0:00:02 > 0:00:03Hello, can you just let me in?
0:00:03 > 0:00:06'The 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.
0:00:09 > 0:00:11'But for thousands of people across the UK,
0:00:11 > 0:00:15'the 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 > 0:00:20'In 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 died here,
0:00:29 > 0:00:32you would have been standing in the coroner's court.
0:00:33 > 0:00:37'I'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 > 0:00:43'I'll be with them as they tackle problem properties
0:00:43 > 0:00:45'and slum conditions...'
0:00:45 > 0:00:49- It really does look a shanty town. - Yeah, it's not up to standard.
0:00:49 > 0:00:51'..as they deal with dodgy landlords, nightmare neighbours
0:00:51 > 0:00:53'and 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 > 0:01:01'..doing their best to help those in need
0:01:01 > 0:01:02'of a happy and healthy home.'
0:01:09 > 0:01:13'Today, leaving kids home alone has devastating consequences...'
0:01:13 > 0:01:15CHILDREN SOBBING
0:01:15 > 0:01:18We've opened the door and behind the door is a young girl.
0:01:18 > 0:01:20She's very, very upset.
0:01:20 > 0:01:24'..a leaky pipe puts the lives of tenants at risk...'
0:01:24 > 0:01:26There's water leaking into the electrics from upstairs.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29This is totally unacceptable, isn't it?
0:01:29 > 0:01:31'..and a new bathroom reduces Margaret to tears.'
0:01:33 > 0:01:35- SOBBING:- Ain't it fabulous? - Oh, Margaret.
0:01:41 > 0:01:43We might not always know it,
0:01:43 > 0:01:48but there are people from every local council whose job it is
0:01:48 > 0:01:51to make sure we have a safe roof over our heads.
0:01:51 > 0:01:54I'm working alongside the men and the women
0:01:54 > 0:01:59who use the law to make sure we don't live in slums
0:01:59 > 0:02:04but in homes fit to raise a family, or enjoy our retirement.
0:02:04 > 0:02:08They can make sure that you have the facilities you need
0:02:08 > 0:02:09as you get older.
0:02:09 > 0:02:13They also have the power to start the process that can send
0:02:13 > 0:02:18a bad landlord to prison, or help evict a bad tenant.
0:02:18 > 0:02:20They are the housing enforcers.
0:02:23 > 0:02:24In Wolverhampton,
0:02:24 > 0:02:28I'm out on the beat with housing officer Ravi Phull.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31We're taking part in a combined operation with local police
0:02:31 > 0:02:33and other council agencies.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36And in our sights - antisocial behaviour.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39There have been reports that large families have been causing
0:02:39 > 0:02:41problems in a local neighbourhood
0:02:41 > 0:02:44and together, we're looking to help stamp it out.
0:02:44 > 0:02:46What do we think the problem is?
0:02:46 > 0:02:48What's going on that needs dealing with by all these people?
0:02:48 > 0:02:50It starts off with children,
0:02:50 > 0:02:54so they've got children who should be in school, but they're not,
0:02:54 > 0:02:56they're hanging around the streets,
0:02:56 > 0:02:59they're not being taken care of by their parents or whatever,
0:02:59 > 0:03:02they're open to road traffic accidents, that kind of thing.
0:03:02 > 0:03:04So obviously, that's the police side...
0:03:04 > 0:03:07So these are kids we're talking about, of school age?
0:03:07 > 0:03:09Right, so there's lots of complaints going on.
0:03:09 > 0:03:12That side of it is a concern for the police
0:03:12 > 0:03:16and for the child protection type people and then,
0:03:16 > 0:03:19it's like a dominoes effect, isn't it?
0:03:19 > 0:03:23Because when you pick on that issue, you then go
0:03:23 > 0:03:27back into their homes and what the police have found is that
0:03:27 > 0:03:29once they've gone into their homes,
0:03:29 > 0:03:31there's a load of overcrowding issues,
0:03:31 > 0:03:34there's poor housing conditions that they're living in.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37- Which is where we come in. - Which is where we come in.
0:03:37 > 0:03:38It's really interesting to see
0:03:38 > 0:03:41how partnerships between other local agencies
0:03:41 > 0:03:45can target problems that blight whole neighbourhoods.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48After all, a home isn't just four walls and a roof,
0:03:48 > 0:03:49it's also the street where you live.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52We're quite a mob, there's quite a lot of us.
