Shelter funds council job to "improve landlords"

Shelter, the housing charity that has been fiercely critical of much of the private rental sector in recent months, is funding a council position with the aim of “improving landlords” and their relationship with tenants. 

Shelter Scotland has secured grant funding from the Oak Foundation for work to promote higher standards in Dundee’s vibrant private rented sector through an outreach project based at the local council.

A spokesman for the council’s housing committee says the post holder will “work with landlords, tenants and intermediaries on better understanding of the sector and what would improve day to day practice by landlords.”

The unit will - in the words of the council - “register” private landlords to make sure that they are “fit and proper” to let property. 

The post holder will also “work closely with landlords, running regular seminars on areas of interest and providing other help and guidance on issues like repairs and maintenance.”

According to a report which has gone to the council from a senior housing department official, the focus of the post holder “would be on landlords who are not operating to best practice guidelines but who are not causing enough concern to justify enforcement action. The project would offer an additional informal way for the council to improve standards.”

The committee meets next Monday to consider the plan - if agreed the post would be funded from October and run for two and a half years. It would be fully funded by Shelter.