0:00:02 > 0:00:03Hello, can you just let me in?
0:00:03 > 0:00:06The law says everyone has the right to a safe place to live.
0:00:06 > 0:00:10I 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 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 > 0:00:31If somebody had died here, you would've been in Coroner's Court.
0:00:33 > 0:00:37I'm Matt Allwright and I'm back with the housing enforcers.
0:00:37 > 0:00:3815 people in this house?
0:00:38 > 0:00:4015 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 shanty town.
0:00:47 > 0:00:49Yeah, it's not up to standard.
0:00:49 > 0:00:51..as they deal with dodgy landlords, nightmare neighbours
0:00:51 > 0:00:53and everything in-between...
0:00:53 > 0:00:57Oh, my God. Straightaway there's the smell of dog muck.
0:00:57 > 0:00:58You never know what you're going to find.
0:00:58 > 0:01:01..doing their best to help those in need of a happy
0:01:01 > 0:01:02and healthy home.
0:01:08 > 0:01:10Oh, my God, Ted!
0:01:10 > 0:01:14Today, a tiny leak turns into an epic flood...
0:01:14 > 0:01:17I've got them in my shoes! I had no idea it was this bad.
0:01:17 > 0:01:18Yeah, I know, mate.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21Ted, you should've told us about it as soon as you got the leak.
0:01:21 > 0:01:25..a dispute over planning regulations puts lives in danger...
0:01:25 > 0:01:27At the moment, there are offences under the Housing Act
0:01:27 > 0:01:30in this property. The spiral staircase should never
0:01:30 > 0:01:31have been put in the first place.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34No, that's entirely untrue, I'm afraid. We had regular inspections
0:01:34 > 0:01:36when I put all this in.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39..and the death of a tenant leaves housing officers
0:01:39 > 0:01:40grappling with grime.
0:01:40 > 0:01:43The property is in a little bit of a state.
0:01:43 > 0:01:45It's going to take a lot of work to get this back up to
0:01:45 > 0:01:46a lettable standard.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49I wouldn't ever envision anybody living like this.
0:01:53 > 0:01:55When was the last time you heard anyone
0:01:55 > 0:01:58use the phrase "slum landlord"?
0:01:58 > 0:02:00Not that recently, right?
0:02:00 > 0:02:04Well, that's because we live in a country with laws that make sure
0:02:04 > 0:02:07housing meets basic standards.
0:02:07 > 0:02:09And it's not just landlords -
0:02:09 > 0:02:13there are laws that mean that tenants need to behave too.
0:02:13 > 0:02:17I'm working alongside the men and women from councils
0:02:17 > 0:02:20across the UK who enforce those laws.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23They are the Housing Enforcers.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30There are times in life when we all need a helping hand.
0:02:30 > 0:02:34But one of the hardest things facing the UK's housing officers
0:02:34 > 0:02:37is striking a balance between giving tenants help and getting them
0:02:37 > 0:02:39to take responsibility for themselves
0:02:39 > 0:02:41before things get out of hand.
0:02:42 > 0:02:46It's a dilemma Babergh Council's Ian Watson deals with every day.
0:02:47 > 0:02:49How do you do this, though?
0:02:49 > 0:02:54Are you trying to just stick to the book and do your job,
0:02:54 > 0:02:56or do you have to relate to people and try and understand
0:02:56 > 0:02:58their situation?
0:02:58 > 0:03:00You've got to be able to listen, you know,
0:03:00 > 0:03:02and that's one of the most important things, listening.
0:03:02 > 0:03:06It's just trying to get, you know, to the root cause of the problem
0:03:06 > 0:03:10and it's sometimes just getting those people to realise that
0:03:10 > 0:03:13you're actually there to help them rather than hinder them.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16That's quite difficult in a way, then, because you want to be
0:03:16 > 0:03:18the person that people are pleased to open the door to,
0:03:18 > 0:03:21and they won't necessarily always be if you can also be asking for
0:03:21 > 0:03:23rent arrears and that sort of thing.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26You know, at the end of the day, it's actually gaining
0:03:26 > 0:03:27the trust from somebody.
0:03:27 > 0:03:31And you are possibly the only, you know, consistent,
0:03:31 > 0:03:32reliable thing in what could be
0:03:32 > 0:03:35a fairly chaotic world for some of these people.
0:03:35 > 0:03:39Some people need more help than others.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42Ian's had a call from Sudbury about water coming from
0:03:42 > 0:03:45the ground-floor flat of a tenant he's known for a long time.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51I'm a little bit concerned because the gentleman did leave
0:03:51 > 0:03:54one of our other properties in rather a mess.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56I did get the tenant ring me back
0:03:56 > 0:03:59and say he was trying to sort it out himself, but obviously
0:03:59 > 0:04:03we need to get in there. It's our responsibility to do repairs.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06Tenant Ted Hurrell moved into the flat two years ago
0:04:06 > 0:04:09after caring for his elderly mother and battling addiction.
0:04:11 > 0:04:13I nursed her with Alzheimer's...
0:04:15 > 0:04:19..and also trying to detox from...
0:04:20 > 0:04:24..a 30-year heroin habit, which I finally...
0:04:27 > 0:04:34It was a long story, but I had three nervous breakdowns after she died.
0:04:34 > 0:04:38It's 11 years now since I last injected heroin.
0:04:38 > 0:04:40God and music have kept me alive.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45It isn't the first time he's come to the attention
0:04:45 > 0:04:46of ex-copper Ian.
0:04:48 > 0:04:50- I never nicked you. - No, I don't think so.
0:04:50 > 0:04:54I've never known anything that you done wrong, to be quite honest.
0:04:54 > 0:04:56Well, I was a smackhead for...
0:04:56 > 0:04:58Yeah, I know you were heavy into drugs,
0:04:58 > 0:05:01but at least you sorted yourself, didn't you?
0:05:01 > 0:05:03All right. Well, look, we've managed to get...
0:05:03 > 0:05:05Let's go and have a look, shall we?
0:05:07 > 0:05:10Ian's barely over the threshold and he can already see
0:05:10 > 0:05:13that the situation is serious.
0:05:13 > 0:05:14Oh, my God, Ted.
0:05:14 > 0:05:15That's happened overnight.
0:05:15 > 0:05:18That's happened over a couple of nights.
0:05:18 > 0:05:20- Oh, my God, Ted.- Yeah, I know.
0:05:22 > 0:05:24I had no idea it was this bad, Ted.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28With the whole flat under several inches of filthy water
0:05:28 > 0:05:32and Ted's possessions ruined, Ian's shocked by the scale
0:05:32 > 0:05:36of the deluge and can't understand how Ted's allowed it to get so bad.
0:05:36 > 0:05:38Ah, I've got them in my shoes.
0:05:40 > 0:05:45- Yeah, I know, mate. - Ted, what on earth have you let...?
0:05:45 > 0:05:47Yeah, I know.
0:05:47 > 0:05:49Yeah, but, Ted, you should've told us about it
0:05:49 > 0:05:50as soon as you got the leak.
