0:00:00 > 0:00:01Now it's time for The Housing Enforcers, with Matt Allwright.
0:00:03 > 0:00:05Can you imagine living in these conditions?
0:00:05 > 0:00:07So you started with mice?
0:00:07 > 0:00:09Yeah.And now they're rats?
0:00:09 > 0:00:10Yeah, yeah, yeah.
0:00:10 > 0:00:13Security's very poor at the back of this property.
0:00:13 > 0:00:15But with the pressure on housing greater than ever,
0:00:15 > 0:00:19finding a safe place to live is getting harder and harder.
0:00:19 > 0:00:20It's just terrible.
0:00:20 > 0:00:22It gets me the most, this place.
0:00:22 > 0:00:24Oh, my God. Can you see what's going on here?
0:00:25 > 0:00:28I'm Matt Allwright, and I'm back on the front line
0:00:28 > 0:00:29with the Housing Enforcers.
0:00:29 > 0:00:33So what you've got is a very, very quick way to dispatch yourself.
0:00:33 > 0:00:37This series tackles downright dangerous houses head-on.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40Really worryingly, there's no mains gas supply here at all.
0:00:40 > 0:00:42From life-endangering firetraps...
0:00:42 > 0:00:45They wouldn't even know that the place was on fire before they were dead.
0:00:45 > 0:00:47You can see these plugs here, they've blown.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50Worst case scenario, the house could have burnt down.
0:00:50 > 0:00:51..to health hazards...
0:00:51 > 0:00:54It's at a stage where it really needs to be dealt with now.
0:00:54 > 0:00:56..to accidents waiting to happen...
0:00:56 > 0:00:59Actually, you're not talking about a fire, you're talking about an explosion.
0:00:59 > 0:01:03..making sure we all have a safe and secure place to call home.
0:01:03 > 0:01:09There are things here that could seriously shorten your life.
0:01:13 > 0:01:17Today, a dangerously unsafe property takes housing officer Richard
0:01:17 > 0:01:18by surprise.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21This is unreal.
0:01:21 > 0:01:24This ceiling's going to come down any time soon.
0:01:24 > 0:01:28In Margate, a young family's health is being put at risk.
0:01:28 > 0:01:29Knowing that my son is in here,
0:01:29 > 0:01:31my newborn son and my older son,
0:01:31 > 0:01:34and that could cause a lot of health risks...
0:01:34 > 0:01:36Sorry, I'm...That's all right.
0:01:37 > 0:01:42And we find out what happens when a home is overrun by rats.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45I find myself quite often on edge in my own home.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48You can see them running on top of the pipes
0:01:48 > 0:01:51and going through right into your main building.
0:01:51 > 0:01:54You'd like to think you'd know if you were safe in your own home,
0:01:54 > 0:01:56wouldn't you? But if you're a tenant,
0:01:56 > 0:01:58you may have to rely on your landlord
0:01:58 > 0:02:01to provide a safe and secure place to live.
0:02:01 > 0:02:05I'm working alongside the men and women whose job it is to ensure
0:02:05 > 0:02:10we're not living in lethal homes, and they are the Housing Enforcers.
0:02:11 > 0:02:13Home safety is very important.
0:02:13 > 0:02:14Very important.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17We take care of all our appliances and make sure that everything is
0:02:17 > 0:02:18working correctly.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21I think the adults in the home should
0:02:21 > 0:02:24keep all the dangerous objects away from children,
0:02:24 > 0:02:27especially the kitchen is a dangerous place.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30We've got a burglar alarm, because we were broke into.
0:02:30 > 0:02:32SHE CHUCKLES
0:02:32 > 0:02:36We've got smoke alarms.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39My home's safe. Every window has got double locking on.
0:02:39 > 0:02:43Front door's got two deadlocks on it and a deadlocking night latch.
0:02:43 > 0:02:44So I don't worry about it.
0:02:46 > 0:02:47In the West Midlands,
0:02:47 > 0:02:51housing officer Richard Hawkins has had a call-out to an abandoned
0:02:51 > 0:02:55building after reports there might be people living in it.
0:02:55 > 0:02:59There's a potential that we've got an empty pub with people living upstairs.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02Could be an illegal conversion.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05There's also work going on on site
0:03:05 > 0:03:07where we've got people doing hand car washing.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10It could be a very dangerous situation.
0:03:10 > 0:03:12As well as being a fire risk,
0:03:12 > 0:03:14derelict buildings can quickly become a dumping ground
0:03:14 > 0:03:17for rubbish and illegal activities.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20There's going to be a lot of different agencies
0:03:20 > 0:03:22all working together today to try
0:03:22 > 0:03:25and unpick it all and resolve everything that we can and make sure
0:03:25 > 0:03:28that the people that are living on the site are safe
0:03:28 > 0:03:32and the building's up to regulations and that it's safe to live in.
0:03:32 > 0:03:34First impressions aren't reassuring.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37The pub has obviously been empty for some time.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40West Midlands Fire Service officers are already on site.
0:03:42 > 0:03:44Let's go in, try our luck, and see where we go from there.
0:03:44 > 0:03:46OK?
0:03:51 > 0:03:55It doesn't seem like the guy washing cars round the back was expecting visitors.
0:03:55 > 0:03:56Hello.
0:03:56 > 0:03:57Sandwell Council...
0:03:58 > 0:04:00..and West Midlands Fire Service.
0:04:00 > 0:04:01We need access to this building,
0:04:01 > 0:04:03where people are living.
0:04:04 > 0:04:08There's one living upstairs. There's one living upstairs?Yeah.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12Although the man clearly knows how to get in,
0:04:12 > 0:04:14he wants Richard to wait by a side door.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18Well, we know now, obviously the game's been given away that
0:04:18 > 0:04:20there is somebody living up here.
0:04:20 > 0:04:22It's pretty grim, isn't it?
0:04:22 > 0:04:26We've got what looks like some kind of obviously informal car washing
0:04:26 > 0:04:28operation going on at the back.
0:04:28 > 0:04:30A bit of fly-tipping going on, obviously.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33Not very pleasant grime and that, but if we've got people living upstairs,
0:04:33 > 0:04:36obviously, where's the bins being emptied?
0:04:36 > 0:04:37It's obviously not very safe.
0:04:37 > 0:04:39I mean, look at this.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42I think I can hear something inside. HE KNOCKS ON DOOR
0:04:43 > 0:04:45It looks like there is someone in.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49Richard has no idea what awaits him inside.
0:04:50 > 0:04:53Hello. From Sandwell Council.
0:04:53 > 0:04:54Are you living here?
0:04:54 > 0:04:56Yeah.
0:04:56 > 0:04:58My friend, how long have you been living here?
0:04:58 > 0:04:59Nearly a year.Nearly a year?
0:04:59 > 0:05:03Are you here alone?Yeah, but people live, they've gone.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06OK, so we've got other people living here as well?
0:05:06 > 0:05:08Locked. Locked.
0:05:08 > 0:05:10OK, so we've got a HMO.
0:05:12 > 0:05:16By law, conditions in houses of multiple occupancy, or HMOs,
0:05:16 > 0:05:19must be safe and secure.
0:05:19 > 0:05:21Who's responsible for this place is anyone's guess,
0:05:21 > 0:05:23but if there's an immediate threat to safety,
0:05:23 > 0:05:26Richard could order a prohibition order and get it shut down.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33Oh, you're joking. What's this? This is meant to be your living room, is it?
0:05:34 > 0:05:37You're sleeping on the floor?
