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 > 0:01:03Doing 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 > 0:01:35- Because I suppose... - I know what you mean.
0:01:35 > 0:01:38- A bit sticky, I guess. - Yeah.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41I try to help a tenant who's struggling to cope.
0:01:41 > 0:01:43It feels like this has been thrown at you
0:01:43 > 0:01:46and you're... If I'm honest, you're not properly equipped.
0:01:46 > 0:01:50Oh, no, I was never taught about how to cook, or look after a house,
0:01:50 > 0:01:52or budget or anything like that.
0:01:52 > 0:01:57And an oversized extension looks like it may be breaking the rules.
0:01:57 > 0:02:01"Purpose of outbuilding - storage and gymnasium."
0:02:01 > 0:02:02Yeah.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05It's very large for a storage and gymnasium.
0:02:05 > 0:02:07And would you have windows like that in it?
0:02:07 > 0:02:08No.
0:02:12 > 0:02:16Every year, more of us rent the homes that we live in,
0:02:16 > 0:02:19and every year, rents go up.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22For those of us chasing cheaper housing, that can mean
0:02:22 > 0:02:27enduring living conditions so bad that they break the law.
0:02:27 > 0:02:29I'm working alongside the men and women
0:02:29 > 0:02:32whose job it is to uphold those laws.
0:02:32 > 0:02:34They are the Housing Enforcers.
0:02:37 > 0:02:41Here in Newham and I'm on the road with housing officers
0:02:41 > 0:02:43Stephen Pavett and Holly Ripp.
0:02:43 > 0:02:47We're off to visit a property that's been on their radar for a while now.
0:02:49 > 0:02:50It's supposed to be a family home,
0:02:50 > 0:02:55but was instead being used unlawfully as a series of bedsits.
0:02:55 > 0:02:59Until the council told the landlord to change it back.
0:02:59 > 0:03:01So what's the place we're going to? What's going on?
0:03:01 > 0:03:05OK, so this property has an enforcement notice on it which
0:03:05 > 0:03:07stated that the use should cease, the locks should come off,
0:03:07 > 0:03:10all the usual bits and pieces.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13It was actually complied with, the enforcement notice,
0:03:13 > 0:03:15at the beginning of the year.
0:03:15 > 0:03:19But we've had information through that it's back in breach again.
0:03:19 > 0:03:20Right.
0:03:22 > 0:03:24So it looked like the enforcement notice worked once
0:03:24 > 0:03:27but there are concerns the landlord has now
0:03:27 > 0:03:28turned the property back again
0:03:28 > 0:03:31and filled it with more people than is safe.
0:03:31 > 0:03:33There are a couple of clues already.
0:03:33 > 0:03:37Oh, it's got bins full of rubbish,
0:03:37 > 0:03:40it's got some kind of weird silver paper up
0:03:40 > 0:03:43at the front window as well.
0:03:45 > 0:03:50Tinfoil at the front windows, what does that say?
0:03:50 > 0:03:52One of them could be that it's
0:03:52 > 0:03:54a shared heating bill... KNOCKING
0:03:54 > 0:03:57..so you're trying to keep your own room as warm as possible.
0:03:57 > 0:03:58Here we go.
0:03:58 > 0:04:01Good morning, we're from the planning department of the council,
0:04:01 > 0:04:04we're here to have another look around the property, OK?
0:04:05 > 0:04:09The dark corridor certainly doesn't have a feel of a family home.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12We've got another two doors here.
0:04:12 > 0:04:14- Do we want to have a knock on this? - Yeah, definitely.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18- Can we just have a look in your room, please?- MAN:- Yes.
0:04:18 > 0:04:20Thank you.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23It looks like a pretty small room for two people to share.
0:04:23 > 0:04:24Milan is one of them,
0:04:24 > 0:04:27and he's travelled a long way to find himself cooped up here.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29Where are you from?
0:04:29 > 0:04:31- I'm from Bulgaria. - From Bulgaria.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34- And what do you do here in the UK? - I am a massage therapist.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37This place where you're living here, what do you think of it?
0:04:37 > 0:04:42I don't like. I don't like because so many people.
0:04:42 > 0:04:44How many people are here in this house?
0:04:44 > 0:04:46I think 14.
0:04:46 > 0:04:5014 people. How much do you pay in rent for this?
0:04:50 > 0:04:51£300 per month.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54£300 for a month, and you share this
0:04:54 > 0:04:56with another guy who's not always here.
0:04:56 > 0:05:00Are there any other problems here? Do you see mice or rats or anything?
0:05:00 > 0:05:01Mice, yes.
0:05:01 > 0:05:03You see mice?
0:05:03 > 0:05:04Every day in kitchen.
0:05:04 > 0:05:06Right.
0:05:06 > 0:05:08Sometimes no electricity.
0:05:08 > 0:05:12Go to agency maybe two or three times. Every week, you know.
0:05:12 > 0:05:16- So you have no electricity? - Yeah, for two-three hours.
0:05:16 > 0:05:21Do you pay the agency, do you give them money for electricity?
0:05:21 > 0:05:22Yeah, yeah.
0:05:22 > 0:05:24But they need to put it on a key, put it in the machine,
0:05:24 > 0:05:27and then it starts working again,
0:05:27 > 0:05:30but you've got two or three hours with no power.
0:05:30 > 0:05:31'Sharing a house with 13 other people,
0:05:31 > 0:05:35'especially when the electricity runs out, can't be much fun.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38'But it certainly hasn't dampened Milan's spirits.'
0:05:38 > 0:05:41My English is not perfect, but I can sing very good.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44- Really?- Yeah. I want to be singer.
0:05:44 > 0:05:48Something like X Factor, doesn't matter, X Factor or clubs...
0:05:48 > 0:05:50Yeah, well, listen, man, we're going to look
0:05:50 > 0:05:54- around the rest of the house. - Nice to meet you. Good, good, yeah.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57While I leave Milan to dream of international stardom,
0:05:57 > 0:06:01Stephen has found a clue where all that electricity might be going.
0:06:01 > 0:06:05- We've got a large bank of fridge-freezers...- Yeah.
0:06:05 > 0:06:07We've seen this before.
0:06:07 > 0:06:11But this is an impressive wall of refrigeration - I'm just
0:06:11 > 0:06:15imagining the draw on the electrics in this household.
0:06:15 > 0:06:19- It's no surprise the electricity keeps going off.- No.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22Because it sounds like the agent has to keep filling the key up.
0:06:22 > 0:06:25They all pay to the agent and the agent keeps filling it up
0:06:25 > 0:06:27but it's quite unpredictable,
0:06:27 > 0:06:32and sometimes they lose power for a couple of hours almost every week.
0:06:32 > 0:06:36What I don't understand is, why, if they are paying money to the agent,
0:06:36 > 0:06:39why doesn't the agent have a kind of traditional billing system
0:06:39 > 0:06:42where the bill comes in, you pay the bill,
0:06:42 > 0:06:45rather than having to come to the house, get the key,
0:06:45 > 0:06:48put the money on the key and stick it back in the meter?
