Episode 4 The Housing Enforcers

Can you imagine living in these conditions?

So you started with mice?

-Yeah.

-And now they're rats?

-Yeah, yeah.

Security is 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's 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 is on fire

-before they were dead.

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

The worst-case scenario, the house could have burnt 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, I'm faced with tenants living in an unsafe flat above a takeaway.

-No.

-No.

-You can't get out.

The only way out is through his own kitchen,

which is the one room that's most likely the place

-where a fire will start.

-Yeah.

We may have a prohibition order.

Rats are making a disabled man's life a living hell.

You can clearly see evidence of rats down here.

I wouldn't want that window open.

And there's a tumble dryer that could prove catastrophic.

Actually you're not talking about a fire,

-you're talking about an explosion. That's really not good.

-No.

Our homes are the places we feel safest

but the fact is, we're more likely to have an accident at home

than anywhere else.

Homeowners and landlords can do their share to prevent fatalities

or serious accidents by fitting smoke and fire alarms

and ensuring good escape routes.

You do have to start thinking about how you're going to plan

to get out of places and what's your quickest way.

Yeah, we have smoke alarms.

You know, we have one by the...

kitchen, we have another by the entrance

and one upstairs.

You know, people can be trapped in houses

and yes, I keep keys ready for upstairs windows,

that kind of thing, to make sure I can get out

in the event of a fire, yes.

In Smethwick in the West Midlands, after a fire broke out

in a takeaway, the Fire Service has alerted

housing officer Richard Hawkins to check on the people

living in the flats in the same block.

Richard, how are you? Are you all right?

-Yeah, I'm good, how are you?

-I'm very well, thank you.

So, last week there was a fire at a shop in Smethwick.

The Fire Service has got some concerns that there was

somebody living above it. That's fine, if the right regulations

are in place. But what we need to do is go out today

and have a look to see if there are proper separations, proper alarms,

things like that that you would expect to see in a building

where you've got somebody living above a commercial premises.

-Right. Let's do it. Ready to go?

-Let's go.

They may not realise it,

but tenants living above shops are at greater risk from fire.

If they can't be protected, they may have to move out.

I'll introduce ourselves.

Ali, this is Matt.

Ali shares the flat with his grandad.

They were both in when the blaze started in the takeaway

right beneath them.

Could you just quickly talk me through the layout of the property?

Yeah. My bedroom's through there and my grandad's on the right.

OK. Sorted. Can you let him know that everything is all right?

-Yeah.

-Just the two of you live here?

-Yeah.

My grandad's on holiday at the moment.

He's not my related grandad but I call him grandad out of respect.

-OK, I understand.

-All right. But, yeah, the doors are open.

-By all means, do what you've got to do.

-Thank you very much.

-OK.

Time to get to work, starting with Ali's bedroom.

As we went through the takeaway restaurant downstairs,

we went over deep fat fryers, grills, gas grills that were going

so you've got all sorts of risks from down there,

which make this the sort of place that you might need

-to get out of in a hurry.

-Perfect.

The student has become the master!

Deep fat fryers account for around a fifth of accidental house fires

each year. It's not a particularly restful thought

when you're sleeping above an industrial-sized one.

You've got a guy that's sleeping in here,

he's above a kebab shop that had a fire last week,

and the only way out is through his own kitchen,

which is a fire risk in itself.

You've got to exit through the one room that's most likely

-the place where a fire will start.

-Yeah.

But at least the bedroom window is a means of escape, isn't it?

Hold on, hold on, it's screwed shut here.

Oh, yeah.

-This one...

-Let's have a look at this one.

Right, so if he was desperate...

-No.

-No.

-He can't get out.

No, he can't. It means that Ali would be trapped

in the event of a fire.

We may have a prohibition order.

High risk of fire below - check.

No safe escape route - check.

No smoke alarms - check.

Without a prohibition order preventing further use

of the property, it's the perfect recipe for disaster.

I've been making Housing Enforcers now for four years,

five years nearly, maybe?

And in that time, I think we've seen maybe two prohibition orders.

While Richard reports back...

PHONE RINGS

-All right, mate.

-Hello, Gaz. Do you want the good news?

..I want to talk to Ali about his close brush with catastrophe.

I was asleep.