0:03:52 > 0:03:56Although this is a police-led operation targeting houses
0:03:56 > 0:04:00that have been attracting complaints of antisocial behaviour,
0:04:00 > 0:04:03the housing team are also taking part to check for overcrowding.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06The first address is one Ravi knows well.
0:04:08 > 0:04:09What was your issue here?
0:04:09 > 0:04:13This was the one where I was saying that, previously when I came out,
0:04:13 > 0:04:14it was massively overcrowded.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20- Is it registered as one property or...?- I believe so.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24But when the front door is opened at the next property on the list,
0:04:24 > 0:04:27none of us are prepared for what we find inside.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30- CHILDREN SOBBING - It's OK, it's OK. No, no, no...
0:04:30 > 0:04:31We might not be able to film.
0:04:31 > 0:04:35What's happened is that we've opened the door and behind the door,
0:04:35 > 0:04:39opening the door, is a young girl. She's very, very upset...
0:04:39 > 0:04:44but it's clear that her mum isn't home, er...
0:04:44 > 0:04:48and she's, as you can tell, she's very, very upset by this.
0:04:48 > 0:04:52One of the things we anticipated coming out today was the idea
0:04:52 > 0:04:54that we might come across children,
0:04:54 > 0:04:58very young children, by themselves without their parents,
0:04:58 > 0:05:01who really are of school age, should be at school and aren't.
0:05:01 > 0:05:05And aren't. Erm...
0:05:05 > 0:05:07That's a difficult job right there.
0:05:09 > 0:05:13The child inside is clearly too young to be on her own.
0:05:13 > 0:05:15She's understandably scared,
0:05:15 > 0:05:18but the officers still need to do their job -
0:05:18 > 0:05:21to make sure she's safe today and in the future.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26Because these were the children who people have been reporting
0:05:26 > 0:05:28that are roaming the streets.
0:05:28 > 0:05:30They are now at home alone.
0:05:30 > 0:05:34As they opened the door, the guys, and said, "We need to come in,"
0:05:34 > 0:05:37her face, it was really upsetting.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40Because the child who opened the door is clearly very distressed,
0:05:40 > 0:05:42I wait while Ravi goes inside
0:05:42 > 0:05:45to find out more about what's going on here.
0:05:45 > 0:05:46What's the score, Ravi?
0:05:46 > 0:05:49In terms of the children, there's two young children in there.
0:05:49 > 0:05:51How old are the children?
0:05:51 > 0:05:53I think one was about five or six
0:05:53 > 0:05:56and I think the other one was about, probably, two or three.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59Up to five or six, and a two-year-old left by themselves?
0:05:59 > 0:06:02They're completely on their own. They don't speak a word of English,
0:06:02 > 0:06:04so there's no way of them communicating,
0:06:04 > 0:06:06which is why they're continuously crying.
0:06:08 > 0:06:09We haven't even got into the house
0:06:09 > 0:06:12and already, I've got a very bad feeling about what we've found.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17- The mother's on her way back, is she?- I believe so.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20- From work or something?- Possibly... Is this the mum?
0:06:27 > 0:06:28Do you live here?
0:06:33 > 0:06:34OK, but do you live here?
0:06:34 > 0:06:37It's difficult to understand, isn't it?
0:06:39 > 0:06:40Fortunately, the police are here.
0:06:40 > 0:06:45They try to bring back the woman to identify exactly who she is.
0:06:49 > 0:06:51- Sorry about this.- It's all right.
0:06:51 > 0:06:56So, I think maybe the mum, possibly the grandma, I don't know,
0:06:56 > 0:07:01saw people waiting outside and decided to leave and go.
0:07:01 > 0:07:04Now the police have picked up the same woman that did that
0:07:04 > 0:07:07and brought her back and, clearly...
0:07:07 > 0:07:11Well, the assumption is she's a family member of some sort
0:07:11 > 0:07:13and she's now there with the kids.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18What I've already seen has really shocked me
0:07:18 > 0:07:21and later, the situation doesn't get much better.
0:07:21 > 0:07:25The public protection and social services are on their way now.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34For many of the 11 million people living with disability
0:07:34 > 0:07:36or long-term illness in the UK,
0:07:36 > 0:07:40losing the ability to earn a living can also make it hard to find
0:07:40 > 0:07:42a decent, safe place to live.
