The new evidence base for private sector stock from the Building Research Establishment (BRE) – including a Health Impact Assessment – has been added to the strategy to ensure it focuses on the issues causing the most impact on the health of the occupants and on maintaining and managing private sector rented housing to a high standard.

The recent government consultation on extending Houses in  Multiple Occupation (HMO) licensing, the council’s response to that together with its own proposed approach towards HMO licensing has also been updated in the report. Comments and views made by members of the Private Sector Strategy steering group and of the Scrutiny Committee which met on 9May 2016 to discuss this matter have been taken into consideration.

As private housing forms 86 per cent of the city’s total housing stock, the strategy has been developed with partners since 2003. Achievements during the life of the most recent strategy include: (more…)