0:06:48 > 0:06:50I suppose he's just using his name as the agent
0:06:50 > 0:06:52and he is paying the bill,
0:06:52 > 0:06:54and it hides the fact that potentially
0:06:54 > 0:06:56you've got other people trying to pay a bill
0:06:56 > 0:06:58to the electricity company
0:06:58 > 0:07:01and alert them to the fact that it might be used...
0:07:01 > 0:07:05It's another bit of evidence if you've got multiple names
0:07:05 > 0:07:09- all paying electricity, something you would spot quite easily.- Yeah.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12Apparently hoping to present this as a family home, the landlord
0:07:12 > 0:07:16is leaving these 14 people without electricity at certain
0:07:16 > 0:07:17times of the day.
0:07:17 > 0:07:21A big problem, especially with all those fridge-freezers on the go.
0:07:21 > 0:07:25Later on, I discover an even larger issue in an even smaller space.
0:07:26 > 0:07:30I don't think there's any way that this is an acceptable space.
0:07:30 > 0:07:32It's just.. You can't have a life here.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43Every day, housing officers have to tread a fine line
0:07:43 > 0:07:46between giving tenants help with their homes when they need it
0:07:46 > 0:07:49and getting them to take responsibility for themselves.
0:07:49 > 0:07:53In Suffolk, housing officer Andrew Weavers is on his way
0:07:53 > 0:07:54to a council-owned bungalow
0:07:54 > 0:07:57where a routine survey has set off alarm bells
0:07:57 > 0:08:00about the way tenants are looking after their home.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03We've had a property that's been identified as being cluttered
0:08:03 > 0:08:06and dirty through an inspection that one of our contractors did.
0:08:06 > 0:08:10So I'm just going to go and check that out and find out why.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13Andrew's worried the condition of the bungalow could be a sign
0:08:13 > 0:08:15the occupants are struggling to cope.
0:08:15 > 0:08:19But it isn't just the welfare of the tenants he has to think about.
0:08:19 > 0:08:23You know, if people are not reporting repairs
0:08:23 > 0:08:27or the property's getting dirty for whatever reason,
0:08:27 > 0:08:30you end up with a rather large bill to put it right.
0:08:31 > 0:08:35Tenant Lesley Offord moved into the property 15 years ago
0:08:35 > 0:08:36with her late husband.
0:08:36 > 0:08:40Despite his poor health, they shared many happy years there.
0:08:40 > 0:08:45Peter died in 2008.
0:08:45 > 0:08:51He had MS and couldn't get out of bed and then he got leukaemia.
0:08:51 > 0:08:56About six weeks after he'd been diagnosed with the leukaemia,
0:08:56 > 0:08:58he passed away.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01Two years ago, with her own health deteriorating,
0:09:01 > 0:09:05Lesley's son Michael moved in, becoming her full-time carer.
0:09:05 > 0:09:10Michael could see that I was having more and more problems walking
0:09:10 > 0:09:12and getting around.
0:09:12 > 0:09:16I've had three or four falls in the bungalow
0:09:16 > 0:09:21where they've had to take me to hospital
0:09:21 > 0:09:23and I've had a broken hip,
0:09:23 > 0:09:27broken ribs, collapsed lungs.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30I don't know what I'd do without Michael, quite frankly.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36But with concerns being raised that they might not be coping,
0:09:36 > 0:09:39it's Andrew's job to find out if there's a problem
0:09:39 > 0:09:42and what the council can do to help.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45Hello. It's Mrs Offord I'm looking for... Mr Offord?
0:09:45 > 0:09:46Oh - Lesley Offord, my mother.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49- Yeah.- I'm Andrew. I'm from Mid Suffolk District Council.
0:09:49 > 0:09:51Do you mind just having a very quick chat just
0:09:51 > 0:09:54so I can get a few concerns out of the way?
0:09:54 > 0:09:59We've had the property inspected, what they call a whole house survey,
0:09:59 > 0:10:03but they're a bit troubled by the condition of the property.
0:10:03 > 0:10:05They say it isn't in its best condition.
0:10:05 > 0:10:07- Erm... - Would you say that's the case?
0:10:07 > 0:10:09It's not the tidiest at the moment.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12Telling someone they've been reported for having a dirty,
0:10:12 > 0:10:14untidy house is never going to be easy.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16So Andrew has to tread softly.
0:10:16 > 0:10:20Would it be all right if I have a quick... Put my head round the door?
0:10:20 > 0:10:22- Erm... I'll check with me mother. - Just to check.
0:10:22 > 0:10:26I'll warn her you're coming through. But, yeah, fine.
0:10:26 > 0:10:28Doesn't look too bad from here.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31- Yeah, come on in. - Thank you, thank you.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34Obviously, we've had the survey and every time they have a survey
0:10:34 > 0:10:38they send us details about any concerns that they have.
0:10:38 > 0:10:42And they were a bit concerned that this property was a bit cluttered
0:10:42 > 0:10:45and wasn't the cleanest but, to be fair,
0:10:45 > 0:10:49I've got to say it's not bad at all, in my book,
0:10:49 > 0:10:52and I've seen a lot of cluttered properties in my time!
0:10:52 > 0:10:54- Yeah. - So I don't want to worry you at all
0:10:54 > 0:10:57but I just want to have a quick look myself
0:10:57 > 0:10:59to make sure you're all right.
0:10:59 > 0:11:02So far, it's proving hard to see exactly why the contractor
0:11:02 > 0:11:04was so concerned about the condition of this place.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07And even when Andrew does spot a problem,
0:11:07 > 0:11:11it isn't just down to Lesley and Michael's housekeeping.
0:11:11 > 0:11:13OK, the kitchen's seen better days.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16It looks like more or less you need a new kitchen, really.
0:11:16 > 0:11:18- That wouldn't do any harm because... - No.
0:11:18 > 0:11:20..we've got a serious problem with storing stuff.
0:11:20 > 0:11:22I don't know how old this kitchen is.
0:11:22 > 0:11:26- No idea, but it's original since me mum's been here.- Yeah.
0:11:26 > 0:11:30I might ask them whether they would consider looking at this
0:11:30 > 0:11:32- and inspecting this.- Yeah.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35But what I suggest we do, give that a bit of a clean down the units
0:11:35 > 0:11:38so when they inspect it, it won't be so...you know?
0:11:38 > 0:11:40- Because I suppose... - I know what you mean.
0:11:40 > 0:11:42- Yeah. A bit sticky, I guess... - Yeah.- ..aren't they?
0:11:42 > 0:11:45- Some of this is difficult because it's old stuff...- All old stuff.
0:11:45 > 0:11:47But I'm quite happy to send someone round
0:11:47 > 0:11:51and see if you are entitled to a new kitchen, then if you are, brilliant.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54The kitchen isn't going to win any awards for cleanliness
0:11:54 > 0:11:57and it could well be the reason for the bad inspection report.