0:07:42 > 0:07:46In Dudley, housing officers David Bates and Lindon Morgan
0:07:46 > 0:07:48have had a complaint from a tenant
0:07:48 > 0:07:51about the dangerous state of his privately rented home.
0:07:51 > 0:07:52His mum should be here.
0:07:52 > 0:07:56Hello. Mr and Mrs Bird?
0:07:56 > 0:07:57Hiya.
0:07:57 > 0:08:01Left unable to work by cancer and a disability,
0:08:01 > 0:08:04Michael Bird is forced to spend most of his time
0:08:04 > 0:08:05in his ground-floor flat,
0:08:05 > 0:08:09but a leak has left him scared to go into his own bathroom.
0:08:20 > 0:08:22Have you reported it to your landlord?
0:08:22 > 0:08:25- Yeah.- And what's his response been?
0:08:25 > 0:08:28He's going to get it done, but nothing's been done.
0:08:30 > 0:08:34Electrical accidents in the home kill 70 people a year,
0:08:34 > 0:08:36so if Michael's right about water coming through
0:08:36 > 0:08:37into the bathroom fittings,
0:08:37 > 0:08:41the housing officers have an urgent problem to deal with.
0:08:41 > 0:08:45- That's not good.- That's not good.
0:08:45 > 0:08:48Clearly, Michael wasn't exaggerating.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51The bathroom's in a terrible state and it could be lethal.
0:08:52 > 0:08:57So, you've got water leaking down the electrics thing.
0:08:57 > 0:08:59OK, need to make some notes.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02Damp and mould is extremely bad and will cause trouble.
0:09:02 > 0:09:04An electric shock could finish you off.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07Tenant Michael has been living with the bathroom
0:09:07 > 0:09:09in this condition for more than a year,
0:09:09 > 0:09:11but hopefully, that's about to change.
0:09:13 > 0:09:15The usual practice is to serve,
0:09:15 > 0:09:17in this case, what will be an improvement notice,
0:09:17 > 0:09:22which will list the works that need to be done to get
0:09:22 > 0:09:28rid of what I would consider to be quite a pretty serious hazard.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31But serving an improvement notice to clearly lay out exactly
0:09:31 > 0:09:36which repairs the landlord must do could just be the first step.
0:09:36 > 0:09:40The beauty of the notice is that, if he doesn't comply with it,
0:09:40 > 0:09:46we have options to either prosecute and/or do the works ourselves.
0:09:46 > 0:09:50Do the work and send him the bill.
0:09:50 > 0:09:54Coming up - Lindon finally gets to the source of all the trouble.
0:09:54 > 0:09:59I've got two fingers, three, four, five, right through the boards,
0:09:59 > 0:10:01absolutely soaking wet.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12One of the toughest things for any of us as we grow older
0:10:12 > 0:10:15is facing the heart-breaking realisation that we can't
0:10:15 > 0:10:19look after ourselves in the homes we've come to love.
0:10:20 > 0:10:24But in Kent, Swale Borough Council's "Staying Put" Manager, Susan Hughes,
0:10:24 > 0:10:25is on hand to give practical support
0:10:25 > 0:10:28to help people repair or adapt their homes,
0:10:28 > 0:10:30rather than move, as their needs change.
0:10:31 > 0:10:33The scheme is a vital lifeline
0:10:33 > 0:10:37for people like 85-year-old Margaret Crabbe.
0:10:37 > 0:10:39Sue and her people...
0:10:39 > 0:10:44Well, there's not words to describe, because they've done so much.
0:10:44 > 0:10:45Everybody...
0:10:45 > 0:10:48they are marvellous.
0:10:48 > 0:10:52You just don't know these people exist until you need help.
0:10:52 > 0:10:54Last year, I met Margaret
0:10:54 > 0:10:57when she applied for a disability grant for a new bathroom.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00She'd just lost her husband, and she had no-one to help
0:11:00 > 0:11:04with the kind of daily tasks many of us take for granted.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07Roy used to have to lift one leg over,
0:11:07 > 0:11:09then have to lift the other leg over.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12I had the difficult job of breaking the news
0:11:12 > 0:11:15that she'd have to wait a year for the work to be done.