The door was knocking. My grandad just said,

"Get up, there's a fire."

I opened the door, came through the corridor,

there was thick, black smoke. It was very, very difficult to breathe.

We both sort of went outside and called the fire brigade.

Did you ever find out how the fire had started in the first place?

Yeah. The fryer had been left on overnight.

Over the course of a couple of hours, it caught fire.

Where my bedroom is, directly underneath where the fryer was,

it could've been a whole different story.

It's just a...

ticking time bomb. Initially, they tried to get access to the shop

via the front, but there were shutters,

so they couldn't get through.

It sounds to me like you were incredibly lucky.

You can't rely on your grandad every day to wake you up.

-Thanks for talking to us, Ali.

-No, no problem.

-Cheers.

Ali's landlord is responsible for putting up fire alarms

and guaranteeing a safe exit.

That was shocking.

I mean, talking to Ali about...

what happened in his flat and the way the fire...

..pretty much took hold...

..it was lucky it was when it was and that his grandad was awake.

Yeah.

It makes you look at flats above shops in a completely different way.

But it's not just Ali living above this parade.

There are families with children next door

living above another shop.

We need to be working out - how are these people getting

-out of this building if there's a fire?

-OK.

OK. So, let's have some scenarios. We've got a bedroom here.

How are these people escaping?

So, firstly, what type of door is this?

So here, this doesn't look to me like a fire door.

It's a relatively solid door but it's not...

It's on fire door hinges but it's not a fire door.

I wouldn't say it's a fire door.

If they don't have certification for it,

then we wouldn't consider it to be.

It also doesn't have any brushes down the sides

or on the door itself, so that means it's not smoke proof,

-so it's not...

-No strips, no brushes.

-It's not a fireproof door.

-No closer.

-No closer.

So I'm going to start getting some photographs of all of this.

Some business premises are at greater risk of fire,

so there must be fire separation between them and residents.

It's crucial for flats like these above commercial premises,

right the way across the country, that everything works perfectly.

That you're told if there's a fire as early as possible

and that your escape route is absolutely secure.

In these flats, sadly, that is not the case.

Totally inadequate.

We'll find out later whether the landlord of Ali's flat,

and the landlord of the family's flat,

have brought them up to satisfactory standard.

With home ownership out of reach for many people,

and social housing waiting lists getting longer,

renting from private landlords is booming.

But huge demand across the country has meant some families are

being forced to move into homes that don't come up to standard.

They need to ensure that the property that they are renting out

to their tenant is habitable.

I think that if you rent from a landlord,

the landlord should be responsible,

because you're living in their house.

This is why you pay rent.

Oh, yeah, landlords definitely should be

fully responsible for safety in the house.

I think landlords should be totally responsible for all issues.

That's what we pay our rent for, after all is said and done.

In Sandwell, housing officer Neena Varma

has taken a call from a desperate mum,

whose privately rented house may have become unsafe

for her four young children.

In particular, we're concerned about a boiler that's not working,

therefore she's got no hot water and no heating.

She's reported it to the landlord in February

and he's not done anything about it.

Neena's leaving immediately to do an emergency inspection

of the property.

What we are attempting to do is establish a little bit more

by speaking to the tenant to see what the problem with the heating is

and why it hasn't been fixed. Without any heating,

she's obviously not been able to keep the property warm.

She's not going to have any proper bathing facilities.

So, it is a nightmare.

Long periods of living in a cold house can have an effect on health,

especially for children.

Neena will need to check that the kids' health

isn't being put at risk.

I'm particularly concerned about the boiler, really,

because you said that you spoke to your landlord in February?

-Yeah.

-Um, so what's he done since February?

He sent somebody round and they've done a quote,

but nothing since then.

And when was that, then?

March.

It's unbelievable that this young mum has been struggling on

without the basic utilities for more than six months.

Have you made contact with your landlord since March

to ask him to follow it up to see what's happening?

Yeah, we've been in touch a few times,

and he just keeps saying he'll send someone around but...

-But he's had some quotes?

-Yeah.

-How many children have you got living in the property?

-Four.

-Four children.

-Yeah.

OK. And how old is the youngest?

One.

I can only imagine how hard it's been to keep

four young children clean, healthy and warm here.

It seems the boiler could have had its day.

