Episode 3 The Housing Enforcers

Can you imagine living in these conditions?

-So, you started with mice...

-Yeah.

-..and now they're rats?

-Yeah, yeah.

Security's very poor at the back of this property.

But with the pressure on housing greater than ever,

finding a safe place to live is getting harder and harder.

It is just terrible. It gets me the most, this place.

Oh, my God. Can you see what's going on here?

I'm Matt Allwright, and I'm back on the front line

with the housing enforcers.

So, what you've got is a very, very quick way to dispatch yourself.

This series tackles downright dangerous houses head on...

Really worryingly, there's no mains gas supply here at all.

..from life-endangering fire traps...

They wouldn't even know that the place was on fire before they were dead.

You can see these plugs here, they've blown.

The worst-case scenario - the house could have burned down.

..to health hazards...

It's at a stage where it really needs to be dealt with now.

..to accidents waiting to happen...

You're actually not talking about a fire.

You're talking about an explosion.

..making sure we all have a safe and secure place to call home.

There are things here that could seriously shorten your life.

Today, an outbreak of mould

is threatening the health of a young family.

So, we've got damp and mould all around the kitchen window,

-which you've tried to scrub off...

-Yeah.

..and it's just come back.

And it's going all the way through the net curtains, as well.

In the Midlands, a police crackdown reveals some lethal electrics.

That's dangerous. Don't do that.

Basically, you've built yourself a bonfire there, my friend.

And in Peterborough, the dangers are adding up at this rented home.

This is about as bad as it gets, that we will see.

Desperately poor.

Damp and mould affects millions of homes in the UK,

and can seriously affect your health.

For housing officers, it's a problem that needs to be dealt with quickly,

particularly when there are children involved.

When we first moved into our current house, it's an old house,

so there was damp and mould in one of the corners.

Obviously, that can have an effect on people's breathing and stuff.

And one of my sons is an asthmatic,

so we actually had that dealt with properly.

I have suffered from damp, and it occurred from a leaking roof.

And I called my housing association,

and they were quite responsive and they came and they dealt with it.

I've suffered from damp and mould before,

and I'm actually still suffering from that.

And the landlord hasn't really done anything about it. He goes,

it was my job to do that, my responsibility.

In the West Midlands,

I'm working with housing officer

Christina Bartholomew.

-So, tell me where we're going, Christina.

-A report's come in.

They've said that there's chronic damp problems in the property.

It absolutely reeks of damp in there.

So, as soon as we go through the door,

it's very likely we can smell it straightaway.

And if another department has been in there and spotted this,

it's more likely to be reliable,

and it's not necessarily a tenant that overestimates,

-you know, how serious the condition is.

-That's it.

-Well, we will have a look. We will see what we will see.

-Yeah.

This is a family home,

with tenant Amy and her four young children living here.

Christina is expecting the worst.

It soon becomes clear she was right to.

Hello. It's Christina from the council.

-Yes, come in.

-Thank you very much.

It's a truly depressing sight to behold.

-Wow.

-So, we're just going to have a look round, Amy,

cos we've had a few reported little issues,

like electrics and damp.

-I can smell a little bit of damp in the room.

-OK.

-Yeah, OK. Thank you.

-Thank you very much.

It's quite a warm day outside,

and it's really cold and damp in here.

The radiators aren't on.

And in all the corners of this front room,

we've got black damp

that looks like it's been scrubbed off but has grown again.

This is a worrying discovery.

Damp and black mould can cause allergic reactions,

and the World Health Organization say babies

and small children should be kept well away from it.

-There's quite a lot of black mould on the walls, as you can see.

-Yeah.

Behind here, there's quite a lot of damp round the windows.

Cos what you really need to do is keep the airflow in here

so that it gets rid of the smell.

-Yeah.

-Ah, that's it.

This is definitely condensation damp.

-It's spotting, isn't it...

-Yeah.

..rather than coming through with, like,

-brown staining or anything?

-Yeah.

-Also, there's a chimney breast,

-so the wall is the other side of that.

-That's it.

Condensation damp happens when moisture in the air

settles on cold surfaces, like walls and windows.

If it was rising damp, you'd have a tidemark round the walls,

but you can smell the condensation in the air. You know, the damp.

And it's black spores, as well,

which are quite dangerous for children to be breathing in, so...

It's hard to believe that such young children are living here,

surrounded by so much damp and mould.

We need to get to the bottom of what's causing it.

Is it moisture, produced through cooking, washing or even breathing,

without proper ventilation?

Or is it the building itself?

