Brighton and Hove’s run down housing
8:20pm Monday 13th February 2012 in
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More than a third of homes in Brighton and Hove are poorly heated, badly maintained or out-of-date.
According to the most recent figures, 36,400 households are living in standards that fall below the level the Government deems “decent”.
The total cost of bringing all those homes up to a decent standard is estimated as £138.9 million, or £3,810 per property. Housing experts say the cost of repairs is hampering some landlords.
More than 8,000 homes were found to be completely unfit for human habitation with ageing bathrooms and kitchens, poor insulation and structural problems.
Properties are considered “decent homes” if they are wind and weather tight, warm and have modern facilities.
Brighton and Hove City Council’s Private Sector House Condition Survey found three quarters of the city’s buildings were built before 1919 – and many are falling into disrepair.
Now the city must choose between holding onto its heritage and improving standards, according to a housing charity chief.
Old buildings
John Holmstrom, assistant chief executive of Brighton Housing Trust, said: “This city is very attached to its old buildings.
“But the fact is many are simply not fit for purpose anymore and should probably be knocked down.
“We need to look at long-term solutions to this problem – because it is only getting worse.”
Last year the Government cut a programme of funding to renew private homes in Brighton and Hove.
More than £18 million in grants was spent between 2008 and 2011 to bring properties up to standard – but now the money has dried up.
The city has the sixth largest private rented sector in the country and Mr Holmstrom said landlords must invest to keep their houses habitable and warm.
But he said most lack the cash to make the crucial improvements needed.
Educating landlords
He said: “Landlords have got to be educated about planning for the future of their assets. They need to look long term rather than just doing patch repairs.
“But for most the money simply isn’t there.
“Part of the problem is that Brighton is such a desirable place to live – so the market is dysfunctional.
“Landlords have no difficulty letting their properties so many feel they don’t need to invest. If they really had to compete then the rate of improvement would be a lot higher.”
The survey, based on figures from 2008, show Hove had the highest proportion of non-decent homes, while Portslade was the least affected.
Unfit housing
While 8,300 homes were classified as “unfit”, 19,200 were thought to be “category one hazard dwellings” and 8,000 were in need of repair. A further 4,600 were lacking modern facilities and 17,600
had a poor degree of “thermal comfort”. Some homes fall into multiple categories.
Mike Stimpson, chairman of the Southern Landlords Association, owns around 300 tenancies in Brighton.
He said: “Because of the age of the buildings there has always been a problem keeping them warm. But landlords have worked hard in recent years to improve where they can.
“This city is absolutely full of Grade I and Grade II listed buildings where you are not allowed to put in insulation or double glazing. Most haven’t got cavity walls.
“The tenants also need to act differently because the way they maintain the properties also has a big effect.”
“Cash cows”
Phil Graves, managing director of property consultancy firm Graves and Jenkins, said many landlords faced a “never ending battle” to keep their properties in good condition.
He said: “You will get people who invest a lot of money in their properties but some landlords see their properties as a cash cow are and are understandably reluctant to pump more and more money
in.
“The fact is we do have a dated housing stock.”
But Mr Graves said he was torn on the issue of heritage over housing.
He said: “There are properties that are simply past the point of being salvageable. That can be difficult when the community has a lot of affection for the building. An example of that is the
Astoria. It’s such a prominent building but it would cost a fortune to fix everything that is wrong there.
“But it is important that if you are going to replace those buildings you choose something that is going to complement its surroundings.
“There are too many buildings in Brighton and Hove that went up in the ’60s and ’70s that are a blot on the landscape. We don’t want to return to that.
“But we have so many talented people in the city that if everyone puts their heads together we find the best way forward.”
Poor condition
Councillor Liz Wakefield, the council’s Cabinet member for housing, said: “The private sector plays an important role in housing in the city but unfortunately much of it is in poor condition. We
run various initiatives to help improve the quality of private housing in the city such as grants for home adaptations or home insulation and also take enforcement action against the worst
properties.”
Caroline Lucas, MP for Brighton Pavilion, said: “I know from speaking to private tenants in my constituency that a shocking number of people in the private rented sector are having to live in
dirty, cold and inefficient homes. There is no excuse for such poor standards.
“The Government needs to do far more to raise energy efficiency standards in private rented homes to tackle the scourge of fuel poverty and improve living conditions.”
