Greater Manchester has launched the Better Renting programme in a bid to improve landlord compliance.

Landlords will get practical tools including a new website providing a single point for information, webinars and guides. The programme will develop and test initiatives to improve understanding of landlord responsibilities, including licensing requirements. It will also develop resources to help councils and other stakeholders work and communicate effectively with landlords, supporting implementation of the Renters’ Rights Act.

The 12-month pilot, run by the Dispute Service (TDS) Group and the Nationwide Foundation, comes after research for the TDS Charitable Foundation found that difficulties keeping up to date with changes to policy and regulation is a key driver of landlords struggling to comply with their obligations.  

Charter

It will sit alongside the Greater Manchester Good Landlord Charter - a free and voluntary scheme open to residential landlords who want to commit to higher standards than those required by law.

Dr Jennifer Harris, head of policy, research and social impact at TDS, says most landlords want to do what is right for their tenants and remain compliant with all their obligations. “However, our research shows that fragmented channels of communication and difficulties accessing official resources are making this harder than it should,” she explains.

It promises to provide clear and concise information, “behaviourally and action-oriented resources, not just educative and informative ones”, according to Harris, who says it is working directly with landlords to design tools that are useful in the real world.  

Digital

“The website and associated guidance will be shared via targeted digital campaigns, and community outreach across Greater Manchester,” she tells LandlordZONE. “We will also be engaging with organisations that regularly work landlords to help spread the information.  

“By ensuring unintentionally non-compliant landlords have a pathway to legal compliance, landlords can feel confident in providing renters with homes that meet the minimum legal compliance.”

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