And things don't improve next door.

Yeah, it's quite extensive mould on this wall, as well.

Behind the wardrobes is...

Oh, mate. It's everywhere, isn't it?

-When do you turn the heating on?

-The heating? Morning.

-Yeah?

-Morning.

-Yeah? Morning.

-And evening.

-In the morning and evening.

-Yeah, yeah.

-OK.

-And how many children do you have, Amy?

-Four.

-Four? Yeah.

With the black mould spores,

all four children will be breathing that in.

It's a heartbreaking thought, as wherever we look in this house,

it's the same story.

So, we've got damp and mould all around the kitchen window,

-which you've tried to scrub off...

-Yeah.

..and it's just come back.

And it's going all the way through the net curtains, as well, there.

The problem is clear. The cause? Anything but.

So, this is damp that spreads

-throughout the whole of the ground floor.

-Mm.

-And yet we've got central heating here...

-Yeah.

-..there are windows that open...

-Mm.

..so what more can we really do to stop this happening?

-It's a bit of a mystery, this one.

-I can't work it out.

-No.

-Because there's an extraction hood in the kitchen, as well.

-Yeah.

-So, all the moisture from cooking should go out.

-Yeah.

-There are no clothes downstairs...

-No.

..that I can see that are drying.

-You dry them outside, don't you?

-Mm.

-They dry outside?

Often, with condensation, damp and mould,

you can pinpoint it to tenant behaviour,

but Amy's done everything she can.

This is a mystery, right,

because with the amount of damp and mould that there is in Amy's house,

I'd expect to see, you know, clothes being dried inside,

all that moisture coming off, hitting the cold walls,

and then forming those black damp and mould spores.

But, no, look at it. It's beautiful. It's out here, blowing in the wind.

Our damp detective work continues,

but heading upstairs also reveals a dodgy handrail,

which could easily result in a fall.

Check this out. Look at that.

And even in the room where Amy's children sleep,

it seems there's no escape from this proliferation of mould.

-It really reeks of damp in here.

-Yeah.

-And how old are your boys in here?

-12 and six.

-Cos the damp is obviously very bad for their respiratory systems.

-Yeah.

We're starting to see, up in the corner here,

that the paint is peeling away in the corner.

That's how bad it's getting here.

OK, let's have a look at the window a minute.

I've got a friend.

Oh, that's a bit of a problem.

See, that window has been...

-It's just been locked.

-..bolted shut.

-Yeah.

So, that doesn't help things.

You're not getting as much of an airflow into the room.

-And also, that's a bit of a fire hazard.

-Yeah.

As if the mould wasn't bad enough,

the difficulty of escaping in the event of a fire

poses a serious risk

-to this family.

-I think we've seen everywhere.

-That's it. We've seen everything, I think.

-Yeah.

-OK.

-Aw!

-Are we going to go now?

-She's beautiful.

-Aw!

With my new best friend's safety at stake, we hatch a plan.

I'll write to the landlord

and bullet-point everything that we've gone through today -

all the defects - and then we'll see what the landlord has to say,

and try and make it a better place for you to be living in.

-OK, thank you.

-OK?

-And in terms of the damp,

I mean, we're still not sure about the source of that,

so what advice can we give, then, to Amy?

I'd say you need to do as you're doing -

dry the washing outside,

and try and open the windows as much as you can do,

as you're already doing.

Just try and keep the airflow going in the property...

-OK.

-..and that should help reduce the smell for the time being.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

-Thank you, Amy.

-Nice to meet you.

-Thank you for your time.

-Thank you.

-Thank you. Let's get out.

Amy and her family are all being exposed

to potentially dangerous mould.

While the root cause is not yet clear,

the 2004 Housing Act obliges landlords to deal with damp

and mould in their properties if it's caused by disrepair.

It's not often that you come out

and you say you're none the wiser, really.

But that's how I feel after that.

I don't understand where the source of that moisture is.

It doesn't happen very often.

Normally, when you come into a property like this,

there's an obvious source.

And, of course, those kids are breathing in,

and the adults are breathing in that all the time -

the whole time they're sleeping,

the whole time they're in the property.

It's really bad for them. Does it have to be acted upon straightaway?

There are issues in there, and maybe they shouldn't have been

allowed into the property until these issues were resolved.

OK. Great stuff, Christina. Let's move on. Well done.

It's worrying to think that Amy and her kids were having to live,

eat and sleep in those horrendous conditions

day in and day out.

But the landlord and the council are now talking about

what may be causing that mystery outbreak of damp.