0:11:15 > 0:11:18- The problem is, it's not going to happen immediately.- No.
0:11:18 > 0:11:19Six months later,
0:11:19 > 0:11:23she's come to the top of the waiting list much earlier than expected.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26So Susan's heading back to get the ball rolling.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29If she signs the application form, I can put it in for approval,
0:11:29 > 0:11:33and hopefully in about a month we can get the work under way for her.
0:11:33 > 0:11:35She has had to wait for quite some time,
0:11:35 > 0:11:37and bless her, she's been very patient.
0:11:37 > 0:11:40She's just happy to have some help in the end.
0:11:40 > 0:11:44Fortunately for Margaret, the wait's nearly over.
0:11:44 > 0:11:45- Hello.- Hello, sweetheart, come in.
0:11:45 > 0:11:48- Are you all right?- Not too bad.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51I've got some good news that we're moving on.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54First, Susan needs to dot the Is and cross the Ts.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59- All right. I've come to get the form signed...- Yes.
0:11:59 > 0:12:01..for the grant, because you've got to the top.
0:12:01 > 0:12:03I know, it's wonderful.
0:12:03 > 0:12:05- So you're going to get it all done.- Good.
0:12:05 > 0:12:10Finding solutions that help people to carry on living independently
0:12:10 > 0:12:13in their own homes is all part of Susan's job.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16The more grab rails you can fit in a bathroom, the better,
0:12:16 > 0:12:18to get people around the bathroom and not falling.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21So near the toilet, near the showers.
0:12:21 > 0:12:25For Margaret, the grant isn't just giving her a bathroom
0:12:25 > 0:12:29that's easier to use, it's giving her back a bit of dignity.
0:12:31 > 0:12:36I think anybody will know, to get in and out of the shower every day
0:12:36 > 0:12:41instead of standing at the sink having to wash yourself in stages,
0:12:41 > 0:12:44because you can't do it...
0:12:44 > 0:12:47It'll be wonderful.
0:12:48 > 0:12:49Be like Christmas every day.
0:12:49 > 0:12:51It will.
0:12:51 > 0:12:53It'll be like that.
0:12:54 > 0:12:55Later, I'll be back in Kent
0:12:55 > 0:12:58to see what Margaret makes of her new shower.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02- This is magic.- Ain't it fabulous? - Oh, Margaret.
0:13:08 > 0:13:10Defending our right to a safe place to live is
0:13:10 > 0:13:14the job of housing officers right across the UK.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17This is not really an acceptable way of leaving
0:13:17 > 0:13:18- the property behind.- Do you think?
0:13:18 > 0:13:22'I'm working alongside the men and women that do exactly that.'
0:13:22 > 0:13:25- Top marks.- Yes!
0:13:25 > 0:13:27I'm hitting the streets...
0:13:27 > 0:13:28Hello, can you open up?
0:13:28 > 0:13:31There's definitely somebody inside, cos we've seen movement.
0:13:31 > 0:13:33'..finding out what's happening on the front line...'
0:13:33 > 0:13:37The cistern's in the bath. I don't know how they flush it.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40..and learning what it takes to make sure that a house
0:13:40 > 0:13:42is a fit place to call a home.
0:13:42 > 0:13:44I'm very shocked. This is ridiculous.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47You shouldn't have people living in here.
0:13:53 > 0:13:57In Wolverhampton, a crackdown on antisocial behaviour
0:13:57 > 0:14:00and overcrowding has taken a dramatic turn with
0:14:00 > 0:14:04the disturbing discovery of children left alone at home.
0:14:04 > 0:14:08Opening the door is a young girl. She's very, very upset.
0:14:08 > 0:14:12CHILD CRIES It's clear that her mum isn't home.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15Now housing officer Ravi Phull wants to check the property
0:14:15 > 0:14:18for any other safety issues.
0:14:18 > 0:14:22- This is a relatively clean, you know, spacious house.- Yes.
0:14:22 > 0:14:26We don't know about numbers of people living here yet, because we haven't
0:14:26 > 0:14:29seen the whole place, but there are beds in the front downstairs room,
0:14:29 > 0:14:31which makes you think that it's a fair number of people here.
0:14:31 > 0:14:35- There's no way out the back door, is there?- No, and this handle's broken off as well.