0:05:37 > 0:05:39They don't care.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42They just collect money, that's it.
0:05:42 > 0:05:46This property really is ringing all sorts of alarm bells for Richard.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48I've just been told by the tenant that they're paying,
0:05:48 > 0:05:50yeah, weekly rent.
0:05:50 > 0:05:52So, yeah, they're paying rent to basically
0:05:52 > 0:05:55doss on a floor in a derelict pub.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57Kids break into derelict buildings.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00Kids set fire to derelict buildings.
0:06:00 > 0:06:01There's no fire doors.
0:06:01 > 0:06:03There's no smoke detection.
0:06:03 > 0:06:05There's not even any proper lighting.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08People could burn alive in this place. They wouldn't even know.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11They wouldn't even know that the place was on fire before they were dead.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14The list of serious safety issues is growing.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17This place is a disaster waiting to happen.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20It's hard to believe someone's actually taking money from people
0:06:20 > 0:06:22to live in conditions like this.
0:06:22 > 0:06:26What's even more disturbing is that it appears there's a parent with
0:06:26 > 0:06:28children living in here, too.
0:06:28 > 0:06:29Jules.
0:06:30 > 0:06:32So there has been children living in this.
0:06:32 > 0:06:34Yes.
0:06:34 > 0:06:36That's really worrying, isn't it?
0:06:36 > 0:06:39So there's a little girl that's been living in this.
0:06:39 > 0:06:43It's shocking, but Richard has seen this sort of thing before.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46The problem is that we're getting more and more and more of these.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49Every day, we're coming across more of these cases where you've just got
0:06:49 > 0:06:53a commercial building, and they've just stuck a load of people in it.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56There are so many ways in which this building is unfit for people to live
0:06:56 > 0:06:59in, that it's difficult to know where to start.
0:06:59 > 0:07:01Remember, they're paying for the privilege.
0:07:01 > 0:07:02Have you got any heating?
0:07:02 > 0:07:04Nothing.No heating?Nothing.
0:07:04 > 0:07:06How much are you paying, dare I ask?
0:07:06 > 0:07:08Each person, 60 a week.
0:07:08 > 0:07:10£60 a week?240 a month.
0:07:10 > 0:07:12So, 240 a month.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15There's no lights, actually. They've all been pulled down.
0:07:15 > 0:07:16There's no emergency lights.
0:07:16 > 0:07:19There's no window. So you've got all the doors shut at night,
0:07:19 > 0:07:23and something happens, you're going to be fumbling around in the dark.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27So, no lighting means a risk of falls.
0:07:27 > 0:07:29There's an absence of heating, too.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32But just when Richard thinks conditions can't get any worse,
0:07:32 > 0:07:33he's faced with this -
0:07:33 > 0:07:35a shocking level of damp and mould.
0:07:39 > 0:07:40You're breathing it all the time,
0:07:40 > 0:07:42and these are people that have got no heating.
0:07:42 > 0:07:46They're at the much poorer end of society.
0:07:46 > 0:07:48They're already probably going to have health implications anyway.
0:07:48 > 0:07:50And then you've got this compounding it.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53You know, it's just going to shorten your life expectancy,
0:07:53 > 0:07:55it puts pressure on the NHS.
0:07:56 > 0:07:58It's endless.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02The kitchen is also in a seriously dangerous condition,
0:08:02 > 0:08:06with broken windows and some worrying structural damage.
0:08:08 > 0:08:12This is unreal.
0:08:12 > 0:08:13Broken windows.
0:08:14 > 0:08:15Unreal.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18This ceiling's going to come down any time soon.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21Eventually, then the floor is going to saturate and come through.
0:08:21 > 0:08:25This is what you expect to see in an abandoned building ready for demolition.
0:08:25 > 0:08:27This isn't what you expect to see in a property that's being
0:08:27 > 0:08:30rented to people to live in.
0:08:30 > 0:08:31So far in this property,
0:08:31 > 0:08:33Richard has identified six serious
0:08:33 > 0:08:35safety contraventions.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39With a prohibition order from Richard on the cards, downstairs,
0:08:39 > 0:08:42the fire safety officer is also assessing
0:08:42 > 0:08:44what steps he needs to take.
0:08:44 > 0:08:48It's in a dangerous condition for the people living there, no doubt about it.
0:08:48 > 0:08:49They've got no means of giving warning.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52There's no lighting in there to be able to see your way out.
0:08:52 > 0:08:54PHONE RINGS
0:08:52 > 0:08:54I'll have to take this call.
0:08:52 > 0:08:54That's the duty officer.
0:08:54 > 0:08:56OK, sorry about that.
0:08:56 > 0:08:57This is the key moment.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00It's whether the Fire Service prohibit it,
0:09:00 > 0:09:03or we have to go down a much harder route of prohibiting it.
0:09:03 > 0:09:07Later, we'll find out whether it's the last gasp for the Puffing Billy,
0:09:07 > 0:09:09and what's going to happen to those tenants.
0:09:09 > 0:09:10What we basically don't want to do
0:09:10 > 0:09:13is shut this building down and then we get a mum come back
0:09:13 > 0:09:15with her daughter at eight o'clock tonight and find
0:09:15 > 0:09:17that they've got no home.
0:09:20 > 0:09:24It's thought that over a million rented properties across the UK
0:09:24 > 0:09:27are suffering with serious damp and mould.
0:09:27 > 0:09:29It can cause major health issues,
0:09:29 > 0:09:34and it's older people and kids who are particularly at risk.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37We've got a bit of damp in our bathroom.
0:09:37 > 0:09:39And I know that if you inhale it for a long period of time,
0:09:39 > 0:09:43it can have some harmful effects to the human body.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46We've lived in old places in the past, and you can get mould,
0:09:46 > 0:09:49and we are worried that it has made us ill.
0:09:49 > 0:09:51Yeah, I've got asthma, so I've got to be careful, innit?
0:09:51 > 0:09:54So we're always... It's the number one priority,
0:09:54 > 0:09:56when the council do come over, we do make sure we tell them.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59We used to have some damp in our previous house, not very much.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02We did have some. But this house we've got now is fully insulated,
0:10:02 > 0:10:05and it's got vents in the double glazing as well.
0:10:05 > 0:10:08In the windows, yeah.So there's air circulation all the time.Mm.
0:10:11 > 0:10:13In Thanet,
0:10:13 > 0:10:16nearly one in four homes fails to meet decent housing standards.
0:10:19 > 0:10:21I'm with housing officers Steve O'Shea
0:10:21 > 0:10:23and Bethan Thistle on their way to
0:10:23 > 0:10:26meet a young family struggling with chronic damp in their flat.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30I've been told the situation is a desperate one.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33SHE KNOCKS ON DOOR
0:10:33 > 0:10:35Hi there.Hello. We're from the council.Yeah.
0:10:35 > 0:10:37Yeah? How are you? I'm good, thank you.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40Are we OK to come in? Yeah, excuse the mess.
0:10:40 > 0:10:42Don't worry. I'm Matt, by the way.
0:10:42 > 0:10:43Hiya.
0:10:44 > 0:10:45Hi, there.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48Keith, Kimberly and their toddler son, Jayden,
0:10:48 > 0:10:50moved into the flat over a year ago.
0:10:50 > 0:10:54But a catastrophic water leak soon resulted in a serious damp problem.
0:10:55 > 0:10:59More worryingly, just days ago, Kimberly gave birth to baby Riley.
0:10:59 > 0:11:02That's a very pink little baby.