So, the family may finally be able to enjoy a safe and damp-free home.

In Sandwell, housing officers

Neal Cooper and Richard Hawkins are joining

the police as they raid a residential address.

They're acting on intelligence that the tenants in a three-bed semi

may be the victims of modern slavery.

And because they don't know what to expect, it's stab vests on.

OK, so, we've just run in with the police.

As we can see, the place is full of people.

I can hear a lot of foreign accents - Romanian and that -

so we're just probably going to let the police now

run through all their checks. Once the dust has settled,

then we'll have a chance to have a proper look round the property.

It's thought that tens of thousands of people are in forced labour

in Great Britain, often living in overcrowded properties

that present serious safety risks.

I mean, on the face of it, at the minute,

we've got a lot of men living very close together,

all jammed into bedrooms in a three-bed semi.

It's not your normal family set-up, by any stretch of the imagination,

so there's something wrong here.

See, we've got a lot of shoes on the stairs,

which is usually an indicator of a lot of people living in a property.

All male, all adult.

-Are we OK to proceed?

-Yeah, yeah, yeah.

-Is that all right?

The team needs to find out exactly what this place is being used for.

-Can you smell anything?

-No.

-No?

Nothing to suggest anyone's sleeping up here.

-There's nothing to suggest anything like that up here.

-OK.

Police are checking for evidence that points to forced labour,

including whether their passports have been withheld by a gang master.

Looking through who we've got, we'll take some details

to see if potentially we're looking at any offences

or if these people are being exploited or are vulnerable.

With so many people in close quarters,

things like cooking, washing and even breathing

will be causing moisture

and then damp.

We've got a bit of mould going on. It's because there's

two of you in this room and you're shutting the door at night

and closing the windows. The moisture is trapped.

Just open the windows, say, in the day.

Just let some air come in and it'll just ventilate it.

The electrics are another cause for concern here.

Landlords in the UK have responsibility

to make sure the electric system, including sockets, lights

and all appliances that they supply, are safe.

But judging by the state of this place, it's anything but.

Uh-oh.

It looks like this tenant also needs some advice about electrical safety.

You've put a two-pin plug into a three-pin plug.

That's dangerous. Don't do that.

You can actually see...

See how that's bent? You've forced it in.

I wouldn't use that again.

See how you've put a load of clothes all round it?

You've basically built yourself a bonfire there, my friend.

Landlords are responsible for fire safety,

providing a safe exit route and fire alarms.

If Rich and Neal are going to prevent a catastrophe,

they need to get to the bottom of exactly how and why

so many people are living here.

Later on, the team get a promising lead.

There's a name been given us of a person

-who has facilitated their travel over here...

-Right.

..and he's probably finding work for them.

Now, by law, rented properties must be of a safe standard to live in,

but with dangerous conditions

that could affect tenants' health still a problem across the UK,

it's down to housing officers

to ensure that the landlord keeps their part of the bargain -

providing safe and secure accommodation.

I think landlords should take a quick response time

if something goes wrong in the property,

cos it's their property at the end of the day.

So, they should, really.

I own my property now, but before that, I've rented for many years.

And sometimes, the problems would be ongoing

and you'd be trying to get the landlord to sort it out.

And I think they definitely should take more responsibility.

If I did have tenants, I would make it my responsibility

to make sure they get the right...

..everything is in place for the tenant.

In Peterborough, housing officers Gareth Brighton and David Marshall

are heading to visit a family living

in treacherous conditions.

Right, we're going to a property with no electricity or gas

cos the supply had been cut off by an engineer cos it was so dangerous.

Incredibly, it turns out the family signed for the property

two years ago after viewing it in the dark.

When they saw the state of it in daylight,

they asked for their money back. Well, you would, wouldn't you?

But the landlord told them it had already been spent on the mortgage.

He's being very evasive.

In fact, we've only managed to get hold of him once on the phone.

He's hoping that the guy's sitting there without electricity or gas,

and he'll just pack up and leave.

Despite the landlord's apparent best efforts to get them to leave,

for now, the family is stuck in the property.

And the conditions in here really are beyond belief.

Everywhere you look, there's potential danger,

and there are children living here, too.

The gas and electrical installations were assessed by an engineer

to be so unsafe that they had to be capped off.

There was a massive drop in gas pressure,

which suggested a leak somewhere in the system.

It's been over a week, certainly. Approaching two.

So, we've got the new fuse board, and the new fuse carrier is in.

A gas leak could have been dangerous.