0:11:57 > 0:12:00But Andrew's more concerned it isn't fit for purpose.
0:12:00 > 0:12:02- The garden's out here. - Just a have quick look.
0:12:02 > 0:12:06Is that...? Oh, I see, that's not so bad, is it?
0:12:06 > 0:12:07I can see from here.
0:12:07 > 0:12:09First impressions outside are also good,
0:12:09 > 0:12:12but aware Lesley's seriously injured herself falling over
0:12:12 > 0:12:16at home before, Andrew's spotted something that won't help.
0:12:16 > 0:12:18Yeah, because this is a bit of a trip hazard, here.
0:12:18 > 0:12:20That's the main problem for my mother, yeah.
0:12:20 > 0:12:21And that's the other little step
0:12:21 > 0:12:23- she's worried about. - Yeah, here, yeah.
0:12:23 > 0:12:26It wouldn't take much to do something there.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29- That's an easy one but that one there...- Yeah.
0:12:29 > 0:12:32I'm sure they'll come up with something.
0:12:32 > 0:12:36But even I would trip over that if I was not looking out.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39Making sure Lesley can access the garden safely
0:12:39 > 0:12:41is a job for the council, but as the tenant,
0:12:41 > 0:12:45she has to take responsibility for keeping it tidy herself.
0:12:45 > 0:12:48Obviously you've got some white goods there.
0:12:48 > 0:12:50If they can make their way to the dump...
0:12:50 > 0:12:52You know, you've got a few bits and pieces
0:12:52 > 0:12:55but that's got to go, hasn't it, really?
0:12:55 > 0:12:56Yeah, that's all waiting for...
0:12:56 > 0:12:59Got to get my sister to get her people carrier to get that sorted.
0:12:59 > 0:13:01Yeah. But it's got potential here,
0:13:01 > 0:13:03you can have a nice little seated area.
0:13:03 > 0:13:06Everything's gone much better than Andrew anticipated.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09But coming into someone's home and putting their life under the
0:13:09 > 0:13:12microscope is an uncomfortable job that needs to be handled tactfully.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15Right. OK, well...
0:13:15 > 0:13:17it's not, it's not what I thought it was going to be
0:13:17 > 0:13:19but you do understand that
0:13:19 > 0:13:23when they flag something up, I've got to go and investigate it.
0:13:23 > 0:13:25Although the visit's put to rest any fears the property isn't
0:13:25 > 0:13:27being looked after,
0:13:27 > 0:13:29it also made it clear that with a little adaptation,
0:13:29 > 0:13:32it would be much easier for Lesley to live in.
0:13:32 > 0:13:34Luckily, Andrew is on hand to help.
0:13:34 > 0:13:37- Obviously you're having falls and things, aren't you?- Yes.
0:13:37 > 0:13:39I don't know if it's worth getting
0:13:39 > 0:13:41an occupational therapist to come out.
0:13:41 > 0:13:44What they tend to do is, they do an evaluation and then
0:13:44 > 0:13:47if there's anything like handrails
0:13:47 > 0:13:52or they might have ideas on the type of kitchen you might need
0:13:52 > 0:13:57that suits you, and then they sort of send a referral on to us
0:13:57 > 0:14:00to do it and we have a look and see what's reasonable.
0:14:00 > 0:14:01Yeah.
0:14:01 > 0:14:05So I'll get someone who knows a bit more about disabled adaptations -
0:14:05 > 0:14:07that's what they're called - to give you a call.
0:14:07 > 0:14:11- Lovely job. OK? - We pass the test, do we?
0:14:11 > 0:14:12Yes.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15Because I don't want to get evicted.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18No, I wouldn't dream of evicting you, would I?
0:14:18 > 0:14:20Do I look like a man who's going to evict you?
0:14:24 > 0:14:27We've got our different levels of cleanliness, haven't we,
0:14:27 > 0:14:29and different standards?
0:14:29 > 0:14:32I've been in cleaner but it wasn't as bad as I thought
0:14:32 > 0:14:36it was going to be and they're very nice people and when you get
0:14:36 > 0:14:39someone like that, you'd rather try and help them if you can, so...
0:14:39 > 0:14:41They never know, they'll benefit from my visit
0:14:41 > 0:14:43because there might be things I can help them with,
0:14:43 > 0:14:47like getting a better or new kitchen or getting
0:14:47 > 0:14:51an occupational therapist in to sort of help her with her disabilities.
0:14:51 > 0:14:53She's still got a tenancy agreement
0:14:53 > 0:14:55so if I can encourage her son to tidy up the garden
0:14:55 > 0:15:00and have a little bit of a clean-up, then job's a good 'un.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11I'm in Newham, and with housing officers Stephen
0:15:11 > 0:15:14and Holly investigating a property that, despite warnings
0:15:14 > 0:15:15from the council, has been
0:15:15 > 0:15:18turned into a bunch of bedsits for at least 14 people.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21Sometimes no electricity.
0:15:21 > 0:15:22So you have no electricity?
0:15:22 > 0:15:24Yeah, for two-three hours.
0:15:24 > 0:15:28Overcrowding a property like this doesn't just impact
0:15:28 > 0:15:31on the people living here, it also affects the local neighbourhood,
0:15:31 > 0:15:34putting greater demands and strains on local services.
0:15:34 > 0:15:35But despite the cramped conditions,
0:15:35 > 0:15:39it seems everyone here is at least trying their best.
0:15:39 > 0:15:41It looks like a house full of young guys
0:15:41 > 0:15:43in their 20s who are all doing...
0:15:43 > 0:15:46All trying to work, and the place, actually considering...
0:15:46 > 0:15:50I remember my student days - the place is really kept very well,
0:15:50 > 0:15:54they've all taken a lot of pride in the way their rooms are and they're
0:15:54 > 0:15:58doing the best they can in a house that just feels way over-stuffed.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01According to planning permission, this property should be
0:16:01 > 0:16:05a family home, not filled to the gills with separate tenants.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08But having met Milan and some of his housemates, it makes me worried
0:16:08 > 0:16:10about what might happen next.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13The chap that I was talking to in the kitchen is really worried
0:16:13 > 0:16:18that the result of this visit will be him without a place to live.
0:16:18 > 0:16:20That is probably going to be the situation.
0:16:20 > 0:16:23When you come around these houses and you look at this
0:16:23 > 0:16:26and it's a house that's being well kept by the tenants,
0:16:26 > 0:16:29they're all working guys, it's got emergency lighting,
0:16:29 > 0:16:31it's got some fire detection as well,
0:16:31 > 0:16:33it's easy to look at it and think,
0:16:33 > 0:16:36actually, if we let this one go, who's hurt here?
0:16:36 > 0:16:39Um... The facilities are not adequate enough
0:16:39 > 0:16:42to support 14, 16, 18 people
0:16:42 > 0:16:45who are living here and that's got an impact on the neighbourhood
0:16:45 > 0:16:48and overstressing the services that are locally around.
