Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham has launched a consultation on the city’s Good Landlord Charter.

The aim of the charter is to “recognise and develop best practice, boost tenant confidence in the quality of good rental properties and provide an ambitious new voluntary standard for landlord excellence”, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) said.

According to the charter, renting in the city should be:

• Affordable – a tenant should understand how their rent and other charges are set and should not be ripped-off. 
• Inclusive – a tenant should not have a worse renting experience because of who they are. 
• Private and secure – a tenant should be reasonably free to enjoy their home and make it their own. 
• Responsive – a landlord should respond satisfactorily to requests for repairs, correspondence and complaints. 
• Safe and decent – a tenant should be able to live free from physical or psychological discomfort in their home. 
• Supportive – a tenant should have essential information about renting their home and be helped to access extra support if they need it. 
• Well managed – a landlord should be competent or use a competent managing agent.

Under the proposed system, where landlords refuse to engage with local bodies or the charter, residents will be empowered with the right to request a Greater Manchester Property Check. 

This will be “underpinned by stronger, multi-disciplinary inspection and enforcement capability to carry out the checks and issue notices where standards remain unacceptable, with investment of £3.5m to support local authorities to deliver this”, the GMCA said.

Burnham commented: “Today, I’m calling on all renters and landlords in Greater Manchester to get involved in this consultation. I believe this charter will be good for tenants who currently have no way of knowing whether a landlord is decent or not; and good for the many landlords doing the right thing and struggling to differentiate themselves from the disreputable end of the market. 

“The truth is, when we get housing right, we also potentially save billions in public money currently spent dealing with the social crises that come from poor housing situations.”

Chris Norris, policy director for the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA), welcomed the principles of the charter.

Norris said: “The vast majority of private landlords across Greater Manchester provide decent housing and a good service to their tenants. We therefore welcome the consultation’s commitment to ensuring those landlords meeting all their legal obligations are properly recognised.

 “As we consider the proposals it will be vital to ensure that the laudable aims of the charter are backed up by policies to make them a reality. That should include support for those landlords with the hardest-to-improve properties, improved enforcement to root out rogue and criminal landlords, and ensuring that content of the charter is consistent with forthcoming changes in the Renters (Reform) Bill.”