0:14:35 > 0:14:38Everything about a place that makes it dangerous for adults to be here,
0:14:38 > 0:14:42or for a family living together, makes it so much more so for kids
0:14:42 > 0:14:45by themselves, because you look at that back door,
0:14:45 > 0:14:48OK, let's say there's a fire somewhere else in the house,
0:14:48 > 0:14:51- there's no way out here at all. - They're not getting out there.
0:14:51 > 0:14:53They're not getting out of that one at all.
0:14:53 > 0:14:55'I'd be nervous as an adult living with a fire hazard
0:14:55 > 0:14:57'like that, let alone leaving children on their own here.
0:14:57 > 0:15:00'The dangers in this property keep coming.'
0:15:00 > 0:15:01I mean, you've got a staircase
0:15:01 > 0:15:05which has a single hand rail on one side, but the carpet on it
0:15:05 > 0:15:08has been laid on top of other carpet and the whole thing
0:15:08 > 0:15:10looks like a badly fitting jumper.
0:15:10 > 0:15:13I mean, it's asking for someone to trip.
0:15:13 > 0:15:17Imagine a six-year-old and a two-year-old tripping on that.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20'And the news doesn't get much better upstairs.'
0:15:20 > 0:15:22I'm going to take from that that we don't have any restrictors.
0:15:22 > 0:15:24- That's right, we don't.- Wide open.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27So that's going to very comfortably fit a child through.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30It's a very low windowsill on this, so easy for a child to lean out
0:15:30 > 0:15:34too far, go straight down onto the pavement outside.
0:15:38 > 0:15:40Clearly, there are kids in this room.
0:15:40 > 0:15:42Window opens completely
0:15:42 > 0:15:47and then gives out onto the hard standing of the side return there,
0:15:47 > 0:15:50which means you go straight out and you don't get up again.
0:15:50 > 0:15:52For some reason, in this property,
0:15:52 > 0:15:54there's smoke detectors in every room.
0:15:54 > 0:15:57Every single room, the smoke detectors have been pulled down.
0:15:57 > 0:16:01I can only think it's because people are smoking and,
0:16:01 > 0:16:05therefore, they're being set off and so they're causing them a nuisance,
0:16:05 > 0:16:07and so they're pulling them down.
0:16:07 > 0:16:10While we're uncovering the glaring safety issues in the house,
0:16:10 > 0:16:12the residents of the property have come back
0:16:12 > 0:16:15and the seriousness of the situation is clearly beginning to set in.
0:16:15 > 0:16:17ARGUING DOWNSTAIRS
0:16:17 > 0:16:20Unideal situation we find ourselves in sometimes is that,
0:16:20 > 0:16:24at the end of the day, all right, we're involved in the house,
0:16:24 > 0:16:28but we're directly involved in people's lives and how they live.
0:16:28 > 0:16:31Obviously, they're putting themselves at danger, leaving children.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34We're looking around this house and we can see the hazards
0:16:34 > 0:16:37and the things that could happen to the children while they're in here.
0:16:37 > 0:16:39There's no ignoring the fact that
0:16:39 > 0:16:44knocking on the door as we did today, as we can hear downstairs,
0:16:44 > 0:16:47has at least given these people the fear that their children
0:16:47 > 0:16:51are going to be taken away from them, because as soon as we opened
0:16:51 > 0:16:56the door, there was a very young girl and her even younger sister
0:16:56 > 0:17:01- in the house, unattended.- No, it's not a fear, they are taking them.
0:17:01 > 0:17:03- They're taking them? - They're taking the children.
0:17:03 > 0:17:06They are, they're taking them. The public protection
0:17:06 > 0:17:09and social services are on their way now.
0:17:09 > 0:17:11'Removing children from their family
0:17:11 > 0:17:14'only happens in the most extreme cases.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17'Although the police have told Ravi that is what's going to happen,
0:17:17 > 0:17:20'first, social services need to carry out a full assessment
0:17:20 > 0:17:21'of what's been discovered.'
0:17:23 > 0:17:28I can tell Ravi has been in this situation before. I never have.
0:17:28 > 0:17:29I've never been present
0:17:29 > 0:17:32while someone's had their kids taken away from them.
0:17:32 > 0:17:37And whatever's been done wrong here... You know, leaving kids in
0:17:37 > 0:17:41the house at that age is not right. It can't be done, in any house.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44But still, being present while the kids... I've never...