0:16:48 > 0:16:52So we've got to protect local people as well as people
0:16:52 > 0:16:55living here and the council's got to be consistent with its approach
0:16:55 > 0:16:57to all of the properties we look at. In six months' time,
0:16:57 > 0:17:00this could be a completely different picture,
0:17:00 > 0:17:02you could have more people in the property,
0:17:02 > 0:17:05the conditions of the property could be deteriorating greatly,
0:17:05 > 0:17:09and then the council has decided to let it go previously.
0:17:09 > 0:17:11And to prove Stephen's point,
0:17:11 > 0:17:14the next room demonstrates what can happen to tenants
0:17:14 > 0:17:17if unlawful behaviour from a landlord is left unchecked.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20Come in, have a look... I can't quite touch...
0:17:20 > 0:17:26So I reckon that's 6.5ft that way, and then...
0:17:26 > 0:17:30it's going to be... Yeah, it's about 6.5ft square, this room.
0:17:30 > 0:17:35And everything has to fit into this space, he's got a wardrobe stuffed
0:17:35 > 0:17:36with his clothes.
0:17:36 > 0:17:41He's got a chair right next to his bed,
0:17:41 > 0:17:45and he's got a chest of drawers and that's literally it.
0:17:46 > 0:17:51It's so small, it's so small.
0:17:51 > 0:17:53It's unbelievable -
0:17:53 > 0:17:57I'm trying to imagine living in here, I mean...
0:17:57 > 0:18:01I don't think there's any way that this is an acceptable space,
0:18:01 > 0:18:05even for just one person by themselves to live in.
0:18:05 > 0:18:07It's just... You can't have a life here.
0:18:08 > 0:18:13The size of that room is totally unacceptable.
0:18:13 > 0:18:17Exactly, and he's paying £390 to stay in here, a month.
0:18:17 > 0:18:21It's clearly unacceptable trying to cram that many people
0:18:21 > 0:18:22into a property.
0:18:22 > 0:18:24Seeing Milan and hearing about his dream
0:18:24 > 0:18:26and knowing he might now be facing homelessness,
0:18:26 > 0:18:30puts another human face to the UK's housing crisis.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33Milan, really nice to meet you - and good luck with everything,
0:18:33 > 0:18:36good luck with the massage, good luck with the singing.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39Maybe I'll end up seeing you on The X Factor at some point.
0:18:43 > 0:18:47As we said, the temptation is to go "Well, it seems to be working,
0:18:47 > 0:18:48"maybe we should leave it."
0:18:48 > 0:18:50But that's just not really an option, is it, Stephen?
0:18:50 > 0:18:52No, it's not an option, unfortunately.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55They've got to do something with that property now.
0:18:55 > 0:18:57After this, we'll have to write to the owner,
0:18:57 > 0:19:00and basically say, you've had your chance.
0:19:00 > 0:19:01The really sad thing is,
0:19:01 > 0:19:03they're keeping their end of the bargain. You know,
0:19:03 > 0:19:07they're doing the best they can, they're exemplary tenants in many
0:19:07 > 0:19:09ways, to walk into that place and seeing it the way it is.
0:19:09 > 0:19:12And they're going to be let down by a landlord
0:19:12 > 0:19:15who's trying to make the most out of that place,
0:19:15 > 0:19:18despite the fact he's already had one slap on the wrist.
0:19:18 > 0:19:21He's going to get a rather nasty letter from us,
0:19:21 > 0:19:24saying that he's probably going to be prosecuted now.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27We've got nothing against the tenants at all in the property,
0:19:27 > 0:19:31our action is not against them, it is purely against
0:19:31 > 0:19:35the homeowner who has decided to put the property back into this use.
0:19:35 > 0:19:38Holls, you've got to feel for those guys in there, you know,
0:19:38 > 0:19:41seeing them leading their lives the best way they possibly can,
0:19:41 > 0:19:44and an eviction could be just around the corner, really.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47I mean, they do have rights but it is unfair
0:19:47 > 0:19:50and I do feel for the tenants when we go to these places.
0:19:50 > 0:19:51I mean, they don't know
0:19:51 > 0:19:54that the property shouldn't be used in that way.
0:19:54 > 0:19:55It's difficult to know, isn't it?
0:19:55 > 0:19:58Exactly, yeah, they could end up in the exact same position
0:19:58 > 0:20:01and keep being moved around, and it's not fair on them.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13The council's legal department are deciding what course of action
0:20:13 > 0:20:15to take against the landlord.
0:20:15 > 0:20:18They also passed the information about the faulty electrics
0:20:18 > 0:20:22to the relevant teams, and those concerns are being investigated.
0:20:26 > 0:20:29Defending our right to a safe place to live
0:20:29 > 0:20:33is the job of housing officers right across the UK.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36This is not really an acceptable way of leaving
0:20:36 > 0:20:38- the property behind.- Do you think?!
0:20:38 > 0:20:42I'm working alongside the men and women that do exactly that.
0:20:42 > 0:20:44- Top marks.- Yes!
0:20:44 > 0:20:45I'm hitting the streets...
0:20:45 > 0:20:46Hello, can you open up?
0:20:46 > 0:20:50There's definitely someone inside, because we've seen movement.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53..finding out what's happening on the front-line.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56The cistern's in the bath. I don't know how they flush it.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59And learning what it takes to make sure
0:20:59 > 0:21:02a house is fit to be called a home.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04I'm very shocked. This is ridiculous.
0:21:04 > 0:21:06You shouldn't have people living in here.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14Up and down the country, councils are facing a crisis
0:21:14 > 0:21:18as they struggle to cope with the growing demand for affordable homes.
0:21:18 > 0:21:20In the decades after World War II,
0:21:20 > 0:21:25the UK was building on average more than 300,000 new homes annually.
0:21:25 > 0:21:28In recent years, we've only managed half that number.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33As more of us become stuck in rented homes,
0:21:33 > 0:21:35local councils are paying the price,
0:21:35 > 0:21:37as they spend time and money trying to resolve disputes
0:21:37 > 0:21:40between private tenants and landlords.
0:21:43 > 0:21:46Today, I'm in Stafford with housing officer Tom Jones.
0:21:48 > 0:21:51We're on our way to a privately rented house where the tenant
0:21:51 > 0:21:53has been in dispute with the landlord
0:21:53 > 0:21:56over some maintenance problems.
0:21:56 > 0:21:59The property we're going to, then, how's it come about.
0:22:00 > 0:22:01Why are we going there?
0:22:01 > 0:22:05So we received a complaint from the tenant a couple of days ago,
0:22:05 > 0:22:09saying there was some disrepair problems in the house.
0:22:09 > 0:22:12She was very concerned for the health of her son.
0:22:12 > 0:22:17Our concern is, as always, about the safety of the property,
0:22:17 > 0:22:19that's the first thing we're looking at?
0:22:19 > 0:22:25Absolutely, for it to be really of any interest to us, the condition
0:22:25 > 0:22:29has to be having an impact on the health and safety of the occupiers.
