0:00:02 > 0:00:04Can you imagine living in these conditions?
0:00:04 > 0:00:06- So you started with mice?- Yeah.
0:00:06 > 0:00:08- And now there are rats? - Yeah, yeah, yeah.
0:00:08 > 0:00:11Security's very poor at the back of this property.
0:00:11 > 0:00:13But with the pressure on housing greater than ever,
0:00:13 > 0:00:17finding a safe place to live is getting harder and harder.
0:00:17 > 0:00:18It is just terrible.
0:00:18 > 0:00:20It gets me the most, this place.
0:00:20 > 0:00:22Oh, my God. Can you see what's going on here?
0:00:23 > 0:00:25I'm Matt Allwright,
0:00:25 > 0:00:28and I'm back on the front line with the housing enforcers.
0:00:28 > 0:00:31So what you've got is a very, very quick way to dispatch yourself.
0:00:31 > 0:00:35This series tackles downright dangerous houses head on.
0:00:35 > 0:00:38Really worryingly, there's no mains gas supply here at all.
0:00:38 > 0:00:41From life-endangering fire traps...
0:00:41 > 0:00:43They wouldn't even know that the place was on fire
0:00:43 > 0:00:44before they were dead.
0:00:44 > 0:00:46You can see, these plugs here, they've blown.
0:00:46 > 0:00:48Worst-case scenario, the house could have burnt down.
0:00:48 > 0:00:50..to health hazards...
0:00:50 > 0:00:53It's at a stage where it really needs to be dealt with now.
0:00:53 > 0:00:55..to accidents waiting to happen...
0:00:55 > 0:00:57You're actually not talking about a fire,
0:00:57 > 0:00:58you're talking about an explosion.
0:00:58 > 0:01:02..making sure we all have a safe and secure place to call home.
0:01:02 > 0:01:07There are things here that could seriously shorten your life.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14Today, I meet a mother desperate to protect her children
0:01:14 > 0:01:16from exposure to mould.
0:01:16 > 0:01:20My son asking me, "Mama, why can't I sleep in your bed?"
0:01:20 > 0:01:23I tell him, "It's not healthy for you."
0:01:23 > 0:01:24Hello!
0:01:24 > 0:01:28In the West Midlands, some terrifying electrics are exposed.
0:01:28 > 0:01:29I'm not going to touch anything
0:01:29 > 0:01:31cos I don't want to get electrocuted,
0:01:31 > 0:01:35but we've got European plugs being forced into UK sockets.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39And a routine boiler inspection reveals more than we bargained for.
0:01:41 > 0:01:42Who's living here with you?
0:01:42 > 0:01:44There are hundreds of people coming and going.
0:01:44 > 0:01:46You never know who's going to be here.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49- Yeah.- I really do want to get out of here.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52It's thought that over three million renters across Britain
0:01:52 > 0:01:55have experienced problems with damp.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58And where there's damp, potentially,
0:01:58 > 0:02:01harmful toxic mould can soon follow.
0:02:01 > 0:02:05And, believe me, that can be seriously bad for your health.
0:02:05 > 0:02:07There is an issue - damp and mould.
0:02:07 > 0:02:09We clean it regularly,
0:02:09 > 0:02:12ventilation's very good, still we have damp and mould.
0:02:12 > 0:02:14You don't really want children in damp houses
0:02:14 > 0:02:16because of the spores and everything, so, yeah, we...
0:02:18 > 0:02:20..we always make sure that we don't have damp
0:02:20 > 0:02:21in the corners and everything.
0:02:21 > 0:02:23Because I've got a child with asthma,
0:02:23 > 0:02:25and she's allergic to a lot of things,
0:02:25 > 0:02:28so I'm particularly careful about damp and mould.
0:02:30 > 0:02:34In Kent, I'm with housing officers Bethan and Steve,
0:02:34 > 0:02:35who've been contacted by a tenant
0:02:35 > 0:02:38about a serious damp issue in their home.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43Today is seeing how bad the damp is,
0:02:43 > 0:02:47the effects of it, any particular hazards associated with that.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50And then we try and find out what's been causing it,
0:02:50 > 0:02:52what the landlord has done about it so far.
0:02:56 > 0:02:59We're meeting Eva and her husband, Adrian,
0:02:59 > 0:03:01who live here with their two young children.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05On first impressions, the house doesn't look too bad,
0:03:05 > 0:03:09but Eva's keen to show us the sort of impact the damp is having.
0:03:09 > 0:03:10So where are the main issues, then?
0:03:10 > 0:03:13You want to... Maybe I start, show for you in the front.
0:03:13 > 0:03:17- OK.- What's happened to the wallpaper here?
0:03:17 > 0:03:19- Did it come off?- Coming off, yeah.
0:03:19 > 0:03:21- Come off.- Yeah, I have something like a big balloon over there,
0:03:21 > 0:03:23so my kids, when I'm back from the holiday,
0:03:23 > 0:03:26touch that one and everything coming...
0:03:26 > 0:03:27- The paper bubbled out?- Yes.
0:03:27 > 0:03:31Did you see over here? At the moment it's dry, everything is dry,
0:03:31 > 0:03:34but when it is wet you see that, something like a little bit
0:03:34 > 0:03:37different colour because that is wet.
0:03:37 > 0:03:39That corner looks like...
0:03:39 > 0:03:42All wall size.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45- This whole, this whole wall... - Yes, yes.- ..you feel gets wet?
0:03:45 > 0:03:48And is this when it rains or is it all the time?
0:03:48 > 0:03:49All the time. All the time.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52When it's raining, it's much, much, much worse.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56- It's like that.- You've got bits of paint peeling off, yeah.
0:03:56 > 0:03:58- It's wet.- I see.
0:03:58 > 0:04:02See, this is a house that looks in perfect decorative order, really,
0:04:02 > 0:04:04until you start looking a little bit closer.
0:04:04 > 0:04:09And certainly the walls do feel damp and do feel moist.
0:04:09 > 0:04:13Is it dangerous? Cos if it's not dangerous, it doesn't concern us.
0:04:13 > 0:04:15If it's cosmetically not up to scratch,
0:04:15 > 0:04:17that's really not our concern.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20That's between the tenant and the landlord.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23We're looking for health and safety risks.
0:04:23 > 0:04:24VOICEOVER: And it's not long before
0:04:24 > 0:04:27we're spotting signs of damp in the kitchen.
0:04:27 > 0:04:28Eva, can you tell me about this bit?
0:04:28 > 0:04:32- Yeah.- What happens here? - If it rains, it's wet.
0:04:32 > 0:04:37- Right.- Over here is wet, very wet. Wet.
0:04:37 > 0:04:39Even without a leak, the kitchen is one of
0:04:39 > 0:04:42the most common rooms for damp and mould to strike.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45Eva's even taken pictures of the water getting in.
0:04:46 > 0:04:48- So this is that corner there.- Yes.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51When it rains, you say that water comes down in the corner?
0:04:51 > 0:04:53- Yeah, leaking like this.- OK.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56But if you touch, when you press a little bit...
0:04:56 > 0:04:58OK, so all of that's coming away there.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03This can't be a good environment for anyone.
0:05:05 > 0:05:07Children are amongst the most vulnerable
0:05:07 > 0:05:09to the effects of damp and mould.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14Upstairs, things are even worse.
0:05:16 > 0:05:18In the last two months, maybe three,
0:05:18 > 0:05:22I'm not sleep in my bedroom because it's completely wet.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25Everything. Over there, over there.
0:05:25 > 0:05:26Moving at here.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29Wet up here. Completely wet.