Unsafe gas appliances can produce carbon monoxide,

with around 20 people dying in the UK each year

from carbon monoxide poisoning.

The two adults and two children living here

could have been casualties on that list.

Luckily, the dodgy gas and faulty electrics at this end of the house

have now been dealt with,

but there's plenty more for officers to worry about.

Further on down the line, we'll need to be looking at the remainder.

As we come through here, you can just see

everything's just generally tired.

We've got windows - glazing missing.

It's generally quite a small kitchen.

-There's not a lot of space available.

-Very small.

The cooking for a family of four is done in this tiny kitchen.

Besides the clear risk posed by the broken glass,

there's another, less obvious danger.

Washing machine's discharging into the sink.

You're obviously getting the dirty waste water

into the sink where you could potentially be washing your hands,

washing your cutlery.

It's going on your work surfaces, on your draining boards.

You know, it's all spread of pathogens.

Germs from soiled clothes touching food preparation surfaces

can lead to all sorts of illnesses, including salmonella poisoning.

The only repair that's been done

has been carried out with a roll of sticky tape and a pair of scissors.

Normally, you'd expect that to be put through a terminal

and covered up, if you're going to do it like that.

But, yeah, they've basically linked and probably twisted the ends

of the wires together to marry the cables up

and then just Sellotaped it together.

That's what your certified electrician would call shonky,

and deadly.

In all his years as a housing officer,

Gareth has never seen a place as bad as this.

So, into the family bathroom, and, again, it's...

Well, it's in a desperate state of repair.

WC is cracked.

In an environment where there's moisture,

you should have a sealed unit on there,

a sealed light fitting, so like a sealed globe or something like that,

to prevent any steam, moisture getting in there.

You know, water and electricity - they don't mix,

and you want to be doing what you can in a room like this

to keep them separate, so...

The list of hazards here is jaw-dropping.

The landlord is breaking safety regulations left, right and centre.

This is about as bad as it gets, that we will see.

I mean, at least there are facilities in here, but...

..desperately poor.

Although he's keen to have the house made safe,

the tenant doesn't want to be identified.

Ask yourself - how desperate must this family be

to pay £450 a month to live in conditions like this?

Remember, they've had to endure two weeks without light or heat.

And conditions outside aren't much better.

So, again, we've got some more missing glazing here.

This is the other side of the bathroom there.

Excess cold is arguably the most dangerous hazard,

because it is a massive killer in Britain.

Over time, if people are subjected to excessively cold temperatures,

they become susceptible to cardiovascular conditions

and they can also be a lead cause

of respiratory illness and things like that.

So, excess cold is not just downright uncomfortable,

it can be a threat to life.

This property really is ticking all the boxes,

because there's another carbon monoxide risk in the bathroom.

And the boiler flue here, that should be 600 mil.

So, it should be at least that far away.

Cos what's happening is you've got fumes

coming out from the boiler flue and then just going straight back

into the property through the window,

which is a massive no-no.

That's not safe at all. I mean, fortunately,

this is all sort of capped off and decommissioned at the moment,

but when this was going, this is potentially carbon monoxide...

..which we all know, again, shouldn't be present in a property.

So, there's just more concerns everywhere we look.

Could it get any worse?

Well, it could, if the ceiling falls in on you.

From the rear, the building doesn't look at all sound.

Again, we've got glazing missing upstairs.

That'll be the first-floor rear bedroom.

So, that's going to be very, very cold in there.

The roof is off, essentially, at the back there,

so you're going to be having all sorts of moisture getting in

to the structure and fabric of the building -

damp and mould, excess cold.

The conditions are very, very poor.

This house falls so far below the minimum standard

that there is going to be a lot of enforcement

to bring it up to the standard that it needs to be at.

But tracking down the elusive landlord could be a challenge.

We just can't contact this landlord. He's just entirely absent.

And the only time he makes an appearance at the address,

by speaking to the tenant, is, of course, when the rent's due,

when he comes to collect the cash.

Not a good place for people - a family especially -

-to be calling home at all, is it?

-No. No, it's not.

The conditions - yeah, absolutely so far below the minimum standard

that, yeah, serious intervention from our service is needed

and that's obviously what will follow.

With this one, we've just had no engagement at all,

so I would be inclined to say we would have to move to enforcement

to make sure that things are remedied

in a timely fashion for these guys.

Well, the housing officers are still trying

to find the landlord of that property,

but the good news is, after two years,

the family have moved out.

Let's hope they've managed to find a new home

that's both safe and secure.

