The Council’s Private Sector Housing team provides advice, assistance and enforcement on matters such as hazards, disrepair, overcrowding and energy efficiency in private sector owner occupied or rented dwellings including multiply occupied houses, caravans and mobile homes. The team also deals with Gypsy and Traveller issues.
Click on the links below for further information
Other areas of interest:
Standards for Housing
Any dwelling used for human habitation should, as far as is practicable, be free from significant hazards that may affect the health of the occupants. This is so whether it is owner occupied or rented.
If you own your house it is your responsibility but if you rent a property it is the landlord’s responsibility to ensure certain standards are met. If the property fails to meet these standards the Council can give advice or take legal action to ensure the property is brought up to an acceptable standard.
Hazards
Under the Housing Act 2004 there are 29 separate hazards that will be assessed, ( the Housing Health and Safety Rating System ). Examples of these hazards are dampness and mould growth, falls associated with stairs, excess cold, crowding and fire.
All dwellings contain hazards and the purpose of our work is to advise owners of the existence of any hazards, their severity and what is required to mitigate, or remove, those hazards.
If you rent your home, and it needs repairs, your landlord will normally be responsible for ensuring these are done. You should inform your landlord of the problem at an early stage, and allow them a reasonable period of time to put it right. Your landlord has the right to enter your home to carry out repairs as long as reasonable notice has been given, and sometimes without notice if there is an emergency.
If you have problems having the repairs done, the Council will carry out an inspection. If the house is found to fall below an acceptable standard the Council can take action to require your landlord to carry out works.
If you have told your landlord about repairs that need doing, and they have not made arrangements for them to be done within a reasonable time, contact the Private Sector Housing Team on 01362 656870.
Crowding
There is no longer a specific, numeric, standard for the number of people who may live, or sleep, in a dwelling or individual room. Crowding is now one of the hazards that can be assessed under the rating system and we will take into account any other hazards that exist in the dwelling and whether, or not, those hazards are made worse by the number of people living in the dwelling. For example, if you only have one bathroom, or a small kitchen, hazards may arise if too many people have to share those facilities
If you would like more information, or think you are living in overcrowded conditions, contact the Private Sector Housing Team on 01362 656870.
Gas Supply
If your rented property has a gas supply, your landlord is required by law to ensure that a safety check is carried out on each gas appliance/flue every year. Within 28 days of the check being carried out your landlord must give you a copy of the safety inspection. Any new tenant must also receive a copy of the current certificate. Your landlord must keep records of every safety check for two years.
Landlords are not obliged to check any appliance which is owned by you, or any flues/chimneys which are only connected to an appliance owned by you.
If you are concerned that your landlord is not complying with the law, ring the Health and Safety Executive’s Gas Safety Line on 0800 300363 or visit their website by clicking here
Furniture
All upholstered furniture which is supplied in rented property to a new tenant must comply with fire safety standards. For further information contact Trading Standards by email at trading.standards@norfolk.gov.uk or visit their website at www.norfolk.gov.uk
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Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs)
Houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) are properties which are shared by more than two people who do not form a single household. They may include buildings divided into bedsits or flats where there are shared entrances and stairwells, shared houses, temporary accommodation for the homeless and sometimes hostels and hotels.
Each habitable unit in an HMO will be subject to the same standards as an individual dwelling and there are additional standards relating to proper management. In some cases, i.e. buildings of 3 or more stories occupied by 5 or more people, the HMO must also be licenced.
Breckland Council can, and in some cases must, take action if there are problems with houses in multiple occupation. The law allows the Council to require a landlord to improve conditions and make properties safe and healthy for people to live in. In particular the Council will ensure that there are satisfactory means of fire warning and escape in case of fire and that there are sufficient facilities for the number of occupiers.
For the above information and more contact the Private Sector Housing Team on 01362 656870
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Caravan & Camping Sites
The monitoring of standards on caravan and camping sites,both residential and for holiday purposes, is carried out by the Private Sector Housing Team.
Where planning permission has been given for a camping or caravan site a licence will be issued which will impose standards such as the provision of sufficient sanitary facilities, adequate spacing between units and access provisions. The definition of a caravan includes towed and “fixed” units including “park homes”.
For further details contact the Private Sector Housing Team on 01362 656870
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Gypsies & travellers
Breckland Council has responsibility for monitoring and management of unauthorised Gypsy and Traveller encampments, and provision of adequate short and long stay sites in the district.
Travellers include “New Age” Travellers but not circuses and fairs where Travellers form part of an organised group travelling together.
The Council can give advice to private landowners where an encampment occurs and will deal with encampments that occur on land which it owns. We will act with fairness to both the Gypsies and Travellers and the settled community in order to ensure that problems don’t arise or are dealt with.
For further details contact the Private Sector Housing Team on 01362 656870
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Empty properties
Empty dwellings are a wasted resource and may give rise to problems in the locality such as anti-social behaviour. The Council will identify empty residential properties and explore options to bring them back into use such as giving advice, financial assistance or enforcement action.
For further details contact the Private Sector Housing Team on 01362 656870
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Energy efficiency in domestic dwellings
The Council has a duty to improve the energy efficiency of the housing in the district. We do this mainly by raising awareness of energy saving measures and promoting grants and discount schemes. We can also give advice on alternative means of producing energy such as wind turbines, solar hot water heating and photovoltaics.
Top 10 Energy Saving Tips
- Only use the heating, lighting and appliances you really need
- Lag your hot water tank
- Use energy saving lightbulbs where appropriate
- If you have a thermostat try turning it down by 1 degree centigrade – this can reduce your fuel bills by up to 10%
- Fit thermostatic radiator valves
- Fit draught-proofing to windows and doors
- Make sure you have loft insulation that’s at least 280mm thick
- Install plastic secondary glazing if you do not have double glazing
- If you have cavity walls, seek advice on cavity wall insulation
- If you have an old central heating boiler fit an energy efficient condensing boiler
- For information about energy efficiency grants and discount schemes see our section on Grants and Loans.
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Welfare Burials
If someone dies in the community and no provisions for the proper disposal of the deceased have been made i.e. for the deceased to be interred or cremated, the Council will take such action. Normally we will seek to recover the costs from their estate.
For further details contact the Private Sector Housing Team on 01362 656870
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