0:02:50 > 0:02:52stated that the use should cease, the locks should come off,
0:02:52 > 0:02:55all the usual bits and pieces.
0:02:55 > 0:02:59It was actually complied with, the enforcement notice,
0:02:59 > 0:03:00at the beginning of the year.
0:03:00 > 0:03:04But we've had information through that it's back in breach again.
0:03:04 > 0:03:05Right.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10So it looked like the enforcement notice worked once
0:03:10 > 0:03:12but there are concerns the landlord has now
0:03:12 > 0:03:13turned the property back again
0:03:13 > 0:03:16and filled it with more people than is safe.
0:03:16 > 0:03:18There are a couple of clues already.
0:03:18 > 0:03:22Oh, it's got bins full of rubbish,
0:03:22 > 0:03:25it's got some kind of weird silver paper up
0:03:25 > 0:03:28at the front window as well.
0:03:30 > 0:03:35Tinfoil at the front windows, what does that say?
0:03:35 > 0:03:37One of them could be that it's
0:03:37 > 0:03:39a shared heating bill... KNOCKING
0:03:39 > 0:03:42..so you're trying to keep your own room as warm as possible.
0:03:42 > 0:03:43Here we go.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46Good morning, we're from the planning department of the council,
0:03:46 > 0:03:49we're here to have another look around the property, OK?
0:03:50 > 0:03:54The dark corridor certainly doesn't have a feel of a family home.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57We've got another two doors here.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59- Do we want to have a knock on this? - Yeah, definitely.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04- Can we just have a look in your room, please?- MAN:- Yes.
0:04:04 > 0:04:05Thank you.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08It looks like a pretty small room for two people to share.
0:04:08 > 0:04:09Milan is one of them,
0:04:09 > 0:04:12and he's travelled a long way to find himself cooped up here.
0:04:12 > 0:04:14Where are you from?
0:04:14 > 0:04:15- I'm from Bulgaria. - From Bulgaria.
0:04:15 > 0:04:17How many people are in this house?
0:04:17 > 0:04:18I think 14.
0:04:18 > 0:04:2214 people. How much do you pay in rent for this?
0:04:22 > 0:04:24£300 per month.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27£300 for a month, and you share this
0:04:27 > 0:04:29with another guy who's not always here.
0:04:29 > 0:04:33Are there any other problems here? Do you see mice or rats or anything?
0:04:33 > 0:04:34Mice, yes.
0:04:34 > 0:04:36You see mice?
0:04:36 > 0:04:37Every day in kitchen.
0:04:37 > 0:04:39Right.
0:04:39 > 0:04:41Sometimes no electricity.
0:04:41 > 0:04:45Go to agency maybe two or three times. Every week, you know.
0:04:45 > 0:04:49- So you have no electricity? - Yeah, for two-three hours.
0:04:49 > 0:04:54Do you pay the agency, do you give them money for electricity?
0:04:54 > 0:04:55Yeah, yeah.
0:04:55 > 0:04:57But they need to put it on a key, put it in the machine,
0:04:57 > 0:05:00and then it starts working again,
0:05:00 > 0:05:03but you've got two or three hours with no power.
0:05:03 > 0:05:04'Sharing a house with 13 other people,
0:05:04 > 0:05:08'especially when the electricity runs out, can't be much fun.'
0:05:08 > 0:05:10We're going to look round the rest of the house.
0:05:10 > 0:05:12Nice to meet you. Good, good, yeah.
0:05:12 > 0:05:17Stephen has found a clue where all that electricity might be going.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20- We've got a large bank of fridge-freezers...- Yeah.
0:05:20 > 0:05:22We've seen this before.
0:05:22 > 0:05:27But this is an impressive wall of refrigeration - I'm just
0:05:27 > 0:05:30imagining the draw on the electrics in this household.
0:05:30 > 0:05:34- It's no surprise the electricity keeps going off.- No.
0:05:34 > 0:05:38Because it sounds like the agent has to keep filling the key up.
