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Private Sector Housing

 

The Private Sector Housing service within Environmental Health seeks to ensure the provision and maintenance of housing stock of a good standard, that is safe and that is provided with all basic amenities.

Service delivery broadly comprises:

  • Dealing with Sub-standard Properties
  • Local House Condition Surveys
  • Dealing with Unsecured Properties
  • Overcrowding
  • Prevention of Harassment and illegal eviction
  • Licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO's)
  • Operation of Housing Grants Schemes
  • Private Sector Housing Strategy

What involvement does Environmental Health have in housing?

Environmental Health carries out checks to ensure that members of the public have a minimum standard of living accommodation. This is particularly relevant for the private rented sector. Houses must meet a minimum standard called the Tolerable Standard. This is a very basic standard. The following categories determine if accommodation falls Below Tolerable Standard (BTS).

For accommodation to meet the Tolerable Standard it must:

  • be structurally stable;
  • be substantially free from rising or penetrating damp;
  • have adequate provision for natural and artificial lighting, heating and ventilation;
  • have an adequately piped supply of wholesome water located within the house;
  • have satisfactory facilities for the preparation and storage of food;
  • have a sink with a satisfactory supply of hot and cold water;
  • have a suitably located water closet for exclusive use of the occupants;
  • have a fixed bath or shower and a wash basin, each of which provided with a satisfactory supply of hot and cold water; and
  • have an effective system for the draining of foul water and surface water.


The Environmental Health Service have a number of methods of ensuring satisfactory housing standards, including Improvement Orders, Repairs Notices or Closing and Demolition Orders.

Information is also provided for enquiries relating to property sales.

Housing advice is also available from the Housing Service, Hjaltland Housing Association and the CAB