AWAAB’s Law has just been enacted by the government.  So named after the 2 year child in Rochdale that died as a result of the terrible living conditions his  family was subjected to by the local social housing provider.  As the Minister said, everyone deserves to live in a decent home and nobody could deny that.  However, the irony is that the property was under the control of the local council that failed comprehensively in its duty to protect its tenants.

Sadly, such a story is familiar to local councils up and down the country.  While they make a lot of noise about the private rented sector, their focus has not been applied to their own housing stocks – Bristol City Council is a classic example, where thousands of properties have not had an electrical check within the timescales that the council applies to private landlords.  On last night’s Points West programme, we saw awful damp and mould in a Council flat that has persisted for years, not weeks or months.

Councils like to threaten private landlords with huge fines for minor misdemeanours.  If the same rules were applied to councils themselves, many would be bankrupt!  There are rogue landlords that should be dealt with but my message to councils is this – focus on the rogue landlords at the same time as sorting out your own housing stock!