0:05:38 > 0:05:40I suppose he's just using his name as the agent
0:05:40 > 0:05:42and he is paying the bill,
0:05:42 > 0:05:44and it hides the fact that potentially
0:05:44 > 0:05:46you've got other people trying to pay a bill.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49- Something you would spot quite easily.- Yeah.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52Apparently hoping to present this as a family home, the landlord
0:05:52 > 0:05:55is leaving these 14 people without electricity
0:05:55 > 0:05:57at certain times of the day.
0:05:57 > 0:06:01A big problem, especially with all those fridge-freezers on the go.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04Later on, I discover an even larger issue in an even smaller space.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09I don't think there's any way that this is an acceptable space.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12It's just... You can't have a life here.
0:06:17 > 0:06:21There's huge pressure on housing in Oxford, which can lead to some
0:06:21 > 0:06:25unlawful methods of cramming more people into a property than is safe.
0:06:26 > 0:06:31And that is where today housing officer Will Christian comes in.
0:06:31 > 0:06:36We're going to south Oxford to see a potentially unlawful building
0:06:36 > 0:06:37at the rear of the property.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40It might be in residential use.
0:06:40 > 0:06:45Landlords build these "beds in sheds", as we call them,
0:06:45 > 0:06:49in the back of properties so they can maximise their income.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55Will's joined by colleague Rebecca Jeffries to investigate
0:06:55 > 0:06:58a complaint about a building that's sprung up in a garden next door
0:06:58 > 0:07:01to Beryl and Doug.
0:07:01 > 0:07:04They've lived here happily for the past 53 years.
0:07:04 > 0:07:05Until this happened.
0:07:13 > 0:07:15I thought it was going to be quite small.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18It's the whole of the back garden built on.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21And we get flooding, as you know, in this area, and the more
0:07:21 > 0:07:26concrete they put down, the more likely we are to get floods.
0:07:26 > 0:07:27The building is huge.
0:07:27 > 0:07:30And although their neighbours appear to have planning permission,
0:07:30 > 0:07:34it's not so much a bed in a shed as potentially a whole dormitory.
0:07:34 > 0:07:38It's clearly having a big impact on Beryl and Doug's lives.
0:07:38 > 0:07:42All the more distressing as Doug suffers from Parkinson's disease.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45I think it's a disgrace.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49It overlooks my property
0:07:49 > 0:07:52and my privacy's gone.
0:07:52 > 0:07:54I'd like to see it knocked down
0:07:54 > 0:07:58and going back to what it was before - a garden.
0:07:58 > 0:08:00- REBECCA:- It's like a bungalow, isn't it?
0:08:00 > 0:08:03It is a bungalow, really, to look at.
0:08:03 > 0:08:07I mean, it's been a big worry what's been going on next door, obviously.
0:08:07 > 0:08:11But it is impacting on you, so you're well within your rights...
0:08:12 > 0:08:15Planning permission or not, I can't believe the council would
0:08:15 > 0:08:19have approved of what looks like another whole house in a garden.
0:08:19 > 0:08:23And a quick look through the plans is quite revealing.
0:08:23 > 0:08:29"Purpose of outbuilding - storage and gymnasium..." Yeah.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32It's very large for a storage and gymnasium.
0:08:32 > 0:08:34- And would you have windows like that in it?- No.
0:08:34 > 0:08:38He has two windows and a door in the middle.
0:08:38 > 0:08:42This is me here, one little window,
0:08:42 > 0:08:45and one bigger window,
0:08:45 > 0:08:47blank wall, blank wall.
0:08:47 > 0:08:49- Yeah, OK.- Well, that's not right for a start,
0:08:49 > 0:08:51because you can see two doors
0:08:51 > 0:08:55and a patio door that go right down to the floor this side.
0:08:55 > 0:08:59With confusion over just what this building should be,
0:08:59 > 0:09:02Will and Rebecca decide the best course of action now is to confront
0:09:02 > 0:09:05the neighbours to see if they can intervene in what is clearly
0:09:05 > 0:09:08a very distressing situation for Beryl and Doug.
0:09:08 > 0:09:12It's the privacy we've lost and such a big building in the back garden.