0:17:44 > 0:17:46I've never shared that
0:17:46 > 0:17:48and I don't think I want to.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54It's a horrible situation, but before
0:17:54 > 0:17:57the final decision to remove the children is taken, we need to let
0:17:57 > 0:18:01the right people fully investigate exactly what's happened here today.
0:18:03 > 0:18:05I think we're good to go.
0:18:05 > 0:18:07I think social services have just arrived.
0:18:07 > 0:18:09'Whatever the outcome, it's been a sobering reminder
0:18:09 > 0:18:13'that housing officers never know what they're going to find
0:18:13 > 0:18:14'when they walk through a door.'
0:18:14 > 0:18:18The only thing, really, I can look to do now is to let the police,
0:18:18 > 0:18:21social services and everyone do what they need to do
0:18:21 > 0:18:26and then look to come back really in the next day or so.
0:18:26 > 0:18:30The housing officer job, the HO, is... There are times
0:18:30 > 0:18:33when you have to make difficult decisions, but that...
0:18:44 > 0:18:47After we left, the council's social work team and the police
0:18:47 > 0:18:52carried out an assessment of the family and the situation.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55Although it had clearly been distressing for the children,
0:18:55 > 0:19:00the decision was made not to take them away from the family.
0:19:00 > 0:19:02The family have received advice
0:19:02 > 0:19:06and guidance on childcare from social care professionals,
0:19:06 > 0:19:09and they're continuing to receive support from the council's
0:19:09 > 0:19:14Early Help Team to ensure that the children aren't put at risk again.
0:19:14 > 0:19:18The landlord told us he's now installed hard-wired smoke detectors
0:19:18 > 0:19:20and window restrictors have been fitted.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23He told us the back door handle is in working order
0:19:23 > 0:19:28and he also told us he wasn't aware of any problems with the carpet.
0:19:33 > 0:19:37Back in Dudley, tenant Michael Bird's complaint about the condition
0:19:37 > 0:19:41of his bathroom has revealed a potentially lethal situation.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44Damp and mould is extremely bad and will cause trouble.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47An electric shock could finish you off.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50The next day, the housing team are back to meet the landlord
0:19:50 > 0:19:53and get the problem fixed.
0:19:53 > 0:19:58Hello. Lindon Morgan and David Bates from Dudley Council.
0:19:58 > 0:20:01But the waterlogged electrics and damp aren't the only health hazard
0:20:01 > 0:20:05worrying Michael, who's already battling cancer and a disability.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08What we'll be doing is having a look to see what needs to be done
0:20:08 > 0:20:12upstairs and then we'll be serving a notice on the landlord.
0:20:15 > 0:20:18Mandhar Singh Bhugal looks after both flats for his daughter,
0:20:18 > 0:20:21who owns the property.
0:20:22 > 0:20:26Leaving things, that's what happens. Look at that,
0:20:26 > 0:20:28and as a result of that...
0:20:28 > 0:20:30Don't get upset, don't get upset, it's all right. I'm just
0:20:30 > 0:20:34talking through what the facts are, and the facts are nothing's been
0:20:34 > 0:20:37done about it, or not enough has been done about it.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39This is where we're at a crossroads,
0:20:39 > 0:20:42where we now need to do something about it,
0:20:42 > 0:20:45cos look at this, this is totally unacceptable, isn't it? Yeah?
0:20:47 > 0:20:50It's time for the team to go upstairs
0:20:50 > 0:20:52and see the cause of all the damage.
0:20:52 > 0:20:56You can see underneath here. You'll see where it's been
0:20:56 > 0:20:59tied off with just a J-cloth of some sort.
0:20:59 > 0:21:04And the floor is actually soaking wet.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07I can put my finger right through the board there. My fingers...
0:21:07 > 0:21:11I've got two fingers, three, four, five, right through the boards.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14Absolutely soaking wet.
0:21:14 > 0:21:18Look at that. That's what you're getting in the floor.
0:21:18 > 0:21:22Soaking wet. You can see the water all over my hand
0:21:22 > 0:21:26and that's the floorboards above that plasterboard ceiling
0:21:26 > 0:21:29that you've got there, that's covered in damp and mould.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32This isn't a problem that's happened overnight.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35The water's been dripping away under this bath for more than 12 months.