0:05:50 > 0:05:54Well, I've been backwards and forwards to Bury St Edmunds
0:05:54 > 0:05:57because I have health problems...
0:05:58 > 0:06:01..and, it's, er...
0:06:01 > 0:06:05You know, it's just got worse and worse.
0:06:05 > 0:06:07Right, I'm going to go and try and find out where
0:06:07 > 0:06:10the mains water comes in.
0:06:10 > 0:06:12Easier said than done.
0:06:12 > 0:06:14With no idea where to find the stopcock,
0:06:14 > 0:06:17Ian's forced to phone back to base for help.
0:06:19 > 0:06:21Hi, it's only Ian from Housing.
0:06:21 > 0:06:24Steve, where are the mains' stopcocks outside
0:06:24 > 0:06:27these properties so we can get the water turned off?
0:06:27 > 0:06:30Let's put it this way - the water's so deep and horrible,
0:06:30 > 0:06:33I've got it inside my shoes and I'm not best pleased.
0:06:33 > 0:06:35It seems they can't help, either.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38I just can't believe that we don't know where our stopcocks are
0:06:38 > 0:06:41for these properties, but there we go.
0:06:41 > 0:06:43They were built some time ago.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45Even more frustrating for Ian is his suspicion that
0:06:45 > 0:06:49the leak's been going on for longer than Ted's letting on.
0:06:51 > 0:06:52I came here last Tuesday
0:06:52 > 0:06:55and there was a little bit of water out the front.
0:06:55 > 0:06:56I spoke with Ted at the time and he said
0:06:56 > 0:06:59he'd washed the concrete floor down inside with a couple of buckets.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02What sounds like it could've been a small repair
0:07:02 > 0:07:06has now left the council facing a full-scale clean-up operation.
0:07:06 > 0:07:10The water is actually coming down below the dampcourse.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14That's going to take some considerable time
0:07:14 > 0:07:16to dry this property out.
0:07:16 > 0:07:18And it's left Ted with nowhere to live.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24I've spoken with the Homeless team and we haven't got any units
0:07:24 > 0:07:26available for homeless at the moment.
0:07:26 > 0:07:28But with neighbours stepping in to lend a hand,
0:07:28 > 0:07:32at least music lover Ted's most valued possessions are safe.
0:07:32 > 0:07:34- We can store some bits for you. - Yeah, well...
0:07:34 > 0:07:36At least that way it's not all over the place.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38I'm just going to run this up there.
0:07:38 > 0:07:40We'll sort him out a place somewhere.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43Whether it be one of our properties that's coming up for rent
0:07:43 > 0:07:47or something just to get him into or it may well be bed and breakfast.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50Although he's been happy just to roll up his trousers and wade,
0:07:50 > 0:07:54with the water still rising, even Ian's had to admit defeat
0:07:54 > 0:07:57and accept he's not properly equipped to deal with the problem.
0:07:58 > 0:08:02I've got everything in that I can. Need to go and get some wellies
0:08:02 > 0:08:05because I need to have a look at exactly what's going on.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08As far as he's concerned, the cluttered state of Ted's flat,
0:08:08 > 0:08:11even before the flood, hasn't helped the situation.
0:08:12 > 0:08:13If he'd only got the rubbish out the way,
0:08:13 > 0:08:17that water would've come gushing out the front of the house, I'm sure.
0:08:17 > 0:08:19It's sort of like dammed it in there.
0:08:22 > 0:08:24Coming up, it looks like turning the tide is going take longer
0:08:24 > 0:08:27than Ian thought.
0:08:27 > 0:08:29I don't know what's in here, if you know what I mean.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32Anglian Water have been contacted. They've given us an arrival time
0:08:32 > 0:08:36of any time between now and 6pm tomorrow.
0:08:36 > 0:08:38I don't get paid enough for this.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51In rural Lincolnshire, North Kesteven District Council
0:08:51 > 0:08:54housing officer Chris Gallimore is acting on a complaint
0:08:54 > 0:08:57from a tenant about a privately rented property
0:08:57 > 0:09:01that he claims was in such a dangerous state, he moved out.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06I think the tenant... They weren't there very long.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09They were there a few months and they moved out.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12They weren't happy with the condition of the property.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15Former tenant Jack and his girlfriend thought they'd found
0:09:15 > 0:09:18their perfect home, when they rented a picture-postcard conversion
0:09:18 > 0:09:19of an old village school.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27When we first saw this property, me and my girlfriend...
0:09:27 > 0:09:29We just fell in love with it.
0:09:29 > 0:09:33When we first moved in, it looked like a nice house.
0:09:33 > 0:09:35But before long they became concerned it was
0:09:35 > 0:09:37putting their safety at risk.
0:09:39 > 0:09:41Well, the house was a death trap, at the end of the day.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44I mean, there was just exposed wires,
0:09:44 > 0:09:47the spiral staircase wasn't safe up to the living room,
0:09:47 > 0:09:49the gaps in the banisters were easy enough to fall down
0:09:49 > 0:09:51and they were quite dangerous.
0:09:51 > 0:09:53And we were told that we'd be having a new fire installed,
0:09:53 > 0:09:57but again nothing come about it, so we was using the storage heaters
0:09:57 > 0:10:00which were inefficient and expensive to run.
0:10:01 > 0:10:03After three months, they decided to move out,
0:10:03 > 0:10:07but not before contacting the council.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09At the moment I don't think there's a tenant residing there,
0:10:09 > 0:10:12but there's going to be another one imminently coming in.
0:10:12 > 0:10:14So what we want to do is get some improvements made
0:10:14 > 0:10:16before the next tenant comes in.
0:10:16 > 0:10:19Chris has done some digging and thinks the safety concerns
0:10:19 > 0:10:23are actually part of a problem dating back almost two decades.
0:10:23 > 0:10:26One of the issues is that when the property was converted, it wasn't
0:10:26 > 0:10:29authorised by Building Control and it hasn't been signed off by them.
0:10:30 > 0:10:35The man responsible for the conversion is Richard Taylor.
0:10:35 > 0:10:36- Hello.- Hi, there.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39- Chris Gallimore from the council. - Hi.- Pleased to meet you.- Richard.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43Richard's daughter now owns the property
0:10:43 > 0:10:45and he's agreed to talk to Chris on her behalf.
0:10:45 > 0:10:47But it's not good news.
0:10:47 > 0:10:49One of the main issues with this property,
0:10:49 > 0:10:52after I did some research at the council, is that it wasn't actually
0:10:52 > 0:10:55- signed off - the conversion - at the time...- Yes.- ..it was converted.
0:10:57 > 0:10:59To comply with the Building Act 1984,
0:10:59 > 0:11:03buildings must meet minimum standards for health and safety
0:11:03 > 0:11:06set out in the Government's building regulations.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09New buildings and most conversions must be signed off
0:11:09 > 0:11:11by the local authority Building Control,
0:11:11 > 0:11:14or by an approved independent inspector.
0:11:15 > 0:11:17Crucially, it's the owner's responsibility
0:11:17 > 0:11:20to ensure projects have a final certificate
0:11:20 > 0:11:23to say work meets the legal standard required.