0:05:29 > 0:05:31Eva, if you're not here, if you're not sleeping,
0:05:31 > 0:05:32where do you sleep now?
0:05:32 > 0:05:34My husband sleeps on the floor in the kids' room.
0:05:34 > 0:05:38- I sleep with my daughter in my bed...in her bed.- OK.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42It's troubling that Eva and her husband
0:05:42 > 0:05:46don't even feel like they can sleep in their own bedroom.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48That is mould. Every day, over there, is mould.
0:05:48 > 0:05:52The question is, why is there so much damp in this property?
0:05:53 > 0:05:56What do you make of this so far, Steve, from what you've seen?
0:05:56 > 0:06:00Um, well, clearly there's evidence of damp penetration into the house
0:06:00 > 0:06:02in various parts of the building.
0:06:02 > 0:06:04We're looking for the obvious signs -
0:06:04 > 0:06:06failure of the roof, rainwater goods damage.
0:06:06 > 0:06:10Is there penetrating damp, rising damp, things like that?
0:06:10 > 0:06:12While Steve carries on with the inspection,
0:06:12 > 0:06:15I want to hear what living in this place has been like
0:06:15 > 0:06:17for Eva and her family.
0:06:17 > 0:06:22How is it for you, trying to raise your family in this home right now?
0:06:22 > 0:06:25It's so horrible for my family, especially for my children,
0:06:25 > 0:06:30because my son, he's nearly seven and he is
0:06:30 > 0:06:33asking me, "Mama, why can't I sleep in your bed?"
0:06:33 > 0:06:37I tell him, "Because is damp, it's not healthy for you."
0:06:38 > 0:06:40My daughter, she has the asthma
0:06:40 > 0:06:44and she has a very strong allergy for the mould and damp.
0:06:44 > 0:06:46And it sounds like this place is just the latest
0:06:46 > 0:06:49in a long line of properties the family has lived in.
0:06:49 > 0:06:53Six months ago, I changed property again.
0:06:53 > 0:06:55How many times have you moved?
0:06:55 > 0:06:58- Four times.- So this is your fourth time to move in five years?- Yes.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01I can only imagine what a strain this must be.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03Not only are Eva's kids suffering,
0:07:03 > 0:07:07the constant moving and now living in a home that's riddled with damp
0:07:07 > 0:07:10has taken its toll on Eva, too.
0:07:10 > 0:07:12My health, it's...
0:07:12 > 0:07:14I have depression, and...
0:07:16 > 0:07:19Couple weeks ago, I called for the 111,
0:07:19 > 0:07:21ambulance coming, because I have a strong depression
0:07:21 > 0:07:25and I can't breathe, because I have too, too big stress
0:07:25 > 0:07:29and I'm too big nervous about everything.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32It's clear this is not just about the physical effects
0:07:32 > 0:07:35of living in a damp house. It's the emotional impact, too -
0:07:35 > 0:07:38something that's, sadly, all too common.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41What I would say is I don't think you're unlucky.
0:07:41 > 0:07:45I think there are a lot of people in the same situation as you,
0:07:45 > 0:07:47and people who are struggling at the moment
0:07:47 > 0:07:52to make a proper, permanent home in rented accommodation.
0:07:52 > 0:07:54Whatever the reasons for the damp here,
0:07:54 > 0:07:57something needs to be done about it, and soon.
0:07:57 > 0:07:59So we've covered most of the issues...
0:08:00 > 0:08:03..so now what we need to do is go and talk to the landlord
0:08:03 > 0:08:05to see what he has to say about it.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08I can't help feeling sorry for this family
0:08:08 > 0:08:11and the emotional pressure they seem to be under.
0:08:11 > 0:08:13You know, you could walk into this house
0:08:13 > 0:08:15and you'd think, "These are minor problems,"
0:08:15 > 0:08:17because cosmetically this house looks fine.
0:08:17 > 0:08:20Actually, when you dig down and you hear from Eva
0:08:20 > 0:08:21what the family has been through
0:08:21 > 0:08:26and the changes of rental properties that they've had to go through,
0:08:26 > 0:08:29the waste of money that goes with that,
0:08:29 > 0:08:32the disruption to their kids and to their family life...
0:08:32 > 0:08:38It's like the damp in here is just, like, the very tip of the story.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41It sounds like Steve has made some progress.
0:08:41 > 0:08:45We have managed to talk to the agent about it.
0:08:45 > 0:08:49So the damp that was running down the wall into the kitchen,
0:08:49 > 0:08:51- apparently there's a piece of flashing missing.- OK.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54So, clearly, when it's raining, it's coming straight through.
0:08:54 > 0:08:59The agent has agreed that they're going to get a contractor out today
0:08:59 > 0:09:03to arrange to come round and piece in that bit of flashing.
0:09:03 > 0:09:05Then we've got the issue of this wall,
0:09:05 > 0:09:08and it seems almost everywhere on this wall, on the inside...
0:09:09 > 0:09:11..there is an issue with damp,
0:09:11 > 0:09:13which has forced them to move out of those rooms...
0:09:15 > 0:09:19..at least partially, for a time, so that feels like a bigger problem.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22About three months ago, according to the agent, they've rendered it,
0:09:22 > 0:09:25so we need to go and talk to the landlord, the agent,
0:09:25 > 0:09:28and see how that job was done, and what type of render they used,
0:09:28 > 0:09:29and was it done correctly?
0:09:29 > 0:09:32We do have a landlord who, at least on the surface,
0:09:32 > 0:09:33appears to be willing to do the work.
0:09:33 > 0:09:37I mean, it does appear to be in good order inside and out,
0:09:37 > 0:09:41apart from these issues, so that's a big plus.
0:09:41 > 0:09:43But the big minus is you've got a family inside
0:09:43 > 0:09:45who have been through the wars.
0:09:45 > 0:09:47Our job, unfortunately,
0:09:47 > 0:09:50isn't about rectifying what's gone wrong in the past,
0:09:50 > 0:09:52so we can't ignore that,
0:09:52 > 0:09:55but from our point of view as housing enforcers,
0:09:55 > 0:09:56not too much we can do at the moment,
0:09:56 > 0:10:00as long as the landlord is trying reasonable works to rectify it.
0:10:00 > 0:10:02- You've got to give them the chance. - Yeah.
0:10:02 > 0:10:03Well, the landlord told us he acted
0:10:03 > 0:10:05as soon as he knew about the damp problem,
0:10:05 > 0:10:08and was in the process of fixing it when we visited.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11He says the property needs to be properly ventilated,
0:10:11 > 0:10:14and has given Eva and her family a dehumidifier
0:10:14 > 0:10:16to help deal with the damp.
0:10:18 > 0:10:22It's thought that there are almost a quarter of a million
0:10:22 > 0:10:26overcrowded households in the UK private rental sector.
0:10:26 > 0:10:30Cramped, unfit conditions and bedroom sharing
0:10:30 > 0:10:33can see basic living standards plummet
0:10:33 > 0:10:35and serious health risks rise.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40Yeah, definitely - overcrowding is not good for people's health.
0:10:40 > 0:10:45Too many people in one sort of area I don't think is a good thing.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48Emotionally, I think you do need a bit of space and physically, yeah,
0:10:48 > 0:10:52so I can imagine if you're all rammed into single, small rooms
0:10:52 > 0:10:54then there's obviously just a health issue, generally.
0:10:54 > 0:10:56I don't think the number of people really counts.
0:10:56 > 0:10:59If there are too many people, or less people, it doesn't matter,
0:10:59 > 0:11:02but everybody should keep your hygiene level high.
0:11:02 > 0:11:04I'm fortunate, I've got a nice home,
0:11:04 > 0:11:07but I could appreciate for other people it would be important
0:11:07 > 0:11:10that you have space and health and wellbeing where you live.