Unsafe boilers can produce poisonous carbon monoxide gas,

which can cause long-term health problems and, in the worst cases,

even kill.

The gas engineer, has he said that it can be repaired,

or does it have to be replaced?

The boiler's that old, they couldn't get the parts for it.

-Isolated.

-A combi boiler.

-So the parts have been isolated?

-Yeah.

With young children among the most at risk from excess cold,

if the boiler can't be repaired,

the landlord will have to get it replaced

within a reasonable time limit.

Well, I have to boil the kettle to wash up

and I've got an electric shower,

so I have to put that on to bathe the kids

because obviously they're too young to have a shower.

The tenant's doing her best, but winter is coming.

The situation is getting desperate.

So Neena is going to have to take action fast.

The boiler is very old.

You're not going to be able to get the parts.

So we're looking at a new boiler, to be honest.

It has to be replaced

and I think that's what the landlord's going to have to do.

And with the house already falling below

basic health and safety standards,

another potential hazard has caught Neena's eye.

So is that the only double socket that you've got in the kitchen area?

There's one behind the microwave, too, but...

-So you've got four appliances on the one extension?

-One extension.

There clearly aren't enough sockets in this kitchen,

but running a number of large appliances off one extension lead

is never the answer. There's a real danger it could overheat

and catch fire.

Obviously, potentially, it's a fire risk because it's being overloaded.

It's important to check the rating on your extension lead

to make sure it isn't overloaded.

Just because there's room to plug everything in,

it doesn't mean it's safe.

As well as the electrics, Neena has now found another concern.

You know you've got some stains on this ceiling here?

-Yes.

-Is that leaking?

It has done.

This needs investigating before the damp turns to mould,

creating yet another health hazard which can cause allergic reactions.

So you've got a leak there

but it's obviously affecting the electric here, isn't it?

Because it's going to be trickling down your ceiling.

That could be an electrocution risk.

Potentially, there could be water that has affected that,

and that's why it's not working.

And the last thing you want is to be electrocuted.

As if electricity and water weren't a dangerous enough mix,

Mum's worried that her gas fire is now coming away from the wall.

This fire's been condemned, so they've said obviously

not to use that.

And here's another damaged gas appliance.

To stay safe, these need to be checked by a gas engineer

every year.

The tenant says the gas fire has already been condemned.

With the property falling short in so many other ways,

Neena wants to check whether the gas supply has been capped

so it can't escape from the pipes.

Is that the isolation valve?

-We've got the stopper.

-For the gas?

Yes. You can see outside in that as well.

It gets really cold.

It's going to be causing a draft to come into the room.

He needs to obviously cover that outside.

It's another in a long line of concerns with this property.

It's clear this home is quite some way from meeting

acceptable safety standards.

My main worries are the lady's got no hot water,

she's got no heating.

She's got, potentially, a risk gas fire that's been condemned.

We don't know whether the gas fire has been capped off or not.

So that's a concern that we need to find out immediately.

The landlord will be ordered to get a working boiler into the house

within nine days and if he doesn't,

the council will get the work done and send him the bill.

-I'll be in touch, all right?

-Bye.

-Thank you, bye-bye. Bye.

Keeping this family safe from harm is Neena's main concern

and the landlord will now have to fix all the problems

she's highlighted.

I will be sending him a hazard awareness notice,

which is a schedule of works, basically,

detailing and outlining what the issues are

and what remedies he should be looking at.

If he doesn't comply with the notice,

we can actually enforce it, or he can be prosecuted.

The landlord does not accept responsibility

for all the disrepair reported at the property, but they reacted

quickly once the council got in touch

and say the main repairs are done and the council can now return

to inspect the work.

When it comes to safety,

we might be able to control what happens in our own homes

but, whether it's anti-social behaviour or a neglected property

next door, sometimes it's our neighbours who could be putting

our health and safety at risk.

Here in Mid Suffolk, there are over 3,000 households

in council properties.

Housing officer Andrew Weavers is part of the team responsible

for making sure they remain habitable and safe for residents.

And, trust me, it's a job that never stops.

-Andrew Weavers.

-Oh, hello.

-How are you?

-Not bad, yourself?

-Yeah, very well, thank you.

-Good, good, good.

-What have you got for me today?

We've had fire safety checks on a number of our properties.

