Sefton Council's Housing Standards Enforcement Policy update approved

Sefton Council’s Housing Standards Enforcement Policy, which sets out the Council’s continued commitment to improving housing standards across all tenures has been updated and approved.

The Policy sets out how the Council’s Housing Standards Team can ensure that tenants of private landlords and Registered Providers of Social Housing live in homes free from significant hazards that pose a risk to their health, safety and wellbeing.

It also states how the Enforcement Team can ensure properties do not present a statutory nuisance and do not present an unacceptable risk to health and safety.

It enables them to ensure houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) are safe and well managed and where necessary, properties are licensed. And it makes sure all properties in Sefton comply with the legal requirements in relation to Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm regulations.

Cllr Trish Hardy, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities and Housing, said:

“This policy update ensures our Enforcement teams are able to go out and work to ensure that tenants in all types of housing are safe and that landlords are meeting their requirements.

“The Policy covers all categories of rented accommodation and all landlords including social landlords and we have reviewed it as part of our response to the to the tragic death of Awaab Ishak in Rochdale from mould inhalation.

“Updating the policy is part of Sefton Council’s ongoing commitment to working with landlords to ensure tenants’ safety and follows on from recent five-year extension of our successful Selective and Additional (HMO) Licensing schemes, which have helped us remove over 3,000 serious health and safety hazards from rented homes since 2018.”

You can find out more about housing in Sefton at www.sefton.gov.uk/housing