0:21:35 > 0:21:39So a simple leak, which could've been fixed by changing the fittings,
0:21:39 > 0:21:42will now mean replacing floorboards, electrics
0:21:42 > 0:21:45and redecorating two bathrooms.
0:21:45 > 0:21:47If the landlord had acted as quickly as the housing officers,
0:21:47 > 0:21:50he'd have saved himself thousands.
0:21:50 > 0:21:55There's a problem that needs sorting out here before somebody gets hurt.
0:21:55 > 0:22:00- They don't open the door, they don't let me come in. What I do?- OK.
0:22:00 > 0:22:04- If for some reason you can't get in to do the repairs...- Yeah.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07- ..then, you need to let us know.- OK.
0:22:07 > 0:22:11Because we want the works done and you will have
0:22:11 > 0:22:15what's called a reasonable excuse for not doing the repairs.
0:22:15 > 0:22:21Nothing I want to say. I want to say only they don't let me come in.
0:22:21 > 0:22:23We'll sort that out.
0:22:23 > 0:22:25If that's the case, let us know and we'll help you.
0:22:25 > 0:22:28Even if the landlord has had trouble accessing the upstairs flat
0:22:28 > 0:22:33to make repairs in the past, David just wants the problem fixed now.
0:22:33 > 0:22:38Unfortunately, as a landlord, if there's an issue of disrepair
0:22:38 > 0:22:42- in a property, it's your responsibility...- My duty, yes.
0:22:42 > 0:22:47- ..in nearly every case, I'm afraid. - They are not dealing with me nicely.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49Help me get them out.
0:22:49 > 0:22:51If you're not happy with them,
0:22:51 > 0:22:54then you have a right as a landlord to evict your tenants
0:22:54 > 0:22:56and you know that.
0:22:56 > 0:22:58If you want to take the chap downstairs...
0:22:58 > 0:23:02- I mean, he looks as good as gold as a tenant.- Yeah, yeah, he's good.
0:23:02 > 0:23:08But his bathroom is awful and it's been awful for a long time.
0:23:08 > 0:23:11You need to sort that out and if that means coming up here
0:23:11 > 0:23:14and fixing a leak, whoever's caused it, you need to do it.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17You're in now, there's no problem with that. Let's get working on it,
0:23:17 > 0:23:20let's get things in motion, let's get it sorted.
0:23:20 > 0:23:22OK, we will do that.
0:23:22 > 0:23:24If you want help with access or anything, let us know.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27I'll let you know all the time.
0:23:27 > 0:23:31Two weeks later, the rotten joists and sodden floorboards have been
0:23:31 > 0:23:34replaced and a qualified plumber is on site reinstalling the bath.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40And as soon as upstairs is finished,
0:23:40 > 0:23:42work immediately begins on Michael's flat...
0:23:42 > 0:23:44much to his relief.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47I'm glad they're doing it now.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50It should all be sorted soon, with a bit of luck.
0:23:51 > 0:23:54Michael had lived for months with a dangerous bathroom.
0:23:54 > 0:23:57But in the end, it only took a couple of weeks to fix
0:23:57 > 0:23:59after intervention from the housing enforcers.
0:24:06 > 0:24:10In Kent, pensioner Margaret Crabbe's come to the top of the waiting list
0:24:10 > 0:24:14for a new shower, after years of struggling to get in and out of the bath.
0:24:14 > 0:24:18Standing at the sink, having to wash yourself in stages
0:24:18 > 0:24:20because you can't do it...
0:24:24 > 0:24:27It's six months since I first met Margaret,
0:24:27 > 0:24:30and I have a special reason for wanting to come back with Susan
0:24:30 > 0:24:33to see how she's getting on now the bathroom's finished.
0:24:33 > 0:24:35I've had a letter.
0:24:35 > 0:24:39It's a really nice letter, which doesn't happen very often,
0:24:39 > 0:24:44just to say how much she enjoyed the whole experience of meeting us,
0:24:44 > 0:24:48me and Susan Hughes, and getting things sorted out.
0:24:48 > 0:24:52So, we ought to go and say another hello, I think.
0:24:55 > 0:24:57'When we arrive, it's all a bit overwhelming for her.'
0:24:57 > 0:24:59- Hello.- Oh, look!