0:22:29 > 0:22:33We will pick up any sort of cosmetic issues, but generally speaking,
0:22:33 > 0:22:37we can only try and persuade landlords to deal with those.
0:22:37 > 0:22:40It's got to be having an impact on the occupation of the house.
0:22:40 > 0:22:42The place is rented by Trish,
0:22:42 > 0:22:44who has been living here with her young son
0:22:44 > 0:22:46Matthew for the past two years.
0:22:46 > 0:22:49The problems with the property have become so bad that Trish
0:22:49 > 0:22:53is now trying to move out, with the help of her mum, Sally, but
0:22:53 > 0:22:56she's currently being hampered by a bad reference from the landlord.
0:22:56 > 0:22:58Are you looking for somewhere else to go?
0:22:58 > 0:23:00He originally gave us... Well, gave me
0:23:00 > 0:23:04- a reference that said I was dirty, dishonest, shameless...- OK.
0:23:04 > 0:23:06..disloyal...
0:23:06 > 0:23:09It was just a damning reference that couldn't get me anywhere.
0:23:09 > 0:23:11Why do you think he would do that?
0:23:11 > 0:23:14He's a horrible man, he's threatening,
0:23:14 > 0:23:17and he's just a horrible man.
0:23:17 > 0:23:19I'd never, ever let someone live in this house again,
0:23:19 > 0:23:21the way he's treated me and my son.
0:23:21 > 0:23:24He's threatened to send the heavies in to get me
0:23:24 > 0:23:26and my three-year-old son out of this house.
0:23:26 > 0:23:28Are you in rent arrears now or has that all cleared?
0:23:28 > 0:23:32As far as we're aware, it's £195 is what we owe him,
0:23:32 > 0:23:35he's saying it's £1,151.
0:23:35 > 0:23:36Right, OK, fair enough.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39It's important that even if you have issues with the house,
0:23:39 > 0:23:40you keep paying your rent.
0:23:40 > 0:23:43I keep paying my rent, he gets £4 every Tuesday
0:23:43 > 0:23:46and £15 every Thursday which is cancelling my debt
0:23:46 > 0:23:49and topping up the payments that the council make.
0:23:49 > 0:23:53So those are additional payments on top of your rent, to clear
0:23:53 > 0:23:55- the arrears?- Yes.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58Obviously I will still have a look at the repairs but it sounds
0:23:58 > 0:24:02as if you may be out of the house sooner rather than later anyway.
0:24:02 > 0:24:03My main priority is to get me
0:24:03 > 0:24:06and Matthew safe housing and to be out of here as soon as we can.
0:24:06 > 0:24:07OK. Fair enough.
0:24:07 > 0:24:12- Do you want to see the worst then? - Yes, please.
0:24:12 > 0:24:14There's clearly some tension between Trish and her landlord
0:24:14 > 0:24:18but the major concern here is making sure the house is suitable
0:24:18 > 0:24:20for the family to live in.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23If any problems we find pose a danger to Trish or Matthew,
0:24:23 > 0:24:27Tom has the power to step in and do something about them.
0:24:27 > 0:24:31Right, so it's this issue you've got with the damp and the mould?
0:24:31 > 0:24:35I mean, is this the worst problem you've got in the house?
0:24:35 > 0:24:36The worst problem is the guttering leaking
0:24:36 > 0:24:38but this is one of the worst.
0:24:38 > 0:24:40This is in the main house because it smells.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43How long has it been like this?
0:24:43 > 0:24:45- Eight or nine months.- Have you mentioned it to the landlord?
0:24:45 > 0:24:48Yes, a good couple of times, he's just ignored the problem.
0:24:48 > 0:24:49All right, fine.
0:24:49 > 0:24:53What's above here, is it the bathroom? OK, right.
0:24:53 > 0:24:56I think we probably need to have a look in there.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59I've seen much worse mould problems than this one in my time,
0:24:59 > 0:25:02and looking around the house, it's starting to feel
0:25:02 > 0:25:04like this isn't the only problem Trish is facing.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10Given the fact that the bath is directly above that room,
0:25:10 > 0:25:15it's probably just a fact that the seal around the bath has perished.
0:25:15 > 0:25:17Do you still use the shower?
0:25:17 > 0:25:18It's unusable.
0:25:18 > 0:25:22It's just literally like turning the tap on, there's no power to it.
0:25:22 > 0:25:24It used to be a power shower.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27It's either 100 degrees or no degrees.
0:25:27 > 0:25:31- How long's the shower not been working?- About eight or nine months.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34How many times have you asked the landlord to do something about it?
0:25:34 > 0:25:36The same amount of times I've asked him
0:25:36 > 0:25:39to fix the mould downstairs and the guttering. He just...
0:25:39 > 0:25:43- He seems to just ignore the problem like it's... I'm going to go away. - Right.
0:25:44 > 0:25:48It's obviously frustrating for Trish that the landlord hasn't dealt
0:25:48 > 0:25:50with these little maintenance problems when she's asked,
0:25:50 > 0:25:53but looking around the house, it also feels like there's more
0:25:53 > 0:25:55to this story than we first thought.
0:25:56 > 0:26:00But it's usually... You'll see it and if you look on the window,
0:26:00 > 0:26:04you can see where the water's just been constantly pouring down.
0:26:06 > 0:26:10Right, OK. If those are the only two problems, I think they're
0:26:10 > 0:26:12relatively minor, to be honest with you.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15I mean, obviously, we will approach the landlord about those things,
0:26:15 > 0:26:19- relatively easy to solve... - Yes, they are.
0:26:19 > 0:26:24..just a straightforward repair or even replacement of the gutter
0:26:24 > 0:26:27- is not hard for him to do. - That's what's so annoying.
0:26:27 > 0:26:32We may be fairly limited in terms of actually using our legal powers
0:26:32 > 0:26:34to force him to do that
0:26:34 > 0:26:38because even though you've got a bit of mould in that room,
0:26:38 > 0:26:39it is a storeroom
0:26:39 > 0:26:42so it wouldn't necessarily be counted as a habitable room...
0:26:42 > 0:26:45So even though the smell's drifting into my kitchen where
0:26:45 > 0:26:49I cook my food and things like that, it wouldn't be...
0:26:49 > 0:26:51The thing to do is, it's directly off the kitchen
0:26:51 > 0:26:54so you've got a lot of moisture being generated in that room
0:26:54 > 0:26:56so when you're cooking in there, I'd close the door.
0:26:56 > 0:26:58The door's always closed, it's never open.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01Well, it sounds like you're doing most of the things you need to do.
0:27:01 > 0:27:03I'm just trying to keep the smell in there, to be honest.
0:27:03 > 0:27:05And to be fair, it's not being helped by the fact
0:27:05 > 0:27:06it looks like you've got
0:27:06 > 0:27:09a bit of a leak from the bath upstairs as well.
0:27:09 > 0:27:11Whilst Tom goes outside to check the guttering,
0:27:11 > 0:27:14I get the opportunity to talk to Trish alone,
0:27:14 > 0:27:16to try and get to the bottom of what's going on.