0:11:24 > 0:11:26It's something Richard never did.
0:11:26 > 0:11:30So what I've got is a copy of the notice from Building Control,
0:11:30 > 0:11:31which is this one.
0:11:31 > 0:11:34Quite a lot of the issues that's highlighted on there are things
0:11:34 > 0:11:36that I'm kind of concerned about as well.
0:11:36 > 0:11:3917 years ago, Building Control told Richard
0:11:39 > 0:11:43the handrails weren't safe and needed to be changed.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46They weren't changed and they're still dangerous.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49The problem if you've got a gap that's less than 100 millimetres
0:11:49 > 0:11:51is a child can actually get their head stuck in it.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54And I think certainly a small child could probably fall through that gap
0:11:54 > 0:11:56with the size of it.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59It's not the only health hazard listed in Chris's copy
0:11:59 > 0:12:01of the original inspection report.
0:12:01 > 0:12:03Hazards that were never fixed.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06Just going back to the list there, another thing
0:12:06 > 0:12:09they're basically saying is that the staircase doesn't comply, either.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12And from my understanding, it is that the spiral staircase
0:12:12 > 0:12:14should never have been put in in the first place.
0:12:14 > 0:12:16No, no, that's entirely untrue, I'm afraid.
0:12:16 > 0:12:18No, we had regular inspections when I put all this in.
0:12:18 > 0:12:22I wouldn't have put in a spiral staircase without any consideration.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25If you look at this staircase, it's got very narrow tapered treads
0:12:25 > 0:12:28on the inside. You've got no proper handrail on the inside.
0:12:28 > 0:12:31You've got open risers where people can trip going up,
0:12:31 > 0:12:33the lighting isn't very good. There's a lot of issues with it.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36That's a duty of care that I've got, I understand, not you.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39Well, it's not, because it's the Housing Act 2004,
0:12:39 > 0:12:40which is a regulation.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43Known as a duty of care, landlords are legally responsible
0:12:43 > 0:12:47for preventing personal injury to tenants caused by defects
0:12:47 > 0:12:48to a property.
0:12:48 > 0:12:51But Richard doesn't seem to realise it's the council's job
0:12:51 > 0:12:52to enforce this.
0:12:52 > 0:12:55At the moment, there are offences under the Housing Act
0:12:55 > 0:12:57in this property, OK? So we wouldn't be able to allow
0:12:57 > 0:13:00a tenant come in this property at the moment.
0:13:01 > 0:13:03Later, it seems Chris will have to tread carefully
0:13:03 > 0:13:07if he wants to solve the stalemate over the staircase.
0:13:07 > 0:13:09Can I stop you there? I paid quite a bit of money for
0:13:09 > 0:13:11the building inspection on this place.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14Can you tell me why there's no record of what they've seen?
0:13:14 > 0:13:15- For Building Control?- Yeah.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18Unfortunately, you're going to need to speak to them.
0:13:18 > 0:13:21- Maybe you should speak to them before you come to me next time. - Yeah.
0:13:31 > 0:13:34In Suffolk, community housing officer Ian Watson's come to the rescue
0:13:34 > 0:13:37of a tenant with a flood of biblical proportions.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40His flat's been left uninhabitable because he didn't alert
0:13:40 > 0:13:42the council sooner.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46- I had no idea it was this bad. - Yeah, I know, mate.
0:13:46 > 0:13:48Ted, what on earth?
0:13:48 > 0:13:52The water's still pouring in and it doesn't look like it'll be
0:13:52 > 0:13:53stopping any time soon.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57I've just had a phone call while I've been out getting some boots.
0:13:57 > 0:13:59Anglian Water have been contacted. They've given us
0:13:59 > 0:14:03an arrival time of any time between now and 6pm tomorrow.
0:14:03 > 0:14:07So, at this stage, I'm hoping it's going to be a lot quicker.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10So, now properly kitted and potentially facing a 24-hour wait
0:14:10 > 0:14:15for the water company, Ian decides to wade in again himself.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18At least I don't have to have my trousers pulled up this time.
0:14:20 > 0:14:22- You all right, Ted?- Hello, there.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25All right, I'm coming back in.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28I've got some boots now, so I'll be able to see.
0:14:28 > 0:14:30I'm dreadfully sorry, mate.
0:14:30 > 0:14:34- That's all right. Look, these things happen, don't they?- Yeah, I know.
0:14:34 > 0:14:36But the shocking condition Ted had let the flat get into
0:14:36 > 0:14:40even before the flood isn't making the situation any easier.
0:14:41 > 0:14:45I don't know what's in here, if you know what I mean.
0:14:45 > 0:14:47I don't get paid enough for this.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50With piles of clothes and old newspapers everywhere,
0:14:50 > 0:14:53the whole flat's under several inches of dirty water
0:14:53 > 0:14:55and soaking wet rubbish.
0:14:56 > 0:14:58There's a drain in here.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01If I can get the water...
0:15:01 > 0:15:03running into that drain, which it is.
0:15:04 > 0:15:06Thank God for that.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09With the blockage cleared, there's more good news.
0:15:10 > 0:15:12- Ian?- Yeah?
0:15:12 > 0:15:14Anglian Water.
0:15:14 > 0:15:16- Oh, they're here, are they?- Yes.
0:15:17 > 0:15:19It's going down the drain now - some of it.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25Finding the stopcock finally means that water isn't pouring
0:15:25 > 0:15:27into Ted's flat.
0:15:27 > 0:15:29But it's also created a new problem for Ian
0:15:29 > 0:15:32and the rest of the tenants.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35Unfortunately, the only stopcock to the premises outside is
0:15:35 > 0:15:38the one up there, which has turned all 12 flats off,
0:15:38 > 0:15:42which I need to get someone back as soon as possible.
0:15:42 > 0:15:45With the supply finally cut off, though,
0:15:45 > 0:15:48reinforcements from the council mean the massive clean-up
0:15:48 > 0:15:49can get under way.
0:15:49 > 0:15:51Be prepared.
0:15:51 > 0:15:54With Ted's clutter everywhere, it isn't going to be easy.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58We're going to need to clear a lot of this before we can get
0:15:58 > 0:15:59- a lot of this water out.- Oh, Ted.
0:15:59 > 0:16:03- Right, these guys are here to start clearing up.- Yeah.
0:16:03 > 0:16:06- Because of all the paper and everything in this...- Yeah, yeah.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09..they aren't going to be able to use their sucker.
0:16:09 > 0:16:11I don't know. Are we going to need to get a skip here?
0:16:11 > 0:16:15I personally would think so.
0:16:15 > 0:16:18- At least if we can make a start... - We'll make a start.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21The flat isn't going to be habitable any time soon,
0:16:21 > 0:16:25but at least there's some good news about where Ted's going to stay.
0:16:26 > 0:16:29Basically, I've just had a call from the Homeless Team.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32We've managed to get bed and breakfast for Ted tonight.
0:16:32 > 0:16:34Be careful, Ted.
0:16:34 > 0:16:35Something coming.
