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Tenant charter consultation begins but only for Council renters
12/06/2023
Only 2% of those in social housing in the district rent from Cherwell District Council
180 residents who rent their home from Cherwell District Council are being invited to help shape a new tenant’s charter – a document which will outline the services they can expect from their landlord.
The charter will align the commitments the council makes to its tenants with the government’s Social Housing White Paper and the new Renters Bill. A consultation on the charter began on Friday and runs until June 30.
Councillor Nicholas Mawer, Portfolio Holder for Housing, said: “Everyone deserves to live in a safe, comfortable and well-maintained home. We manage around 180 properties and that gives us an opportunity to set high standards and make sure that our tenants feel that they are part of a community where their needs are met and their views are understood and responded to.
“This charter will be an important document setting out the level of service that tenants can expect from us when it comes to matters such as routine repairs, delivering against new government legislation, and the support that will be given to help vulnerable renters sustain their tenancies.
“We warmly invite our tenants to have their say before 30 June.”
Council tenants can complete the consultation here.
The Council says the document is an important step in raising housing standards in the district and its key themes focus on strengthening Cherwell’s relationship with its tenants. However, it will have no official impact on the remainder of the 8,850 social housing tenants in the district (98%) who rent from a housing association, or those in private rental properties.
The idea for a Tenants Charter was proposed in December by the leader of the Labour Group at the District Council, Councillor Sean Woodcock. His suggestion was a charter which set out minimum standards “that the council and that all tenants expect”. However Councillor Mawer successfully proposed an amendment which limited the Charter to just Council tenants and proposed that “officers .. engage with registered social landlords and private landlords to seek improvements in standards, in line with those this Council will adopt”.
At the time Councillor Woodcock told Banbury FM: “We don’t recognise this Tenants’ Charter as anything like what it was intended to be. This watered down version is nothing more than asking officers to do what they should already be doing.”
Banbury FM understands that Labour councillors at Cherwell remain committed to seeing the implementation of a “proper” Tenants’ Charter in Cherwell at the nearest opportunity.
Published: by Banbury FM Newsteam