Nobody wants vermin in their home,

and rats can be particularly hard to deal with.

As well as damaging the fabric and fixtures of a property,

they can carry all sorts of nasty diseases.

So, what can you do if you find yourself facing an infestation?

If I found any vermin in my home,

I would probably send my cat in, I think, to sort it out!

I wouldn't be living in a place that had mice. No way.

You'll never eradicate them.

They are always there. It's as simple as that.

-But you don't want them spreading their germs in your house.

-Yeah.

I swear, this one rat - as true as I'm stood here -

looked like a giant ginger cat coming out of my shed.

The only thing is, it had the rat tail.

And I just stood there frozen.

I'm joining up with Richard Hawkins in the town of Smethwick,

a few miles west of Birmingham.

What's the adventure that we're being taken on today, Richard?

Well, today, we are on an adventure looking at rats and damp.

It was just a call from a tenant.

The landlord hasn't been carrying out the repairs,

so we're going along on the back of that they've got rats in their house

and that they're suffering damp.

And we're going to go and inspect it from there.

It sounds like Housing Enforcers 101.

It is, but we haven't got in there yet,

-so let's see what we find.

-Let's go.

Smethwick was once a hub for industrial metalwork,

and there are loads of old Victorian houses,

like this end-of-terrace,

which is home to Daniel, Iona and their kids.

-Hello. How are you?

-Hello. You OK? We all right to pop in?

From Sandwell Council.

The family is worried about the health implications

of living in a property with vermin.

I tried to fix all the holes.

-Right. So, you've put some expanding foam in.

-Yes.

-Here, here, because this one, also, it's going down.

-Yeah.

And now it's coming from here and it's not...

You're getting mice coming out of here? Rodents?

-Yeah, but not the small one. It's bigger.

-A big one.

-So, you started with mice...

-Yeah.

-..and now they're rats?

-Yeah, yeah, yeah. My wife is here and saw a big one.

-Yeah.

Rats, it goes without saying, are a health and safety concern.

They carry diseases that can transfer to humans,

they have teeth that cut through cable,

and they've been known to bite people who are sleeping.

-Yeah, I can see the droppings.

-Yeah. You see?

-You see how he eats everything? Look.

-Oh, OK. Yeah, they're big.

That's rats, that is. That's not mice.

With a rat infestation confirmed, we need to find the source.

-No ratty.

-No ratty.

Sometimes, if you just give things a little shake and a rattle,

then things can emerge.

I've seen a few rats on my time in Housing Enforcers.

I'm not a fan.

-Just seen that rubbish move there.

-Is there a dead...?

-Ooh!

-Oh!

-Did you see the size of that rat?

-That's just smaller than my dog!

This is the rat superhighway.

This is where you're going to end up finding your rats.

Oh.

That area there is...

It's, like, about knee-deep in rubbish.

So, there's no point looking around there.

They're all going to be in here. This is their playground.

Yeah, this is their playground,

and then that's where they go for dinner.

Do we have to establish whose this is?

Yeah, we need to know who's responsible for it,

-and then we need to get them to clear it.

-Yeah.

As rats reproduce so rapidly,

it's crucial the area that's been harbouring them

is dismantled as quickly as possible.

I think this might be the source of your rat problem, my friend.

-Whose is this?

-I don't know.

Was this like this when you moved in?

-Yeah, it was like this.

-How long have you been here?

-November 2014.

-Well, the landlord needs to clear this.

I'm surprised you haven't had rats beforehand, basically.

I wouldn't be surprised

if your neighbours aren't suffering the same issue.

You can reduce the risk of vermin

by not leaving stuff in gardens or alleys,

and by blocking small holes to sheds or outbuildings.

If there's no shelter, food or water, they'll leave.

But a vermin infestation isn't the only problem

this family are living with.

-OK, so, this is the front of the house.

-Yeah.

-That's the front corner.

-Yeah.

-And it's completely exposed.

-Yeah.

So, is it taking more rain than anything else?

Yeah, it's exposed to the elements, so it's a massively cold spot.

-OK. So...

-And what's this room used for?

This is a sleeping room, so this is a bedroom.

And is there any vents in here, or anything to make it...?

Well, there was an air brick there, but because it's too cold in here...

-Yeah, it's cold.

-..to have an air brick...

-It's going everywhere in the house.

-Yeah.

The problem is, is that because you're blocking that up

and shutting the windows to keep warm,

the moisture can't escape in the room.

So, alongside the rampant rat problem,

it seems there's also an issue with damp.

You don't want either of those in a family home.

