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