0:11:02 > 0:11:03How old is he now?
0:11:03 > 0:11:07Three days.Just three days?Yeah.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10It seems the new arrival makes sorting out the problems here
0:11:10 > 0:11:11even more pressing.
0:11:12 > 0:11:14Beginning here, what do you notice?
0:11:14 > 0:11:18Well, there's tea staining which suggests there is a leak
0:11:18 > 0:11:22coming through from the roof that's on the top of this bay.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25The tenant tells us that when it rains, it come through.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28But I think it's maybe travelling as well,
0:11:28 > 0:11:30through the ceiling surface as well.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32Yeah. If that's continuous, as you say,
0:11:32 > 0:11:35part of that ceiling could start to collapse and drop down,
0:11:35 > 0:11:39so there's a number of hazards associated with this.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42We've got the damp penetration, we've got falling elements.
0:11:42 > 0:11:44Look what we've got here, right underneath this.
0:11:44 > 0:11:46We can't have this. You need to be protected.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49You can't be getting wet if the rain comes down.
0:11:49 > 0:11:51That's funny!
0:11:49 > 0:11:51MATT LAUGHS
0:11:53 > 0:11:56We've got loads of mould down there.
0:11:56 > 0:11:58Yeah.Oh, my God.
0:11:58 > 0:12:02Mould definitely isn't what you want to see around kids.
0:12:02 > 0:12:04You know, we've got mould there and it looks like it's the product of
0:12:04 > 0:12:08condensation. We've got kids sleeping in this room
0:12:08 > 0:12:11and occupying it for a big part of the day.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14I mean, that can't be good for them.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17That's not going to be too good, breathing that in.
0:12:18 > 0:12:22Young children and newborns are the most at risk from mould.
0:12:24 > 0:12:28Weak immune systems and growing lungs make them especially susceptible to
0:12:28 > 0:12:32life-threatening infections, pneumonia and respiratory failure.
0:12:35 > 0:12:37Keith shows me footage he recorded of the leak that developed
0:12:37 > 0:12:39soon after they moved in.
0:12:41 > 0:12:44This was a few months ago when we had heavy rain.
0:12:44 > 0:12:48If you watch the jug carefully, you'll see the splashing.
0:12:48 > 0:12:53We went through about 38 bowls of water, just in one day.
0:12:53 > 0:12:55And then it gradually got worse.
0:12:55 > 0:12:57It started off as just a tiny crack in the ceiling,
0:12:57 > 0:13:02and then, more recently, it was three weeks nonstop leaking.
0:13:04 > 0:13:07It's really sad to see the state of this family's home and what they've
0:13:07 > 0:13:10had to deal with. But the problems don't stop here.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15OK, so, we've got another issue here.
0:13:15 > 0:13:17Can you see?
0:13:17 > 0:13:18Well, we've got the consumer unit.
0:13:18 > 0:13:22We've got the meter and the main fuse all here
0:13:22 > 0:13:27and they're all completely exposed in a house with two kids.
0:13:27 > 0:13:29And all of that just looks fascinating.
0:13:29 > 0:13:32It's got flashing lights. It's got these wires.
0:13:32 > 0:13:34It looks like an activity centre, doesn't it?
0:13:34 > 0:13:36Yeah, and particularly with it being at low level,
0:13:36 > 0:13:39it's quite attractive to young children.
0:13:39 > 0:13:43They could easily put their fingers in places they shouldn't or pull the wires.
0:13:43 > 0:13:47The risk of electrocution is a terrifying thought for any parent,
0:13:47 > 0:13:51especially when you consider around 70 people are killed every year
0:13:51 > 0:13:53by electrical accidents in the home.
0:13:53 > 0:13:57Next door doesn't prove any less hazardous.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00Right, so, this is the kitchen.Yeah.
0:14:00 > 0:14:02So there's one obvious thing that's missing.
0:14:02 > 0:14:04There is no kitchen door.
0:14:04 > 0:14:05Yeah, exactly.
0:14:05 > 0:14:10So, over 65% of fires start within the kitchen,
0:14:10 > 0:14:12so it's really important that we have a door on here
0:14:12 > 0:14:14to stop the spread of fire,
0:14:14 > 0:14:17so we would ask for a solid,
0:14:17 > 0:14:19well-fitting door to be fitted on here.
0:14:19 > 0:14:23OK. So that just gives you enough time, if your toaster goes off,
0:14:23 > 0:14:25you will be able to close the door,
0:14:25 > 0:14:28get everybody else out and call somebody else to deal with it.
0:14:28 > 0:14:29Yes, exactly.
0:14:30 > 0:14:34The absence of door is yet another safety concern in this place.
0:14:34 > 0:14:36It's really not a good situation.
0:14:38 > 0:14:40Keith has been doing his best to support his young family
0:14:40 > 0:14:43for over a year in their first home together.
0:14:43 > 0:14:45But it looks like he's at breaking point.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48And what were your choices when you moved into this place?
0:14:48 > 0:14:51It was pretty much the only option we had.
0:14:51 > 0:14:55When we first came to see the place, it was a dream home.
0:14:55 > 0:14:58Nothing was made aware to us, like, damage wise.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01Then we moved in and everything just changed.
0:15:01 > 0:15:03This problem sounds like the one that you had...
0:15:03 > 0:15:06This has been going on from the beginning...very soon after.
0:15:06 > 0:15:10That's not been resolved at all? No, not at all. I've sent messages,
0:15:10 > 0:15:12and all I get is, "I'll speak to someone."
0:15:12 > 0:15:14"I'll send someone out to look at it."
0:15:14 > 0:15:16But still we've had nothing.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19You're staying here because you haven't got many other options,
0:15:19 > 0:15:21is that the case?No, we haven't got any options at all.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24We've been wanting to get out of here for almost a year now,
0:15:24 > 0:15:28and knowing that my son is in here, my newborn son, and my older son,
0:15:28 > 0:15:30and that could cause a lot of health risks...
0:15:31 > 0:15:33..and I'm not supporting...
0:15:34 > 0:15:36Sorry.It's all right.
0:15:43 > 0:15:47I've been wanting to support my partner for a long time.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50I've really been trying, but this flat has just been knocking me down,
0:15:50 > 0:15:51down further and further.
0:15:52 > 0:15:57OK. I mean, when you've got a new baby, or new babies, it is hard,
0:15:57 > 0:16:00but they are supposed to be happy times.
0:16:00 > 0:16:02Yeah.Are you able to enjoy that?
0:16:02 > 0:16:05How's it been?The happiest moment of my son being born was being
0:16:05 > 0:16:08in that hospital cos we weren't here.
0:16:08 > 0:16:10I haven't had sleep for almost two nights because I've been
0:16:10 > 0:16:13up all night watching him, making sure he's still, you know,
0:16:13 > 0:16:16breathing, and not coughing or anything,
0:16:16 > 0:16:19because I don't know what is in the air here any more.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22It feels to me like you feel a bit trapped here at the moment.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25Yeah.I hope you find a way out of that.
0:16:25 > 0:16:26Thank you.
0:16:28 > 0:16:32I think it's important that we get the landlord to fix the problem with
0:16:32 > 0:16:34the roof because, obviously, clearly, every time it rains,
0:16:34 > 0:16:37it's just going to keep coming through and make matters worse.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40It's going to become more of an issue if we don't get it resolved quickly.
0:16:42 > 0:16:43In every sense of the word,
0:16:43 > 0:16:46trying to make the best of the situation they're in,
0:16:46 > 0:16:48two tiny children,
0:16:48 > 0:16:52and a house where it doesn't matter where you put yourself,
0:16:52 > 0:16:55you're going to be exposing yourself to...