I've been tasked, really, to go around and have a good look at them

and see what's occurring. It's generally, sort of,

the communal areas have been cluttered and people have been

placing items in the areas they really shouldn't.

Some tenants might see this as a bit of a nuisance,

but the risks posed by common clutter are all too real.

To be fair, after Grenfell, I think we've had all of our sites

been inspected by the Fire Service.

So, they've gone along and they've identified the flats that may have

problems, and as much as we can make sure the building is safe,

the tenant's got to make sure that the communal areas

are safe, as well.

So, in their assessment, there is a problem?

This is not just a spot check,

there's a reason to be going to have a look this place?

Oh, absolutely.

We've all done it - put something out of sight and out of mind.

But when a shared area within a building becomes a dumping ground,

it's not only inconsiderate, it could be downright dangerous.

Hello, there. Are you all right?

-Hello.

-I'm from the local council.

What I'm doing today is, obviously because of safety issues with flats,

we are under pressure to come and have a look at all the flats

that we own and look for fire safety issues.

How much of this stuff... Does this belong to you, or this one?

-That's next door's.

-Next door.

So, straightaway, we've got a shoe rack there,

which is right in front of the boiler cupboard. Which...

I'll wait and see what Andrew says, but it doesn't feel right to me.

Your boiler cupboard, you should have access to all the time.

It's gas, it gets hot.

This prevents access and is also combustible.

This communal area is overflowing with someone's personal effects

and there's more to this boiler cupboard than meets the eye.

One of the things that was brought to our attention was that...

The idea that this flat's got a tumble dryer

operating in a store cupboard.

-Yeah.

-Which is either going to be...

Is it that one, or is it that one there?

Well, I'll have to use my Sherlock Holmes impression here

and I think I can see a plug going into that cupboard,

so that's where it must be.

I mean, the idea of using a tumble dryer in a cupboard,

enclosed in a cupboard, straightaway that strikes me as being...

Oh, yeah, look. Yeah. Not a great idea.

-Not a brilliant idea.

-No.

No, not just not a good idea, really dangerous.

"But how dangerous can a tumble dryer be?" I hear you ask.

Well, what if I told you these types of white goods are responsible

for around five fires every day in England alone.

And this is why the Fire Service has brought this

to our attention, you see. You can't keep an eye on it there, can you,

-at all, anyway?

-I mean, tumble dryers do go wrong.

-Yeah.

-You've got the boiler right above it.

-Yeah.

-So, you've got a tumble dryer, which is sitting in an

enclosed space, and then gradually heating up.

-Yeah.

-And then you've got a supply of gas directly above it.

-It's not good, is it?

-That's really not good.

No, this white good is anything but good.

In fact, a gas explosion could be catastrophic for everyone

living in this building.

So we've got four flats in this block.

A fire that starts here...

Actually, you're not talking about a fire,

you're talking about an explosion, really.

Yeah.

It feels like something that needs to be sorted straightaway.

Have you got the power actually to do that, to take the machine away?

All I can say is that it's the tenant's responsibility

to get that shifted. If they don't, then we'll have to just say,

"Right, if you don't, we will."

The mission to keep things spick, span and, most importantly, safe

continues upstairs.

So these are new worktops...

-..for somebody.

-Yes.

And we've got carpet as well.

From a safety perspective, it's not in the way.

No. It's not blocking the exits and that but really,

it should be clear.

This shouldn't be really an extension of your home.

And also, if you're going to complain about downstairs,

you leave this as it is, then...

-It's got to be consistent.

-Yeah.

It's time to knock on some doors.

Hello. Sorry for disturbing you.

I'm Andrew. I'm from the council.

Um, would you mind...

Do you know whose bits and pieces they are over here?

-They're mine.

-They're yours, are they?

I was wondering if you could get them cleared for us?

-Yeah, they're going tomorrow.

-Brilliant.

We've got to make sure the buildings are safe, but we've also...

The people that live in them have got some

-sort of responsibility as well.

-Of course.

-So, unfortunately,

that does mean that you're going to have someone like myself come along

and say, "We must get the communal areas clear."

Thank you very much.

The potential here for disaster may seem minimal, but left unchecked,

it could all too easily become a problem.

And so, once again, this is about fire safety.