0:11:11 > 0:11:12In the West Midlands,
0:11:12 > 0:11:16housing officer Richard Hawkins is making a return visit to a house
0:11:16 > 0:11:20that first appeared on the council's radar when a neighbour reported
0:11:20 > 0:11:22an excessive number of people moving in.
0:11:24 > 0:11:26We're going down into Oldbury now to have a look at a house
0:11:26 > 0:11:30that a landlord rented out to one person,
0:11:30 > 0:11:33and then he decided to rent it out to a lot of people.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36The landlord wasn't aware. And, unfortunately,
0:11:36 > 0:11:40it's put him in a predicament where the house is now not safe
0:11:40 > 0:11:42because there's so many people crammed in there.
0:11:42 > 0:11:44Richard's worried that the overcrowding
0:11:44 > 0:11:48is posing a serious fire risk to the Eastern European tenants.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51We've asked the landlord to put some temporary smoke detectors
0:11:51 > 0:11:53in the property to try and lower the risk.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57Richard's priority is to do a thorough check of the property
0:11:57 > 0:11:59to ensure the work has actually been done.
0:12:01 > 0:12:03So we're looking at the safety of the building
0:12:03 > 0:12:06with regard to fire regulations. We're also looking at the safety
0:12:06 > 0:12:08of the tenants that are in the property.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11At the house, the police have already arrived.
0:12:11 > 0:12:13There are only two men at home,
0:12:13 > 0:12:15who explain they've come to work in the UK.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20Is there anything they'd like to ask around why we've come today
0:12:20 > 0:12:22or anything at all we might be able to help them with?
0:12:22 > 0:12:23SHE SPEAKS OWN LANGUAGE
0:12:23 > 0:12:26While the tenants talk to the police through a translator,
0:12:26 > 0:12:29Richard checks what's been done to make the house safe.
0:12:29 > 0:12:31One of the things that I'm here for
0:12:31 > 0:12:33which concerned me when I last came here
0:12:33 > 0:12:35is that this room wasn't a living room.
0:12:35 > 0:12:37It was actually being used as a bedroom.
0:12:37 > 0:12:39So we've got a sofa back here now,
0:12:39 > 0:12:41which is obviously an improvement on my last visit.
0:12:41 > 0:12:45Richard wants the house returned to a single family use,
0:12:45 > 0:12:46so that's an encouraging sign.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49I mean, we do actually have, and what looks like could possibly be,
0:12:49 > 0:12:52a fire door here to cut the kitchen off,
0:12:52 > 0:12:54but there's no closers, anything like that.
0:12:54 > 0:12:56That's fine if it's a single family home,
0:12:56 > 0:12:57but as soon as you start to have a situation
0:12:57 > 0:13:01where you've got an absolute mass of people all living together,
0:13:01 > 0:13:03the risk goes through the roof of there being a fire,
0:13:03 > 0:13:07and that's when you do need to start having proper fire doors put in.
0:13:07 > 0:13:09You need to start having proper fire detectors.
0:13:09 > 0:13:11Designed to give residents time to escape
0:13:11 > 0:13:14by slowing down the spread of a blaze,
0:13:14 > 0:13:17fire doors could be the difference between life and death,
0:13:17 > 0:13:19but what about the alarms?
0:13:19 > 0:13:22We've had some temporary smokes put in since I last visited,
0:13:22 > 0:13:23which is a good start.
0:13:23 > 0:13:25Ooh, and we've had a room cleared out!
0:13:25 > 0:13:27When I last came into this room, last week,
0:13:27 > 0:13:29there was a fridge freezer here,
0:13:29 > 0:13:31there was another fridge freezer here,
0:13:31 > 0:13:33and they've obviously cleared that out.
0:13:33 > 0:13:35There were beds. There were multiple beds.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38Yeah, it makes you wonder where all that stuff has gone.
0:13:38 > 0:13:40Oh, hang on!
0:13:40 > 0:13:42Oh, and look, I think you can see where the fridge has got to!
0:13:42 > 0:13:45So they haven't actually been removed from the building,
0:13:45 > 0:13:47they've just been migrated into the back garden.
0:13:47 > 0:13:49I would have thought if you're going to tidy it up for show,
0:13:49 > 0:13:52you'd do a better job than putting everything in the back garden.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55The neighbour has spotted some vermin.
0:13:55 > 0:13:57On closer inspection...
0:13:57 > 0:13:59Well, it looks like a rat's paradise.
0:14:00 > 0:14:01Well, yeah,
0:14:01 > 0:14:04not only have we got mattresses and things for rats to hide in,
0:14:04 > 0:14:06but we've also got a rather lovely food source in the sense that
0:14:06 > 0:14:11we've got a shopping basket full of potatoes out here, as well.
0:14:13 > 0:14:15Putting potatoes in the open air in your back garden,
0:14:15 > 0:14:18you're going to be getting mice, you're going to be getting rats.
0:14:18 > 0:14:20And then you've got a mattress for them to burrow into
0:14:20 > 0:14:22and go to sleep afterwards.
0:14:22 > 0:14:24So they've pretty much set up a rodent hotel
0:14:24 > 0:14:26in their back garden, by doing that.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29It's looking like things may not have progressed
0:14:29 > 0:14:30as well as Richard hoped.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33Later on, he discovers there are some other
0:14:33 > 0:14:36serious safety issues in the property.
0:14:36 > 0:14:38I'm not going to touch anything cos I don't want to be electrocuted,
0:14:38 > 0:14:42but we've got European plugs being forced into UK sockets.
0:14:45 > 0:14:49Carbon monoxide poisoning claims around 20 lives every year,
0:14:49 > 0:14:52often due to faulty gas boilers in the home,
0:14:52 > 0:14:54and rented properties are particularly at risk.
0:14:54 > 0:14:57But there are some simple steps you can take
0:14:57 > 0:15:01to avoid being part of that statistic.
0:15:01 > 0:15:03I know that carbon monoxide is dangerous,
0:15:03 > 0:15:05but I'm not too sure how...
0:15:07 > 0:15:09..it works, where it comes from and stuff like that,
0:15:09 > 0:15:10I'm not too sure about that.
0:15:10 > 0:15:11It kills you!
0:15:11 > 0:15:15You know, you go to bed and you don't wake up. End of discussion!
0:15:15 > 0:15:17I do have a detector for carbon monoxide
0:15:17 > 0:15:21in the bedrooms where my children are, yeah.
0:15:21 > 0:15:23It's a silent killer.
0:15:23 > 0:15:25And it can get you while you're sleeping...
0:15:26 > 0:15:28..so we always check on that when we go on holiday.
0:15:31 > 0:15:35I'm in Oldbury, working with housing officer Christina Bartholomew.
0:15:36 > 0:15:38We're responding to a complaint from a tenant
0:15:38 > 0:15:40in a privately-rented property.
0:15:41 > 0:15:43Right, tell me where we're going. What's happening?
0:15:43 > 0:15:49Today, we're going to a property which has a problem with the boiler.
0:15:49 > 0:15:51Somebody's been out to have a look at the boiler,
0:15:51 > 0:15:54but they weren't Gas Safe registered.
0:15:54 > 0:15:56Why is she suspicious of the work he's done?
0:15:56 > 0:15:57I think it's mainly the fact
0:15:57 > 0:16:00that he's been doing other work within the property,
0:16:00 > 0:16:03and he just did this as a sort of side-line
0:16:03 > 0:16:04- to the other work he was doing. - Right.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07- So she thinks he's a little bit "ooh", a little bit "er".- Yes.