0:16:55 > 0:17:01There's some risks. There's the damp, electrics, the kitchen door.
0:17:01 > 0:17:02All of those things.
0:17:02 > 0:17:04What they really need is a break.
0:17:04 > 0:17:06They need someone to sort their house out,
0:17:06 > 0:17:09allow them to make it into a home.
0:17:09 > 0:17:11And that person, of course,
0:17:11 > 0:17:13should be the person responsible for the property.
0:17:15 > 0:17:17Let's hope that's what happens.
0:17:21 > 0:17:25The landlord tells us that he didn't know about the damp issues before
0:17:25 > 0:17:30Keith moved in but that he'll now look into the cause of the leak.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33He says the electrical consumer unit is at a normal height,
0:17:33 > 0:17:35but he will replace the door.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38He says the kitchen door isn't necessary, though,
0:17:38 > 0:17:40as it's a ground-floor flat.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43He's keen to stress that he's not a slum landlord
0:17:43 > 0:17:46and his tenants usually stay with him
0:17:46 > 0:17:49before moving on to bigger properties when they can.
0:17:52 > 0:17:53In the West Midlands,
0:17:53 > 0:17:55housing officer Richard Hawkins
0:17:55 > 0:17:57is on the brink of issuing a prohibition order
0:17:57 > 0:18:00on tenants living above an unsafe derelict pub.
0:18:02 > 0:18:05As well as damp, mould and collapsing ceilings
0:18:05 > 0:18:07that are putting tenants at risk,
0:18:07 > 0:18:09the building could easily go up in smoke.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14Outside, West Midlands Fire Service inspectors are making an urgent
0:18:14 > 0:18:16assessment of the possible risks to life.
0:18:16 > 0:18:18Flat roof, we've got no control on what's underneath.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21We can't actually get in to have a look round.
0:18:21 > 0:18:23There's definitely separation issues.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26Yeah.You could always have someone come along, an arsonist -
0:18:26 > 0:18:28that window's broke over there - start a fire. That roof...
0:18:28 > 0:18:32The empty bar area means there's a risk of fire beneath the tenants' rooms.
0:18:32 > 0:18:35The team has the power to shut it down immediately, but first,
0:18:35 > 0:18:38they need to do a thorough check inside the building.
0:18:38 > 0:18:40What I'm looking at is to just
0:18:40 > 0:18:42ensure that if we do serve a prohibition notice,
0:18:42 > 0:18:45it's because we've got no other choice,
0:18:45 > 0:18:49that the situation's so serious that we've got no choice to do it.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52Straight away, there's cause for concern.
0:18:52 > 0:18:57There's not a self-closing door on your high-risk room.
0:18:57 > 0:18:59We believe there's two people in here,
0:18:59 > 0:19:01one of them a pregnant woman.
0:19:01 > 0:19:03It's truly shocking.
0:19:03 > 0:19:06There are children living here and the lack of any decent fire safety
0:19:06 > 0:19:09equipment means this place is a death trap.
0:19:10 > 0:19:12We're seeing if we can reduce the risk
0:19:12 > 0:19:15cos the consequence of serving the prohibition notice is that
0:19:15 > 0:19:16people have to be rehoused.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19If we've got no choice, then I have to serve the notice.
0:19:19 > 0:19:21But I just want to ensure that, from our point of view,
0:19:21 > 0:19:23we've considered all options.
0:19:23 > 0:19:25With locks on some of the rooms,
0:19:25 > 0:19:29it's been difficult to work out for sure exactly who lives here.
0:19:29 > 0:19:34But for Richard, it's not a safe and secure environment for anyone on any level.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37The lock doesn't work, so when the tenants go out,
0:19:37 > 0:19:39they have to leave the door open.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42And when they're in, the only way of locking it is a bolt at the top.
0:19:43 > 0:19:45Round the back,
0:19:45 > 0:19:48the tenants have created another huge health and safety hazard.
0:19:48 > 0:19:49Wow.
0:19:49 > 0:19:51I mean, the smell's horrible.
0:19:51 > 0:19:53Got soft mattresses here.
0:19:53 > 0:19:57Again, we're in that situation where you're going to get rats and rodents
0:19:57 > 0:19:59that can burrow into these types of places,
0:19:59 > 0:20:02get in what we call harbourage.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05It's a nice, cosy place for a rat to sleep, isn't it?
0:20:05 > 0:20:08Vermin like rats carry all sorts of diseases and bugs that can be passed
0:20:08 > 0:20:12to people, including tuberculosis and E coli.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15The last thing you want to do is give them a comfortable habitat to live in.
0:20:15 > 0:20:19It's a big rotting, stinking pile of filth.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24The list of serious safety hazards keeps growing.
0:20:24 > 0:20:26But however bad things are,
0:20:26 > 0:20:28the team has to consider that this is a place
0:20:28 > 0:20:30that people still call home.
0:20:30 > 0:20:32It is a tough decision to make.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35We'll go to the station, write out all the different ones,
0:20:35 > 0:20:37they'll have my signature on it, and then
0:20:37 > 0:20:39you can send them out at leisure.
0:20:39 > 0:20:43The Fire Service are going to shut this building down with a probation order.
0:20:43 > 0:20:45Then we're going to do is serve another notice saying that if you
0:20:45 > 0:20:47want people to live in this building,
0:20:47 > 0:20:50you've got to do these things to make sure that it's safe.
0:20:51 > 0:20:54It's now down to Richard to start the ball rolling and get the tenants
0:20:54 > 0:20:57into a home fit for human habitation.
0:20:57 > 0:20:59Are you able to get yourself to an office now?Yeah.
0:20:59 > 0:21:00Are you able to up and go?
0:21:00 > 0:21:03I'm going to make some phone calls to let them know you're coming
0:21:03 > 0:21:05and I'm going to get you a status,
0:21:05 > 0:21:07so that we can get you rehoused today.OK.
0:21:07 > 0:21:09Does that make sense?Thank you.
0:21:12 > 0:21:15Come back and collect it, you just can't sleep here. All right?
0:21:16 > 0:21:18What we basically don't want to do
0:21:18 > 0:21:20is shut this building down and we get a mum
0:21:20 > 0:21:23come back with her daughter at eight o'clock tonight and find they've
0:21:23 > 0:21:26got no home. If they phone this number,
0:21:26 > 0:21:29they will have a roof over their head tonight.
0:21:31 > 0:21:33With everyone safely off the premises,
0:21:33 > 0:21:37the building will be locked to ensure no-one else can sleep there.
0:21:37 > 0:21:39The existing tenants can call the council
0:21:39 > 0:21:41to arrange to pick up their belongings.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48Brilliant. So, that's fantastic.
0:21:48 > 0:21:51Thanks for your help, Carl. Appreciate it, mate.
0:21:51 > 0:21:53Our priority here is to get the people out
0:21:53 > 0:21:54and to get the building safe.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57We've done that by getting the Fire Service to serve a probation order
0:21:57 > 0:21:59and then the council's going to rehouse people.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02The others, unfortunately, we don't know who they are,
0:22:02 > 0:22:05so all that we can really do is put a notice on the door for the time
0:22:05 > 0:22:08being, hope that they see it and that they pay attention to that.
0:22:08 > 0:22:11We're going to have to keep coming back here to make sure that it's not
0:22:11 > 0:22:13lived in and that the people in there have moved.
