I am writing to request information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, concerning property condition inspections and landlord licensing conditions. The request is set out in the tables below, split into four parts.
Unless stated otherwise, please provide data for each of the last two financial years available to you.
To make this as quick as possible to answer: each question has a table row for your answer, and the numerical questions are laid out as three-year data grids you can complete directly.
Questions marked with an asterisk (*) are the most important to us — if time or cost under section 12 of the Act means you cannot answer everything, please prioritise the starred questions and the data grids, and let us know which other questions you were unable to cover and why.
Part A: Inspections of the council's own social housing stock
No. Question Your answer
*1 Are property condition inspections carried out on the council's social housing stock, by the council/ALMO or a contractor? (If no, please state this and skip to Part B.)
*2 Are inspections in-house, external, or mixed? If external, please name the contractor(s) and the current contract start/end dates.
3 At what point(s) in a tenancy are inspections carried out — only at start/end of tenancy, or also periodic/mid-tenancy? If periodic, what is the frequency?
4 What does a routine inspection typically assess (e.g. general condition, damp/mould, fire/gas/electrical safety, HHSRS hazards)?
*5 Which team or job role is responsible for carrying out or commissioning these inspections?
Please complete for Part A:
Financial year
e.g. 2024/25 No. of social housing properties owned/managed No. of property inspections carried out
Part B: Deposit/guarantee schemes with private landlords (tenants on housing benefit/Universal Credit)
No. Question Your answer
*6 Does the council operate, fund or participate in any scheme providing a deposit, bond, guarantee or indemnity to a private landlord to secure/retain accommodation for a person on housing benefit or the housing element of Universal Credit? (If no, please state this and skip to Part C.)
*7 Please name the scheme(s) and briefly describe how they operate.
8 Under any such scheme, are property inspections carried out — before placement, during the tenancy, or both?
*9 Are these inspections in-house or external, and at what frequency?
Please complete for Part B:
Financial year
e.g. 2024/25 Active deposit/bond/ guarantee arrangements Total value paid (£) No. of properties inspected
Part C: Impact of the Renters' Rights Act 2025 on inspection practices
No. Question Your answer
*10 Has the Renters' Rights Act 2025 changed how the council carries out inspections (own stock and/or private rented enforcement) — e.g. due to Awaab's Law or the Decent Homes Standard extension to the PRS? If so, please describe what has changed.
11 Has the council issued or updated any internal policy/guidance on inspections specifically because of the Act? If so, please attach or summarise.
*12 Does the council anticipate further changes to its inspection regime ahead of the future roll-out of the Decent Homes Standard/Awaab's Law to the PRS?
Part D: Landlord licensing schemes and inspection/evidence conditions
No. Question Your answer
*13 Does the council operate a selective licensing scheme, additional HMO licensing, and/or mandatory HMO licensing? Please specify which scheme(s) and which ward(s)/area(s) are covered.
*14 Do the standard licence conditions require the landlord/managing agent to carry out periodic property inspections during the licence period? If so, what frequency (e.g. every 6 months, annually)?
15 What evidence must the landlord/agent provide to show these inspections took place, and within what timeframe if requested?
16 Where enforcement data is already published (e.g. a public register of convictions/penalties or 'rogue landlord' database), please provide a link, or an extract for the last three financial years, including the landlord/agent name where not exempt from disclosure.
Please complete for Part D:
Financial year
e.g. 2024/25 Licences with an inspection condition Breaches of inspection condition Civil penalties/ prosecutions/ revocations issued Total value of civil penalties (£)