0:27:18 > 0:27:20I've seen a lot of houses doing... You can imagine.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23- I'm sure there's a lot worse.- There are a lot worse, I'll be honest.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26I think there are a lot worse than what you've got here...
0:27:26 > 0:27:28- Definitely.- ..and I'm just worried that you could move
0:27:28 > 0:27:31out of the frying pan and into somewhere
0:27:31 > 0:27:34- that's genuinely worse than this. - I'm hoping not.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37Can I say, I think there's things you could do yourself?
0:27:37 > 0:27:39Oh, definitely there is, I know there is, but I've just come out
0:27:39 > 0:27:43of a deep depression - I had post-natal depression after having
0:27:43 > 0:27:47my son and after two, nearly three years, I'm just coming out of that.
0:27:47 > 0:27:49I'm getting upset... I'm sorry.
0:27:49 > 0:27:51No, that's all right. I'm sorry, I don't mean to...
0:27:51 > 0:27:55Oh, no, it's all right, it's just hard, so hard living in this house.
0:27:57 > 0:27:58Excuse me.
0:28:03 > 0:28:07Later on, I find out more about Trish's situation.
0:28:07 > 0:28:09I had my whole life planned out...
0:28:09 > 0:28:12And suddenly you've got a house to look after and a young son
0:28:12 > 0:28:14and you're all on your own.
0:28:19 > 0:28:20The city of Oxford
0:28:20 > 0:28:23is one of the UK's most popular tourist destinations,
0:28:23 > 0:28:24with millions of people
0:28:24 > 0:28:27attracted to the city's university buildings each year.
0:28:29 > 0:28:31But this popularity can come at a cost,
0:28:31 > 0:28:34with more and more people drawn to living here putting increased
0:28:34 > 0:28:38pressure on housing stock, which in turn can lead to some
0:28:38 > 0:28:42unlawful methods of cramming more people into a property than is safe.
0:28:42 > 0:28:47And that is where today housing officer Will Christian comes in.
0:28:47 > 0:28:52We're going to south Oxford to see a potentially unlawful building
0:28:52 > 0:28:53at the rear of the property.
0:28:53 > 0:28:56It might be in residential use.
0:28:56 > 0:29:01Landlords build these "beds in sheds", as we call them,
0:29:01 > 0:29:05in the back of properties so they can maximise their income.
0:29:08 > 0:29:11Will's joined by colleague Rebecca Jeffries to investigate
0:29:11 > 0:29:14a complaint about a building that's sprung up in a garden next door
0:29:14 > 0:29:17to Beryl and Doug.
0:29:17 > 0:29:20They've lived here happily for the past 53 years.
0:29:20 > 0:29:21Until this happened.
0:29:29 > 0:29:31I thought it was going to be quite small.
0:29:31 > 0:29:34It's the whole of the back garden built on.
0:29:34 > 0:29:37And we get flooding, as you know, in this area, and the more
0:29:37 > 0:29:42concrete they put down, the more likely we are to get floods.
0:29:42 > 0:29:43The building is huge.
0:29:43 > 0:29:46And although their neighbours appear to have planning permission,
0:29:46 > 0:29:50it's not so much a bed in a shed as potentially a whole dormitory.
0:29:50 > 0:29:54It's clearly having a big impact on Beryl and Doug's lives.
0:29:54 > 0:29:58All the more distressing as Doug suffers from Parkinson's disease.
0:29:58 > 0:30:01I think it's a disgrace.
0:30:02 > 0:30:05It overlooks my property
0:30:05 > 0:30:08and my privacy's gone.
0:30:08 > 0:30:10I'd like to see it knocked down
0:30:10 > 0:30:14and going back to what it was before - a garden.
0:30:14 > 0:30:16- REBECCA:- It's like a bungalow, isn't it?
0:30:16 > 0:30:19It is a bungalow, really, to look at.
0:30:19 > 0:30:23I mean, it's been a big worry what's been going on next door, obviously.
0:30:23 > 0:30:27But it is impacting on you, so you're well within your rights...
0:30:28 > 0:30:31Planning permission or not, I can't believe the council would
0:30:31 > 0:30:35have approved of what looks like another whole house in a garden.
0:30:35 > 0:30:39And a quick look through the plans is quite revealing.
0:30:39 > 0:30:45"Purpose of outbuilding - storage and gymnasium..." Yeah.
0:30:45 > 0:30:48It's very large for a storage and gymnasium.
0:30:48 > 0:30:50- And would you have windows like that in it?- No.
0:30:50 > 0:30:54He has two windows and a door in the middle.
0:30:54 > 0:30:58This is me here, one little window,
0:30:58 > 0:31:01and one bigger window,
0:31:01 > 0:31:03blank wall, blank wall.
0:31:03 > 0:31:05- Yeah, OK.- Well, that's not right for a start,
0:31:05 > 0:31:07because you can see two doors
0:31:07 > 0:31:11and a patio door that go right down to the floor this side.
0:31:11 > 0:31:15With confusion over just what this building should be,
0:31:15 > 0:31:18Will and Rebecca decide the best course of action now is to confront
0:31:18 > 0:31:21the neighbours to see if they can intervene in what is clearly
0:31:21 > 0:31:24a very distressing situation for Beryl and Doug.
0:31:24 > 0:31:28It's the privacy we've lost and such a big building in the back garden.
0:31:29 > 0:31:34The stress that it's causing me is going over to Doug a little bit
0:31:34 > 0:31:38because when I have my little moans, obviously it affects him
0:31:38 > 0:31:39in some ways.
0:31:39 > 0:31:41And you know, "Oh, don't worry,"
0:31:41 > 0:31:44but you do - you do worry.
0:31:45 > 0:31:49But Will and Rebecca aren't having much luck next door.
0:31:49 > 0:31:51After a little impromptu investigation,
0:31:51 > 0:31:54it's starting to become clear the building might be designed
0:31:54 > 0:31:58for a lot more than storage and lifting weights.
0:31:58 > 0:32:01And there's a further clue that this building is going to house
0:32:01 > 0:32:02more than treadmills.
0:32:02 > 0:32:04It's a gate into this...
0:32:04 > 0:32:06Is it new? It looks pretty new.
0:32:06 > 0:32:08That looks brand-new, doesn't it?
0:32:08 > 0:32:12There's a locked entrance into where the building is being built.
0:32:12 > 0:32:16Which leads me to believe it's going to be used as a residential purpose.
0:32:19 > 0:32:22Will and Rebecca's findings tally with Beryl's worries.
0:32:22 > 0:32:26I wasn't too concerned in the very beginning,
0:32:26 > 0:32:28but then I saw the size of the footing
0:32:28 > 0:32:30and I could see that it was marked
0:32:30 > 0:32:33out like a bathroom,
0:32:33 > 0:32:35a kitchen area,
0:32:35 > 0:32:37a living room area and a bedroom.
0:32:37 > 0:32:40Looking at the windows and the front door,
0:32:40 > 0:32:43it's just like a home would be.