0:22:18 > 0:22:22The owners of the Puffing Billy told us that it was due to be developed
0:22:22 > 0:22:24and that they hadn't known that people were living there.
0:22:24 > 0:22:28Once they found out, they boarded the building up.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31The property will now stay under lock and key
0:22:31 > 0:22:33until its future is decided.
0:22:33 > 0:22:35Oh, and the council have given the owners a deadline
0:22:35 > 0:22:38to clear up that pile of rubbish too.
0:22:41 > 0:22:45By law, rented properties must be safe and fit to live in.
0:22:45 > 0:22:47The trouble is, many aren't,
0:22:47 > 0:22:52due to a minority of landlords ignoring their obligations.
0:22:52 > 0:22:56If you think your landlord is breaking the law or acting unfairly,
0:22:56 > 0:22:58what can you do? Well, for a start,
0:22:58 > 0:23:02you could call your local council housing officer.
0:23:02 > 0:23:06Tenant safety is a key responsibility of landlords.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09I do think they should be responsible because, I mean,
0:23:09 > 0:23:11they're making money from that property.
0:23:11 > 0:23:13They should be using the money, or some of the money,
0:23:13 > 0:23:16to keep the property to a good standard.
0:23:16 > 0:23:18I definitely think the landlord should take responsibility
0:23:18 > 0:23:22for any issues that are inside the building or even outside
0:23:22 > 0:23:25the flat or the building that you live in.
0:23:25 > 0:23:26You have to inform them.
0:23:26 > 0:23:29If they don't know what is going on in your house,
0:23:29 > 0:23:34how can they just pop in to come in and mend things?
0:23:34 > 0:23:38In Peterborough, I'm out with housing officers Pete and Stuart.
0:23:38 > 0:23:42They're off to meet a landlord who has been warned he must do vital
0:23:42 > 0:23:44safety works on one of his rental properties.
0:23:44 > 0:23:48Any idea what we're going to see when we get there?
0:23:48 > 0:23:50Yeah, we're looking at...
0:23:50 > 0:23:52The landlord is under notice,
0:23:52 > 0:23:54so we've served a legal notice on him to do repairs.
0:23:54 > 0:23:56Yeah.
0:23:56 > 0:23:58So we've come to check...
0:23:59 > 0:24:02We've come to check progress more than completion.
0:24:03 > 0:24:06It's not unusual for the council to keep up the pressure on landlords
0:24:06 > 0:24:09to make their properties safe for tenants,
0:24:09 > 0:24:11with home security a key issue.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14One of the things was to sort the door out.
0:24:14 > 0:24:15What? The way it is at the moment?
0:24:15 > 0:24:18The door that they had locked with a spoon.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21Yes.A spoon?With a spoon.
0:24:21 > 0:24:23Not sure anyone's in. We'll go round the back.Shall we?
0:24:25 > 0:24:29Yes, he did say the door had been locked with a spoon.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32It's anyone's guess what the rest of the property is like though.
0:24:32 > 0:24:34Just to put you in the picture,
0:24:34 > 0:24:37we've arrived and the landlord is taking us on a little guided tour
0:24:37 > 0:24:39to show us the work, the improvements
0:24:39 > 0:24:41that he's made to the property,
0:24:41 > 0:24:43which is the stuff that Pete was insisting upon.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48But it's still not looking good.
0:24:48 > 0:24:50We're not even through the door yet.
0:24:50 > 0:24:52That looks a bit wonky.
0:24:52 > 0:24:53Everything looks a bit wonky.
0:24:58 > 0:25:03Homes don't look like you imagine homes always look.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06You know that picture you drew when you were a kid at primary school?
0:25:06 > 0:25:08They don't always look like that.
0:25:09 > 0:25:11And this place really doesn't.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14Pete and Stuart have gone off to check the work
0:25:14 > 0:25:15the landlord has done,
0:25:15 > 0:25:19but tenant Yvonna is frustrated at how long it's taken.
0:25:19 > 0:25:21He just does this yesterday.
0:25:21 > 0:25:23Right.This door, the man just fixed it now.
0:25:23 > 0:25:27So it's just literally the last two days, today even?
0:25:27 > 0:25:28Yeah, today.
0:25:28 > 0:25:31One of the measures of a home that's fit to live in
0:25:31 > 0:25:33is that you can keep it secure.
0:25:33 > 0:25:36To hear that's not always been the case here is worrying.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39I'm wondering how much rent Yvonna has been paying.
0:25:39 > 0:25:42For a month, I pay £600.OK.
0:25:42 > 0:25:44£600 a month for this property? For this property.
0:25:44 > 0:25:47And do you live...? Is it two of you or do you have,
0:25:47 > 0:25:49is there anybody else? I've got my mum.
0:25:49 > 0:25:52I live with my mum...Yeah. ..my dad and my older brother,
0:25:52 > 0:25:55he sleeps upstairs.So, at the moment, there's five of you,
0:25:55 > 0:25:58including baby? There's only two bedrooms
0:25:58 > 0:25:59and me and my baby have to sleep with...
0:25:59 > 0:26:02It turns out the family have been living in this cramped property
0:26:02 > 0:26:04for almost a year,
0:26:04 > 0:26:07but Yvonna says the landlord didn't respond to most of her complaints
0:26:07 > 0:26:10until just hours before we arrived.
0:26:10 > 0:26:12This, he just fixed it now.
0:26:12 > 0:26:14So there was no handrail? No, he just put it now.
0:26:14 > 0:26:18So, the handrail's just gone in, still got the price on it.Yeah.
0:26:18 > 0:26:20Upstairs, Yvonna's keen to show me
0:26:20 > 0:26:22what else she's been putting up with.
0:26:22 > 0:26:26When it's raining, it came from that one, it came from this one,
0:26:26 > 0:26:28and all the carpet is wet.
0:26:28 > 0:26:30So, when it rains, it comes through the ceiling?
0:26:30 > 0:26:32Yeah, and from this one.
0:26:32 > 0:26:36Water getting in can cause structural damage and damp.
0:26:36 > 0:26:37It's not a good situation,
0:26:37 > 0:26:41particularly when you've got kids in the house.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44And this one...Yeah? Sometimes the water's hot,
0:26:44 > 0:26:46sometimes it isn't hot. So you've got a boiler in here?
0:26:46 > 0:26:48Yeah, and then it's leaking.
0:26:48 > 0:26:50Sometimes not hot,
0:26:50 > 0:26:52the water's leaking and all the carpet is wet.
0:26:52 > 0:26:54And this room is really cold.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57A leaking boiler can be a serious problem
0:26:57 > 0:27:00and it definitely needs to be professionally repaired.
0:27:00 > 0:27:02So, you and the baby are next door.
0:27:02 > 0:27:05Yes, sleeping with my mum. With your mum?Yes.
0:27:05 > 0:27:07So, whilst the door that was locked with a spoon
0:27:07 > 0:27:10and the handrail have both been fixed,
0:27:10 > 0:27:13it looks like Yvonna and her family are still in a difficult situation.
0:27:15 > 0:27:17Wow, that's one of the most disturbing things
0:27:17 > 0:27:21I've seen in a while. You know, Yvonna is trying to...
0:27:21 > 0:27:25..has brought home her child to a house that leaks,
0:27:25 > 0:27:28which is cold,
0:27:28 > 0:27:31which is draughty,
0:27:31 > 0:27:36which appears dangerous, neglected, insecure.
0:27:38 > 0:27:41I'd say they're not asking for very much.