0:09:13 > 0:09:18The stress that it's causing me is going over to Doug a little bit
0:09:18 > 0:09:22because when I have my little moans, obviously it affects him
0:09:22 > 0:09:23in some ways.
0:09:23 > 0:09:25And you know, "Oh, don't worry,"
0:09:25 > 0:09:28but you do - you do worry.
0:09:29 > 0:09:33But Will and Rebecca aren't having much luck next door.
0:09:33 > 0:09:35After a little impromptu investigation,
0:09:35 > 0:09:38it's starting to become clear the building might be designed
0:09:38 > 0:09:42for a lot more than storage and lifting weights.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45And there's a further clue that this building is going to house
0:09:45 > 0:09:46more than treadmills.
0:09:46 > 0:09:48It's a gate into this...
0:09:48 > 0:09:50Is it new? It looks pretty new.
0:09:50 > 0:09:52That looks brand-new, doesn't it?
0:09:52 > 0:09:56There's a locked entrance into where the building is being built,
0:09:56 > 0:10:00which leads me to believe it's going to be used as a residential purpose.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06Will and Rebecca's findings tally with Beryl's worries.
0:10:06 > 0:10:10I wasn't too concerned in the very beginning,
0:10:10 > 0:10:12but then I saw the size of the footing
0:10:12 > 0:10:14and I could see that it was marked
0:10:14 > 0:10:17out like a bathroom,
0:10:17 > 0:10:19a kitchen area,
0:10:19 > 0:10:21a living room area and a bedroom.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24Looking at the windows and the front door,
0:10:24 > 0:10:27it's just like a home would be.
0:10:27 > 0:10:29Although Will and Rebecca failed to get any answers
0:10:29 > 0:10:33from the neighbours, the evidence is starting to speak for itself.
0:10:33 > 0:10:35I've established that there's plumbing
0:10:35 > 0:10:38and sewerage pipes been put in so it leads me
0:10:38 > 0:10:42more to believe that it's going to be used as residential purposes.
0:10:42 > 0:10:44You don't need that in a gym, do you?
0:10:44 > 0:10:46Are there a few people living there?
0:10:46 > 0:10:50The daughter and her boyfriend are staying in the front of the house,
0:10:50 > 0:10:55nobody in there, but I'm told if they start to put kitchen furniture
0:10:55 > 0:10:59or anything like that then I know they're going to make it habitable.
0:11:00 > 0:11:04Later on, Beryl decides enough is enough.
0:11:04 > 0:11:08I think it's got to be stopped and pulled down.
0:11:14 > 0:11:16I'm in Newham, and with housing officers Stephen
0:11:16 > 0:11:19and Holly investigating a property that, despite warnings
0:11:19 > 0:11:20from the council, has been
0:11:20 > 0:11:24turned into a bunch of bedsits for at least 14 people.
0:11:24 > 0:11:26Sometimes no electricity.
0:11:26 > 0:11:27So you have no electricity?
0:11:27 > 0:11:30Yeah, for two-three hours.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33Overcrowding a property like this doesn't just impact
0:11:33 > 0:11:36on the people living here, it also affects the local neighbourhood,
0:11:36 > 0:11:39putting greater demands and strains on local services.
0:11:39 > 0:11:41But despite the cramped conditions,
0:11:41 > 0:11:44it seems everyone here is at least trying their best.
0:11:44 > 0:11:46It looks like a house full of young guys
0:11:46 > 0:11:48in their 20s who are all doing...
0:11:48 > 0:11:51All trying to work, and the place, actually considering...
0:11:51 > 0:11:55I remember my student days - the place is really kept very well,
0:11:55 > 0:11:59they've all taken a lot of pride in the way their rooms are and they're
0:11:59 > 0:12:03doing the best they can in a house that just feels way over-stuffed.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06According to planning permission, this property should be
0:12:06 > 0:12:10a family home, not filled to the gills with separate tenants.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13But having met Milan and some of his housemates, it makes me worried
0:12:13 > 0:12:15about what might happen next.
0:12:15 > 0:12:18The chap that I was talking to in the kitchen is really worried
0:12:18 > 0:12:23that the result of this visit will be him without a place to live.