0:16:07 > 0:16:10It's just to find out what the situation is
0:16:10 > 0:16:13until we can figure out whether another gas engineer
0:16:13 > 0:16:16- needs to go out to redo the inspection.- Sure.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20It could be a major safety issue.
0:16:20 > 0:16:22Faulty or badly-maintained gas boilers
0:16:22 > 0:16:25can give off potentially lethal levels of carbon monoxide.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28You can't see it, taste it or smell it,
0:16:28 > 0:16:30but it kills around 20 people every year...
0:16:32 > 0:16:36..so Christina takes any report of dodgy boiler repairs very seriously.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42- Hello.- Hello.- How you doing, you all right? I'm Matt.- Hi.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45- Christina.- Good to see you.- I've been speaking to you on the phone.
0:16:45 > 0:16:47- Is it all right to come in? - Yeah, come in.- Thank you very much.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53Did you say that a gas contractor had been out?
0:16:54 > 0:16:56The last time it's been done was 2008.
0:16:57 > 0:16:59This is worrying.
0:16:59 > 0:17:01Boilers should be serviced every 12 months
0:17:01 > 0:17:05by a registered Gas Safe engineer, but judging by the sticker,
0:17:05 > 0:17:08this one hasn't been touched for over a decade.
0:17:08 > 0:17:11Did somebody come out and have a look and they did some other...?
0:17:11 > 0:17:14I've never seen anything Gas Safe on any of his vehicles.
0:17:14 > 0:17:16- I've never seen anything hanging from his neck.- No.
0:17:16 > 0:17:19- He's just a cowboy, if you ask me. - He's just a bloke?- Yeah.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22With no evidence of a proper boiler check,
0:17:22 > 0:17:25we need to find out who's been put at risk here.
0:17:25 > 0:17:27Is it just you that's...? Who's living here with you?
0:17:27 > 0:17:30The landlord's allowing people to move in, and then...
0:17:30 > 0:17:32- So it's not just...- ..hundreds of people coming and going.
0:17:32 > 0:17:34You never know who's going to be here.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37So it's actually a House in Multiple Occupation,
0:17:37 > 0:17:39rather than just being a single household,
0:17:39 > 0:17:40which we originally thought.
0:17:40 > 0:17:42- No.- Yeah.- Yeah.
0:17:42 > 0:17:44It's a worrying turn of events.
0:17:44 > 0:17:46HMOs need to meet strict safety regulations,
0:17:46 > 0:17:49because of the greater number of residents.
0:17:49 > 0:17:53If they fail to do so, they can be shut down.
0:17:53 > 0:17:54When we were talking in the car,
0:17:54 > 0:17:57- it sounded like we were coming to a single residence.- Yes.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00Now it seems like a House in Multiple Occupation,
0:18:00 > 0:18:01with people coming and going,
0:18:01 > 0:18:04people not knowing who's in the home at the same time.
0:18:04 > 0:18:06- It feels like we need to do more than just look at the boiler.- Yeah.
0:18:06 > 0:18:08We need to have a look round
0:18:08 > 0:18:10and just see how many people are living here
0:18:10 > 0:18:15and if they've got adequate provisions, fire safety.
0:18:15 > 0:18:17The general state of repair of the whole place
0:18:17 > 0:18:21says to me that this is something that we need to spend time
0:18:21 > 0:18:26- really working out what happens to people here if things go wrong.- Yes.
0:18:26 > 0:18:28And that's the scary thing about an HMO.
0:18:28 > 0:18:31You can find yourself living with people you don't even know
0:18:31 > 0:18:34and, potentially, trusting them with your life.
0:18:34 > 0:18:36What are your options if you weren't here, Jay?
0:18:36 > 0:18:39- Cos it sounds like a bad place to be for you.- I want to get out.
0:18:39 > 0:18:42- Yeah.- I really do want to get out of here. It's not safe for the missus.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45But the landlord, all he's interested in is money.
0:18:45 > 0:18:47It's all he's ever interested in.
0:18:48 > 0:18:49Right.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52Whatever Jay's issues with the landlord, you don't have to look far
0:18:52 > 0:18:55to see that this could be an unsafe place to live in.
0:18:56 > 0:18:59Straight away, this is a building that doesn't feel right.
0:18:59 > 0:19:02There's no door to the kitchen, for instance.
0:19:02 > 0:19:04This is the most likely room for a fire to start.
0:19:04 > 0:19:06If it starts here, there's no reason why
0:19:06 > 0:19:08it can't spread to the rest of the house
0:19:08 > 0:19:11because there isn't a fire door to give you proper separation
0:19:11 > 0:19:15and a chance of containing that fire while everybody leaves.
0:19:15 > 0:19:16It's a terrifying thought.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19All it takes is for someone else to forget to turn off the cooker
0:19:19 > 0:19:21while you're tucked up in bed.
0:19:21 > 0:19:24We need to carry out a thorough inspection of this property.
0:19:26 > 0:19:28Shall we start in your bedroom...
0:19:28 > 0:19:30- Yeah, yeah. - ..Jay, if that's all right?
0:19:30 > 0:19:32Now, that's all the damp on the bay window.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35So we've got damp on the bay window, and what do you do?
0:19:35 > 0:19:38- Do you wipe that off occasionally? - Yeah, I've wiped it off recently.
0:19:38 > 0:19:40I mean, you can see it's all cracking there.
0:19:40 > 0:19:42- This is your heater that you've brought in.- Yeah.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45That's the only form of heating we've got.
0:19:45 > 0:19:47- Right.- Without that, we'd be freezing to death.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50These walls do get, like, damp, though,
0:19:50 > 0:19:52because I've had to put cardboard behind the bed
0:19:52 > 0:19:54- to stop the bed from getting wet. - Yeah, right.
0:19:54 > 0:19:56Conditions are looking pretty grim for Jay,
0:19:56 > 0:19:59and upstairs, Christina inspects another tenant's bedroom.
0:19:59 > 0:20:03He doesn't want to be on camera, but what she finds out isn't good.
0:20:05 > 0:20:07There's no window restrictor on the window,
0:20:07 > 0:20:11so there's a possibility, with a low sill, that he could fall out.
0:20:11 > 0:20:13The radiator doesn't work, does it?
0:20:13 > 0:20:15Also, there was the faulty light switch,
0:20:15 > 0:20:18so you have to put your finger right inside it to switch it on.
0:20:18 > 0:20:20Right, OK.
0:20:20 > 0:20:22Like Jay, this tenant is also worried
0:20:22 > 0:20:24about living in a property full of strangers.
0:20:24 > 0:20:27The amount of tenants that have come and gone is quite...
0:20:27 > 0:20:30- You never know who...- Quite a high turnover.- Quite a high turnover.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33- You don't really know who's in the house at any given time.- Exactly.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36But the tenant has other concerns too.
0:20:36 > 0:20:38How long before any action's taken?
0:20:38 > 0:20:39Discussed with him?
0:20:39 > 0:20:41It will be immediate action.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44The only thing that's bothering me, if any action's taken,
0:20:44 > 0:20:46am I going to end up with nowhere to live?
0:20:46 > 0:20:48Yeah, obviously, that's going to be a concern.
0:20:48 > 0:20:51We would contact the Housing Options team
0:20:51 > 0:20:53so you wouldn't be in that situation.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56- To get you out, they need to give you two months' notice.- Mm.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59He needs to go through the formal process of evicting you,
0:20:59 > 0:21:02if that's what he wants to do, and there's a process for that.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05- Um, OK.- OK?- That's as many rooms as we're going to get in today.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08That's all we're going to get into today, I think.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11This really is an HMO horror story, with...
