Housing Committee                              Agenda Item 24 (d)

Subject:                    Ethical Landlord’s Charter

Date of meeting:    September 2022

Proposer:                 Councillor Osborne

Seconder:                Councillor Gibson

Ward(s) affected:   All                                                                                            

Notice of Motion

Green Group

Council notes that:

· Housing committee has previously received a deputation on a Minimum Standards Charter from ACORN in 2019 which highlighted standards relating to affordability of rents, security of tenancies and evictions, expected quality of repairs and general service, and discrimination.

· Housing committee has also previously agreed to support the idea of an Ethical Landlords Charter.

· Other councils have previously produced their own versions of ethical landlord charters, including Bristol, which had a Bronze, Silver and Gold standard which varying asks for each, as well as several London Boroughs, Norwich, and others.

Council agrees to:

· Support the aspirational Ethical Landlords Charter (see attached table), in addition to the standards used for procuring privately rented accommodation for households at risk of homelessness, and agrees to publish this on the council's website and promote to landlords and lettings agents in the city

· Review the Ethical Landlords Charter periodically especially reflecting any new legislation that the government bring forward as part of their ‘New Deal for private renters’ in their Renter’s Reform Bill.

Cllr Martin Osborne

Green Party Councillor for Hollingdean and Stanmer