0:12:23 > 0:12:25That is probably going to be the situation.
0:12:25 > 0:12:28When you come around these houses and you look at this
0:12:28 > 0:12:31and it's a house that's being well kept by the tenants,
0:12:31 > 0:12:34they're all working guys, it's got emergency lighting,
0:12:34 > 0:12:36it's got some fire detection as well,
0:12:36 > 0:12:38it's easy to look at it and think,
0:12:38 > 0:12:41actually, if we let this one go, who's hurt here?
0:12:41 > 0:12:44Um... The facilities are not adequate enough
0:12:44 > 0:12:47to support 14, 16, 18 people
0:12:47 > 0:12:50who are living here and that's got an impact on the neighbourhood
0:12:50 > 0:12:53and overstressing the services that are locally around.
0:12:53 > 0:12:57So we've got to protect local people as well as people
0:12:57 > 0:13:00living here and the council's got to be consistent with its approach
0:13:00 > 0:13:02to all of the properties we look at. In six months' time,
0:13:02 > 0:13:05this could be a completely different picture,
0:13:05 > 0:13:07you could have more people in the property,
0:13:07 > 0:13:10the conditions of the property could be deteriorating greatly,
0:13:10 > 0:13:14and then the council has decided to let it go previously.
0:13:14 > 0:13:16And to prove Stephen's point,
0:13:16 > 0:13:19the next room demonstrates what can happen to tenants
0:13:19 > 0:13:22if unlawful behaviour from a landlord is left unchecked.
0:13:22 > 0:13:26Come in, have a look... I can't quite touch...
0:13:26 > 0:13:31So I reckon that's 6.5ft that way, and then...
0:13:31 > 0:13:35it's going to be... Yeah, it's about 6.5ft square, this room.
0:13:35 > 0:13:40And everything has to fit into this space, he's got a wardrobe stuffed
0:13:40 > 0:13:41with his clothes.
0:13:41 > 0:13:47He's got a chair right next to his bed,
0:13:47 > 0:13:50and he's got a chest of drawers and that's literally it.
0:13:52 > 0:13:56It's so small, it's so small.
0:13:56 > 0:13:58It's unbelievable -
0:13:58 > 0:14:02I'm trying to imagine living in here, I mean...
0:14:02 > 0:14:06I don't think there's any way that this is an acceptable space,
0:14:06 > 0:14:10even for just one person by themselves to live in.
0:14:10 > 0:14:12It's just... You can't have a life here.
0:14:14 > 0:14:18The size of that room is totally unacceptable.
0:14:18 > 0:14:22Exactly, and he's paying £390 to stay in here, a month.
0:14:22 > 0:14:26It's clearly unacceptable trying to cram that many people
0:14:26 > 0:14:27into a property.
0:14:27 > 0:14:29Seeing Milan and hearing about his dream
0:14:29 > 0:14:31and knowing he might now be facing homelessness
0:14:31 > 0:14:34puts another human face to the UK's housing crisis.
0:14:34 > 0:14:38Milan, really nice to meet you - and good luck with everything.
0:14:42 > 0:14:45As we said, the temptation is to go "Well, it seems to be working,
0:14:45 > 0:14:46"maybe we should leave it."
0:14:46 > 0:14:49But that's just not really an option, is it, Stephen?
0:14:49 > 0:14:51No, it's not an option, unfortunately.
0:14:51 > 0:14:53They've got to do something with that property now.
0:14:53 > 0:14:55After this, we'll have to write to the owner
0:14:55 > 0:14:58and basically say, you've had your chance.
0:14:58 > 0:14:59The really sad thing is,
0:14:59 > 0:15:02they're keeping their end of the bargain. You know,
0:15:02 > 0:15:05they're doing the best they can, they're exemplary tenants in many
0:15:05 > 0:15:08ways, to walk into that place and seeing it the way it is.
0:15:08 > 0:15:10And they're going to be let down by a landlord
0:15:10 > 0:15:13who's trying to make the most out of that place,
0:15:13 > 0:15:16despite the fact he's already had one slap on the wrist.