0:24:59 > 0:25:02Oh, no! Margaret, don't hide!
0:25:02 > 0:25:05I've brought him back to see what we've done.
0:25:05 > 0:25:07Come on, then.
0:25:07 > 0:25:09'And she's not the only one.'
0:25:11 > 0:25:13Hello, darling. How are you?
0:25:13 > 0:25:15Come here. Come here. How are you?
0:25:15 > 0:25:18Come here. It's lovely to see you again.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21I couldn't not come, cos you sent me a letter!
0:25:21 > 0:25:24- Oh, you got it!- Yeah, I did, I did.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27- I've got...- Come on in, come on in.
0:25:27 > 0:25:29Have a sit down.
0:25:29 > 0:25:32'Last time I was here, I was really nervous about telling Margaret
0:25:32 > 0:25:35'she'd have to wait over a year for her bathroom.
0:25:35 > 0:25:39'It's absolutely brilliant to be back after just six months.'
0:25:39 > 0:25:42We thought this was going to take over a year.
0:25:42 > 0:25:44Here we are, we're in August now.
0:25:44 > 0:25:46It's not even the end of August.
0:25:46 > 0:25:48That's worked out all right, then?
0:25:48 > 0:25:50- Yeah.- It's really good, isn't it?
0:25:50 > 0:25:54'Susan and the "Staying Put" team are there to help people like Margaret
0:25:54 > 0:25:58'adapt their homes, rather than move as their needs change.
0:25:58 > 0:26:00'There's something I really want to know.'
0:26:00 > 0:26:02This is the key question, Margaret.
0:26:02 > 0:26:06Is it going to let you stay here for longer, do you think?
0:26:06 > 0:26:09- I don't want to go anywhere else, Matt.- No.
0:26:09 > 0:26:10I don't want to.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13'It's incredibly moving to see the impact a new bathroom
0:26:13 > 0:26:15'will have on Margaret's life.
0:26:15 > 0:26:18'I think it's time to see the transformation for myself.'
0:26:18 > 0:26:22- I think we need to go up and see your bathroom.- Yes, I think you need to.
0:26:22 > 0:26:25'It seems Margaret can't wait to get me upstairs.'
0:26:25 > 0:26:29- There we are.- I tell you what, this is another good thing.
0:26:29 > 0:26:30Yeah, very good.
0:26:30 > 0:26:34I couldn't go up and down the stairs, not at all.
0:26:34 > 0:26:35'But there is a slight delay.'
0:26:35 > 0:26:39It will only take a little weight, else you could've sat on my lap
0:26:39 > 0:26:41and come up with me, couldn't you?!
0:26:41 > 0:26:44I think there are rules against that sort of thing.
0:26:44 > 0:26:46Yeah. It'll only take a certain weight.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49I'm so pleased you could make it.
0:26:49 > 0:26:53'Seeing Margaret so happy, I wouldn't have missed this for the world.'
0:26:53 > 0:26:55I'm dying for you to see it.
0:26:57 > 0:26:59Oh, look at that!
0:26:59 > 0:27:02It's palatial.
0:27:02 > 0:27:05- That is so different, Margaret.- Yep.
0:27:05 > 0:27:06Look at that.
0:27:06 > 0:27:08That's hot and cold.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11That's the flow... You can turn that.
0:27:11 > 0:27:13- This is magical.- Ain't it fabulous?
0:27:13 > 0:27:17Oh, Margaret, oh, Margaret, oh, Margaret.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20'Finally having a bathroom that's safe and easy to use
0:27:20 > 0:27:24'means Margaret can carry on living independently in her own home
0:27:24 > 0:27:26'for the foreseeable future.'
0:27:26 > 0:27:29This is, and I'm not lying, Margaret,
0:27:29 > 0:27:32this is substantially nicer than my bathroom.
0:27:32 > 0:27:33It really is.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36Well, you're welcome to come and have a shower!
0:27:36 > 0:27:38THEY LAUGH
0:27:38 > 0:27:42'I think that might be overstepping the mark!
0:27:42 > 0:27:44'It's clearly, though, money well spent.'
0:27:48 > 0:27:49That's it for today.
0:27:49 > 0:27:52Join me next time, when I'll be learning more
0:27:52 > 0:27:55about what it takes to be a front-line housing officer.