0:21:17 > 0:21:21Add all that up and you've got the perfect recipe for disaster.
0:21:21 > 0:21:25But it's that boiler that's of immediate concern, so we give Jay
0:21:25 > 0:21:29a potentially life-saving carbon monoxide detector.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32The carbon monoxide detector has now been installed.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35The worry being that if we've got somebody that...
0:21:35 > 0:21:38If that started leaking, we'd all die silently.
0:21:38 > 0:21:41It's exactly how Jay just described it. That's... That's spot on.
0:21:43 > 0:21:45With so many hazards in the property,
0:21:45 > 0:21:47Christina only has one option.
0:21:47 > 0:21:49Hi, Gary, it's Christina here.
0:21:49 > 0:21:53I came out to this one thinking it was a single occupancy household,
0:21:53 > 0:21:55but it's an HMO,
0:21:55 > 0:21:58and it's got everything wrong with it under the sun,
0:21:58 > 0:22:01and I need to serve a notice, I think, on this one.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04Thank you very much. OK, bye. Bye.
0:22:04 > 0:22:08Christina is looking to serve a notice under the Housing Act,
0:22:08 > 0:22:11giving the landlord a list of work to be completed in the property
0:22:11 > 0:22:14to make it safe, including that boiler.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17If it's ignored, enforcement action could be taken.
0:22:18 > 0:22:20It's easy to make judgments about people
0:22:20 > 0:22:22and about the way that they live,
0:22:22 > 0:22:24but actually what was going on in that house
0:22:24 > 0:22:27was nothing to do with the people living there.
0:22:27 > 0:22:29The reason that they weren't safe
0:22:29 > 0:22:32is purely because of the state of that house
0:22:32 > 0:22:35and that's got to come back to the landlord, I'm afraid.
0:22:35 > 0:22:39Such a lot of work to do in that place, but it starts here.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47Jay's landlord told us the boiler had been serviced annually
0:22:47 > 0:22:52by a qualified engineer, and he hadn't been told about any problems.
0:22:52 > 0:22:54He says a small leak was recently found,
0:22:54 > 0:22:56which has now been fixed.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59He says that new smoke detectors and a fire door have now been fitted
0:22:59 > 0:23:02and he's fixing all electrics and window restrictors.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05He wants to maintain a good relationship
0:23:05 > 0:23:06with his tenants in the future.
0:23:08 > 0:23:10As we've just seen,
0:23:10 > 0:23:14it's vital to know that the boiler in your home is serviced and safe.
0:23:15 > 0:23:18Someone who knows this very well is Amanda Handy.
0:23:20 > 0:23:24In March 2013, she decided to spend Mother's Day with her kids
0:23:24 > 0:23:26at her late mum's home in Northamptonshire.
0:23:27 > 0:23:30We were cooking a Sunday roast dinner in the kitchen.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33The children were playing in the conservatory,
0:23:33 > 0:23:38which was open to where we were, so we were all together that morning.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42As the morning progressed and dinner was cooking,
0:23:42 > 0:23:47I remember not feeling 100%, developing a headache.
0:23:47 > 0:23:51My young daughter complained that she was feeling poorly.
0:23:51 > 0:23:54She'd got a bad head and she'd got a stuffy nose, sort of thing.
0:23:54 > 0:24:00My son then started to say, yes, his head hurt, as well.
0:24:00 > 0:24:03Unsurprisingly, Amanda believed that she and the kids
0:24:03 > 0:24:05might be coming down with something.
0:24:05 > 0:24:09The symptoms were so much like a common cold or flu.
0:24:09 > 0:24:12You know, you felt a bit lethargic,
0:24:12 > 0:24:14you felt as if you'd got a head cold,
0:24:14 > 0:24:17you'd got a headache, you felt a little bit dizzy,
0:24:17 > 0:24:21so nothing that I'd have put down to anything other than
0:24:21 > 0:24:24we were all coming down with a virus of some sort.
0:24:24 > 0:24:28But it wasn't long before things took a turn for the worse.
0:24:29 > 0:24:33And I can remember my daughter, who was six at the time,
0:24:33 > 0:24:37loved her Sunday roasts, but she sat at the table next to me
0:24:37 > 0:24:41and could hardly... Well, couldn't hold her head up off the table.
0:24:41 > 0:24:44It soon became clear something was seriously wrong.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48It just wasn't a standard headache.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51You just wanted to put your head in your hands
0:24:51 > 0:24:55because you just couldn't cope with the pain that you were having.
0:24:56 > 0:25:00As soon as Amanda arrived home, her stepfather called.
0:25:01 > 0:25:04He thought there'd been a problem with the boiler
0:25:04 > 0:25:09and he'd called the gas board out, who advised him to turn the gas off.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13Something in the back of my mind must have rung,
0:25:13 > 0:25:17whether I'd watched a programme or heard something.
0:25:17 > 0:25:21I googled our symptoms and put in what we were doing,
0:25:21 > 0:25:24and carbon monoxide poisoning came up.
0:25:24 > 0:25:28Carbon monoxide is produced when fuel doesn't burn properly,
0:25:28 > 0:25:31usually from badly fitted or poorly maintained appliances
0:25:31 > 0:25:34like boilers or gas hobs.
0:25:34 > 0:25:37With around 20 people dying from carbon monoxide poisoning
0:25:37 > 0:25:41each year, Amanda knew she had to get to the hospital fast.
0:25:41 > 0:25:44The thought that, you know, something could happen to me
0:25:44 > 0:25:47is bad enough, yet something that could happen to my children
0:25:47 > 0:25:49is extremely scary.
0:25:49 > 0:25:54You know, no parent wants to lose a child.
0:25:54 > 0:25:55As soon as we got there,
0:25:55 > 0:26:01we were seen by a nurse and a doctor that took arterial blood from us,
0:26:01 > 0:26:03so blood from an artery rather than a vein,
0:26:03 > 0:26:06and within 10, 15 minutes of us having that blood,
0:26:06 > 0:26:10it was confirmed that we did in fact have carbon monoxide poisoning.
0:26:13 > 0:26:17They did say to us, had we stayed, had we fallen asleep,
0:26:17 > 0:26:21that we may not have woken up that day.
0:26:24 > 0:26:27I thank my lucky stars every day,
0:26:27 > 0:26:30because I know, had we stayed there for another few hours,
0:26:30 > 0:26:32the doctors have said to us,
0:26:32 > 0:26:37you know, I wouldn't be sitting here today and telling you my story.
0:26:38 > 0:26:42Thankfully, after a few days, Amanda and her kids were back to normal.
0:26:42 > 0:26:44As well as having regular boiler checks,
0:26:44 > 0:26:49she's now taking extra steps to make sure it can never happen again.
0:26:49 > 0:26:52We have our carbon monoxide alarm.
0:26:52 > 0:26:56It's situated in our kitchen, because our boiler is in the kitchen
0:26:56 > 0:26:58and our gas hob is in the kitchen,
0:26:58 > 0:27:02so you need to have your alarms where your gas appliances are.
0:27:02 > 0:27:07They need testing, a bit like a fire alarm or a smoke alarm does,
0:27:07 > 0:27:10so you need to test them at least once a week.
0:27:10 > 0:27:12If I press that button,
0:27:12 > 0:27:16you will hear the sound that it makes when you test it.
0:27:16 > 0:27:17ALARM BLEEPS SHRILLY
0:27:17 > 0:27:19And that's the sound that it will emit
0:27:19 > 0:27:22if you have a carbon monoxide leak in your house.
0:27:23 > 0:27:28The only way that you know if there is carbon monoxide in your house
0:27:28 > 0:27:31is by having a carbon monoxide alarm.
