Housing Committee

Date of meeting 28 September 2022

 

Agenda Item 24(d)


 

 

Labour Group Amendment

 

Ethical Landlord’s Charter

 

That the relevant changes are made to the recommendations as shown below in strikethrough and bold italics:

Council Committee notes that:

·       Housing Committee has previously received a deputation on a Minimum Standards Charter from ACORN in 2019 which highlighted demanded on behalf of renters in the city a commitment to better 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 ‘work with Acorn and other stakeholders to draft an Ethical Landlords’ Charter’ having approved a joint motion on 23 June 2021 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 with varying asks for each, as well as several London Boroughs, Norwich, and others;

Council Committee agrees to:

·       Support and commit to the drafting, production and adoption of an aspirational Ethical Landlords Charter (see example attachedtable) in consultation with stakeholders, concerned community groups and affected renters, as previously agreed on 23 June 2021; ,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

·       Facilitate a cross-party working group to work towards drafting and adopting such a charter

·       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.

Proposed by: Cllr Williams                                                Seconded by: Cllr Fowler

Motion, as amended:

Committee notes that:

·       Housing Committee has previously received a deputation on a Minimum Standards Charter from ACORN in 2019 which demanded on behalf of renters in the city a commitment to better 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 ‘work with Acorn and other stakeholders to draft an Ethical Landlords’ Charter’ having approved a joint motion on 23 June 2021;

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

Committeeagrees to:

·       Support and commit to the drafting, production and adoption of an Ethical Landlords Charter (example attached) in consultation with stakeholders, concerned community groups and affected renters, as previously agreed on 23 June 2021;

·       Facilitate a cross-party working group to work towards drafting and adopting such a charter