Agenda item

The Council Notes

1.  That according to research by Savills in 2021, 42% of households in Cambridge live in private rented accommodation.

2.  That the strong rental market in Cambridge has led to high rental prices in the city, as displayed by Savills research from Aug 2020-21 where average rental prices increased by 4.1% in a year.

3.  The City Council’s 2019 review of homelessness and rough sleeping found that one of the most common causes of people becoming homeless in Cambridge were because of the loss of a private rented home.

4.  The 2021 Census showed that Cambridge’s population has been growing at almost three times the national average during the past decade (17.6% since 2011).

5.  According to Government research, ‘many low income households may have little choice over which property to rent because of the budget they have available’. While 1/3 of privately rented homes in the UK don’t meet the government’s Decent Homes Standard.

6.  Requests to Citizens Advice Bureau regarding help for private tenants are most typically about ‘repairs and maintenance’, ‘rents and other charges’ and ‘tenancy deposit protection’.

 

The Council Believes

1.  Having a safe, secure and affordable home is vital.

2.  That with such a growing population, house prices rising even faster, and without adequate funding for the council and housing associations to build affordable housing, the private rental sector in Cambridge is going to continue growing.

3.  Tenants who may have little choice over rental properties may feel reluctant to complain about housing problems because they fear being evicted or are restricted by their budgets.

4.  That as a city we should aspire for all residents to be living in safe, legal and adequate homes.

5.  That working closely with private renters in Cambridge will allow us to better identify issues which can be addressed collaboratively.

 

The Council Resolves

1.  To convene a Private Renters’ Forum to consult with private tenants in the city, including stakeholder groups such as ACORN, Students’ Unions and Citizens Advice Bureau.

2.  To notify Councillors at an All Member Briefing on plans for the Forum, and ensure information about the forum is shared widely.

3.  Through the Forum, work with private renters to discuss how the Council can best support and advocate for private renters in the city.

4.  To re-consider the need for a Selective Landlord Licensing Scheme in the light of the 2021 census data when it becomes available.

5.  To continue to put high priority on work to ensure that all HMOs in the city are inspected, improved if needed, and licensed.

6.  To ensure the relevant information on the Council’s website (currently listed here: www.cambridge.gov.uk/private-rented-accommodation) is reviewed and promoted.

7.  To look into providing resources in other languages which are spoken in the city.

8.  To continue working via the Council’s Landlord Steering Group to reach out to landlords in the city and ensure there is always private tenant representation on the Landlord Steering Group, either through ACORN or other local organisations.

Councillor Holloway proposed and Councillor Pounds seconded the following motion: 

 

The Council Notes

 

1.  That according to research by Savills in 2021, 42% of households in Cambridge live in private rented accommodation.

2.  That the strong rental market in Cambridge has led to high rental prices in the city, as displayed by Savills research from Aug 2020-21 where average rental prices increased by 4.1% in a year.

3.  The City Council’s 2019 review of homelessness and rough sleeping found that one of the most common causes of people becoming homeless in Cambridge were because of the loss of a private rented home.

4.  The 2021 Census showed that Cambridge’s population has been growing at almost three times the national average during the past decade (17.6% since 2011).

5.  According to Government research, ‘many low income households may have little choice over which property to rent because of the budget they have available’. While 1/3 of privately rented homes in the UK don’t meet the government’s Decent Homes Standard.

6.  Requests to Citizens Advice Bureau regarding help for private tenants are most typically about ‘repairs and maintenance’, ‘rents and other charges’ and ‘tenancy deposit protection’.

 

 

The Council Believes

 

1.  Having a safe, secure and affordable home is vital.

2.  That with such a growing population, house prices rising even faster, and without adequate funding for the council and housing associations to build affordable housing, the private rental sector in Cambridge is going to continue growing.

3.  Tenants who may have little choice over rental properties may feel reluctant to complain about housing problems because they fear being evicted or are restricted by their budgets.

4.  That as a city we should aspire for all residents to be living in safe, legal and adequate homes.

5.  That working closely with private renters in Cambridge will allow us to better identify issues which can be addressed collaboratively.

 

 

The Council Resolves

 

1.  To convene a Private Renters’ Forum to consult with private tenants in the city, including stakeholder groups such as ACORN, Students’ Unions and Citizens Advice Bureau.

2.  To notify Councillors at an All Member Briefing on plans for the Forum, and ensure information about the forum is shared widely.

3.  Through the Forum, work with private renters to discuss how the Council can best support and advocate for private renters in the city.

4.  To re-consider the need for a Selective Landlord Licensing Scheme in the light of the 2021 census data when it becomes available.

5.  To continue to put high priority on work to ensure that all HMOs in the city are inspected, improved if needed, and licensed.

6.  To ensure the relevant information on the Council’s website (currently listed here: www.cambridge.gov.uk/private-rented-accommodation) is reviewed and promoted.

7.  To look into providing resources in other languages which are spoken in the city.

8.  To continue working via the Council’s Landlord Steering Group to reach out to landlords in the city and ensure there is always private tenant representation on the Landlord Steering Group, either through ACORN or other local organisations.

 

Councillor Porrer proposed and Councillor Lee seconded the following amendment to motion (deleted text struck through and additional text underlined):

 

The Council Notes

 

1.  That according to research by Savills in 2021, 42% of households in Cambridge live in private rented accommodation.

2.  That the strong rental market in Cambridge has led to high rental prices in the city, as displayed by Savills research from Aug 2020-21 where average rental prices increased by 4.1% in a year.