0:27:32 > 0:27:34And it is something that we should all have,
0:27:34 > 0:27:37because it is something you can't see and you can't smell,
0:27:37 > 0:27:39and you won't know it's in the air.
0:27:45 > 0:27:47Back in the West Midlands,
0:27:47 > 0:27:49housing officer Richard is with the police,
0:27:49 > 0:27:52investigating a house that was so overcrowded
0:27:52 > 0:27:55it was becoming a health hazard inside and out.
0:27:55 > 0:27:57On his last visit,
0:27:57 > 0:28:00Richard ordered the landlord to turn it back into a single-family home.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03He's checking to see if they've complied.
0:28:03 > 0:28:06One of the neighbours explained to the police officer
0:28:06 > 0:28:09that tenants were picked up this morning in a white van,
0:28:09 > 0:28:11and taken off to work.
0:28:11 > 0:28:14He counts around about nine people as well living in the property.
0:28:14 > 0:28:18If they're still here, where are they sleeping?
0:28:18 > 0:28:20Richard's right to be worried.
0:28:20 > 0:28:22This is a two-bedroom terraced house,
0:28:22 > 0:28:27obviously not suitable or safe for up to nine people.
0:28:29 > 0:28:31Which room's he sleeping in?
0:28:31 > 0:28:33WOMAN TRANSLATES
0:28:33 > 0:28:35- Here. Look here.- He sleeps here?
0:28:35 > 0:28:37SHE SPEAKS OWN LANGUAGE
0:28:37 > 0:28:39So, the landlord's cleared the bed away...
0:28:40 > 0:28:42..for us to see, but obviously he's still...
0:28:42 > 0:28:44He doesn't have a bed still,
0:28:44 > 0:28:47so he's still... He's basically sleeping on the sofa.
0:28:47 > 0:28:48It's a depressing thought,
0:28:48 > 0:28:50but the lack of comfortable sleeping quarters
0:28:50 > 0:28:53is actually the least of Richard's concerns.
0:28:53 > 0:28:55I think that's a bit of a bin bag wrapped round it...
0:28:56 > 0:28:58..and some electrical tape.
0:28:58 > 0:29:00That there is the back part...
0:29:01 > 0:29:03..of the actual plug socket.
0:29:03 > 0:29:06These botched electrics could easily kill someone.
0:29:06 > 0:29:07This situation...
0:29:07 > 0:29:10I'm not going to touch anything cos I don't want to get electrocuted,
0:29:10 > 0:29:12but we've got...
0:29:12 > 0:29:15Where European plugs are being forced into UK sockets.
0:29:15 > 0:29:17It's just showing and highlighting
0:29:17 > 0:29:19the kind of dangers that we're facing here.
0:29:19 > 0:29:21That's breathtakingly dangerous.
0:29:21 > 0:29:23The tenant can't use the plugs like that.
0:29:23 > 0:29:27The general state of disrepair in the property is appalling.
0:29:27 > 0:29:30Really, the landlord should be coming into the property
0:29:30 > 0:29:34at least once a month, I would say. It's not being properly checked.
0:29:34 > 0:29:37And it's not only the state of the electrics that's shocking.
0:29:37 > 0:29:41With around nine people crammed into a two-bedroomed house,
0:29:41 > 0:29:44the kitchen and bathroom facilities aren't built to cope.
0:29:44 > 0:29:47Not only that, it isn't clear where the fire escape routes are.
0:29:47 > 0:29:50We've just come into... This is the front bedroom on the first floor.
0:29:50 > 0:29:53Now, with this window, it's only got a top opener, which is really small,
0:29:53 > 0:29:55but we don't have anything larger.
0:29:55 > 0:29:57You can't really climb out through there.
0:29:57 > 0:29:59If there's a fire in this room, you can't escape through the window,
0:29:59 > 0:30:03so you've got to go down through the property, and you're trapped.
0:30:04 > 0:30:07With blocked escape routes and inadequate fire safety measures,
0:30:07 > 0:30:09this house could be a death trap.
0:30:09 > 0:30:12This door, it's much thinner than it should be, and there's also...
0:30:12 > 0:30:16On a fire door, you should see a strip within the door,
0:30:16 > 0:30:17and that's what we're looking for here.
0:30:17 > 0:30:21You'd be lucky if this lasted 30 seconds. I mean, look at it.
0:30:21 > 0:30:22ALARM BEEPS
0:30:22 > 0:30:26The tenants' health and safety could clearly be at risk here.
0:30:26 > 0:30:27The living conditions aren't ideal.
0:30:27 > 0:30:31They're not of the standard that we would expect people to be living in,
0:30:31 > 0:30:34regardless of what their expectations are
0:30:34 > 0:30:35and how happy they are.
0:30:35 > 0:30:39What we will do from here is use other partner agencies,
0:30:39 > 0:30:44as well as ourselves, to further investigate.
0:30:44 > 0:30:45For now, though,
0:30:45 > 0:30:48with this place falling short of acceptable safety standards,
0:30:48 > 0:30:51Richard's decided on his course of action.
0:30:51 > 0:30:53We're going to move forward now by serving a notice to the landlord
0:30:53 > 0:30:56to tell him what repairs do need to be done,
0:30:56 > 0:30:58to make him clear that the property needs to be used
0:30:58 > 0:30:59as a single family home
0:30:59 > 0:31:03or he needs to put extra precautions and security in.
0:31:07 > 0:31:09Following Richard's second inspection,
0:31:09 > 0:31:11all the tenants moved out of the property.
0:31:11 > 0:31:13The house and garden were cleared,
0:31:13 > 0:31:17with the aim of turning it back into a single family residence.
0:31:18 > 0:31:23Every year, around 70 people in the UK are killed by faulty electrics.
0:31:23 > 0:31:26There's often confusion about who has responsibility
0:31:26 > 0:31:29for electrical safety in a rented property.
0:31:29 > 0:31:32Well, by law, your landlord does,
0:31:32 > 0:31:36and it's housing officers that are there to enforce that law.
0:31:36 > 0:31:42My father used to insist on not only switching off at the power point,
0:31:42 > 0:31:45but also disconnecting all the cables, so, yeah, yeah,
0:31:45 > 0:31:48I'm very aware of electrical safety.
0:31:48 > 0:31:52- We're quite careful, really, aren't we?- Yeah.
0:31:52 > 0:31:55You know, trying not to use things if we're not there.
0:31:55 > 0:31:57That's one of the... I think that helps.
0:31:57 > 0:32:01Yeah, I turn everything off at night by the switch, anyway.
0:32:01 > 0:32:05I don't leave anything on stand-by cos I don't trust them, personally.
0:32:05 > 0:32:07Like, I have three kids.
0:32:07 > 0:32:10I have to make sure that everything is safe for them.
0:32:10 > 0:32:12I don't believe you can cut corners
0:32:12 > 0:32:14on things like safety, not for anyone.
0:32:17 > 0:32:20In Sandwell, I'm with housing officer Neena Varma,
0:32:20 > 0:32:24heading to a family house that has some seriously faulty electrics.
0:32:25 > 0:32:29This resident is worried she and her children could be electrocuted.
0:32:29 > 0:32:30She's happy for the house to be filmed,
0:32:30 > 0:32:32but she doesn't want to be identified.
0:32:34 > 0:32:36Good morning, you all right? It's Neena Varma from...
0:32:36 > 0:32:38That's great, thank you.
0:32:38 > 0:32:40- Thank you.- Thank you so much.
0:32:40 > 0:32:42So the tenant's talking about getting shocks
0:32:42 > 0:32:44- from some of the electrics. - That's right, yes.