This is making sure, you know,

that these areas are actually as clear as they can be

and therefore not presenting a risk or fuel to any fire.

Absolutely. I just think it's really important to get it done properly.

And this is the time to do it.

This is when the message is fresh in people's minds that, you know,

a terrible thing has happened.

It has actually made it real for some of these people.

So, it may be a small thing that I'm asking,

but we've got quite a few little sets of flats all over the district

and there might be some that are a lot worse than this.

We all know now that serious fires can start with household appliances

and it goes to underline the importance of the work

that housing officers like Andrew are doing across the country.

Well, since we filmed,

the tumble dryer in the cupboard is no longer being used.

The owner has promised Andrew they'll get rid of it soon.

The tenants are also in the process of clearing the hallways

and stairwells of all that clutter.

Back in Smethwick, it's two weeks since our inspection

of Ali and his neighbour's flats in the same block above the takeaway

that caught fire.

Having now seen both flats and issued notices to the landlords,

Richard has some news.

Richard, you've got a desk full of paperwork there,

some of it with very big writing on indeed.

Yeah, well, we want to get people's attention, really.

So, obviously, the properties that we went to the other week,

we've obviously asked the owners to shut the building down

and do that voluntarily. I don't think that they've done that.

So what we're going to have to do is ramp it up to the next level now,

which is the service of an emergency prohibition order.

What that basically means is we are legally

shutting the building down. It's kind of boots on the ground,

making people aware of what's going on, getting signs up

in the building, serving notices and moving people out.

Obviously not everybody is going to be happy about moving out.

We've got to give them the support so that they understand that they're

not just being thrown out onto the street,

but that the council is extracting them and rehousing them.

They've done nothing wrong, have they?

They've just ended up in a property that isn't fit to live in

and it's the owner that's got to deal with that.

Shutting down a property is a housing officer's last resort.

This could be uncomfortable because we're letting people know

that they have to move out of their homes

and some of them are really quite established in these properties.

So the idea that they're going to move out with very short notice

is going to be a difficult one to explain.

The first to get the news is Ali, who, with his grandfather,

was at home when the fire broke out below.

HE KNOCKS ON THE DOOR

Not sure there's anyone in, is there?

Ali, it's Richard from Sandwell Council.

-Is he there?

-Right. It seems that people aren't here,

so unfortunately I'm going to have to -

which is probably the worst way to do it -

put a notice up on the door like this.

And pretty much leave it for the tenants to find.

Next, it's the families living next door.

Today, just one of the families is home.

Hello. How are you, are you OK?

Are we OK to come in?

I need to talk to you.

We've served a notice on this property today.

Everybody has to... I know it sounds quite a shocking thing to say,

but everyone's going to have to move out.

This building's not safe.

So we're going to have to shut it down.

I understand it's Diwali today.

I'm so sorry about that.

Unfortunately, we've got to shut it down.

I mean, of all the days.

But what do you do? Do you put it off?

Do you leave it another day?

You know, just wait till tomorrow

and then just hope everyone's going to be safe?

You can't really do that.

Can I give you a number to call?

And then they will sort you somewhere to go tonight.

Did the landlord not tell you about this, that this was happening?

Because we told him two weeks ago.

We've been put in a difficult situation here today.

We've had to turn up on a rainy day when it's Diwali

and had to tell people to move for their own safety.

-OK.

-And that is on the landlord.

If they can move back in when the building's been brought up to spec,

then that's great. We can't have a little child in this building when,

you know, if there's a fire downstairs, there's no warning,

there's no separation. They could be trapped.

You know, they could end up trying to escape through a roof there that

they drop through into a burning room.

When you finish work on a day like today, do you...

Do you still end up churning through the decisions

you've made during that day

and the impact that it's going to have on people?

Yeah, you get home and you think of those people,

and you're tucking into your dinner, and you're thinking,

"Gosh, you know, what's happening to them now?

"What's their... You know, do they feel that their future's

"now uncertain?" And unfortunately, sometimes the

people you're trying to help, they don't realise that

you are trying to help them.

There was a fire next door.

Diwali, the festival of light, fireworks are going to be

going off left, right and centre today. It only takes a firework to

land through a window, start a fire.

There's two families in there that we know will be sleeping

-somewhere else tonight.