0:15:16 > 0:15:20He's going to get a rather nasty letter from us,
0:15:20 > 0:15:22saying that he's probably going to be prosecuted now.
0:15:22 > 0:15:26We've got nothing against the tenants at all in the property,
0:15:26 > 0:15:29our action is not against them, it is purely against
0:15:29 > 0:15:33the homeowner who has decided to put the property back into this use.
0:15:33 > 0:15:36Holls, you've got to feel for those guys in there, you know,
0:15:36 > 0:15:40seeing them leading their lives the best way they possibly can,
0:15:40 > 0:15:43and an eviction could be just around the corner, really.
0:15:43 > 0:15:45I mean, they do have rights but it is unfair
0:15:45 > 0:15:48and I do feel for the tenants when we go to these places.
0:15:48 > 0:15:49I mean, they don't know
0:15:49 > 0:15:52that the property shouldn't be used in that way.
0:15:52 > 0:15:53It's difficult to know, isn't it?
0:15:53 > 0:15:56Exactly, yeah, they could end up in the exact same position
0:15:56 > 0:15:59and keep being moved around, and it's not fair on them.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11The council's legal department are deciding what course of action
0:16:11 > 0:16:14to take against the landlord.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17They also passed the information about the faulty electrics
0:16:17 > 0:16:21to the relevant teams, and those concerns are being investigated.
0:16:24 > 0:16:27Defending our right to a safe place to live
0:16:27 > 0:16:31is the job of housing officers right across the UK.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34This is not really an acceptable way of leaving
0:16:34 > 0:16:36- the property behind.- Do you think?!
0:16:36 > 0:16:40I'm working alongside the men and women that do exactly that.
0:16:40 > 0:16:42- Top marks.- Yes!
0:16:42 > 0:16:43I'm hitting the streets...
0:16:43 > 0:16:44Hello, can you open up?
0:16:44 > 0:16:48There's definitely someone inside, because we've seen movement.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51..finding out what's happening on the front line...
0:16:51 > 0:16:54The cistern's in the bath. I don't know how they flush it.
0:16:54 > 0:16:57..and learning what it takes to make sure
0:16:57 > 0:17:00a house is fit to be called a home.
0:17:00 > 0:17:02I'm very shocked. This is ridiculous.
0:17:02 > 0:17:04You shouldn't have people living in here.
0:17:10 > 0:17:14Back in Oxford and Will Christian is back on the case of a home gym
0:17:14 > 0:17:18that's bulked out into a back garden bungalow.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21It's the whole of the back garden built on.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24This colossal eyesore was not just blotting out the landscape,
0:17:24 > 0:17:28it was making neighbours Beryl and Doug's lives a misery.
0:17:28 > 0:17:30It overlooks my property
0:17:30 > 0:17:34and my privacy has gone.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37Will was convinced the owners of the property
0:17:37 > 0:17:39were breaching their planning permission by creating
0:17:39 > 0:17:43living accommodation in their garden rather than storage and a gym.
0:17:43 > 0:17:45And the council clearly agree,
0:17:45 > 0:17:48as they've now served an enforcement notice on the building.
0:17:48 > 0:17:52I hope that the outbuilding will be completely removed
0:17:52 > 0:17:57and then the garden will be put back to its former self.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00Will's back to talk to Beryl but it appears things have moved on
0:18:00 > 0:18:03at a faster pace than even he was expecting.
0:18:04 > 0:18:09He's removed all the windows and the roof, I don't know why.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12It seems that once the enforcement notice was served,
0:18:12 > 0:18:15the neighbour was keen to try and compromise in an attempt
0:18:15 > 0:18:18to keep his building, and, one presumes, his investment, intact.
0:18:20 > 0:18:23He said, "I'm going to take the roof down another foot,
0:18:23 > 0:18:29"maybe more, and trellis along the top if you need it."
0:18:30 > 0:18:33Well, that's not going to wash with Beryl.
0:18:33 > 0:18:35It's a residential area,
0:18:35 > 0:18:38lovely gardens all around and to have this big blob
0:18:38 > 0:18:44built in the garden, I think it's got to be stopped and pulled down.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48And it's a sentiment clearly shared by Will.