0:32:46 > 0:32:49I mean, straight away, that's quite worrying.
0:32:49 > 0:32:51It is worrying, very worrying.
0:32:52 > 0:32:55And that's because electric shocks can cause nasty burns
0:32:55 > 0:32:58and, in extreme cases, even stop your heart beating.
0:32:58 > 0:33:01Let's not forget, there are small children living here too.
0:33:03 > 0:33:05So can we have a look at the consumer unit?
0:33:05 > 0:33:06The consumer unit there.
0:33:06 > 0:33:09It's RCD protected, which you can see.
0:33:09 > 0:33:11And it confirms it,
0:33:11 > 0:33:14because the lady says that sometimes the electrics trip.
0:33:15 > 0:33:19Well, it's a bit of a mystery, but one we need to get to the bottom of.
0:33:19 > 0:33:20We have to investigate that.
0:33:20 > 0:33:23It could potentially be because the sockets are defective,
0:33:23 > 0:33:25and they may need changing or attention.
0:33:25 > 0:33:28Residential properties like these usually have
0:33:28 > 0:33:31just one main electrical consumer unit
0:33:31 > 0:33:34which feeds power around the house, but the tenant has noticed
0:33:34 > 0:33:37there's another unit behind the downstairs loo.
0:33:37 > 0:33:38OK. That's...
0:33:38 > 0:33:41That's weird. Could I have a look at that, please?
0:33:41 > 0:33:44That is really weird. I've not known that.
0:33:44 > 0:33:45I need to look at that.
0:33:47 > 0:33:50- OK, so we've got...- So you've got a separate consumer unit.
0:33:50 > 0:33:53- ..a separate consumer unit here. - For what? For upstairs?
0:33:53 > 0:33:56- So this one is for downstairs, we think.- Yeah.
0:33:56 > 0:33:58- And the other one possibly for upstairs.- Upstairs.
0:33:58 > 0:34:01As if they were once two flats, or something like that?
0:34:01 > 0:34:03Potentially, could have been, but...
0:34:03 > 0:34:06- Then you'd expect the other unit to be upstairs.- Upstairs, yeah.
0:34:06 > 0:34:09In all my years with the housing enforcers,
0:34:09 > 0:34:11I've never seen two fuse boxes in one house.
0:34:13 > 0:34:16You've got a consumer unit in the front of the house
0:34:16 > 0:34:18which is perfectly big enough...
0:34:18 > 0:34:21- Absolutely.- ..for a house of this size. I don't know whether it's...
0:34:21 > 0:34:23I don't know whether it's dangerous or it's...
0:34:23 > 0:34:25It feels, like, over-engineered.
0:34:25 > 0:34:28You've got too many consumer units for a house of this size.
0:34:28 > 0:34:29Why would you have two?
0:34:29 > 0:34:32That's something that is beyond my understanding, why...
0:34:32 > 0:34:35- And me.- ..there is two.
0:34:35 > 0:34:37We soon spot another hazard -
0:34:37 > 0:34:38this time, in the kitchen.
0:34:38 > 0:34:42- We have a gas cooker which is clearly being used.- Yeah.
0:34:42 > 0:34:45- And it's right next to the wall. - Yeah, you're quite right, Matt,
0:34:45 > 0:34:49that you are supposed to have at least a 300 millimetre worktop
0:34:49 > 0:34:51- to both sides.- Yeah.
0:34:51 > 0:34:54Having a hob and cooker backing straight onto the wall
0:34:54 > 0:34:57is a recipe for disaster, but that's not all.
0:34:57 > 0:35:00- The thing that really catches my eye...- The electrics.
0:35:00 > 0:35:03..is we've got an electric socket which is being...
0:35:03 > 0:35:08You know, has got one of those big plug dividers in it, right above...
0:35:09 > 0:35:11- ..a gas...- Gas cooker.- ..ring,
0:35:11 > 0:35:15and the lead is going straight down, next, past the gas ring,
0:35:15 > 0:35:16which is just asking for...
0:35:16 > 0:35:17It's the double whammy, isn't it?
0:35:17 > 0:35:20- That's right.- The gas sets light to the electrics...- Correct.
0:35:20 > 0:35:24You really shouldn't be cooking your plugs alongside your tea.
0:35:24 > 0:35:28In fact, the kitchen is quite the hazard hotspot.
0:35:28 > 0:35:31- Have you noticed this? - Yeah, I mean, again.
0:35:31 > 0:35:33This, again, is dangerous.
0:35:33 > 0:35:34Apart from the microwave,
0:35:34 > 0:35:38there's only one other socket in the kitchen that's actually working.
0:35:39 > 0:35:42OK, so when you put it in there, you get flashes of light?
0:35:42 > 0:35:43I need to use it.
0:35:43 > 0:35:45We'll get this matter addressed,
0:35:45 > 0:35:49but, for the interim, you need to stop doing this.
0:35:49 > 0:35:52It seems this house is full of electrical hazards,
0:35:52 > 0:35:55and things don't get any better in the lounge.
0:35:55 > 0:35:58- Is that a crack in the socket? - It's a problem.
0:35:58 > 0:36:01How does it...?
0:36:01 > 0:36:03Is it the sparks, you were saying? Don't use it.
0:36:03 > 0:36:06Yeah? We're going to get it checked out.
0:36:06 > 0:36:09And there's a real shock awaiting us the kids' bedroom.
0:36:09 > 0:36:11Oh, my God. OK.
0:36:11 > 0:36:13Can you see what's going on here?
0:36:13 > 0:36:18- OK, so we've got, basically, a builder's cable drum...- Yeah.
0:36:18 > 0:36:20..coming straight out of the socket here.
0:36:20 > 0:36:23- Is that cos you don't want to use the socket, in and out?- Yeah.- I see.
0:36:23 > 0:36:26You'll get sparks from putting it in and out, so rather than that,
0:36:26 > 0:36:29leave it in, use the socket, use the cable drum.
0:36:29 > 0:36:30That's what you're doing?
0:36:30 > 0:36:35Cable drums must be uncoiled to avoid overheating and risk of fire.
0:36:35 > 0:36:38This property's crammed with dodgy electrics.
0:36:38 > 0:36:42And if that wasn't bad enough, it looks like water's getting in.
0:36:42 > 0:36:44Not a good combination.
0:36:45 > 0:36:47The back wall is actually visibly wet.
0:36:47 > 0:36:50It's just saturated against the wall and it's just seeping in, isn't it?
0:36:50 > 0:36:53I think we've seen enough.
0:36:53 > 0:36:55We've got the children in the house right now.
0:36:55 > 0:37:00We have damp and wet walls here and obviously, you know,
0:37:00 > 0:37:04electrics throughout that they're old enough to use,
0:37:04 > 0:37:06so that's worrying. The effect of an electric shock on a child
0:37:06 > 0:37:08is much greater than it is on an adult.
0:37:10 > 0:37:14There's a family with kids being put at risk in this property.
0:37:14 > 0:37:17It's a combination of the defects in the home
0:37:17 > 0:37:20and the way she's being forced to use the home
0:37:20 > 0:37:23- that are actually the scary bits. - Absolutely.
0:37:23 > 0:37:25- The kitchen, particularly.- Yes.
0:37:25 > 0:37:27You know, we've got that cooker there
0:37:27 > 0:37:31with the burner right next to that big cluster of electric cables.
0:37:31 > 0:37:34- Cables, yes.- And you just look at that, straight away, and you went,
0:37:34 > 0:37:38- "Please stop using this now." - This is why I said this to her.
0:37:38 > 0:37:40So, next steps, get in touch with the letting agent?
0:37:40 > 0:37:43- Absolutely. - Ask some probing questions.