-Yeah.

And hopefully Rich can sleep easier tonight knowing that

if the shops do have another fire, the tenants either won't be there,

or they'll be better prepared.

You feel like this horrible tool of bureaucracy on one side where you're

serving papers and pinning up notices on doors

and ushering people out of their homes, getting them to pack quickly,

but at the same time...

that saves lives.

Boring regulation and boring bureaucracy and clipboards

and court orders actually save lives.

So...

..that's what... If being a busybody is what it takes,

then, sadly, you've got to be a busybody.

Well, despite the council's offer to rehouse the tenants,

the landlord rehoused them himself.

The flats are now empty.

Let's hope Ali and the families are now in safer,

more secure accommodation.

Nothing is worse when you're tucked up in bed at night

than the sound of an animal scratching,

especially if you don't have pets!

Mice or rats can quickly become a problem for householders,

not only because they cause damage to properties,

they can spread disease.

So it's vital they're dealt with quickly.

I don't imagine that's very good for you, having that in your house.

They carry disease, so potentially have an effect on you in that sense.

Yes, one or two mice came in the kitchen last year or this year.

I think that the bins outside were overflowing.

Generally speaking, obviously they're going to carry diseases.

Obviously, their faeces are going to be in my house

and that would worry me about where that's being generated.

They really scare me. I don't want to have them in my house.

Yeah, it's really scary to have them, yeah.

In Peterborough, housing officers David Marshall and Gareth Brighton

are on their way to inspect some privately rented flats

after being tipped off that the residents' health

is being put at risk by some very unwelcome visitors.

A couple of the guys have been out on a licensing visit.

And I think there's some flats there...

That there's a problem with rats, our favourite.

I love a good rat.

Yeah. So, quite a lot of rats, I think, around the courtyard area

and they're actually entering.

I think they said there was a disabled guy on the ground floor

and when he opens his windows, rats are trying to get in.

So we're going to go and

have a look and see if there's something we can do under PDPA.

The Prevention of Damage by Pests Act is a piece of legislation

that allows councils to require property owners

to get rid of rodents on their land.

But there's nothing to suggest a rat problem at the front

of this city centre Victorian house.

So, what about the back?

So that must be the window they're on about.

And it doesn't take them long to see disturbing evidence of vermin.

Yeah, these are burrows, look.

The chap, I think, in this dwelling here,

has reported when he opens - this is a window here -

when he slides that sash window up, rats are trying to enter

into his accommodation.

No-one wants rat droppings right outside their window.

They carry all sorts of bugs and diseases which can be passed

to humans, including salmonella and E. coli.

David and Gareth are taking this report of vermin very seriously.

The first bit of evidence of rats, I would say, is this one here.

I wouldn't want that window open.

We've got more droppings and things here.

Again, this is a window into someone's accommodation.

The thought that kids might be exposed to vermin

is pretty hard to take.

The last thing you want to see is rat droppings

around a child's buggy.

These look like burrows to me.

Rats thrive on rubbish and litter

and somebody's clearly been using this patch of garden

without bothering to pick up after themselves.

Unused areas of land can harbour pests.

But landlords are responsible for removing any debris

that could be making it worse.

I think it will be the accumulations that are attracting the rats.

You've got to start looking at how these accumulations

are getting in here.

-Yeah.

-Look.

This neighbour has been doing her best to keep the garden clear,

but the rat problem is being made worse by some other non-residents.

The lady tenant has just said that homeless people sometimes

congregate here and they're able to get through because obviously

there's a gap in the fence on the curtilage of the properties.

The list of problems here is piling up.

Not maintaining fences means poor security,

potentially risking the tenants' safety.

If we can secure that, that should certainly alleviate it.

After seeing clear evidence of rats in the back garden,

they're going to check up on a tenant with disabilities

who's too afraid to open his windows in case the rats come in.

Hello, I'm from the City Council.

-Hello.

-Hello, mate. Sorry to bother you.

We're from the City Council, from the housing team.

We've had a report of some problems with rats.

How many? One, two, three, four?

-Big!

-Big.

-Big problem?

-Big!

He's just pointing out all the droppings that we can see.

Yeah. OK.

Joseph has been in the flat for just under a year.

He's got a range of health problems, including breathing difficulties.