0:18:48 > 0:18:52It's a bigger footprint than the actual building, which is bizarre.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55It looks to me like it would have been used
0:18:55 > 0:18:57definitely for accommodation.
0:18:57 > 0:19:01The council have served the notice on the outbuilding,
0:19:01 > 0:19:03to remove the outbuilding and restore the ground
0:19:03 > 0:19:05- to its former self.- Yes.
0:19:05 > 0:19:07He's appealed against it.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10I don't know whether he's going to bring it down or...
0:19:10 > 0:19:12Well, hoping to remove it.
0:19:12 > 0:19:16- That's what the condition says.- Yes.
0:19:17 > 0:19:19Although the planning rules are in place
0:19:19 > 0:19:21to protect neighbours like Beryl,
0:19:21 > 0:19:24they also exist to avoid wider issues such as parking problems
0:19:24 > 0:19:28and pressure on local services for the rest of the community.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31That also includes protecting local green space.
0:19:33 > 0:19:36The whole place is just so big,
0:19:36 > 0:19:38it's just taking up the whole garden.
0:19:38 > 0:19:40That's right.
0:19:40 > 0:19:43A tiny little yard for the main dwelling
0:19:43 > 0:19:45and no garden for this building.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48You can't build something like that in your garden.
0:19:48 > 0:19:52After months of stress, Beryl and her husband Doug are just
0:19:52 > 0:19:56happy that someone's listened to their side of the story.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59I'm happy that the council's got involved
0:19:59 > 0:20:03and have asked for it to be returned to its normal state.
0:20:03 > 0:20:05And I hope that this happens.
0:20:05 > 0:20:09He's been given time to do it and I hope he will do it.
0:20:09 > 0:20:14Yes, I'll be quite happy to see it on its way down
0:20:14 > 0:20:18but I understand he's appealed against the decision
0:20:18 > 0:20:21it has to be put back to a garden again.
0:20:23 > 0:20:25In light of their neighbour's appeal,
0:20:25 > 0:20:28Beryl and Doug will have to wait a bit longer to find out
0:20:28 > 0:20:30the final fate of this back-garden bungalow.
0:20:34 > 0:20:36Since the property was inspected,
0:20:36 > 0:20:39the landlord has appealed the notice served by the council,
0:20:39 > 0:20:41and the case is now being passed up the chain
0:20:41 > 0:20:43to the planning inspectorate,
0:20:43 > 0:20:45who deal with planning appeals of this nature.
0:20:45 > 0:20:49At this time, no further progress has been made,
0:20:49 > 0:20:53and the case could take up to six months to be resolved.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03Every day, housing officers have to tread a fine line
0:21:03 > 0:21:06between giving tenants help with their homes when they need it
0:21:06 > 0:21:10and getting them to take responsibility for themselves.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13In Suffolk, housing officer Andrew Weavers is on his way
0:21:13 > 0:21:15to a council-owned bungalow
0:21:15 > 0:21:17where a routine survey has set off alarm bells
0:21:17 > 0:21:20about the way tenants are looking after their home.
0:21:20 > 0:21:24We've had a property that's been identified as being cluttered
0:21:24 > 0:21:27and dirty through an inspection that one of our contractors did.
0:21:27 > 0:21:31So I'm just going to go and check that out and find out why.
0:21:31 > 0:21:34Andrew's worried the condition of the bungalow could be a sign
0:21:34 > 0:21:36the occupants are struggling to cope.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39But it isn't just the welfare of the tenants he has to think about.
0:21:39 > 0:21:44You know, if people are not reporting repairs
0:21:44 > 0:21:47or the property's getting dirty for whatever reason,
0:21:47 > 0:21:50you end up with a rather large bill to put it right.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55Tenant Lesley Offord moved into the property 15 years ago
0:21:55 > 0:21:57with her late husband.
0:21:57 > 0:22:01Despite his poor health, they shared many happy years there.
0:22:01 > 0:22:05Peter died in 2008.
0:22:05 > 0:22:11He had MS and couldn't get out of bed and then he got leukaemia.