These guys only have to be lying in here at night breathing,

and that wall is so cold and damp, it'll all be collecting on there.

The issues downstairs, the landlord needs to fix,

and I will get them to do that.

That corner there, unfortunately, it's the age of the property.

-And you can deal with that by anti-mould paint.

-OK.

But you must first clean the wall down.

You can use a bleach solution.

He clean it every ten days, something like that.

Yeah, that's it.

The problem is, is that these houses are not fit for purpose,

but half the country is living in them.

We can get this resolved for you. I know what the problems are.

You've basically got rats

-because you've got a dumping ground outside your back garden.

-OK, yeah.

-Yeah.

-I'll speak to you soon.

-Thank you.

-Take care.

-Bye.

Thank you.

Well, Richard is currently addressing

the vermin infestation and the damp with the landlord

with a view to getting those issues resolved,

so that that young family can keep living there safely.

Next, we're in Thanet,

and imagine living next door to this -

a massive foliage growing out of the walls,

broken windows and a seriously dodgy-looking balcony.

The house was badly damaged by a fire

at an adjoining property back in 2003.

It's since deteriorated into a dangerous condition.

Housing officer Tom Davies is inspecting the property.

You can see the photographs that I have here,

the extent of the fire damage.

You can see the smoke damage that's been happening on the property.

Probably one of the worst interiors that I've seen since I've been here.

So, yeah, it is in very poor condition inside.

Empty houses like this present all sorts of safety hazards.

As well as being a fire risk,

they can attract fly-tipping and dangerous

antisocial behaviour. And in this case, some rampant

vegetation could be starting to affect the structure

-of the building itself.

-We've obviously got

a fairly large sycamore tree starting to grow up on the front.

But you can also see that people have been dumping items

into the sub-floor level.

If they are foodstuffs, then, obviously,

that would encourage vermin to come to the property.

You can see the balcony - it's fairly loose.

So, that would obviously be a major worry.

If that were to fall down, it could potentially kill someone.

It's clear that the front of the house

is becoming increasingly unstable,

so Tom needs to check out what's happening round the back.

This is the back of the property.

Clearly, the garden is incredibly overgrown.

You can see, from the back here, we've got access points along here

for anything to get in.

There's even an old caravan through here,

which is covered in brambles.

We would probably have an issue with rats or mice,

some of the smaller creatures, maybe even foxes.

In such close proximity to neighbours,

obviously, they do bring disease.

They obviously pose a risk to any sort of food preparation areas.

So, if there's restaurants nearby...

We aren't too far away from the high street round here.

The last thing the council needs

is a property that's overrun with vermin

close to the town's restaurants.

And there's another problem in the garden.

It's quite a large tree.

So, obviously, we wouldn't want anything, like branches,

to fall down on anyone using this footpath round the back here.

So, we would obviously want to see that cleared.

Making this property safe is now Tom's main concern.

With no sign of the owner right now,

he's decided to call on the next-door neighbour.

-Hello there.

-Hello.

-Hi. My name's Tom Davies.

I'm from Thanet District Council.

I'm actually here to talk about next door.

A part of the balcony did fall off a month ago.

My main worry - there's been a fire

in the house next door to that, as well,

and there was a death.

So, fire is my main risk.

Now the empty property could become a serious safety hazard

to the neighbours, something needs to be done.

We do have powers when there is a real risk

to public health and safety in order to fix these problems

or force people to fix them themselves.

But in the cases where they are unable to,

then the council can step in.

Tom's discovered the owner started renovations after the fire,

but was unable to complete them and the house fell into disrepair.

Now he needs to get things moving.

What we would hope with the property

is that we are able to help the owner

bring his property back into use.

So, what we would probably look to encourage him to do

is maybe look to sell that property.

I think that would probably be the most amenable situation

for all parties because it's likely that a new owner

would want to bring that property back into use.

The current owner would get a financial windfall from that.

The property isn't doing him any favours,

sat there empty, deteriorating.

And, in fact, the amount of money that he may well get from a sale

will probably decrease if the property continues to deteriorate.

So, you want to encourage them

to maybe think about selling that property.

So, that would be the ultimate outcome,

is to actually see that property brought back into use

by potentially selling it on the open market.

Tom will do his best to work out a solution with the owner.

If he's unable to do the major renovations needed

to make the house safe,

the council will have to step in and charge the owner for the works.

The council really would like to see

long-term empty properties brought back into use.

We don't like to see empty homes sit there

when we have a period...

You know, we're in the throes of a housing crisis in the country.