0:16:35 > 0:16:37It's only a couple of hundred yards away,
0:16:37 > 0:16:40so we'll get over there with his bags and take him over there now.
0:16:40 > 0:16:41Oh, dear!
0:16:41 > 0:16:43It might just be a temporary solution, but at least
0:16:43 > 0:16:45he'll be close to home.
0:16:45 > 0:16:47- Quite smart, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:16:47 > 0:16:49- You've even got coffee making facility, look.- Yeah.
0:16:49 > 0:16:51Right.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54- OK.- OK, you're sorted out for today.
0:16:54 > 0:16:56- OK, mate.- All right. And good luck,
0:16:56 > 0:16:57and I'll contact you at the end of the week.
0:16:57 > 0:16:59Bye!
0:16:59 > 0:17:00It's a great result for Ian...
0:17:00 > 0:17:03so far. The hard work is only just beginning.
0:17:03 > 0:17:06The rest of the team will take over in terms of what
0:17:06 > 0:17:09we need to do with that property tomorrow.
0:17:09 > 0:17:11Successful day, really!
0:17:16 > 0:17:20Three weeks later and Ian's back to check on progress.
0:17:22 > 0:17:24Morning, gentleman.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27- Blimey, you got on a move on, ain't you?- Yes.
0:17:27 > 0:17:29This is a lot, lot better than what it was.
0:17:29 > 0:17:33I'm really pleased with it and hopefully we'll get him
0:17:33 > 0:17:36- back in in a couple of weeks. - Yes, that's right.
0:17:36 > 0:17:38As long as he looks after it this time.
0:17:38 > 0:17:40That's right, yeah. Hope he does.
0:17:40 > 0:17:42After a mammoth effort from the council,
0:17:42 > 0:17:44Ted's flat is unrecognisable.
0:17:46 > 0:17:50Yeah, there was a quite a depth of water in here
0:17:50 > 0:17:54when I was here before, but... A lot, lot better.
0:17:54 > 0:18:00As for the toilet there, they've ripped the whole lot out
0:18:00 > 0:18:03and obviously there's going to be a brand-new flush floor shower
0:18:03 > 0:18:05and everything in here.
0:18:05 > 0:18:08Once it's finished, Ian's determined that it's going to stay that way.
0:18:08 > 0:18:11I shall be checking to make sure that
0:18:11 > 0:18:13he's keeping it in good condition.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16So I've already told him I'm going to be visiting once a month.
0:18:25 > 0:18:28I'm pleased with the way that things are coming on.
0:18:28 > 0:18:32Obviously, I'd like to get it done quicker but, as we saw when
0:18:32 > 0:18:36we first went in, it was an incredible job to sort that out.
0:18:36 > 0:18:38You know, with the amount of water that's been in there.
0:18:38 > 0:18:40We've had the dehumidifiers in there
0:18:40 > 0:18:42for a couple of weeks, drying things out.
0:18:43 > 0:18:45Hopefully, we'll be able to get Ted back in
0:18:45 > 0:18:48and then everything will be hunky-dory again.
0:18:48 > 0:18:51Later, I'll be lending a helping hand to bring Ted home.
0:18:51 > 0:18:54I've been trusted with the guitar, though, which is...
0:18:54 > 0:18:56- Well, you're honoured, then, aren't you?- I'm very lucky.
0:18:56 > 0:18:59It seems he's moved in more ways than one.
0:18:59 > 0:19:02- Is it a bit of a shock? Are you all right?- Yeah.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15In Lincolnshire, Chris Gallimore's been investigating claims
0:19:15 > 0:19:18from former tenants that a converted schoolhouse
0:19:18 > 0:19:20could be putting lives in danger.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23It's a problem that dates back nearly two decades.
0:19:23 > 0:19:26One of the main issues with this property...
0:19:26 > 0:19:28It wasn't actually signed off, the conversion.
0:19:31 > 0:19:34But having converted the property himself,
0:19:34 > 0:19:38it's a frustrating situation for the owner's father, Richard.
0:19:38 > 0:19:40No longer able to live there herself
0:19:40 > 0:19:43but still liable for council tax on the empty house, he says
0:19:43 > 0:19:47the council advised his daughter to rent it out to cover the cost.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50They suggested that we should take in tenants,
0:19:50 > 0:19:53which why we're standing here today.
0:19:53 > 0:19:54I've never rented this place off.
0:19:54 > 0:19:56I think the only issue with that is
0:19:56 > 0:19:58that that'll be a suggestion for them
0:19:58 > 0:20:01but they wouldn't necessarily know whether the property is going to...
0:20:01 > 0:20:04I did point out that there were exceptional circumstances
0:20:04 > 0:20:06- that they could investigate if they wanted to.- Yeah.
0:20:06 > 0:20:07They didn't.
0:20:07 > 0:20:09So she's left high and dry here
0:20:09 > 0:20:13with this property that she pays rates on, water rates and a mortgage
0:20:13 > 0:20:16and she can't rent it, either.
0:20:16 > 0:20:20For Chris, any suggestion from the council to let the house
0:20:20 > 0:20:23would have been subject to it meeting the minimum safety standards
0:20:23 > 0:20:26for a rental property, which leaves them both with a problem.
0:20:26 > 0:20:28In its current condition,
0:20:28 > 0:20:29we wouldn't want it rented out to a tenant.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32However, there are things that you can do to improve the property,
0:20:32 > 0:20:34where you could rent it out to a tenant.
0:20:34 > 0:20:38And with the argument about the spiral staircase going round and round in circles,
0:20:38 > 0:20:42he decides to move on to complaints from the previous tenants
0:20:42 > 0:20:43about inadequate heating.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46Because you've got electric heating in here,
0:20:46 > 0:20:50if at any point the electricity wasn't working,
0:20:50 > 0:20:54so your secondary form of heating was the multi-fuel burner
0:20:54 > 0:20:57in the corner there, unfortunately that's been condemned
0:20:57 > 0:21:00and it's got a sticker on it saying that it's been condemned.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03The actual fire is not condemned. It's the chimney that actually got...
0:21:03 > 0:21:07Either way, it can't be used, can it, so...
0:21:07 > 0:21:09Well, it can if we mend the chimney.
0:21:09 > 0:21:11It's not a great start and it doesn't get any better.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14So the storage heaters that are in here,
0:21:14 > 0:21:17how old would you say the storage heaters are?
0:21:17 > 0:21:19- About 15 years old.- 15 years.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24And how do you know they're working correctly?
0:21:24 > 0:21:26Do you ever get anybody to test them, or...?
0:21:26 > 0:21:28Well, I left here when they were working
0:21:28 > 0:21:30- and as far as I know, they haven't been used since.- Right.
0:21:30 > 0:21:34One of the problems with the storage heaters is they're not
0:21:34 > 0:21:36generally that good in poorly insulated buildings.
0:21:36 > 0:21:37I actually found them very good.
0:21:37 > 0:21:39Modern storage heaters have a fan in them
0:21:39 > 0:21:41that actually blows the heat out.