0:27:41 > 0:27:47But even that, the landlord has, over months, failed to provide.
0:27:49 > 0:27:53So, there is still work to be done in the house, as well as outside.
0:27:53 > 0:27:56But sadly, it seems Yvonna's family aren't alone in struggling
0:27:56 > 0:27:58with substandard accommodation in the city.
0:28:00 > 0:28:04How common is what we saw in there in Peterborough right now,
0:28:04 > 0:28:08would you say?In this area, very common. Very common.
0:28:10 > 0:28:12We could spend a week just knocking on the door,
0:28:12 > 0:28:15five minutes in the house, we'll find...
0:28:15 > 0:28:17..most houses like that.
0:28:17 > 0:28:21So, Pete and his colleagues see conditions like this every day.
0:28:21 > 0:28:23That doesn't make it right for tenants like Yvonna
0:28:23 > 0:28:24who are having to deal with it.
0:28:24 > 0:28:28It's now down to the housing officers to make sure the landlord
0:28:28 > 0:28:31sorts things out as soon as possible.
0:28:31 > 0:28:35The job that Pete and David, that we have seen them doing,
0:28:35 > 0:28:37they have to build a relationship with this guy to try
0:28:37 > 0:28:40and get some improvement.
0:28:40 > 0:28:42Absolute shocker. Absolute shocker, this one.
0:28:45 > 0:28:47Since we filmed, Peterborough housing officers
0:28:47 > 0:28:51say the landlord has completed most of the work required by the council.
0:28:51 > 0:28:54They'll be keeping a close eye on him to make sure the rest of the
0:28:54 > 0:28:55repairs are done.
0:28:58 > 0:29:01They say that in any major city in the UK,
0:29:01 > 0:29:04you are never more than 20 feet from a rat.
0:29:04 > 0:29:07But having rats invade your home is not only upsetting,
0:29:07 > 0:29:12it's a health risk and can cause potentially dangerous damage
0:29:12 > 0:29:14to the property.
0:29:14 > 0:29:17If I found a rat or even finding a mouse in my house,
0:29:17 > 0:29:19I would, like, die.
0:29:19 > 0:29:21I don't think they're very desirable.
0:29:21 > 0:29:23You don't want vermin in your home
0:29:23 > 0:29:25and you would contact a pest controller
0:29:25 > 0:29:28or the local council and ask for advice, I would've thought.
0:29:28 > 0:29:32They carry a lot of disease and if you have a bad sewer system,
0:29:32 > 0:29:34it's bad. It's really unhygienic.
0:29:34 > 0:29:37We used to get some rats in the back garden,
0:29:37 > 0:29:39but we don't now because we've got cats.
0:29:43 > 0:29:45In Cromer, in Norfolk,
0:29:45 > 0:29:48town centre residents Anne and Mike are proud of the home
0:29:48 > 0:29:51they've had for the past 25 years.
0:29:51 > 0:29:54When we first bought it, we walked in and the first time we saw it,
0:29:54 > 0:29:56we fell in love with it,
0:29:56 > 0:30:00we knew this was a house where we were going to be happy.
0:30:00 > 0:30:02But recently, they've had their home life shattered
0:30:02 > 0:30:05by some very unwelcome visitors.
0:30:05 > 0:30:08I think it was probably about eight weeks ago,
0:30:08 > 0:30:11we started hearing noises.
0:30:11 > 0:30:15I was sewing and I heard something rustling.
0:30:15 > 0:30:20We thought it was a mouse and so we set traps.
0:30:20 > 0:30:22The couple then went away for the weekend,
0:30:22 > 0:30:26leaving their daughter, Sally, and her baby staying in the house.
0:30:26 > 0:30:29My daughter, she was in the living room, feeding the baby,
0:30:29 > 0:30:32late at night, and she heard the snap trap go bang.
0:30:34 > 0:30:40To her horror, she was met not by a mouse but by a large dead rat.
0:30:40 > 0:30:42But that wasn't the end of the problem.
0:30:42 > 0:30:44More rats were getting in.
0:30:45 > 0:30:48Our little granddaughter could be very vulnerable.
0:30:48 > 0:30:51It made me feel very uncomfortable.
0:30:51 > 0:30:54I find myself quite often on edge in my own home,
0:30:54 > 0:30:56particularly in the evenings.
0:30:56 > 0:31:02Exterminator Tony Bennett has been in pest control for 35 years.
0:31:02 > 0:31:04Rodents are here for a reason, they need food,
0:31:04 > 0:31:05they need water and somewhere to live.
0:31:05 > 0:31:08Obviously we've got quite a bit of ground control in here,
0:31:08 > 0:31:12which is generally tidy, but we've also got bird feeders over the back.
0:31:12 > 0:31:15Bird feeders will entice all the rodents in,
0:31:15 > 0:31:17so what we've got to do is deter them from the restaurant
0:31:17 > 0:31:20they're eating in, so they start controlling the poison,
0:31:20 > 0:31:23which we call the beans on toast, on the bait stations.
0:31:25 > 0:31:29Controlling rodents is a growing problem in the UK.
0:31:29 > 0:31:32It's thought they might even be developing immunity to some poisons.
0:31:34 > 0:31:38Tony wants to find out how the rats are getting into the house
0:31:38 > 0:31:39and where they might be living.
0:31:40 > 0:31:43Just going to do a survey of the kitchen, underneath the kick plates,
0:31:43 > 0:31:47which is the most common place for rodents to harbour.
0:31:48 > 0:31:50There's not much of a smear mark so it shows you
0:31:50 > 0:31:53they haven't been using it for a long time.
0:31:53 > 0:31:57Well, the rats will most commonly come in a hole through pipework
0:31:57 > 0:31:59at the back of the doors in the yard or kitchen
0:31:59 > 0:32:01or gnawing through doors.
0:32:01 > 0:32:03If there's no issues with proofing low-level,
0:32:03 > 0:32:05they will climb up the drainpipes,
0:32:05 > 0:32:09go through the gutter and underneath the eaves, and go into the loft.
0:32:11 > 0:32:14And a quick check of the loft shows he's right.
0:32:15 > 0:32:16We've definitely had rats up here
0:32:16 > 0:32:19because I can smell the aroma of the urine.
0:32:19 > 0:32:22As you can see, the pest control person dealing with this property
0:32:22 > 0:32:25has put some bait, tethered bait.
0:32:25 > 0:32:27You can see all the holes in the top
0:32:27 > 0:32:30and as I go around you'll see the holes going through the pipework.
0:32:32 > 0:32:36And you can see a couple of little nibbles on the lagging.
0:32:36 > 0:32:38They've definitely come in from one of the corners,
0:32:38 > 0:32:40either this side or that side, and they're running down,
0:32:40 > 0:32:42over the top of the joists,
0:32:42 > 0:32:44you can see them running on top of the pipes
0:32:44 > 0:32:47and going through right into your main building.
0:32:47 > 0:32:49If the rats have established a colony,
0:32:49 > 0:32:51they'll be more difficult to get rid of,
0:32:51 > 0:32:54but Tony's got at least a little bit of good news.
0:32:55 > 0:32:57There's no evidence of juvenile droppings.
0:32:57 > 0:32:59If it had been going on for quite a while,
0:32:59 > 0:33:01one rat will lay 40 droppings a day
0:33:01 > 0:33:03and there'd be quite a bit of evidence and a bit of aroma,
0:33:03 > 0:33:05so it's really early stages.
0:33:05 > 0:33:08Just looks like the beginning of summer, they found your food source,
0:33:08 > 0:33:12now they're looking for somewhere to live over the winter.
