Issue - meetings

By Councillor Dobbin - Property Acquisitions with Existing Tenants

“Committee:

Welcomes the progress being made whereby the Council is seeking to consolidate its ownership of flats within blocks.

Notes that opportunities arise when owner landlords seek to sell their flat to the Council, either as a result of increased mortgage costs or as a result of being unwilling to invest in the costs associated with a shared repairs project.

Further notes that typically these properties require remedial investment to bring them up to the Council letting standard.

Understands that in cases where there is an existing tenant, the Council will initiate eviction proceedings in order to gain access to the property in order to facilitate repairs and/or refurbishment.

Committee believes that as a Council, we should not be making families homeless and potentially uprooting them from their neighbours, schools etc and requests:

·       that Officers prepare a report that allows a policy to be established whereby sitting tenants could be able to maintain continuity of tenure, even if this means a temporary move (decant) while work is carried out.

·       that until a policy is agreed, any current evictions are put on hold or managed accordingly so that tenants are not faced with having to find a new home or risk presenting as homeless.

Committee requests a report in two cycles.”