0:21:41 > 0:21:43- You're talking a lot of money. - It could be.
0:21:43 > 0:21:47The cost of making this place suitable for tenants is mounting.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50Richard's adamant he was never told the conversion didn't
0:21:50 > 0:21:55comply with building regulations, despite an inspection at the time.
0:21:55 > 0:21:56Can I stop you there?
0:21:56 > 0:21:59I paid quite a bit of money for the building inspection on this place.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02Can you tell me why there's no record of what they've seen?
0:22:02 > 0:22:05- For Building Control?- Yeah. Dry lining...- Unfortunately, you need to speak to them.
0:22:05 > 0:22:09- Well, maybe you should speak to them before you come to me next time. - Yeah.
0:22:09 > 0:22:11Well, Chris has already spoken to them.
0:22:12 > 0:22:17The next thing on his list is ex-tenant Jack's claims about potentially dangerous wiring.
0:22:18 > 0:22:21There's some issues with the electrics as well.
0:22:21 > 0:22:24- I'm having the building tested next week, actually.- Ah, right.
0:22:24 > 0:22:26Including the appliances.
0:22:26 > 0:22:28OK. Is it possible I can get a copy of that?
0:22:28 > 0:22:31Sure, that's what I'm doing it for. That's fine.
0:22:31 > 0:22:33After what's been a difficult meeting for both parties,
0:22:33 > 0:22:37getting the electrics tested is at least one thing they can agree on.
0:22:38 > 0:22:41Thanks a lot for your time, anyway, and I'll be in contact
0:22:41 > 0:22:45- and hopefully be in contact with me as well.- Yeah.- With any...
0:22:45 > 0:22:46I hope you appreciate my position.
0:22:46 > 0:22:49- I didn't want to give you too much of a hard time but...- Yeah, sure.
0:22:49 > 0:22:51Just pressing you so I know what I'm doing.
0:22:51 > 0:22:53Knowing what needs to be done
0:22:53 > 0:22:57and being happy about it are two different things, though.
0:22:57 > 0:22:59I think they're making unreasonable suggestions today,
0:22:59 > 0:23:00to be quite frank.
0:23:00 > 0:23:04It's a modern problem today that Health and Safety tends to
0:23:04 > 0:23:08take the extreme rather than the moderate level of thinking.
0:23:08 > 0:23:11My experience has always been that they wish to spend your money
0:23:11 > 0:23:16a lot and if you co-operate too much, they will spend more money beyond that.
0:23:16 > 0:23:22It just bugs me a little bit to think that my duty of care extends to...
0:23:22 > 0:23:26and is stretched beyond reasonable expectations, to be honest with you.
0:23:27 > 0:23:31But the council has a very different view.
0:23:31 > 0:23:33To put tenants in a building that you know hasn't been
0:23:33 > 0:23:35approved as being appropriate
0:23:35 > 0:23:38under the regulations at the time is a bit irresponsible.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41The building wasn't ever signed off in the first place
0:23:41 > 0:23:43by Building Control and he needs to appreciate that
0:23:43 > 0:23:46if the stairs weren't safe then, they're still not safe now.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49As the owner, Richard was legally responsible
0:23:49 > 0:23:52for rectifying any safety hazards and getting the property signed off
0:23:52 > 0:23:54when the house was converted.
0:23:54 > 0:23:56But, determined to keep the staircase,
0:23:56 > 0:23:58he's come up with a more radical solution.
0:23:58 > 0:24:01I'm going to consult with my daughter
0:24:01 > 0:24:03and then I'm going to move back into this.
0:24:03 > 0:24:05The thing about building regulations
0:24:05 > 0:24:07are that you can still live in the building,
0:24:07 > 0:24:09providing you yourself stay there
0:24:09 > 0:24:11and are prepared to take the risks
0:24:11 > 0:24:14that you've put into the building, which, of course, I am.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23Defending our right to a safe place to live is
0:24:23 > 0:24:26the job of housing officers right across the UK.
0:24:26 > 0:24:31- This is not really an acceptable way of leaving the property behind.- Do you think(?)
0:24:31 > 0:24:35I'm working alongside the men and women that do exactly that.
0:24:35 > 0:24:37- Top marks.- Yes!
0:24:37 > 0:24:40- I'm hitting the streets... - Hello! Can you open up?
0:24:40 > 0:24:42Definitely somebody inside, because we've seen movement.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46..finding out what's happening on the front line...
0:24:46 > 0:24:50Cistern's in the bath. I don't know how they flush it.
0:24:50 > 0:24:51..and learning what it takes
0:24:51 > 0:24:55to make sure a house is fit to be called a home.
0:24:55 > 0:24:57I'm very shocked. This is ridiculous.
0:24:57 > 0:24:59You shouldn't have people living in here.
0:25:05 > 0:25:09In every part of the country, council houses are in short supply
0:25:09 > 0:25:13and the Gloucestershire town of Stroud is no exception.
0:25:13 > 0:25:14When properties become available,
0:25:14 > 0:25:17it's up to housing officers to assess them
0:25:17 > 0:25:20so they can be put back in a fit state to rent out again.
0:25:20 > 0:25:25Sadly, some properties become vacant due to the death of the tenant.
0:25:25 > 0:25:26And housing officer Shane Reece
0:25:26 > 0:25:30is on his way to one such property to assess what needs to happen next.
0:25:34 > 0:25:38The gentleman's unfortunately passed away,
0:25:38 > 0:25:42so I'm going in a little bit apprehensive about the condition of the property.
0:25:42 > 0:25:44We've been in discussions with the housing officer
0:25:44 > 0:25:48and, er, it wasn't in the best of conditions when he visited.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51The elderly gentleman who lived here died alone
0:25:51 > 0:25:54and the flat is still full of his possessions.
0:25:56 > 0:25:58The property is in a little bit of a state.
0:26:02 > 0:26:04Immediately it hits you, the smell,
0:26:04 > 0:26:06and you know that it's going to be probably quite untidy.
0:26:08 > 0:26:10When a property gets into that kind of condition,
0:26:10 > 0:26:14you feel sorry, really, you know, for the people that would be living like it.
0:26:14 > 0:26:17Towards the end of his life, the gentleman who lived in the flat
0:26:17 > 0:26:21was clearly struggling to care for himself as his health declined.
0:26:21 > 0:26:24With some of the things left behind carrying the risk of infection,
0:26:24 > 0:26:28preparing the property for a new tenant will need to be done very carefully.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31The bedroom is not in that great a state at all.
0:26:31 > 0:26:33There seems to be a lot of tissues
0:26:33 > 0:26:35and everything left around in the property.
0:26:35 > 0:26:40It's going to take a lot of work to get this back up to a lettable standard.
0:26:40 > 0:26:44Before the tenant passed away, the bedroom was his last refuge.
0:26:44 > 0:26:48The drugs left behind paint a harrowing picture of his last days,
0:26:48 > 0:26:50with only a few signs of comfort.
0:26:50 > 0:26:53And in the bathroom, there's evidence
0:26:53 > 0:26:55of how difficult his final days must have been.