0:37:43 > 0:37:46Probing is the underlining word. Absolutely.
0:37:46 > 0:37:47- Come on, then, Neena.- OK.
0:37:50 > 0:37:53Well, the mystery of that extra consumer unit is still to be solved,
0:37:53 > 0:37:56but the landlord has been served with a notice
0:37:56 > 0:37:59requiring them to complete the necessary work,
0:37:59 > 0:38:02which should help to ensure the safety of the family living there.
0:38:04 > 0:38:05Right, ready.
0:38:07 > 0:38:09In the London Borough of Havering,
0:38:09 > 0:38:12it's council estate patrol day for Lorraine and Nick.
0:38:15 > 0:38:18- There.- Yeah, look.
0:38:18 > 0:38:21It's their job to make sure communal spaces are treated with respect
0:38:21 > 0:38:25by all the neighbours, and one issue that gets up people's noses
0:38:25 > 0:38:28more than any other is dog poo.
0:38:28 > 0:38:31We often get reports of lots of dogs
0:38:31 > 0:38:34fouling the greenery area,
0:38:34 > 0:38:37and I've just come and inspected it so we can send block letters out
0:38:37 > 0:38:41to remind people to pick up after their dogs.
0:38:43 > 0:38:47With more than 73,000 complaints made to UK councils
0:38:47 > 0:38:49about dog fouling in one year,
0:38:49 > 0:38:53it's a health hazard that officers can't ignore.
0:38:53 > 0:38:55It's disgusting. It's health and safety.
0:38:55 > 0:38:58You wouldn't want to let your children out to play
0:38:58 > 0:39:01on the green areas with all this around.
0:39:01 > 0:39:03If there's pregnant people on the estate,
0:39:03 > 0:39:06this could affect their unborn child.
0:39:06 > 0:39:08And it's just not...
0:39:08 > 0:39:10It's not very nice in this day and age.
0:39:10 > 0:39:14You should learn to be able to be a responsible pet owner.
0:39:14 > 0:39:16Lorraine, I agree.
0:39:16 > 0:39:18Coming into contact with it can be an easy way
0:39:18 > 0:39:21for children to be infected with parasites.
0:39:21 > 0:39:24Whilst the vast majority of owners do pick up after their pets,
0:39:24 > 0:39:27those who don't are breaking their tenancy conditions,
0:39:27 > 0:39:29and could be fined.
0:39:29 > 0:39:33To hammer home the message, Nick's getting a visual record.
0:39:33 > 0:39:36There are a lot of children on these estates, so the problem that I see
0:39:36 > 0:39:38is that the parents aren't going to let them play out
0:39:38 > 0:39:40because they know that this is out there
0:39:40 > 0:39:42and that they're going to end up stepping in it
0:39:42 > 0:39:45and if they fall over, they could get it on their clothes,
0:39:45 > 0:39:46on their skin, or even into their eyes.
0:39:46 > 0:39:48One of the undertakings
0:39:48 > 0:39:52is to make sure you clean up after your dog, and...
0:39:53 > 0:39:57..if you're not a responsible pet owner, you shouldn't have a dog.
0:40:00 > 0:40:03- She's got a bag handy.- Yeah, she's got a bag, so she's quite a...
0:40:04 > 0:40:05..a good dog owner.
0:40:07 > 0:40:09But their estate patrol soon turns up something else
0:40:09 > 0:40:11that hasn't been disposed of properly.
0:40:11 > 0:40:14This is something that will probably be looked into.
0:40:14 > 0:40:18Again, letters may need to go out to the tenants of the blocks around,
0:40:18 > 0:40:22reminding them that they're not allowed to fly-tip.
0:40:22 > 0:40:25Not only could this fly-tip attract vermin and pose a fire risk,
0:40:25 > 0:40:28it's a magnet for anti-social behaviour, too.
0:40:28 > 0:40:30What with it being a sofa,
0:40:30 > 0:40:34we have lots of problems with drug addicts in the area...
0:40:35 > 0:40:37..drunks in the area,
0:40:37 > 0:40:39and they'll see this as a place where they can socialise.
0:40:41 > 0:40:44Dumping rubbish illegally can lead to prosecution, but, for now,
0:40:44 > 0:40:48the housing officers will get this sofa and the dog mess removed,
0:40:48 > 0:40:51and warning letters will give tenants a chance
0:40:51 > 0:40:52to clean up their act.
0:40:52 > 0:40:55Lorraine's got one more job to take Nick on today -
0:40:55 > 0:40:59checking a fire safety hazard at a neighbouring tower block.
0:40:59 > 0:41:02All the councils in the UK have asked tenants
0:41:02 > 0:41:05to remove iron security gates from their front doors.
0:41:05 > 0:41:07They could trap tenants in their flats
0:41:07 > 0:41:11and stop fire officers gaining entry in an emergency.
0:41:12 > 0:41:17In this block, all the tenants have removed them, except one.
0:41:17 > 0:41:19SHE KNOCKS ON DOOR
0:41:19 > 0:41:21- I know you've had letters to remove this...- Yeah.
0:41:21 > 0:41:23..because it is health and safety.
0:41:23 > 0:41:26The Government has asked that all these be removed on tower blocks.
0:41:26 > 0:41:29Well, I have spoke to them about that. I ain't taking that down.
0:41:29 > 0:41:32Because my kids keep undoing the door and getting out there.
0:41:32 > 0:41:34- Right, well...- They keep getting into the stairwells.
0:41:34 > 0:41:36- Right, I'll...- And I've had three, four drug dealers
0:41:36 > 0:41:38nearly kicked my door down when I first moved in,
0:41:38 > 0:41:40asking me that I had drugs in here,
0:41:40 > 0:41:41so I don't know who lived here before.
0:41:41 > 0:41:44And my keys are here at all times.
0:41:44 > 0:41:45If... I mean, if push comes to shove,
0:41:45 > 0:41:49- we will have to get an injunction. - Then they can move me.- OK.- Right.
0:41:51 > 0:41:53She won't remove the gate.
0:41:53 > 0:41:55It's going to be up to us now to enforce it.
0:41:55 > 0:41:58The woman's understandably worried about her children's safety,
0:41:58 > 0:42:01but, with all the other tenants in the block
0:42:01 > 0:42:02following new fire guidelines,
0:42:02 > 0:42:05it looks like the council may have to take further action.
0:42:06 > 0:42:10Although she tells me her key's right near the door,
0:42:10 > 0:42:12now she's locked that door,
0:42:12 > 0:42:14that's still going to add minutes
0:42:14 > 0:42:16to her getting out the property,
0:42:16 > 0:42:18which could be a life or death situation.
0:42:18 > 0:42:20She said she's got four young kids.
0:42:20 > 0:42:23I'd want to make sure I could get out of that flat pretty damn quick.
0:42:25 > 0:42:27It's been a busy day for Lorraine and Nick,
0:42:27 > 0:42:30but ultimately their patrol has made these housing estates
0:42:30 > 0:42:32a little bit safer for the tenants.
0:42:34 > 0:42:37Since filming, the council say they're moving ahead
0:42:37 > 0:42:39with an injunction to get the gate removed.
0:42:39 > 0:42:41Well, as we've just seen,
0:42:41 > 0:42:44being a housing officer means a daily dose of tough choices
0:42:44 > 0:42:45and difficult decisions.
0:42:45 > 0:42:48But it's all in a day's work for the men and women
0:42:48 > 0:42:53fighting to ensure we can enjoy safe and hazard-free places to call home.
0:42:53 > 0:42:55Join me again next time.
0:42:55 > 0:42:58I'll be back on the front line with the housing enforcers.