3.  The City Council’s 2019 review of homelessness and rough sleeping found that one of the most common causes of people becoming homeless in Cambridge were because of the loss of a private rented home.

4.  The 2021 Census showed that Cambridge’s population has been growing at almost three times the national average during the past decade (17.6% since 2011).

5.  According to Government research, ‘many low income households may have little choice over which property to rent because of the budget they have available’. While 1/3 of privately rented homes in the UK don’t meet the government’s Decent Homes Standard.

6.  Requests to Citizens Advice Bureau regarding help for private tenants are most typically about ‘repairs and maintenance’, ‘rents and other charges’ and ‘tenancy deposit protection’.

 

 

The Council Believes

1.  Having a safe, secure and affordable home is vital.

2.  That with such a growing population, house prices rising even faster, and without adequate funding for the council and housing associations to build affordable housing, the private rental sector in Cambridge is going to continue growing.

3.  Tenants who may have little choice over rental properties may feel reluctant to complain about housing problems because they fear being evicted or are restricted by their budgets.

4.  That as a city we should aspire for all residents to be living in safe, legal and adequate homes.

5.  That working closely with private renters in Cambridge will allow us to better identify issues which can be addressed collaboratively.

 

 

The Council Resolves

1. To convene a Private Renters’ Forum to consult with private tenants in the city, including stakeholder groups such as ACORN, Students’ Unions and Citizens Advice Bureau.

2. To notify Councillors at an All Member Briefing on plans for the Forum, and ensure information about the forum is shared widely.

3. Through the Forum, work with private renters to discuss how the Council can best support and advocate for private renters in the city.

4.  To re-consider the need for a Selective Landlord Licensing Scheme in the light of the 2021 census data when it becomes available. To review progress on the targeted measures adopted by the council in 2021 to uphold acceptable standards in the Private Rental Sector following the clear conclusion of the report prepared for the council at that time that circumstances in Cambridge would not support a Selective Landlord Licensing Scheme under current legislation;

5.  To continue to put high priority on work to ensure that all HMOs in the city are inspected, improved if needed, and licensed.

6.  To ensure the relevant information on the Council’s website (currently listed here: www.cambridge.gov.uk/private-rented-accommodation) is reviewed and promoted.

7.  To look into providing resources in other languages which are spoken in the city.

8.  To continue working via the Council’s Landlord Steering Group to reach out to landlords in the city and ensure there is always private tenant representation on the Landlord Steering Group, either through ACORN or other local organisations;

9.  To support moves to address the supply of decent and affordable private rental homes by making the most of the opportunity under our Housing Strategy and new Local Plan for the provision of new, modern, purpose-built rental accommodation  with fair service charges, and to maximise use of enforcement powers to control losses through the conversion of existing homes to short term lets (Airbnb-like), whilst actively seeking improved powers to do so more effectively in future.

 

On a show of hands the amendment was lost by 13 votes to 23.

 

Resolved (unanimously) that:

 

The Council Notes

 

1.That according to research by Savills in 2021, 42% of households in Cambridge live in private rented accommodation.

2.That the strong rental market in Cambridge has led to high rental prices in the city, as displayed by Savills research from Aug 2020-21 where average rental prices increased by 4.1% in a year.

3.The City Council’s 2019 review of homelessness and rough sleeping found that one of the most common causes of people becoming homeless in Cambridge were because of the loss of a private rented home.

4.    The 2021 Census showed that Cambridge’s population has been growing at almost three times the national average during the past decade (17.6% since 2011).

5.    According to Government research, ‘many low income households may have little choice over which property to rent because of the budget they have available’. While 1/3 of privately rented homes in the UK don’t meet the government’s Decent Homes Standard.

6.  Requests to Citizens Advice Bureau regarding help for private tenants are most typically about ‘repairs and maintenance’, ‘rents and other charges’ and ‘tenancy deposit protection’.

 

The Council Believes

 

1.Having a safe, secure and affordable home is vital.

2.    That with such a growing population, house prices rising even faster, and without adequate funding for the council and housing associations to build affordable housing, the private rental sector in Cambridge is going to continue growing.

3.    Tenants who may have little choice over rental properties may feel reluctant to complain about housing problems because they fear being evicted or are restricted by their budgets.

4.    That as a city we should aspire for all residents to be living in safe, legal and adequate homes.

5.  That working closely with private renters in Cambridge will allow us to better identify issues which can be addressed collaboratively.

 

 

The Council Resolves

 

1.To convene a Private Renters’ Forum to consult with private tenants in the city, including stakeholder groups such as ACORN, Students’ Unions and Citizens Advice Bureau.

2.    To notify Councillors at an All Member Briefing on plans for the Forum, and ensure information about the forum is shared widely.

3.    Through the Forum, work with private renters to discuss how the Council can best support and advocate for private renters in the city.

4.    To re-consider the need for a Selective Landlord Licensing Scheme in the light of the 2021 census data when it becomes available.

5.    To continue to put high priority on work to ensure that all HMOs in the city are inspected, improved if needed, and licensed.

6.    To ensure the relevant information on the Council’s website (currently listed here: www.cambridge.gov.uk/private-rented-accommodation) is reviewed and promoted.

7.    To look into providing resources in other languages which are spoken in the city.

8.  To continue working via the Council’s Landlord Steering Group to reach out to landlords in the city and ensure there is always private tenant representation on the Landlord Steering Group, either through ACORN or other local organisations.