0:33:12 > 0:33:15As rats reproduce so rapidly over just one year,
0:33:15 > 0:33:19it's important to track the rodents down and stop them settling in.
0:33:21 > 0:33:23Oh, here we go, we've got some rat droppings down here.
0:33:23 > 0:33:25This'll be a good place to put a trap or some bait
0:33:25 > 0:33:27because they've been using it regular.
0:33:27 > 0:33:30You can see another larger one there, so...
0:33:30 > 0:33:32It's not as mad, bad as it might be, I think,
0:33:32 > 0:33:34from what Tony's been saying.
0:33:34 > 0:33:38It looks as if it's, you know, as he says, early stages, but it's just...
0:33:40 > 0:33:41Erm...
0:33:43 > 0:33:45Can you switch that off, please?
0:33:45 > 0:33:47You can see why Anne's upset.
0:33:47 > 0:33:49It's not only having vermin in her home -
0:33:49 > 0:33:53rats can carry nasty diseases which can be passed on to humans
0:33:53 > 0:33:57through urine and faeces, including salmonella and Weil's disease.
0:33:58 > 0:34:00You've got no holes going through.
0:34:00 > 0:34:04No smear marks, no droppings, no tail swipes or footprints.
0:34:04 > 0:34:07Absolutely great. Peace of mind, you're safe in that one.
0:34:07 > 0:34:09At least their bedroom is clear.
0:34:10 > 0:34:15To deter rats it's important to keep your home and garden free of clutter
0:34:15 > 0:34:17and store food and pet food in containers.
0:34:17 > 0:34:21Oh, and rubbish should always be put in secure bins.
0:34:21 > 0:34:23The bung holes are normally in the middle.
0:34:23 > 0:34:27If there's no bung hole there'll be a hole in the bottom...
0:34:27 > 0:34:29..where rats come through and have a feed.
0:34:29 > 0:34:32To us this is rubbish, but this is gold dust for a rodent
0:34:32 > 0:34:35and if they're eating here at this lovely restaurant,
0:34:35 > 0:34:37they're not going to touch the beans on toast.OK.OK.
0:34:37 > 0:34:41The best thing to do is obviously to fix some 5ml mesh at the base.
0:34:41 > 0:34:44Yeah.That'll prevent any rodent getting through, mice or rats,
0:34:44 > 0:34:47and then we can start controlling them. OK?
0:34:47 > 0:34:48It's going to go.
0:34:48 > 0:34:51The rat is not going to win. The rat is not going to win.No.
0:34:55 > 0:34:58Neighbourly disputes are one of the biggest causes of complaints
0:34:58 > 0:35:01to councils in the UK.
0:35:01 > 0:35:03In Suffolk, housing officer Andrew Weavers
0:35:03 > 0:35:05has had a call from a council tenant
0:35:05 > 0:35:08who's very unhappy with his neighbour.
0:35:08 > 0:35:09What have you got for me today?
0:35:09 > 0:35:13OK. I've got a complaint about somebody with a very overgrown...
0:35:13 > 0:35:15Well, not overgrown garden, a very messy garden.
0:35:15 > 0:35:19The neighbour has rung me and said
0:35:19 > 0:35:22that the garden is really in a bad state.
0:35:22 > 0:35:24He's obviously worried about rats.
0:35:24 > 0:35:26Also there's some dogs at the property,
0:35:26 > 0:35:28the neighbour's a bit worried about them,
0:35:28 > 0:35:32noise and the fact that they may be a little bit dangerous.
0:35:32 > 0:35:35I don't know. I hope not cos I'm not really very good at dangerous dogs.
0:35:35 > 0:35:38No. I don't think anyone's very good at dangerous dogs...No...really.
0:35:38 > 0:35:40Well, that's exciting...Yep.
0:35:40 > 0:35:43..so a cluttered garden and maybe some dogs thrown
0:35:43 > 0:35:46into the mix as well.Yeah. That's a challenge.Yeah.
0:35:46 > 0:35:47Let's go.OK.
0:35:49 > 0:35:51Council tenants are expected to maintain their homes
0:35:51 > 0:35:53in a reasonable condition
0:35:53 > 0:35:56and not cause a nuisance or danger to nearby residents.
0:35:56 > 0:35:59Any anti-social behaviour could put them in breach
0:35:59 > 0:36:01of their tenancy agreement.
0:36:01 > 0:36:03I don't know what we're going to see
0:36:03 > 0:36:06but if there's a lot of clutter outside,
0:36:06 > 0:36:08then it's going to be an eyesore, isn't it?
0:36:08 > 0:36:11If he lives the same way indoors...
0:36:11 > 0:36:13..it's a fire risk in there.
0:36:13 > 0:36:16What sort of thing is cluttering the house?
0:36:16 > 0:36:20Will he be able to get out if there is a problem?
0:36:20 > 0:36:25So, the outside symptoms give you a good reason to go in
0:36:25 > 0:36:27and have a look inside and work out
0:36:27 > 0:36:29whether that in itself presents a risk.
0:36:29 > 0:36:32We will see.All will be revealed. Unless he kicks us out.
0:36:32 > 0:36:35Unless he sets the dogs on us. Yeah.We don't want that.
0:36:40 > 0:36:41BARKING
0:36:41 > 0:36:45Sure enough, the dogs are certainly keen to make themselves heard.
0:36:45 > 0:36:48You'd think when the dogs go off, he'd know that someone's around.
0:36:48 > 0:36:50Yeah.
0:36:50 > 0:36:53And Andrew wasn't exaggerating about the clutter either.
0:36:53 > 0:36:56That is one garden that is completely out of control.
0:36:56 > 0:37:01It's part timber yard, it's part agricultural plant hire.
0:37:01 > 0:37:04In amidst all of that, there are lots of chickens,
0:37:04 > 0:37:06there's a duck
0:37:06 > 0:37:09and inside the house there are several very large dogs.
0:37:09 > 0:37:13However, there is no occupant, there's no resident at the moment.
0:37:13 > 0:37:16But it's a sight to see, I'll say that much.
0:37:16 > 0:37:19It really is. If I was living next door to it,
0:37:19 > 0:37:22I would be asking some serious questions.
0:37:22 > 0:37:24It's looking like the tenant isn't at home,
0:37:24 > 0:37:28so we're going to have to try to get some answers from other neighbours.
0:37:28 > 0:37:30Hey, sunshine. Hello!
0:37:30 > 0:37:32The dogs here are much more friendly.
0:37:32 > 0:37:34Hello, Daisy!
0:37:34 > 0:37:36These are my kind of dogs.
0:37:36 > 0:37:38Look at that.
0:37:38 > 0:37:40If you can't see your neighbour, it don't affect you,
0:37:40 > 0:37:42so you'll obviously get on OK with him, it's just, I think...
0:37:42 > 0:37:44Yeah, I don't have any problems.
0:37:44 > 0:37:48Yeah, I think we've had complaints from other people about, obviously,
0:37:48 > 0:37:49the condition of the garden,
0:37:49 > 0:37:52maybe what's going on inside, I don't know.
0:37:52 > 0:37:55Yeah, I don't...But... I don't have that much contact.
0:37:55 > 0:37:58Yeah.No.So... But that's why I'm here.Yeah.
0:37:58 > 0:38:02Obviously had the complaint but... No, no, he's no problem to me.
0:38:02 > 0:38:06Good.The only problems we do get is with the rats.
0:38:06 > 0:38:07There are rats there, then.