0:22:11 > 0:22:17About six weeks after he'd been diagnosed with the leukaemia,
0:22:17 > 0:22:19he passed away.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22Two years ago, with her own health deteriorating,
0:22:22 > 0:22:26Lesley's son Michael moved in, becoming her full-time carer.
0:22:26 > 0:22:31Michael could see that I was having more and more problems walking
0:22:31 > 0:22:32and getting around.
0:22:32 > 0:22:37I've had three or four falls in the bungalow
0:22:37 > 0:22:42where they've had to take me to hospital
0:22:42 > 0:22:44and I've had a broken hip,
0:22:44 > 0:22:47broken ribs, collapsed lungs.
0:22:47 > 0:22:51I don't know what I'd do without Michael, quite frankly.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57But with concerns being raised that they might not be coping,
0:22:57 > 0:23:00it's Andrew's job to find out if there's a problem
0:23:00 > 0:23:02and what the council can do to help.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05Hello. It's Mrs Offord I'm looking for... Mr Offord?
0:23:05 > 0:23:07Oh - Lesley Offord, my mother.
0:23:07 > 0:23:09- Yeah.- I'm Andrew. I'm from Mid Suffolk District Council.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12Do you mind just having a very quick chat just
0:23:12 > 0:23:15so I can get a few concerns out of the way?
0:23:15 > 0:23:20We've had the property inspected, what they call a whole house survey,
0:23:20 > 0:23:23but they're a bit troubled by the condition of the property.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26They say it isn't in its best condition.
0:23:26 > 0:23:27- Erm... - Would you say that's the case?
0:23:27 > 0:23:29It's not the tidiest at the moment.
0:23:29 > 0:23:32Telling someone they've been reported for having a dirty,
0:23:32 > 0:23:34untidy house is never going to be easy.
0:23:34 > 0:23:36Obviously, we've had a survey,
0:23:36 > 0:23:40and they were a bit concerned that this property was a bit cluttered
0:23:40 > 0:23:43and wasn't the cleanest but, to be fair,
0:23:43 > 0:23:47I've got to say it's not bad at all, in my book,
0:23:47 > 0:23:50and I've seen a lot of cluttered properties in my time!
0:23:50 > 0:23:52- Yeah. - So I don't want to worry you at all
0:23:52 > 0:23:54but I just want to have a quick look myself
0:23:54 > 0:23:56to make sure you're all right.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59So far, it's proving hard to see exactly why the contractor
0:23:59 > 0:24:02was so concerned about the condition of this place.
0:24:02 > 0:24:04And even when Andrew does spot a problem,
0:24:04 > 0:24:08it isn't just down to Lesley and Michael's housekeeping.
0:24:08 > 0:24:10OK, the kitchen's seen better days.
0:24:10 > 0:24:13It looks like more or less you need a new kitchen, really.
0:24:13 > 0:24:15- That wouldn't do any harm because... - No.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18..we've got a serious problem with storing stuff.
0:24:18 > 0:24:20I don't know how old this kitchen is.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23- No idea, but it's original since me mum's been here.- Yeah.
0:24:23 > 0:24:27I might ask them whether they would consider looking at this
0:24:27 > 0:24:29- and inspecting this.- Yeah.
0:24:29 > 0:24:33But what I suggest we do, give that a bit of a clean down the units
0:24:33 > 0:24:35so when they inspect it, it won't be so...you know?
0:24:35 > 0:24:37- Because I suppose... - I know what you mean.
0:24:37 > 0:24:39- Yeah. A bit sticky, I guess... - Yeah.- ..aren't they?
0:24:39 > 0:24:43- Some of this is difficult because it's old stuff...- All old stuff.
0:24:43 > 0:24:45But I'm quite happy to send someone round
0:24:45 > 0:24:49and see if you are entitled to a new kitchen, then if you are, brilliant.
0:24:49 > 0:24:51The kitchen isn't going to win any awards for cleanliness
0:24:51 > 0:24:55and it could well be the reason for the bad inspection report,
0:24:55 > 0:24:58but Andrew's more concerned it isn't fit for purpose.
