FOI request (FOI219517)

Private rented properties

Requested Tue 01 August 2017
Responded  Tue 01 August 2017

1)How many complaints from tenants did the Council receive in total about private rental properties between July 2012 and July 2017, broken down by year

2)How many complaints from this total number were received in relation to Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) during the period specified in Q1, broken down by year ?

3)How many inspections on private rental properties were carried out under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System? How many of these inspections were carried out on HMOs during the period specified in Q1, broken down by year?

4)How many category 1 hazards were discovered in total during the course of HHSRS inspections, and how many of these were discovered in HMOs during the period specified in Q1, broken down by year?

5)How many category 2 hazards were discovered in total during the course of HHSRS inspections, and how many of these were discovered in HMOs during the period specified in Q1, broken down by year?

6)Where complaints were received by the council during the period specified in Q1, how many resulted in:

i)No action being taken : total number, and number of HMOs - broken down by year

ii)Informal action taken against landlords: and number of HMOs - broken down by year

iii)formal enforcement action being taken against landlords: total number and number of HMOs - broken down by year

If this request is likely to exceed the cost limit, I would kindly request that you disregard questions 3 and 6 and focus on questions 1,2,4,5

Response

1. Total Complaints received about private rented properties 2012/2013 = 654 2013/2014 = 672 2014/2015 = 629 2015/2016 - 527 2016/2017 = 444 2. Complaints received from HMOs 2012/3 - 25 2013/4 - 16 2014/5 - 46 2015/6 -31 2016/7 - 35 3. Total Number of HHSRS Inspections in private rented properties 2012/2013 = 106 2013/2014 = 115 2014/2015 = 92 2015/2016 = 74 2016/2017 = 290 HHSRS inspections on HMOs relating to complaints

2012/3 - 13 2013/4 - 10 2014/5 - 16 2015/6 - 13 2016/7 - 12 (Please note these are inspection as a result of the complaint - not general HMO inspections) 4. Total Number of Category 1 Hazards 2012/2013 = 102 2013/2014 = 72 2014/2015 = 50 2015/2016 = 25 2016/2017 = 183 Category 1 hazards in HMOs found as a result of a complaint

2012/3 - 12 2013/4 - 7 2014/5 - 9 2015/6 - 7 2016/7 - 24 5. Total Number of Category 2 Hazards 2012/2013 = 197 2013/2014 = 234 2014/2015 = 149 2015/2016 = 149 2016/2017 = 523 Category 2 hazards in HMOs found as a result of a complaint

2012/3 - 17 2013/3 - 12 2014/5 - 23 2015/5 - 19 2016/7 - 28 6. We do not hold information in this format and due to the way the information is held there will be a degree of double counting, e.g. the complaints worksheet has an outcome code. This could range from things like, No further action (NFA), complaint withdrawn, inspection conducted. If an inspection is carried out the first worksheet is closed and a new worksheet set up. When this is closed, this will have an outcome code such as NFA, voluntary compliance, cat 2. If the matter is progressed a notice worksheet is created and formal notice issued, this will have an outcome code such as compliance achieved. If compliance not achieved a further prosecution worksheet is opened with a final outcome when legal action taken. If an original case goes through all these stages it can be counted 4 times. This information would then need to be broken down into HMO specific dwellings and figures as a whole.