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Comments(8)
rolivan
says…
8:46pm Mon 13 Feb 12
He said: “You will get people who invest a lot of money in their properties but some landlords see their properties as a cash cow are and are understandably reluctant to pump more and more money in.
THE SIMPLE ANSWER IS REGULATE MORE EFFECTIVELY SO THEY ARE ONLY ALLOWED TO LET TO A STANDARD SET DOWN BY LAW
rolivan
AmboGuy
says…
9:35pm Mon 13 Feb 12
[quote][p][bold]rolivan[/bold] wrote:
He said: “You will get people who invest a lot of money in their properties but some landlords see their properties as a cash cow are and are understandably reluctant to pump more and more money in.
THE SIMPLE ANSWER IS REGULATE MORE EFFECTIVELY SO THEY ARE ONLY ALLOWED TO LET TO A STANDARD SET DOWN BY LAW[/p][/quote]Yep I agree. Some of the student lets round my area are a disgrace (although the tenants don’t help by treating the houses like a rubbish dump).
AmboGuy
The Reader
says…
9:58pm Mon 13 Feb 12
I wonder how many of these homes are council owned? I lived in council housing for 14 years, the floors were bare concrete, the double glazing windows would only be repaired or replaced after they fell off the hinges, there was asbestos in the walls (which the council attempted to bill us for it’s removal), a leak in the roof (for 10 years) which created a hole in the ceiling which you could see the sky through.
As for private landlords why would they spend money on repairs when there are no regulations forcing them to?
The reason we have a housing problem in this country is two fold. Firstly the government’s relaxation of finical regulations regarding mortgages which resulted in pushing up house prices. And the fact that the government has basically handed over all responsibility for house building to private developers, which of course results in practises such as ‘land banking’ which are designed to keep prices high.
High house prices means high rents which equal high demand, without regulation means low standards.
The Reader
Zeta Function
says…
10:31pm Mon 13 Feb 12
What about that property in the ironically named Home Farm Road?
Can’t they convert it into HOMES for people?
Zeta Function
bug eye
says…
10:44pm Mon 13 Feb 12
seems like it is bash the private landlord time now by people who know very little. most houses are owner occupied and the council own many the housing stock is old. landlords already have to attain a standard and more regulation will not stop rogue landlords who sit under the radar already and are a miniscule amount. if these properties are so bad why are people renting them, maybe they rogue tenants with bad references or illegal. most landlords look after their properties and tenants and do not want their investments to deteriorate if they are to be worth anything. tenants are the main problem who feel they have no responsibility to carry out basic maintenance or even change a b in some cases. another problem is the planning system where new windows or doors or roof etc needs planning permission and is an expensive and usually fruitless process.being a landlord is not a cash cow unless you may have bought more than 10 years ago. any investment should give a return and in most cases it is the only income and therefore whats wrong with trying to earn a living, not many rentals can return the average wage of £26,000 PA. landlords should be praised for their services not treated like bankers.
bug eye
Maxwell’s Ghost
says…
10:47pm Mon 13 Feb 12
The rented property next to me is an absolute slum.
The heating is always broken, the plumbing is always broken, the windows are soaking wet inside and the render falling off and the living room roof is sheets of plastic stuck together with tape. The tenants are always knocking on my door asking for help, heaters and advice.
It is owned by some local buisnessmen who stick two fingers up to the tenants and the council which has tried to get them to manage the property.
They live in a couple of lovely £2 million homes in mid Sussex while taking cash for their slum rental homes.
Maxwell’s Ghost
brightonian57
says…
11:13pm Mon 13 Feb 12
Sheffield council have, pointed the brickwork, put on new roofs and added double glazing to thousands of privately owned homes, in run down areas, over the last few years. All free of charge to the owners. The council considers it important to keep all the houses in the city, private and council, in good repair.
brightonian57
RAS Putin
says…
8:29am Tue 14 Feb 12
[quote][p][bold]brightonian57[/bold] wrote:
Sheffield council have, pointed the brickwork, put on new roofs and added double glazing to thousands of privately owned homes, in run down areas, over the last few years. All free of charge to the owners. The council considers it important to keep all the houses in the city, private and council, in good repair.[/p][/quote]So public money has been spent on subsidising buy-to-slumlords? If they can’t maintain it, make them sell it!
RAS Putin
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