0:24:58 > 0:25:00- The garden's out here. - Just a have quick look.
0:25:00 > 0:25:03Is that...? Oh, I see, that's not so bad, is it?
0:25:03 > 0:25:04I can see from here.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07First impressions outside are also good,
0:25:07 > 0:25:10but aware Lesley's seriously injured herself falling over
0:25:10 > 0:25:13at home before, Andrew's spotted something that won't help.
0:25:13 > 0:25:15Yeah, because this is a bit of a trip hazard, here.
0:25:15 > 0:25:17That's the main problem for my mother, yeah.
0:25:17 > 0:25:19And that's the other little step
0:25:19 > 0:25:21- she's worried about. - Yeah, here, yeah.
0:25:21 > 0:25:23It wouldn't take much to do something there.
0:25:23 > 0:25:26- That's an easy one but that one there...- Yeah.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29I'm sure they'll come up with something.
0:25:29 > 0:25:34But even I would trip over that if I was not looking out.
0:25:34 > 0:25:36Making sure Lesley can access the garden safely
0:25:36 > 0:25:39is a job for the council, but as the tenant,
0:25:39 > 0:25:42she has to take responsibility for keeping it tidy herself.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45Obviously you've got some white goods there.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48If they can make their way to the dump...
0:25:48 > 0:25:50You know, you've got a few bits and pieces
0:25:50 > 0:25:52but that's got to go, hasn't it, really?
0:25:52 > 0:25:54Yeah, that's all waiting for...
0:25:54 > 0:25:57Got to get my sister to get her people carrier to get that sorted.
0:25:57 > 0:25:58Yeah. But it's got potential here,
0:25:58 > 0:26:00you can have a nice little seated area.
0:26:00 > 0:26:03Everything's gone much better than Andrew anticipated.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06But coming into someone's home and putting their life under the
0:26:06 > 0:26:10microscope is an uncomfortable job that needs to be handled tactfully.
0:26:10 > 0:26:12Right. OK, well...
0:26:12 > 0:26:15it's not, it's not what I thought it was going to be
0:26:15 > 0:26:17but you do understand that
0:26:17 > 0:26:20when they flag something up, I've got to go and investigate it.
0:26:20 > 0:26:23Although the visit's put to rest any fears the property isn't
0:26:23 > 0:26:24being looked after,
0:26:24 > 0:26:27it also made it clear that with a little adaptation,
0:26:27 > 0:26:29it would be much easier for Lesley to live in.
0:26:29 > 0:26:31Luckily, Andrew is on hand to help.
0:26:31 > 0:26:35- Obviously you're having falls and things, aren't you?- Yes.
0:26:35 > 0:26:36I don't know if it's worth getting
0:26:36 > 0:26:38an occupational therapist to come out.
0:26:38 > 0:26:42What they tend to do is, they do an evaluation and then
0:26:42 > 0:26:45if there's anything like handrails
0:26:45 > 0:26:50or they might have ideas on the type of kitchen you might need
0:26:50 > 0:26:51that suits you.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54So I'll get someone who knows a bit more about disabled adaptations -
0:26:54 > 0:26:58that's what they're called - to give you a call.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01- Lovely job. OK? - We pass the test, do we?
0:27:01 > 0:27:03Yes.
0:27:03 > 0:27:05Because I don't want to get evicted.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08No, I wouldn't dream of evicting you, would I?
0:27:08 > 0:27:11Do I look like a man who's going to evict you?
0:27:15 > 0:27:18We've got our different levels of cleanliness, haven't we,
0:27:18 > 0:27:20and different standards?
0:27:20 > 0:27:23I've been in cleaner but it wasn't as bad as I thought
0:27:23 > 0:27:27it was going to be and they're very nice people and when you get
0:27:27 > 0:27:29someone like that, you'd rather try and help them if you can.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32If can encourage her son to tidy up the garden
0:27:32 > 0:27:36and have a little bit of a clean-up, then job's a good 'un.
0:27:43 > 0:27:44That's it for today - join me
0:27:44 > 0:27:48next time back on the road with the Housing Enforcers.