Thousands of complaints about private landlords in Leeds

Following a freedom of information request, the Yorkshire Evening Post can reveal Leeds City Council has received more than more than 100 complaints per month from tenants over the last six years.

But despite this, less than two dozen prosecutions were brought by the council against landlords during this time.

Now politicians, charities and industry professionals are calling for more to be done to help make homes more secure for tenants in the city.

Among the reasons for the complaints for housing safety were issues such as damp, disrepair and fire, gas and electrical safety.

A spokesman for Leeds City Council said: “The sector has significantly grown in the last decade and is now the second largest tenure 
in the city.

“Last year, Leeds launched the Leeds Rental Standard, which gives landlords the opportunity to sign up to an accreditation scheme which helps identify good landlords and tenants.

“The council is always keen to work alongside good landlords but will not tolerate poor landlords who provide substandard and poor accommodation whist charging the maximum rent.”

Only 23 prosecutions were brought against landlords on behalf of the council, although 10 of these took place last year (2017/18).

Housing spokesman for Leeds City Council’s Conservative group Barry Anderson believes the council should do more to encourage confidential complaints to remove the fear of retribution.

He said: “We owe all tenants in this city, irrespective of their tenure, a minimum level of acceptable quality of life.

“How many tenants are aware that they can complain when their landlord is behaving badly?