0:32:43 > 0:32:45Although Will and Rebecca failed to get any answers
0:32:45 > 0:32:49from the neighbours, the evidence is starting to speak for itself.
0:32:49 > 0:32:51I've established that there's plumbing
0:32:51 > 0:32:54and sewerage pipes been put in so it leads me
0:32:54 > 0:32:58more to believe that it's going to be used as residential purposes.
0:32:58 > 0:33:00You don't need that in a gym, do you?
0:33:00 > 0:33:02Are there a few people living there?
0:33:02 > 0:33:06The daughter and her boyfriend are staying in the front of the house,
0:33:06 > 0:33:11nobody in there, but I'm told if they start to put kitchen furniture
0:33:11 > 0:33:15or anything like that then I know they're going to make it habitable.
0:33:16 > 0:33:20Later on, Beryl decides enough is enough.
0:33:20 > 0:33:24I think it's got to be stopped and pulled down.
0:33:29 > 0:33:32Back in Stafford, housing officer Tom Jones and I
0:33:32 > 0:33:35have been meeting with Trish who's been struggling with
0:33:35 > 0:33:39some maintenance issues in her privately rented house.
0:33:39 > 0:33:41Right, OK, if those are the only two problems,
0:33:41 > 0:33:44I mean, I think they're relatively minor, to be honest.
0:33:46 > 0:33:48It seems to me that the maintenance problems
0:33:48 > 0:33:50are only a small part of what's actually
0:33:50 > 0:33:54going on here, so I want to find out more about Trish's history.
0:33:55 > 0:33:58When we've been making this programme, a lot of people,
0:33:58 > 0:34:01young people particularly, who suddenly have a household
0:34:01 > 0:34:04to look after and this feels like this has been thrown at you,
0:34:04 > 0:34:08and if I'm honest, it feels like you're not properly equipped.
0:34:08 > 0:34:12I was never taught, like, how to cook or look after a house
0:34:12 > 0:34:14or budget or anything like that.
0:34:14 > 0:34:17You don't get taught those things at school, though, do you?
0:34:17 > 0:34:20So you've suddenly ended up with a very young son who was born
0:34:20 > 0:34:22prematurely and you know, and we're talking about you at 19
0:34:22 > 0:34:25when you thought you were going to be going through university...
0:34:25 > 0:34:27I had my whole life planned out.
0:34:27 > 0:34:31..and suddenly you've got a house to look after and a young son
0:34:31 > 0:34:32and you're all on your own.
0:34:32 > 0:34:36- Your mum's here but she's got her problems as well.- Yep.
0:34:36 > 0:34:39You know, was there anybody around then that could just say,
0:34:39 > 0:34:42you know, tell you basic things about how to manage a household
0:34:42 > 0:34:43and look after a kid?
0:34:43 > 0:34:45Not really.
0:34:45 > 0:34:48There was my mum if I turned there, but for emergencies rather
0:34:48 > 0:34:49than for little things.
0:34:49 > 0:34:52I sort of struggled on and did it myself.
0:34:52 > 0:34:54I was a bit stubborn, rather than asking for help.
0:34:54 > 0:34:57Because I think... I'm worried that you're going to end up
0:34:57 > 0:34:59going from one property to another,
0:34:59 > 0:35:01and without learning those skills from somewhere,
0:35:01 > 0:35:04you're not going to be able to be the kind of tenant...
0:35:04 > 0:35:06- Do you know what I mean?- Yeah, I do.
0:35:06 > 0:35:09I think it's really hard and I do worry that reference you've
0:35:09 > 0:35:13got from the landlord, you could see a string of those and as a result
0:35:13 > 0:35:16- the quality of housing you can get...- It gets...
0:35:16 > 0:35:19..it gets worse and worse and it gets harder
0:35:19 > 0:35:22for you to find somewhere to bring up Matthew safely.
0:35:22 > 0:35:25That cupboard downstairs where there was the damp,
0:35:25 > 0:35:27a lot of that smell is coming from the clothes
0:35:27 > 0:35:28- Is it?- Yeah.
0:35:28 > 0:35:30Well, they'll just get chucked into the bin, then.
0:35:30 > 0:35:32It's as simple as that.
0:35:32 > 0:35:35I think the sooner you can get that clearer then you can tell,
0:35:35 > 0:35:37you can actually tell, well, if that is
0:35:37 > 0:35:39where the smell is coming from and...
0:35:39 > 0:35:42I don't like having to tell you that.
0:35:42 > 0:35:45I would rather someone told me that's what the smell could be.
0:35:45 > 0:35:48If you leave clothes like that in a kitchen where they're likely to
0:35:48 > 0:35:51get damp, if they're there for long enough they'll smell
0:35:51 > 0:35:54and you'll get flies and the rest of it, so I would...
0:35:54 > 0:35:56I don't know - I met you five minutes ago...
0:35:56 > 0:35:59I would rather someone I met five minutes ago told me
0:35:59 > 0:36:01that's what the smell could be.
0:36:01 > 0:36:04If you clear them out, then you'll find out.
0:36:04 > 0:36:07I feel terrible, I feel terrible!
0:36:07 > 0:36:11I'm so sorry, honestly, but I think there are things you can do
0:36:11 > 0:36:14- to help yourself.- I will do. - You know, genuinely.
0:36:15 > 0:36:19I'm really stepping outside my housing officer role now.
0:36:19 > 0:36:22Do you know what, I'm grateful for someone to.
0:36:22 > 0:36:25I... Honestly, if someone doesn't tell you, then you'll never know.
0:36:25 > 0:36:29- Exactly, how will I know? Thank you. - That's all right.
0:36:29 > 0:36:30All right.
0:36:30 > 0:36:33I can't begin to imagine how difficult it must have been
0:36:33 > 0:36:37for Trish having her life turned upside down, trying to raise
0:36:37 > 0:36:39a newborn baby on her own at just 19 years old.
0:36:39 > 0:36:43I hope now she might be able to get control of the situation.
0:36:45 > 0:36:48- Right, Tom, so what's the action from now, then?- OK.
0:36:48 > 0:36:51In terms of the repairs, they're relatively minor,
0:36:51 > 0:36:52to be honest with you.
0:36:52 > 0:36:55They're not something we could enforce legally, I don't think.
0:36:55 > 0:36:58But that doesn't mean to say that I won't talk to the landlord.
0:36:58 > 0:37:02I think, generally speaking, the rest of the house is fairly sound.
0:37:02 > 0:37:05So I guess that's probably it from my point of view.
0:37:05 > 0:37:08So I'll have a chat with the landlord,
0:37:08 > 0:37:10I'll get back to you and let you know where you stand
0:37:10 > 0:37:15and we'll just have to see what happens in terms of your new home.
0:37:15 > 0:37:18That's brilliant, thank you ever so much, thank you all, actually.
0:37:18 > 0:37:20That's all right, Trish, the very best of luck.