There are many people who need access to good housing,

yet there are many properties that stand here empty,

and that doesn't seem right to us as a council.

Well, the council is still working with the owner of the empty house

to find a solution which will work for everyone,

not least the people living in the adjoining properties.

The owner told us that the balcony isn't falling down,

and that they've worked to secure the house.

They also said that no mice have been found there.

But whatever happens, it's a good example

of the very real impact residents can have

on the safety of their neighbours.

In Suffolk, I'm working with

housing officer Ian Watson investigating

a potentially dangerous build-up of clutter

in the hallways and stairwells of one of the council's housing blocks.

What type of buildings are we looking at where we're going?

-Are these tower blocks, or are they...?

-No.

There aren't a lot of tower blocks in Suffolk, to be fair.

Not in Suffolk. The particular ones

that we're going to are only two-storey,

so you've only got the ground floor and the first floor.

But nevertheless, even in a small building,

if things get out of hand and people aren't properly notified

or aware and the exits aren't clear, it could still be very nasty.

Oh, yes. It could still cause a real problem.

Fires can start because of items being left or stored

in communal areas of shared buildings.

Armed with this knowledge and a stack of letters,

Ian and I are on a clutter crackdown.

-So, Ian, we got the letters.

-Yeah.

But, presumably, we're not just going to...

If we see something going on here, we're not just going to ignore it

-and stick letters through the letterbox?

-No.

No. Obviously, the object of the exercise today

is to deliver to everybody, because I will find people who are not in.

I'll be knocking and speaking to people.

And I've said in the letter that I'll be returning

within the next two weeks, and, hopefully,

the situation will be resolved.

-Shall we go?

-Yeah, no problem.

-All right.

-Mr Postman!

KNOCK ON DOOR

I'm from Babergh District Council. I'm the housing officer.

-Look at that.

-Yeah, exactly.

We've had a fire risk assessment done on the flats.

I am your housing officer.

No problems up there.

I'll leave the letter and I'll come back at a later date.

I'm reasonably happy with that.

Ian's going to knock. KNOCK ON DOOR

-I knew it.

-Sorry to trouble you. I'm Ian Watson.

I'm from Babergh District Council.

OK, it may not seem like the sharp end of housing enforcement,

but initiatives like this could help prevent life-threatening disasters

before they happen.

We have to do something about this here.

It's got to go, yeah. As I say, it's combustible material.

And at the end of the day,

there are some people who might come and put a match to it.

So, it is an issue.

And with Ian, every inch of the building gets a forensic inspection.

-Nice and clean.

-Textbook.

-Yeah, exactly.

-Look at that.

The residents up here have actually kept it clean, as well.

They've clearly got the memo.

Let's hope we can find a few more like this.

Well, here's hoping.

And it's actually a right urban jungle we come across next.

Hello, my dear. Sorry to trouble you.

I'm Ian Watson. I'm from Babergh District Council. I'm the housing officer.

We've had a fire risk assessment done on all the flats,

and they're concerned that items are stored in the communal areas.

Well, if I have to move them, I shall have to chuck them

because I've got nowhere else to put them.

-What are you concerned about?

-Well, the plants and that.

I mean, I just got them. I don't want to...

-No, your plants I haven't got a problem with.

-Oh, right.

Certainly aerosols and any paints and things like that,

anything that's flammable.

You're probably going to tell me it's been here for years.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-We've been here 27 years.

-Have you really?

-Yeah.

-Blimey!

-THEY LAUGH

-OK, nice to meet you.

-And you. Mind how you go.

It's every tenant's responsibility

to make sure communal areas are kept free from personal possessions -

things that burn, block fire doors

or even offer a convenient pastime for your neighbours.

This is what I like - an outside reading area.

Look at that. It's amazing. Got a little library.

Cos why else would you put it outside?

It's for other people to borrow.

It's amazing some of the things you'll find being stored

if you just know where to look.

So, here we have a whole box of delights.

Painting supplies, DIY tools.

-All sorts.

-Not good.

-It's not what we want.

It's good if you want to start a fire,

but not if you don't want to start a fire.

-Hello.

-Hello, Gail. How are you?

-Hiya.

-I'm all right.

Obviously, in the light of certain things,

-we've had a fire risk assessment done on all the flats.

-Oh, OK.

-Storage outside...

-Yeah.

-..is an issue.

-Is it?

-Yes.

-Oh.

-Especially flammable materials.

-Oh, OK.

-You've got petrol cans.

-Petrol cans, yeah.

-You've got paint pots.

