Searching for information in different ways to what I used to do with TRO Confidential has been a real eye opener for me.

Being a dyed in the wool front line worker where just dealing with the people who come through the front door is more important than politician’s shilly shallying (Spell checker doesn’t give me any leads on that phrase I’m afraid) I have usually looked to the legal stuff first so I was amazed to come across a fantastic an unexpectedly hilarious web link to our very own housing minister, Grant Shapps’s collected speeches on housing matters., called ‘Home Truths’.

Which coincidentally was the name of a popular radio 4 programme, presented by the equally popular and late [and great - Ed] , John Peel……Our Grant trying to do a linguistic trick and associate himself with a national treasure? No…….too cynical.

The difference, it seems to me, is that John Peel’s version was awash with compassion for people. Grant’s version, on the other hand, reads like a manifesto cooked up in the dormitory of 5th form boys in Tom Brown’s Schooldays.

Check this out….

Housing is fundamental to all of our lives because the need for shelter is one of our most primitive instincts. And yet today, housing is also one of the most complicated areas of public policy because it is interwoven with our health, education and our future.

Well done mate….keep it up, we are with you so far.

I have considered it vital to ensure that these proposals do not simply adhere to the status quo or pander to pressure groups and industry lobbies.

Fantastic…thumbs are up…..what next?

Contented tenants, living in harmony with ‘Walkways in the Sky’ making it easy to drop in on your neighbour three tower blocks away for a cuppa, without even needing to walk down to street level first. Heaven! Actually, as we all now know, it was more like hell.

Blimey…. Walkways in the sky!!!!!!! ‘A Cuppa’????? We’re losing it and going back to Dad’s Army..

Those drafty ‘Walkways in the Sky’ quickly became convenient escape routes for criminals. The smell of urine in the lifts was sometimes so overpowering that it was preferable to walk up dozens of flights of concrete stairs.

Oh no…..Utopia turns into the Mail on Sunday.

As I canvassed any resident not too nervous to answer their door, I was left in no doubt that this experiment in modern living had comprehensively failed.

So what is the solution Grant?

“Vote For Me On Thursday And We’ll Begin Knocking Down Your Home On Friday.”

A friend of mine once told me about an American stand-up comedian who gave up his job when George Dubbya got into power because he didn’t think he could ever write anything funnier than that……………I think we have found the English equivalent.

New figures.

Now I know some people who have read my work in the past think me a landlord basher…..this is so not true. As a TRO I see as many bad tenants as I see rogue landlords, but Shelter have been doing a bit of research into current trends in the private renal sector and have uncovered some disturbing developments.

There has been a 40% increase in private lets recently to 3.4 million of the population.

Campbell Robb, chief executive of Shelter, said:

“The housing minister’s claim that ‘the vast majority of England’s three million private tenants are happy with the service they receive’ has been seriously thrown into question today.

He went on to say…..

“Our figures clearly show a worrying increase in the number of people seeking our help regarding problems with their landlord. The idea that just one rogue landlord could be harassing a family in their home is completely unacceptable and it’s shocking that the minister still refuses to tackle the issue.

“It’s frightening to see that complaints about bad landlords are increasing at such a rate, at the very time that renting a home is fast becoming the only option for thousands of families across this country. It appears that rogue landlords are cashing in on this growing market.”

The old Labour government talked about legislation to control rogue landlords……the coalition dropped it. But did you know that in Scotland they have a system whereby if a landlord doesn’t register themselves it is a criminal offence and rogue landlords can be put out of business for not complying.

Of course a decent landlord, which 99% of them are, has nothing to fear from such legislation but proper licensing would really help resource strapped councils to get on top of the worst offenders.