Living in a flat with windows he can't open is having a huge impact

on his quality of life.

It's windy?

There's oxygen.

It's a machine or something.

No. Yeah. What Joseph is telling me is that he's got some

breathing problems and he certainly would benefit from fresh air.

But at the moment, he's not opening his windows because

he's worried he's going to get vermin coming in.

So, yeah. Certainly there's...

It's a pressing issue for him.

Not one or two.

-Too much.

-Too much. Lots of rats.

Lots of them.

He may be putting a brave face on it,

but this is clearly affecting Joseph's health.

So Gareth and David will have to take action immediately

to clear the garden of vermin.

The council will speak to the landlord

and we will make sure that he does some things to stop the problem, OK?

Get rid of the rats. OK?

But it's not only the windows that are giving David cause for concern.

The amount of room in the flat is highlighting another problem.

There certainly isn't a vast amount of space in here, is there?

Are we able to have a look through there? Are we able to...

-Yes.

-.. go through there?

There's one important piece of furniture that's pretty conspicuous

by its absence.

There isn't a bed.

This. This.

This.

Because I have a problem, this.

Yeah.

-You need to sit up.

-Because this problem, use mask.

Joseph's breathing difficulties mean he finds

it more comfortable to sleep in a chair,

but is it a good long-term solution?

Yeah, there's just a small bathroom through there.

So, really, this is it.

The amount of space in which you live can affect

your mental and physical health.

By law, a room like this should be at least 13 square metres in size.

While Joseph's clearly doing his best to make the most of his

tiny bedsit, it can't be easy living here.

When space is limited, everything else is magnified.

So, yeah, risk of fire, risk of falls, trips and things like that.

You know, simple things, like maybe knocking a pan off the hob.

If you haven't got a lot of circulation space, it's more likely.

These are all things we have to think about when we look at space.

And let's not forget the

mental effects, the psychological issues that people can have

if they live their whole lives in a confined space.

So it's also something we need to think about.

Well, within a week, the landlord had a digger in

to clear the land outside Joseph's flat and set some rat traps.

The council found that although Joseph's room did meet

the minimum space requirements,

they're now helping him to find more suitable accommodation.

With more than 200,000 families on the social housing waiting list

in London, local authorities make regular checks on their

council homes to make sure that they are being occupied

by legitimate tenants and not sublet to people who aren't

in the most need of them.

In the London borough of Havering,

I'm joining housing officer Quesha Nicholls

on an audit of council properties to check that tenants

are who they say they are.

The purpose of the audit, I mean, it's got a couple

of purposes, really.

-Yeah, definitely.

-Presumably, we are there to look

-and see that things are safe?

-Yeah.

-In the first instance,

you want to make sure that people are, you know,

in the right property, in a safe property,

and things haven't been left to go wrong, to possibly harm them.

Of course, yeah.

But then also to make sure you've got the right people

in the right property.

Audit visits are unannounced to catch out people

if they're cheating the system.

From a safety point of view, it's important councils know exactly

who is living in their properties.

-All right.

-Hello, Adam?

-Yeah.

-Hiya. I'm Quesha from Havering.

You all right? Come in.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

Quesha's first job is to check the tenant's ID

and to make sure he is the tenant registered to the property.

-And it's a joint tenancy?

-It is.

-Yeah.

Then she wants to check there are no problems in the flat that could put

the tenant or neighbours in danger.

-So do you mind if I have a little nose around?

-No, no.

-Is that OK?

-Feel free.

-Yeah.

-If we have a look behind the telly, you can see...

-Terrible wiring.

-..a lot of wiring.

A lot of wiring going on here, Adam.

Overloading a socket is all too easy.

But if the plugged-in appliances exceed the maximum rating

for the extension, it could overheat and catch fire.

The problem with a lot of properties,

council properties like this,

they were built, I would say, in the '30s for this block, at a guess,

and the electrical provision in them is still quite basic.

And you can see someone like Adam, he's a young guy,

he's got a lot of electrical products and he needs to use them.

He needs to keep them on, charge them, whatever.

What happens, then, is you have a fire risk

because if you overload a socket, and it blows,

it can set fire to things around it

and there's possibly a risk of that here.

I can see that you're kind of stuck for space here but we do say

have the bed not leaning against the wall

because it can trap moisture behind there.

