Agenda item

Report of the Executive Director (Public Protection, Planning and Governance) which lists the actions from previous meetings and their current status.

The status of actions agreed at the Panel meeting on 22 January 2018 in the report of the Executive Director (Public Protection, Planning and Governance) was noted.

Minute 42 - TSG Contract Update

Members at the last meeting of the Panel had expressed the view that the annual gas safety check letter did not provide sufficient room for manoeuvre where an appointment offered was not convenient for tenants.  Examples of the four letters sent to tenants had been circulated to Members prior to the meeting.

The Executive Director (Housing and Communities) advised that the process was thorough with four letters being sent out in stages, where tenants had the opportunity to contact the Council throughout. 

Members acknowledged that missed appointments were likely due to an oversight by the tenant and in some cases perhaps a deliberate attempt to avoid a poorly kept residence being viewed or that a property was being sublet It was unlikely to be due to letters not arriving or language barriers and it was noted that most tenants allowed access for the gas safety check.

The Executive Director (Housing and Communities) stated that, ultimately it was about the health and wellbeing of the tenant and if necessary, the Council had procedures in place to obtain an injunction for access to carry out the gas safety check. 

Members suggested the appointment letter state that 24 hours’ notice was required if a tenant needed to cancel appointment. 

Officers advised that the obligation to allow access for repairs and maintenance (including gas servicing) is already in the Tenancy Agreement although the Tenancy Agreement does not stipulate a timeframe within which the appointment should be cancelled.  It was an obligation for tenants to allow access but there was nothing in the Tenancy Agreement about the tenant agreeing to give 24 hours’ notice to cancel the appointment.

RESOLVED:

(1)     That the action update report for Minute 42 - TSG Contract Update be noted.

(2)     That consideration be given to the amendment of the annual gas safety check appointment letter to highlight that 24 hours’ notice was required by tenants to cancel the appointment. 

Tenancy Policy and Flexible Tenancy Procedure

The Executive Director (Housing and Communities) explained that the report was to be re-presented to Cabinet after the decision to approve the policy had been deferred at the Council meeting on 21 February 2018.  This was pending clarification on which future procedural changes in relation to the policy would need to be referred back to the Cabinet Housing Panel for approval.

It was proposed that the wording of the recommendation to Cabinet be made clear and that this would be that any proposed changes to procedures would be brought back to the Cabinet Housing Panel for approval before being implemented.

Members at the meeting of the Panel on 22 January 2018 requested further information regarding the calculation of financial assessment, including trigger points relating to income levels, savings, investments or equity received from Members. 

Officers confirmed that a briefing note had been circulated to Panel Members which had advised that Officers had recently reviewed the way in which financial circumstances were assessed.  As a result a revised guidance document was in place and was used by the Team to assess both housing applications and applications for transfer.  It included a revised method of considering income – linked to the way that agents would assess affordability within the private rented sector.  It would also be used to assess a tenant’s circumstances where a fixed tenancy had come up for review.  Based on this revised methodology the income threshold had reduced significantly.