City of Wolverhampton Council’s Civic Centre is playing host to Private Sector Housing Week this week. Council officers and representatives from partner agencies will be on hand to offer help and advice to tenants, landlords and home owners. The week of action is sponsored by local authorities from across the West Midlands. Councillor John Reynolds, Cabinet Member for City Economy, said: “This event proved extremely useful to a great number of people in Wolverhampton last year.
“A wide range of information and advice will again be available to private tenants, landlords and home owners; from dealing with empty properties, energy efficiency measures and housing assistance through to complaints about rented property.”
Topics being covered at various stands on the ground floor of the Civic Centre are:
Housing Standards Team - providing information about the standards required in privately rented accommodation and the help and advice the team can offer to both tenants and landlords.
Welfare Rights Team and Citizen’s Advice Bureau (CAB) – covering the impending arrival of Universal Credit to Wolverhampton.
Wolverhampton Credit Union – promoting their Housing Benefit Service to landlords and tenants.
Empty Properties Team - working with owners of properties left empty for a long period of time to encourage and support them to carry out any required works and get them occupied again.
Wolverhampton Homes – Private Sector Leasing Scheme, a hassle free property management service.
National Landlords Association (NLA) – explaining the benefits to landlords of joining and the FREE Associate Membership Scheme.
West Midlands Fire Service – upcoming legislation regarding smoke and carbon monoxide alarms in rented accommodation.
Housing Options Team - advice about the process of looking for a property, appropriate tenancy agreements and the help that can be offered should problems arise with accommodation.
Wolverhampton Home Improvement Service - offering grants, financial assistance and a handyman service to homeowners aged over 60, on income related benefits or registered disabled.
The week will end with the West Midlands Landlords & Letting Agents Conference at Walsall Football Stadium.