And in the kitchen, there's something else worrying Quesha.

-I've got a very, very poor sense of smell.

-Do you?

Quesha, as soon as you came in here, you thought you smelt gas.

This is dangerous.

If left untended, gas leaks could lead to an explosion.

If you smell gas, call your supplier immediately.

Adam said to me that his girlfriend that lives with him has smelt gas

before as well, so when I hear...

-Those two things together.

-..that's two... Yeah.

So, just to ensure for now,

make sure everything's turned off, but it's something that,

as of today, I will refer.

And that's not the only danger in here.

Obviously, the kitchen's a high-risk room, isn't it?

It's one of those rooms, you've got to get it right.

-You do.

-I have noticed, Adam,

that you keep your plastic bags behind the fridge.

Now, I wouldn't do that, personally.

No, that's fair enough.

Just because it can get quite hot behind a fridge

and what you're doing is, you're sticking a load of fuel

-right behind...

-Right behind it, yeah.

-And plastic.

-..the heat there, so if you could find somewhere else

-to stick those.

-I will definitely pull them out.

It might seem overcautious but in fact,

fridge freezers are one of the most likely white goods to catch fire.

-See you later.

-The next time we do one of these

will probably be in about a year, yeah?

-All right, then. See you.

-Cheers.

It's so easy for what seem like small safety issues

to become a much bigger problem.

If we can prevent that, it's a job well done.

Quesha and I have one more tenancy check to do.

OK, so another couple of names for a tenancy check.

Anything special about these or are these selected at random?

Selected at random.

The first two we had were quite young, a young couple.

This one's slightly older.

They're even older than me, and that is a very small group of people!

Yeah, right!

Havering, on the Essex-London border, not only has one of the

fastest-growing populations, but also the highest proportion

of older people for a London borough.

-Hello.

-Hello. Brenda?

-Yeah.

Thanks ever so much.

Would I be able to ask for some photo ID?

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

Once Quesha's happy that Brenda and Bob really are,

well, Brenda and Bob, we can find out how they're getting on.

How long have you been in?

Since 17th of July.

This place was in a terrible state.

It was rotten, and I mean rotten.

There was all marks along the wall, you know,

because it's had wallpaper up.

And I said to them, you know, "I mean, we've got dry rot

"or something."

So there was a lot of damp, was there?

Well, it had been flooded. You know, we didn't know.

This isn't good news.

Mould and damp can aggravate respiratory infections and allergies

if left untreated.

Are we still trying to sort out the damp within the property?

They've done something to the wall in the bedroom,

-like, where the window is.

-OK, they've repaired it, yeah?

That can have an effect on your joints and your back and your leg,

-things of that nature.

-Yeah.

Especially going into the winter,

so we need to make sure that that's actually done.

This is really important

because living in a cold house is associated with colds,

flu and arthritis.

The council have come and they've sorted it out, but I want to see for

myself if it's been completely resolved

because it's easy for it to come back.

So it's something that we would need to definitely look into to be sure.

-Yeah.

-And sometimes, these things, they take treatment after treatment,

not just a one-off and then, you know, everything is fine.

When she gets back to the office, Quesha will check

whether the maintenance team are satisfied that Bob and Brenda's home

is now better protected from mildew and damp.

-Bye.

-Bye!

So Bob and Brenda there, it does smell a bit in there,

-it is damp.

-You can smell the damp slightly when you're in there

but then, as I said, when you do treat damp,

it doesn't instantly just disappear.

So what we're looking at there is, has it been treated

and it's fine, but it's just a matter of time,

or do we need to revisit it and have them treat it again?

Yeah, because you can't muck about with damp.

-Yeah.

-Especially, you know, they're older than me, even.

-Yeah.

-And, you know, at that age...

-Just.

Just! You've got to... You've got to look after your respiratory system.

We want to make sure that it's done as soon as possible.

-Shall we?

-Yeah, let's go.

Well, the council looked into the suspicious smell of gas

in Adam's flat and found there was no further work required.

Meanwhile, it turns out Bob and Brenda's flat doesn't have dry rot.

The council say the work that had already been carried out

should solve the damp problem.

Well, as we've just seen, being a housing officer 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 a safe and hazard-free place to call

home. Join me again next time.

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