Making better use of our existing housing and improving our neighbourhoods

Private Rented Sector (PRS)

Sunderland will not tolerate poor landlords and the impact poor PRS housing has on our residents' health and wellbeing.

We will deliver a comprehensive suite of products from a dedicated Private Rented Sector Initiatives team to improve standards and management practices within Sunderland.

Sunderland is committed to enforcing the standards proposed within Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) White Paper: A fairer private rented sector.

The solution to a well-managed PRS is a balance between landlord engagement and partnership on the one hand, and targeted enforcement action by the council on poor landlords on the other.

Where private landlords are not managing their properties effectively or maintaining them to the standards prescribed, the council will intervene using all the powers open to them set out in its Private Housing Enforcement Policy. This may include notices, civil penalties and where necessary prosecutions.

We will:

• Proactively engage with landlords and tenants via events, newsletters and links with the National Residential Landlord Association
• Develop a regional partnership around Private Rented Sector initiatives
• Deliver a successful landlord accreditation scheme across the city to drive standards in the sector
• Deliver Private Sector Leasing for landlords who wish to hand over the management of their property to the council
• Deliver a tenant passport scheme, providing support and training for landlord and tenant to increase access and tenancy sustainment in the sector
• Identify funding opportunities to drive energy efficiency standards in the PRS
• Monitor minimum standards for energy efficiency in the PRS
• Develop a cross departmental affordable warmth strategy and fuel poverty plan

Empty Homes

Sunderland has high levels of empty homes with around 3,000 private houses currently being empty. Most empty homes are empty for a short time with problems arising when a house is empty for a longer period. A home can be empty for a number of reasons such as a person moving to a care home or while it is being refurbished. However, high numbers of empty homes in an area can also be a symptom of housing market decline where demand for housing is low and this is reflected in low house prices. Empty homes can also be symptomatic of the changes in the overall housing market.

In addition to being a waste of a vital housing resource, longer term empty homes often attract vandalism and anti-social behaviour and have a negative impact on communities. The challenge for the council and its partners is to intervene to prevent and reduce the numbers of empty homes and this is set out in our Empty Homes Strategy 2019-2024. The council and its partners work closely with the owners of empty homes, intervention ranges from advice, support and financial assistance through to targeted enforcement action against particularly problematic empty properties and their owners who otherwise fail to engage with the council. Council Tax premium is also incurred on empty properties. Properties, that have been brought back into use to date, have largely gone back into the private sector and not the social sector. It is important that we look now at increasing the affordable housing provision by returning empty homes back into use to be well-managed by either the council, Registered Providers or competent, professional landlords.

We will:

• Intervene at the earliest stage to give accessible, accurate and professional advice to prevent properties becoming empty or to facilitate the property's return to use
• Directly invest in empty homes with the aim of bringing these back into use via our HDIP
• Influence registered providers of social housing to bring empty homes back into use across the city
• Offer improved financial assistance (as set out in the council's reviewed Financial Assistance Policy) for acquiring, refurbishing and bringing empty homes back into use
• Engage with landlords to ensure they can afford to bring their properties up to standard and not drive them out of the sector creating an empty homes issue
• Host multi agency case management forums around problematic empty homes, to ensure proactive activity around bringing empty properties back into sustainable use
• Work in partnership to monitor the effect of houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) and student accommodation on the city against the demand for this type of accommodation

Healthy homes, healthy people

Our home is not just a dwelling place. It should be a place of comfort, shelter, safety and warmth, it is the main setting for our health throughout our lives. The 2020 pandemic highlighted more than ever the importance of home and now the cost-of-living crisis highlights the true price of poor quality housing.

The £59m HDIP will be invested in new social housing over a 5-year period, delivering improvements in housing for older people and those with physical disabilities and other support needs.

The major health issue within Sunderland's private housing (rented and owner occupied) is damp and excess cold which has been assessed as a major hazard in 1,334 houses. Trips and falls in the home, particularly amongst older people, is a potential hazard in many homes. 537 homes have been identified in the private sector in Sunderland as having falling and tripping hazards.

Bringing together health and housing is fundamental if we are to rise to the challenge to improve the city's health. However, those homes with permanent adaptations can then be difficult to sell or rent to other people. A range of solutions, such as relocation, support and incentives to do this, must also be considered in consultation with those people with disabilities requiring the aids and adaptations.

We will:

• Raise housing standards across all tenures to improve health and wellbeing
• Introduce housing champions across partner organisations especially within health
• Engage and educate residents around energy efficiency
• Produce an affordable warmth and fuel poverty strategy
• Work with Integrated Commissioning Board to ensure the suitability of housing is considered as well as accessing adaptations to prevent long term hospital stays or discharge into care homes