0:37:23 > 0:37:26Although there's no emergency work for Tom to help with,
0:37:26 > 0:37:29it feels as though our visit has given Trish the advice
0:37:29 > 0:37:33she needs to be happy in this house or somewhere else.
0:37:33 > 0:37:37- So, yeah, she really needs to improve her own situation.- OK.
0:37:37 > 0:37:41And I know that's outside the bounds of what you're there to do...
0:37:41 > 0:37:42Absolutely, yeah.
0:37:42 > 0:37:45..but at the same time, you're looking at a problem there,
0:37:45 > 0:37:49actually the problem's down here and the problem is all around us, so...
0:37:49 > 0:37:52I don't know if that was overstepping the mark, or...?
0:37:52 > 0:37:53What would you say?
0:37:53 > 0:37:56As an officer, I always tend to focus on the house.
0:37:56 > 0:38:00Yes, the house is a little untidy, it's certainly not the worst
0:38:00 > 0:38:04I've ever seen and she said herself she recognises that
0:38:04 > 0:38:07and she's going to take some steps to improve it.
0:38:07 > 0:38:09I wouldn't blame her entirely for this.
0:38:09 > 0:38:13No, no, and I'm glad at least one of us is remaining professional!
0:38:13 > 0:38:15Clearly, she's distressed
0:38:15 > 0:38:18and she has got some issues with the landlord.
0:38:18 > 0:38:23I'm sure there's problems on both sides, to be honest with you.
0:38:23 > 0:38:26As I say, I know the landlord is seeking possession.
0:38:26 > 0:38:29I think probably the best thing is she gets a new property,
0:38:29 > 0:38:32she gets to start again, the landlord gets his property back,
0:38:32 > 0:38:36he can go in and resolve any of the problems, decorate it, hopefully,
0:38:36 > 0:38:40- and that house can be back on the market for somebody else.- Right.
0:38:44 > 0:38:47Since we filmed with Trish, she's moved out of the property,
0:38:47 > 0:38:50and is now happily living in a housing association-owned
0:38:50 > 0:38:54two-bedroom flat with beautiful views over Stafford.
0:38:54 > 0:38:58The landlord told the council that although the works were only minor,
0:38:58 > 0:39:01they would be carried out before a new tenant moves in.
0:39:08 > 0:39:11Back in Oxford and Will Christian is back on the case of a home gym
0:39:11 > 0:39:15that's bulked out into a back garden bungalow.
0:39:15 > 0:39:18It's the whole of the back garden built on.
0:39:18 > 0:39:21This colossal eyesore was not just blotting out the landscape,
0:39:21 > 0:39:25it was making neighbours Beryl and Doug's lives a misery.
0:39:25 > 0:39:27It overlooks my property
0:39:27 > 0:39:31and my privacy has gone.
0:39:31 > 0:39:34Will was convinced the owners of the property
0:39:34 > 0:39:37were breaching their planning permission by creating
0:39:37 > 0:39:41living accommodation in their garden rather than storage and a gym.
0:39:41 > 0:39:42And the council clearly agree,
0:39:42 > 0:39:45as they've now served an enforcement notice on the building.
0:39:45 > 0:39:49I hope that the outbuilding will be completely removed
0:39:49 > 0:39:54and then the garden will be put back to its former self.
0:39:54 > 0:39:57Will's back to talk to Beryl but it appears things have moved on
0:39:57 > 0:40:00at a faster pace than even he was expecting.
0:40:01 > 0:40:06He's removed all the windows and the roof, I don't know why.
0:40:06 > 0:40:09It seems that once the enforcement notice was served,
0:40:09 > 0:40:12the neighbour was keen to try and compromise in an attempt
0:40:12 > 0:40:16to keep his building, and, one presumes, his investment, intact.
0:40:17 > 0:40:21He said, "I'm going to take the roof down another foot,
0:40:21 > 0:40:26"maybe more, and trellis along the top if you need it."
0:40:28 > 0:40:31Well, that's not going to wash with Beryl.
0:40:31 > 0:40:32It's a residential area,
0:40:32 > 0:40:36lovely gardens all around and to have this big blob
0:40:36 > 0:40:41built in the garden, I think it's got to be stopped and pulled down.
0:40:43 > 0:40:46And it's a sentiment clearly shared by Will.
0:40:46 > 0:40:50It's a bigger footprint than the actual building, which is bizarre.
0:40:50 > 0:40:52It looks to me like it would have been used
0:40:52 > 0:40:55definitely for accommodation.
0:40:55 > 0:40:58The council have served the notice on the outbuilding,
0:40:58 > 0:41:01to remove the outbuilding and restore the ground
0:41:01 > 0:41:02- to its former self.- Yes.
0:41:02 > 0:41:04He's appealed against it.
0:41:04 > 0:41:07I don't know whether he's going to bring it down or...
0:41:07 > 0:41:10Well, hoping to remove it.
0:41:10 > 0:41:13- That's what the condition says.- Yes.
0:41:14 > 0:41:16Although the planning rules are in place
0:41:16 > 0:41:18to protect neighbours like Beryl,
0:41:18 > 0:41:22they also exist to avoid wider issues such as parking problems
0:41:22 > 0:41:25and pressure on local services for the rest of the community.
0:41:25 > 0:41:28That also includes protecting local green space.
0:41:30 > 0:41:33The whole place is just so big,
0:41:33 > 0:41:36it's just taking up the whole garden.
0:41:36 > 0:41:37That's right.
0:41:37 > 0:41:40A tiny little yard for the main dwelling
0:41:40 > 0:41:42and no garden for this building.
0:41:42 > 0:41:45You can't build something like that in your garden.
0:41:45 > 0:41:49After months of stress, Beryl and her husband Doug are just
0:41:49 > 0:41:54happy that someone's listened to their side of the story.
0:41:54 > 0:41:56I'm happy that the council's got involved
0:41:56 > 0:42:01and have asked for it to be returned to its normal state.
0:42:01 > 0:42:02And I hope that this happens.
0:42:02 > 0:42:06He's been given time to do it and I hope he will do it.
0:42:06 > 0:42:12Yes, I'll be quite happy to see it on its way down
0:42:12 > 0:42:15but I understand he's appealed against the decision
0:42:15 > 0:42:18it has to be put back to a garden again.
0:42:20 > 0:42:22In light of their neighbour's appeal,
0:42:22 > 0:42:25Beryl and Doug will have to wait a bit longer to find out
0:42:25 > 0:42:28the final fate of this back-garden bungalow.
0:42:31 > 0:42:33Since the property was inspected,
0:42:33 > 0:42:36the landlord has appealed the notice served by the council,
0:42:36 > 0:42:38and the case is now being passed up the chain
0:42:38 > 0:42:40to the planning inspectorate,
0:42:40 > 0:42:43who deal with planning appeals of this nature.
0:42:43 > 0:42:47At this time, no further progress has been made,
0:42:47 > 0:42:50and the case could take up to six months to be resolved.
0:42:54 > 0:42:56That's it for today - join me
0:42:56 > 0:42:59next time back on the road with the Housing Enforcers.