The comments came during a discussion on how to improve the quality of the private rented sector in Leeds during the council’s Environment Scrutiny Committee.
A presentation by council officers stated that around 3,000 houses of multiple occupancy (HMOs) were currently licensed in the city, and that the upcoming new licensing period would allow the introduction of “minimum conditions” around issues like waste.
However, the meeting was also told that the powers would be limited when it came to targeting landlords for not doing enough to help avoid large-scale problems with waste in public areas.
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A Leeds city councillor claimed student areas of Leeds were “an absolute state” when it comes to waste management, and called on landlords to shoulder more responsibility when it comes to clearing up mess left each year by “Hyde Park Christmas”. Pictured: Rubbish in Hyde Park.
Coun Kayleigh Brooks (Lab) said: “In the inner northwest area, we have an issue with waste and landlords not carrying the weight – especially for what we call ‘Hyde Park Christmas’.
“There is currently no way of removing a HMO licence because of mess left behind, but it will be possible when mandatory waste conditions come in?”
“Hyde Park Christmas” is an informal name given to a period during late June and early July when students on one-year tenancies move house. It can often lead to an almighty waste cleanup operation in parts of Leeds with large student populations such as Hyde Park and Headingley.
For a house to contain three or more tenants forming more than a single household, landlords must gain a HMO licence ensuring the house is safe to live in.
Leeds City Council’s head of private sector housing Mark Ireland responded to Coun Brooks: “To remove any licence we would have to have a reason for doing it. Someone not simply addressing waste would probably not be sufficient for us. We would have to have systematic evidence.
“For us to remove a licence we would have to demonstrate that the person is not fit and proper. To do that, there would be certain criteria we would have to follow.
“Ultimately if a landlord does everything that is reasonable, it would be difficult to prosecute them if the tenant persisted, because ultimately it is the tenant’s responsibility in legislation available to the council.
“To ban a landlord we need to prosecute them twice in 12 months within certain offences.
“If we find the landlord is persistently flytipping, we can use that evidence to say ‘we don’t believe they are a fit and proper person’.”
Coun Brooks responded: “I don’t see any point in mandatory waste conditions being included if we can’t take any action against the landlords. What exactly is the level of proof we need?
“The northeast (sic) is an absolute state and you have seen it, and you know it, and it is costing the council a lot of money to clear it up.
“I know we are spending money to try and tackle it. We need to do something about it.”
Mr Ireland said: “It’s laid down in legislation. We can’t hold someone accountable for the behaviour of someone in their property – you can only hold them accountable for the actions they take to address those.”
Richard Beecham, Local Democracy Reporting Service
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