Tenants and those looking to rent a home should look at the document below that has been prepared to help tenants’ knowledge of what they can expect from their landlord before moving in.
A new How to Rent Guide has been developed by the Government. Remember that many landlords may not be familiar with the rules that they need to follow.
The Private Rented Housing Plan sets out the Council's strategic approach to working with private landlords and ensuring good standards of accommodation.
The private rented sector provides a preferred housing option for many households. The wide choice of property types and their locations makes this sector desirable for many people. In 2010 there were 4,600 privately rented dwellings in Amber Valley, representing 9% of the overall housing stock.
The Council through its Housing Team is responsible for addressing housing conditions. We achieve this in the private rented sector by responding to service requests from both tenants and landlords. Our officers make judgements about house conditions based on the Housing Health and Safety Rating System and will make enforcement decisions based on the seriousness of the hazards identified.
We provide advice and support to property owners and agents that want to ensure that their properties meet minimum standards. We receive approximately 200 service requests per year and this ranges from basic advice to situations where tenants lives are being put at risk. Where possible we will seek to work with the owner to bring a property up to standard, but if an agent or landlord knowingly rent a property that puts the tenants at risk then we will serve appropriate enforcement notices. The Council currently charges £303 for every enforcement notice served. We have an enforcement policy to which we work.
The Council has decided to increase the options available to recover the costs associated with enforcement. It has approved a Rent Repayment Orders and Civil Penalties Policy under the Housing and Planning Act 2016. This policy sets out a framework for enforcement decisions and will be useful for tenants, landlords, agents and their advocates.
The majority of private tenants live in safe homes and will never call upon the Council for assistance. We actively support Decent and Safe Homes East Midlands (DASH) who offer a range of services that can help landlords provide suitable accommodation. This includes accreditation and access to impartial advice.
The Council is responsible for the licensing of houses in multiple occupation and you can also apply for a licence online. View our section on Licencing Houses in Multiple Occupation.
Amber Valley Borough Council and Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service have signed up a protocol that sets out how enforcement duties for fire safety will be shared. As recent events in London showed the enforcement of fire safety is very important and the Council will continue to work with the Fire Service to ensure that homes are as safe as possible.
Supplementary to the Council’s overarching Enforcement Policy the Housing Team have an Enforcement Policy that sets out the approach to enforcement of housing standards and a range of related functions. This document sets out the decision making processes made by the Council’s officers and may be of use to landlords, agents, tenants and their advocates.