If Scotland can do it, why can’t we?????  [Probably because there are huge objections from the landlord lobby who think its Big Brother gone mad ... Ed]

[Do YOU have any comments on Ben's ramblings?  Please use the comment box below - Ed]

John Peel photo by Foxtongue

Shelter report that their survey shows that

• 81 per cent of people said they found it fairly or very difficult to find a suitable home that was affordable.
• 59 per cent of claimants said they had to make up shortfalls in their rent, and.
• Many respondents were doing this by going without essentials such as food or sufficient heating

One of the main problems identified by Shelter in their report is that the boundaries of LHA areas are too wide.  This means that in some areas tenants simply cannot afford the rents, and in others landlords are putting rents up to more than the market rent, as they know that the LHA allowance is higher.

Another problems is the fact (which has always been strongly criticised by landlords) is that LHA is paid direct to tenants and cannot be paid direct to landlords as before.  Shelter says

The LHA system was also intended to give claimants choice and promote financial responsibility by paying rent money directly into their bank accounts rather than directly to their landlord. However, Shelter’s research has found that this system has contributed to more than a quarter of claimants falling behind on their rent payments.

The majority of claimants who had experience of both payment methods said they would prefer to have the money paid directly to the landlord.

Evidence from landlords also shows that a growing number are refusing to let to LHA claimants because of rent arrears due to the new payment method. Shelter’s research shows 60% of respondents found it difficult to find landlords who are willing to let to them as LHA claimants.

Well we all know that. Research by the National Landlords Association came to a similar conclusion.

It does look though, as if some sort of change if not reform is on the cards. This report here on the BBC site  states that Government plans to do away with current arrangement which allows people to keep up to £15 if they find housing at a lower rent than the level of housing allowance set by their local authority, are due to be delayed until  2011 “as part of a wider reform of housing benefit”

We will have to wait and see what this “wider reform” consists of, but landlords will be hoping that it will re-instate the right for benefit to be paid direct to them.  After all the Tories have already said that this is what they will do if they come into power.

**STOP PRESS!! My spies at the NLA tell me that the DWP will publish their Housing Benefit Reform consultation report shortly**

According to the BBC report, Mr and Mrs Jackson entered a sale and rent back deal with a company, Repossessions Stopped, in 2005 after getting into mortgage arrears. However two years later they faced repossession from Repossessions Stopped’s mortgage company after they fell into arrears with their mortgage payments. Apparently Repossessions Stopped (described by the Judge in this case as ‘dishonest’), had paid only £63,000 for the property, despite it having a market value of £100,000, and had assured Mr and Mrs Jackson that they could live in it for the rest of their lives.

Thankfully for them, Shelter stepped in to assist and a judge at Birmingham County Court has ruled they can stay there and pay rent. The Shelter report states that His Honour Judge Worster has ruled that the family can either revert to being owner-occupiers, or rent the property for the rest of their lives, with their daughter inheriting the tenancy.

The news reports I have seen just state the order made and not the legal reasons for them, so it will be interesting to read the report of the Judgement when it comes out.

PS There is now an excellent analysis of the legal points on the Nearly Legal web-site here.

It is not all bad news. The report says that the registration scheme has been an impetus to set up landlord training and advice services. However it is of concern that a quarter of Scottish properties still appear to be outside the scheme.

The Shelter report has a number of recommendations, which include more money to Local Authorities and a campaign to raise awareness.

Although we do not have a registration scheme as such in England and Wales, this was recommended by the Rugg Report which was published last year. However this may be kicked into the long grass now, if ministers that the view that results from the Scottish scheme show that more funding will be required than was originally anticipated. Particularly in view of the current financial crisis.

As they say on their web-site “Shelter believes everyone should have a home. We help people find and keep a home. We campaign for decent housing for all”.

They offer some brilliant services. For example:

• They have a free housing advice helpline – 0808 800 4444
• They have numerous advice offices where you can visit for free help and advice
• They campaign tirelessly – see here on their part in the recent assistance given to prevent repossessions
• They publish an excellent magazine Roof (reviewed by me on Landlord-Law here)
• And they also have many resources for professionals

If you want to donate – click here