0:26:59 > 0:27:03Obviously, the property's not in a very good state at all.
0:27:03 > 0:27:05This is definitely the type of property that we would pass
0:27:05 > 0:27:07to an environmental company,
0:27:07 > 0:27:11a specialist company to come in and do an environmental clean and clear, prior to any of
0:27:11 > 0:27:15the contractors coming in, just for cleanliness purposes.
0:27:15 > 0:27:17The council had offered the gentleman that lived here
0:27:17 > 0:27:22some help in looking after himself, but he refused all offers of assistance.
0:27:25 > 0:27:27I wouldn't ever envision anybody living like this.
0:27:27 > 0:27:30When you do this job, you've got to have a certain amount of empathy.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33We come across a lot of people that have, you know,
0:27:33 > 0:27:35either got mental health issues, um...
0:27:35 > 0:27:38There's a lack of support in place, a property gets into bad condition
0:27:38 > 0:27:40and instead of it being picked up and somebody
0:27:40 > 0:27:44being able to help or deal with it, it is a case that it just gets worse and worse and worse.
0:27:44 > 0:27:47The council's usually informed of a death in one of its properties
0:27:47 > 0:27:51by next of kin, who are then given 28 days to clear the property
0:27:51 > 0:27:53so it can be prepared for a new tenant.
0:27:55 > 0:27:59We have a responsibility to make sure that anybody associated
0:27:59 > 0:28:02with the person would have the opportunity to take this stuff,
0:28:02 > 0:28:05and take it away, or take what they want, certainly.
0:28:05 > 0:28:07The 28 days is a notice period, effectively,
0:28:07 > 0:28:08for the family members or, you know,
0:28:08 > 0:28:10said persons in the will or whatever,
0:28:10 > 0:28:12to be able to come and clear it.
0:28:12 > 0:28:14Once we've given them that period of notice,
0:28:14 > 0:28:17if we haven't had any contact, we can go ahead and get the property cleared anyway.
0:28:17 > 0:28:20In this case, the deceased tenant left all his worldly goods to
0:28:20 > 0:28:24a cancer charity, who will benefit if there's anything of value,
0:28:24 > 0:28:26and it will be the job of the council
0:28:26 > 0:28:28to clear the flat of everything else.
0:28:28 > 0:28:30Having looked down through the inventory, um,
0:28:30 > 0:28:34a lot of the major stuff is picked up on there, but there are some
0:28:34 > 0:28:37bits and bobs, like the glass and some of the china in the cabinets.
0:28:37 > 0:28:38Erm, the plates in particular.
0:28:38 > 0:28:41For all we know, they could be of some value.
0:28:41 > 0:28:43So I'm just going to add the relevant bits and bobs
0:28:43 > 0:28:46on to the inventory to make sure everything's picked up.
0:28:46 > 0:28:48Shane has spent an hour in the property,
0:28:48 > 0:28:50but it's so full of the previous occupant's possessions
0:28:50 > 0:28:53that he can't properly plan what additional work will need to be done
0:28:53 > 0:28:56to make it suitable for new tenants.
0:28:57 > 0:29:00What I'm going to do is wait until the void is actually cleared
0:29:00 > 0:29:03by what will be an environmental, er, company.
0:29:03 > 0:29:04Um, once it's clear I can come back
0:29:04 > 0:29:08and then I can look at what works need doing and see how quickly
0:29:08 > 0:29:09we can turn around the void.
0:29:11 > 0:29:12There are 4,200 households
0:29:12 > 0:29:15on the waiting list for a council property in Stroud.
0:29:15 > 0:29:17So when one becomes vacant,
0:29:17 > 0:29:21Shane and his team want to get a family living there quickly.
0:29:21 > 0:29:23As we've seen, that isn't always possible.
0:29:25 > 0:29:27You see a property in that sort of state.
0:29:27 > 0:29:29You know that probably the person living there
0:29:29 > 0:29:31hasn't really had the support in place
0:29:31 > 0:29:36to actually sort of be able to sort of manage their lifestyle very well, those types of things.
0:29:36 > 0:29:39When the property gets into that kind of condition, you feel
0:29:39 > 0:29:42sorry, really, you know for the people that would be living like it.
0:29:42 > 0:29:46From my point of view, that property would normally cost us the best part
0:29:46 > 0:29:48of £500 to actually get back to a lettable state.
0:29:48 > 0:29:50That's probably going to cost us about £5,000, probably.
0:29:50 > 0:29:53We want a property to come back in the best possible state it can,
0:29:53 > 0:29:54so we can turn it around very quickly
0:29:54 > 0:29:57and we can get somebody else, who's probably in need,
0:29:57 > 0:29:59moved into the property as quickly as possible.
0:29:59 > 0:30:01Later, the cleaners arrive.
0:30:02 > 0:30:05For some, it's an emotional experience.
0:30:05 > 0:30:08Somewhere along the way, this is someone's child
0:30:08 > 0:30:12and if anything happened to any of my children and I wasn't there,
0:30:12 > 0:30:15I would like someone to come in
0:30:15 > 0:30:17and do it as respectfully as possible.
0:30:24 > 0:30:28In Suffolk, tenant Ted Hurrell's failure to report a leaky pipe
0:30:28 > 0:30:32left housing officer Ian Watson facing a full-scale flood
0:30:32 > 0:30:34and a mammoth clean-up operation.
0:30:35 > 0:30:37This is a lot, lot better than what it was.
0:30:37 > 0:30:40Hopefully we'll get him back in in a couple of weeks.
0:30:43 > 0:30:45True to Ian's word, the flat's finished
0:30:45 > 0:30:48and I've come back to help Ted move back in.
0:30:48 > 0:30:50Are we all right to come in?
0:30:51 > 0:30:54You should be all right back there - it's dry now.
0:30:54 > 0:30:58- I've been almost afraid to look in. - You should be quite pleased, I hope.
0:30:58 > 0:31:00Right, do you want me to grab a couple of those?
0:31:00 > 0:31:02You could grab a couple of those.
0:31:02 > 0:31:07It looks like I get the job of moving music lover Ted's most prized possession.
0:31:07 > 0:31:09I've been trusted with the guitar, though, which is...
0:31:09 > 0:31:12- You're honoured, then, aren't you? - I'm very lucky.
0:31:12 > 0:31:14- All right.- Good stuff.
0:31:14 > 0:31:17- OK.- In the back, Ted.
0:31:28 > 0:31:30- Are you all right, Ted?- Yeah.
0:31:30 > 0:31:33'It's the first time Ted's seen the flat.'
0:31:33 > 0:31:35Go on, Ted. I'll let you go first.
0:31:35 > 0:31:37You can see what it's like then.
0:31:39 > 0:31:41'The place is completely unrecognisable.'
0:31:53 > 0:31:56So what's happened here, Ted...
0:31:56 > 0:31:59As you can see, all of your stuff, it's all clear and clean,
0:31:59 > 0:32:01all the walls have been done
0:32:01 > 0:32:04and the floor is clean, ready for something to go down.