0:38:07 > 0:38:10When he took down the old buildings, we found there was lots of rats.
0:38:10 > 0:38:14Uh-huh.Because I have got a few chickens at the back there
0:38:14 > 0:38:18and I get problems with the rats coming in.OK.
0:38:18 > 0:38:22Neighbours are very tolerant, actually, of the way
0:38:22 > 0:38:24that gentleman is choosing to live his life and,
0:38:24 > 0:38:27you know, if you look at that back garden,
0:38:27 > 0:38:28it seems to me there's a guy that's been very,
0:38:28 > 0:38:32very busy in his life and maybe, for one reason or another,
0:38:32 > 0:38:35hasn't been able to keep up that level of activity
0:38:35 > 0:38:38and keep up this property.
0:38:38 > 0:38:41But that doesn't mean you sort of wade in there
0:38:41 > 0:38:45and punish or enforce or sanction
0:38:45 > 0:38:47and that's what Andrew's very good at,
0:38:47 > 0:38:51is working out what that guy needs to be able to live his life as well
0:38:51 > 0:38:54as he can without affecting neighbours.
0:38:54 > 0:38:56It looks like this might be a case of six of one,
0:38:56 > 0:38:58half a dozen of the other.
0:38:58 > 0:39:01But Andrew will need to talk to the tenant about his garden
0:39:01 > 0:39:03and check his dogs aren't a threat.
0:39:03 > 0:39:06We've got one neighbour says they're fine.
0:39:06 > 0:39:08Yeah.Looked after, got no problem with him.
0:39:08 > 0:39:11Got another neighbour saying they're barking all the time
0:39:11 > 0:39:12and they're vicious.
0:39:12 > 0:39:16It does need a tidy up, front and back.
0:39:16 > 0:39:19I'm not saying it's got to be a palace, cos I'm no gardener.
0:39:19 > 0:39:22I do agree, really, people should be able to live a little bit
0:39:22 > 0:39:23out of the ordinary.
0:39:23 > 0:39:26You know, we've all got our own personalities, haven't we?
0:39:26 > 0:39:29And then the dogs, is that a job for you?
0:39:29 > 0:39:31I'd only refer it on if it was a noise nuisance.
0:39:31 > 0:39:33As far as the tenancy's concerned,
0:39:33 > 0:39:36he probably has been a tenant here for quite some time,
0:39:36 > 0:39:38so he's probably been...
0:39:38 > 0:39:40He's come from a time when the tenancy agreement
0:39:40 > 0:39:44didn't really specify any numbers of dogs, so, you know,
0:39:44 > 0:39:49our sort of attitude, if they're looked after and well-behaved,
0:39:49 > 0:39:52then we let it go.
0:39:52 > 0:39:54But if they're not,
0:39:54 > 0:39:58then we can withdraw any permissions that he might have had.
0:39:58 > 0:40:00At the end of the day, they are our properties
0:40:00 > 0:40:02and we need to make sure they're looked after.
0:40:07 > 0:40:11Two weeks later, Andrew's come back to meet with the dog-owning tenant,
0:40:11 > 0:40:12Mr Roach.
0:40:13 > 0:40:16Hello, mate.Hello. Are you all right?Yeah, you?
0:40:16 > 0:40:20Yeah. Spoke on the phone, didn't we? Yeah.
0:40:20 > 0:40:23Obviously, the first thing on my list was obviously the allegation
0:40:23 > 0:40:25that dogs were a nuisance and, obviously, I was told
0:40:25 > 0:40:28there was four dogs, or was led to believe there was for four dogs.
0:40:28 > 0:40:31No, there's two.But there's only two, isn't it?Two dogs.
0:40:31 > 0:40:33Yeah. Is that one of them in the van, is it?Yeah, yeah.
0:40:33 > 0:40:35Where's the other one?
0:40:35 > 0:40:37Oh.
0:40:37 > 0:40:39You're all right. I was bitten as a paperboy
0:40:39 > 0:40:42and I've never forgotten it.
0:40:39 > 0:40:42HE LAUGHS
0:40:43 > 0:40:47So, only two dogs and this one seems calm enough.
0:40:47 > 0:40:50It looks like the front garden's been tidied up too.
0:40:50 > 0:40:54As for the back garden, well, it's getting there.
0:40:54 > 0:40:56So, really, we've got a work in progress, haven't we? So...
0:40:56 > 0:41:00Yeah, well, this...So how many chickens did you have?
0:41:00 > 0:41:02I haven't got a clue. But most of them have gone.
0:41:02 > 0:41:04Oh, they're all gone. Just the ones you can't catch.
0:41:04 > 0:41:07It's not going to be an overnight...
0:41:07 > 0:41:12No, as I say, I'm not into sort of, you know, starting to serve notices,
0:41:12 > 0:41:16I'm not into that. I like to sort of try and work with you a bit.
0:41:16 > 0:41:19You know, the other part of the complaint was the noise and...
0:41:19 > 0:41:23Which is totally rubbish. ..you say that's wrong.
0:41:23 > 0:41:26Mr Roach says he doesn't think his dogs are excessively noisy.
0:41:26 > 0:41:30Obviously, the noise part of it you sort of dispute, so...
0:41:30 > 0:41:34Yeah...I promised I'd mention it and I have.Yep.OK.
0:41:34 > 0:41:36Before he goes,
0:41:36 > 0:41:40Andrew's still keen to check conditions inside the property.
0:41:40 > 0:41:44I've only just done this but haven't finished the paintwork yet.
0:41:44 > 0:41:49No.I'm not an interior designer. No.You know what I mean?OK.
0:41:49 > 0:41:51I'll come back in a month
0:41:51 > 0:41:54and we'll see how well you've got on, and hopefully
0:41:54 > 0:41:58the garden will be a bit straighter and you've made a start in here.
0:41:58 > 0:41:59Yeah.
0:41:59 > 0:42:00Rome wasn't built in a day,
0:42:00 > 0:42:02certainly hasn't been built in the last four years.
0:42:02 > 0:42:04HE LAUGHS
0:42:04 > 0:42:05So far, so good.
0:42:05 > 0:42:07The garden, he's...
0:42:07 > 0:42:09..he's now focusing on that.
0:42:09 > 0:42:10Once that's sort of cleared,
0:42:10 > 0:42:13I'll start pushing him on a few other little things as well,
0:42:13 > 0:42:16but he knows now that once I've got something,
0:42:16 > 0:42:19I don't sort of go away until we can sort of sign it off and say,
0:42:19 > 0:42:20"Right, well, we're happy with this."
0:42:20 > 0:42:24So, for the time being, he's cooperating and I thought he would.
0:42:24 > 0:42:27So that's it for now, anyway, I'm off your back for a little while,
0:42:27 > 0:42:29but that's all I'm looking for, is continued improvement,
0:42:29 > 0:42:32so see you in about four weeks.
0:42:32 > 0:42:35Yeah, OK.All right, fella. Take it easy.Cheers.
0:42:35 > 0:42:37Well, it's not going to be an overnight thing.
0:42:37 > 0:42:41It's going to be a month or so, but we'll progress.
0:42:42 > 0:42:45It's been a successful visit for Andrew.
0:42:45 > 0:42:47The tenant's happy, and hopefully the neighbours will see
0:42:47 > 0:42:48those improvements soon.
0:42:52 > 0:42:54That's all for today. Join me next time,
0:42:54 > 0:42:57when I'll be working with the men and women
0:42:57 > 0:43:00who are fighting to keep you safe in your home.