-Yeah.

-Cos it's all combustible.

I will leave you a letter with my contact details on

and everything like that.

I will come back in a couple of weeks.

But petrol, paint, aerosols, everything else - please...

-Get rid of.

-..get rid of, remove or whatever.

-OK.

When Ian comes round and lets you know about that sort of thing,

-how do you take that?

-It's a good poke in the eye about it.

-Yeah, definitely.

-That's one way to put it.

-Yeah!

-I like that.

-OK, lovie.

-Thank you.

-Thank you very much.

-Thanks a lot.

-Bye.

Gail seems to have taken on board what Ian was saying,

and, you know, wants to make a change.

But nevertheless, it's a good wake-up call

to just think really carefully about what you've got

in your shared areas

and how it could affect other people if things go wrong.

Earlier on, housing officers Neal and Richard

were working with the police to investigate a possible case

of modern slavery in an overcrowded property

that was full of safety hazards.

Uh-oh.

Overcrowding can seriously affect your health.

By law, an adult needs at least six-and-a-half square metres

of living and sleeping space with no more than two to a room.

It looks like that's not happening here.

I think we need to go and have a look at downstairs.

It's, like, a sofa and another three beds. It's, like, four beds.

And they reckon they're double sleeping in them, as well,

so you've got potentially six or seven people

-sleeping in that one room.

-Which could get up to the sort of 20...

Yeah, that could get us up to that mark.

It's shocking to think 20 people could be living in this tiny house

with six or seven rammed into each room.

One thing is clear, though -

in a fire, they'd really struggle to get out.

OK, so, we've got a key-operated window restrictor

just over here again. Obviously, we want...

There shouldn't be any tools needed to escape.

We've got use of extension leads here again.

Trailing cables.

So, obviously, that's going to create a fire hazard, as well.

This isn't a house that's obviously been designed

for shared occupancy, like it is.

It's designed for a very small family.

It's not designed for this type of use at all.

It's being completely misused.

It's just putting money before people.

Rich and Neal have found a clue

that could tell them who the men are and what they're doing.

Yeah, they're all builders.

-Yeah.

-Yeah, building materials.

Obviously, we're still really suspicious

just cos of the circumstances.

I would imagine the landlord isn't aware

of how many people are living here.

I think we might find that the landlord is pretty shocked

-when he realises.

-Yeah.

The question is, who's responsible

for bringing the men here in the first place?

There's a name been given us

of a person who has facilitated their travel over here,

facilitated this address for them,

and he's probably finding work for them.

There'll be a reason for that,

-and that'll be profiting by means of exploitation.

-Right.

One of the men has returned to the house.

Officers need to check he's not being held against his will.

Are you guys able to leave the type of job you're doing

and go away, or not live here, if you wish to?

Are you free to move about?

You're not being controlled in any way or being made to live here?

-No, no.

-You're totally free?

-Totally.

-That's fine.

-We're here just to basically check that.

-Yes, OK.

We're just checking out.

We're just making sure it's safe for you.

A gang master is one of those types of people

that will control those types of vulnerable people.

So, you've got people crammed in there,

which massively, obviously, then raises all of the safety issues,

all of the fire issues.

So, this property isn't safe the way it's being run.

Rich and Neal now have a clearer picture,

but the landlord may still be unaware

of the huge number of tenants and the risks that entails.

We're at your property.

We've done a visit here this morning with the West Midlands Police.

We are currently deciding whether to shut the building down or not

for fire safety issues.

We have to move fast on this cos, obviously,

there's a lot of people living in this property, it's massively overcrowded,

so there's a lot of people that are at risk.

Are you able to get over here rather pronto

with seven battery smoke detectors to fit into this property?

The landlord tells Richard they're going to fit

the smoke detectors straightaway, but that's just the start.

In the long term, we're going to get the landlord in

to carry out a lot of works on the property to make it a lot more safe.

So, it's about, today, lowering that risk and educating people,

and then, in the long run, it's getting the landlord in

to do the works to bring it up to standard

and also take some of these people out

and stop using it the way they are.

Well, the landlord told the council they had no idea

so many people were living at the property.

They say that everyone will be moving out

and the house re-let to a single family.

Although the police are still investigating the case,

it appears the men's passports weren't being withheld.

Well, as we've just seen, being a housing enforcer means

a daily dose of tough choices and difficult decisions.

But it's all in a day's work for the men and women

fighting to ensure we can enjoy safe and hazard-free places to call home.

Join me again next time.

I'll be back on the front line with the housing enforcers.