0:32:06 > 0:32:08Yeah. I mean, oh, golly.
0:32:10 > 0:32:12Your records are here.
0:32:12 > 0:32:14Gracious me, yeah.
0:32:14 > 0:32:17'Clearly, it's all a bit overwhelming.'
0:32:17 > 0:32:20So you can see all your bathroom is completely clean now.
0:32:23 > 0:32:25Is it a bit of a shock? Are you all right?
0:32:25 > 0:32:26Yeah.
0:32:32 > 0:32:34It's...
0:32:34 > 0:32:38It just means you can start completely from scratch.
0:32:41 > 0:32:46- Something to be proud of now, ain't there?- It is, and...
0:32:46 > 0:32:51I swear to God that I shall endeavour to keep it this way.
0:32:51 > 0:32:55Well, I want to keep you to that cos I want to come
0:32:55 > 0:32:58and have a cup of coffee with you in your nice flat now.
0:32:58 > 0:33:01Yeah, well, I will be pleased to receive you.
0:33:01 > 0:33:03Good.
0:33:03 > 0:33:04You've done a wonderful job.
0:33:04 > 0:33:06'After all of Ian's hard work,
0:33:06 > 0:33:09'we're both determined to make sure Ted never lets things
0:33:09 > 0:33:11'get so out of hand again.'
0:33:11 > 0:33:14So this is a wet room now, OK?
0:33:14 > 0:33:18So you've got a floor that all slopes down to the drain here.
0:33:18 > 0:33:19All brand spanking new.
0:33:19 > 0:33:22Brand new floor as well, there, Ted.
0:33:22 > 0:33:25- I can see that. - So everything was lifted up.
0:33:25 > 0:33:29I can see that you've gone to quite some lengths
0:33:29 > 0:33:33to make this a nice home for me.
0:33:33 > 0:33:37Any leaks, anything like that - what are you going to do?
0:33:37 > 0:33:39Mr Watson will be informed or...
0:33:39 > 0:33:42Of course they will informed immediately.
0:33:43 > 0:33:46All right, good stuff.
0:33:46 > 0:33:49Ted, would it be all right if you and I sit down and have a little chat?
0:33:49 > 0:33:52'If there's one thing I've learnt from Ian,
0:33:52 > 0:33:55'it's the importance of being able to relate to the people you're helping.
0:33:55 > 0:33:59'And something I definitely have in common with Ted is a love of music -
0:33:59 > 0:34:02'a love that he says helped him battle his addiction.'
0:34:04 > 0:34:08It's a really nice guitar, that. It's beautiful.
0:34:08 > 0:34:10TED SINGS
0:34:10 > 0:34:13# On a dark, stormy night... #
0:34:21 > 0:34:23What does your music give you, then?
0:34:23 > 0:34:26What does that provide you with?
0:34:26 > 0:34:30Comfort. I need to do it to survive.
0:34:30 > 0:34:34God and music have been my salvation.
0:34:34 > 0:34:36Now I've got the chance to start again.
0:34:38 > 0:34:41'It seems that the flood hasn't just given Ted the chance to start again.
0:34:41 > 0:34:46More importantly, it's inspired him to want to.
0:34:46 > 0:34:48What were your thoughts when you walked in the door?
0:34:48 > 0:34:52Because it seemed to me you were quite emotional.
0:34:52 > 0:34:56- I was.- Why was that? What were you thinking?
0:34:56 > 0:35:00Because I think they've done all this for you,
0:35:00 > 0:35:03and I try to think back to what I was living in before,
0:35:03 > 0:35:08you cannot... You cannot let this happen again.
0:35:08 > 0:35:12I don't want to go down on record as an unreliable tenant.
0:35:12 > 0:35:14- Yeah.- Period.
0:35:14 > 0:35:18I want to have a nice place that I can bring people round.
0:35:18 > 0:35:21I want to come back and hear you sing happy songs.
0:35:21 > 0:35:23It's so lovely meeting you, honestly.
0:35:23 > 0:35:26And I really wish you the best. I hope it works out here, Ted.
0:35:26 > 0:35:27Yeah, I want it to work out.
0:35:27 > 0:35:31And, you know, keep playing.
0:35:31 > 0:35:34Really nice to meet you, Ted. Take care.
0:35:34 > 0:35:38'Seeing Ted so determined to take more responsibility for himself
0:35:38 > 0:35:42'means of all Ian's hard work has paid off.'
0:35:42 > 0:35:44I know you wanted to go in there and sort of remind Ted
0:35:44 > 0:35:47that, you know, for all this effort that you've put in
0:35:47 > 0:35:51and the money that's been spent, there is a responsibility.
0:35:51 > 0:35:54- I think he gets it.- I think so. - Do you? I mean...
0:35:55 > 0:35:58Yeah, I really do think we had a connection there with him
0:35:58 > 0:36:02and certainly you did, you know, so he's going to remember this time.
0:36:02 > 0:36:06And I won't forget it in a hurry, either.
0:36:06 > 0:36:09Well, Ian said to me that one of the key strengths
0:36:09 > 0:36:12you need as a community housing officer
0:36:12 > 0:36:15is the ability to understand somebody,
0:36:15 > 0:36:17put yourself in their shoes.
0:36:17 > 0:36:21It's never been easier for me than with someone like Ted.
0:36:21 > 0:36:25His love of music and my love of music are in exactly the same place
0:36:25 > 0:36:28but at the point where he was up to his ankles in water,
0:36:28 > 0:36:31that was almost all he had left.
0:36:31 > 0:36:33Now, that problem has been resolved
0:36:33 > 0:36:37and he's got a space that's clean and bright and warm
0:36:37 > 0:36:39and that's all thanks to Ian.
0:36:50 > 0:36:53Earlier, in Gloucestershire, housing officer Shane Reece
0:36:53 > 0:36:57had the difficult job of assessing an empty council flat in Stroud
0:36:57 > 0:36:59which was left in a poor state
0:36:59 > 0:37:02following the death of its elderly tenant.
0:37:03 > 0:37:04It's going to take a lot of work
0:37:04 > 0:37:07to get this back up to a lettable standard.
0:37:10 > 0:37:12Five weeks have passed and today,
0:37:12 > 0:37:15housing officers Joe Phillips and Maxine Pride
0:37:15 > 0:37:18are supervising the clearance of the property.
0:37:18 > 0:37:20We're now going to be clearing it to make it completely empty
0:37:20 > 0:37:23so we can start work. Um, and while we're clearing it,
0:37:23 > 0:37:25we may well come across other valuables and documentation
0:37:25 > 0:37:28that wasn't previously found in a previous search.
0:37:28 > 0:37:31I've asked Maxine to join me today just so that if we do come across anything,
0:37:31 > 0:37:35she's able to look at it from her side of things and then deal with it properly.
0:37:35 > 0:37:38I do a search looking for a particular type of documentation
0:37:38 > 0:37:41that will assist in the funeral process,
0:37:41 > 0:37:44and also help looking for any financial documents.
0:37:44 > 0:37:45Hiya.
0:37:45 > 0:37:48The first task is to brief the specialist contractors.
0:37:48 > 0:37:52The chap was quite unwell before he sadly passed.
0:37:52 > 0:37:54The gentleman who lived here was a diabetic.
0:37:54 > 0:37:58With needles, medication and used tissues left behind,
0:37:58 > 0:38:01the clean-up team can't take any risks with their own health.
0:38:04 > 0:38:08Councils want to get their vacant properties lived in again as quickly as possible.
0:38:08 > 0:38:12The figures for council waiting lists make for grim reading.
0:38:14 > 0:38:15In 2014, the total number of households
0:38:15 > 0:38:18on local authority waiting lists
0:38:18 > 0:38:22in England and Scotland was just over 1.5 million.
0:38:25 > 0:38:29Getting a new family into the flat is a priority for the council.
0:38:29 > 0:38:33And everything is definitely going. There's no family to come in, and...
0:38:33 > 0:38:35- No.- Nothing like that. That's all been done?- No.
0:38:35 > 0:38:38We've had clearance from the benefactor of the will
0:38:38 > 0:38:41that we can completely clear the property.
0:38:41 > 0:38:43Probably be extra careful round this area.
0:38:43 > 0:38:46That's obviously where he's been keeping all his medication.
0:38:46 > 0:38:49- Obviously, with needles, we've got to through everything first.- Yes.
0:38:49 > 0:38:53Preferably one room. Clear everything out. Move on to the next.
0:38:55 > 0:38:57Looking after what's left behind
0:38:57 > 0:39:00of the life of a person that has passed away is never an easy task,
0:39:00 > 0:39:03even for an experienced hand like Maxine.
0:39:05 > 0:39:08You can't really get completely used to it because you're dealing
0:39:08 > 0:39:13with personal possessions and it's ultimately very sad,
0:39:13 > 0:39:15because it means if I'm here,
0:39:15 > 0:39:17it means that there's no-one else that can do that.
0:39:17 > 0:39:20In fact, before I started this job, I didn't realise that
0:39:20 > 0:39:24I would be involved in so many diverse different roles.
0:39:24 > 0:39:27At first I was a bit shocked with this type of role,
0:39:27 > 0:39:31but I get satisfaction doing this
0:39:31 > 0:39:34because I do it to the best of my ability
0:39:34 > 0:39:37and it's the last thing I can do for this person.
0:39:37 > 0:39:41The contractors, Stewart and Liam, aren't hanging about.
0:39:41 > 0:39:45The entire contents of the flat have to be removed today.
0:39:45 > 0:39:47Meanwhile, Joe has made a poignant discovery.
0:39:49 > 0:39:52Just saw an old book.
0:39:52 > 0:39:54It turned out to be a photo album.
0:39:54 > 0:39:57As we were flicking through, we recognised someone.
0:39:57 > 0:40:01There's a teddy bear in that little boy's hands,
0:40:01 > 0:40:06very, very similar to the one that Maxine's holding.
0:40:06 > 0:40:10- It would be nice if it could live on, wouldn't it?- Absolutely.
0:40:10 > 0:40:13Maxine is able to see through all the grime and mess,
0:40:13 > 0:40:17and bring a personal touch to the clean-up that's very much required.
0:40:17 > 0:40:20Somewhere along the way, this is someone's child.
0:40:20 > 0:40:25And if anything happened to any of my children and I wasn't there,
0:40:25 > 0:40:27I would like someone to come in
0:40:27 > 0:40:30and do it as respectfully as possible.
0:40:30 > 0:40:33With the flat nearly empty, Joe can now properly assess the work
0:40:33 > 0:40:35that needs to be done
0:40:35 > 0:40:39to bring it back up to a lettable standard for the next tenant.
0:40:39 > 0:40:42The condition of the flat overall wasn't actually that bad.
0:40:42 > 0:40:44There was a lot of dirt, a lot of staining, things like that
0:40:44 > 0:40:47but it's not anything that we can't get rid of.
0:40:53 > 0:40:56I think the kitchen will need updating.
0:40:56 > 0:40:59If it was one of our newer kitchens, we'd probably try and clean it up
0:40:59 > 0:41:02as best as we can, and only replace things that we couldn't clean up.
0:41:02 > 0:41:04So this will probably be getting a new kitchen in it
0:41:04 > 0:41:06before we let it out to another tenant.
0:41:06 > 0:41:09The bathroom, actually, the facilities in the bathroom
0:41:09 > 0:41:10are quite good as well.
0:41:10 > 0:41:13The bath looks to be in a pretty good condition and the sink as well.
0:41:13 > 0:41:16Probably have a new toilet, I would have thought.
0:41:16 > 0:41:19Yeah, this will be someone else's home soon enough.
0:41:19 > 0:41:21The gentleman who lived in the flat
0:41:21 > 0:41:24left all his possessions to a cancer charity
0:41:24 > 0:41:25but, for the time being,
0:41:25 > 0:41:28Maxine will hold on to some of his most personal effects
0:41:28 > 0:41:31in the hope that she can pass them on to his relatives.
0:41:34 > 0:41:37Whilst we've had the benefactors gone through the premises
0:41:37 > 0:41:41and taken what they want, wanted, we have found this little guy
0:41:41 > 0:41:44and some... a very, very nice photo album.
0:41:44 > 0:41:45So I'm going to speak to them
0:41:45 > 0:41:48and see if I can get a new home for this guy.
0:41:50 > 0:41:52This is exactly why writing a will is so important,
0:41:52 > 0:41:56because, you know, people like us will come in and we can,
0:41:56 > 0:41:58we can clear a place and you make your best judgment.
0:41:58 > 0:42:00But it might not be what the person wanted
0:42:00 > 0:42:03and this person might have passed thinking that, you know,
0:42:03 > 0:42:06various items would be going to friends and family.
0:42:06 > 0:42:10In this case we did find a benefactor and it was a charity.
0:42:10 > 0:42:12So hopefully some bits have at least gone to someone
0:42:12 > 0:42:14who will make use of it.
0:42:15 > 0:42:17With only a few items left to remove,
0:42:17 > 0:42:20the flat will soon be given a new lease of life.
0:42:20 > 0:42:22Once the final items are out,
0:42:22 > 0:42:25we're going to be able to get our regular maintenance contractor out
0:42:25 > 0:42:27to start kitting out the flat properly
0:42:27 > 0:42:29and stripping out everything that needs to go.
0:42:29 > 0:42:32Doing some cleaning, decoration, that sort of thing,
0:42:32 > 0:42:33and before you know it,
0:42:33 > 0:42:35we'll have this flat back in someone else's hands
0:42:35 > 0:42:39so that a new family or a new tenant can make some new memories there.
0:42:41 > 0:42:45And once Joe, Maxine and the rest of the team from the council have finished their work,
0:42:45 > 0:42:48there will be nothing to remind the flat's new occupants
0:42:48 > 0:42:52of the last, tragic months of the gentleman who lived here before them.
0:43:01 > 0:43:03That's it for today.
0:43:03 > 0:43:06Join me next time on the front line with Britain's housing officers.