Peterborough cracks down on its 'damp and dangerous homes'

"As bad as it gets" - The BBC saw a family home with black mould spores in one of the bedrooms

"They should be people's sanctuary but they're damp and dangerous."

That's the stark message from housing officers in Peterborough who are cracking down on landlords who put families' health and lives at risk.

The city council wants to bring in licensing in parts of the city to have more control over those who rent out properties that are not fit to live in.

It also wants to recognise and support good landlords - and make sure homes are well-maintained.

The BBC has been out with housing officers as they inspect rented properties.

Karina Sanchez, housing compliance officer, said some tenants are afraid to speak out for fear of losing their home

Housing compliance officer Karina Sanchez visited a house with mould and rising damp.

"You can smell the damp and mould and can see there is condensation - there is significant dampness around the walls. Our damp meter is off the scale," she said.

"Tenants come to us when they are desperate but, even then, they are very reluctant sometimes for us to contact the landlord because they fear reprisals of being evicted because they have raised a repair."

One tenant told the BBC the amount of damp in her home is so bad it is affecting her health.

"I've been in and out of hospital and seeing my GP. It's affecting me, I'm struggling to breathe, even from the smallest thing", she said.

Alice Rayner, senior housing compliance officer, says the situation can be "very distressing" for families.

At a second property, senior housing compliance officer Alice Rayner said: "The mould you can see here is as bad as it can get.

"There are dangerous spores in this house. It's a really poor environment for all.

"Tenants are living in these homes all day every day, or going to work, working really hard and this is what they're coming home to.

"This is supposed to be your sanctuary but it's really distressing for them."

The scheme aims to "support good landlords" says housing compliance manager Jonathan Hodgson.

Between 2016 and 2021, the council operated a selective licensing scheme, covering all privately rented properties in certain areas of the city.

In February 2023, the council submitted an application to the government for a new scheme and is currently awaiting a decision.

If approved, it will require residential landlords to obtain a licence in order to let property to tenants within a designated area of the city and ensure privately rented homes are maintained to a high standard.

The council can currently take enforcement action against dangerous homes but only if they're called in by the tenant - the new licensing model would mean it could carry out spot checks.

Damp mould "off the scale" on a kitchen wall

Housing compliance manager Jonathon Hodgson said: "The main argument we might get is that it's an unfair charge on landlords who are doing things brilliantly, but we want to put together a scheme that will benefit a good positive landlord.

"We want them to have positives as well so it's not just a set of conditions or a tax."

National Residential Landlords Association chief executive Ben Beadle said these schemes should only be used on a "selective basis" for a small number of "disruptive tenants and properties".

He said: "Blanket selective licensing such as this is very much a sledge hammer to crack a nut because you are reliant on not only all of the good landlords to join but you're reliant on bad landlords, who tend not to comply.

"There's no strong link between selective licensing schemes and a significant improvement in standards.

"The local authority would be better off using the numerous powers at their disposal and bringing bad landlords to book that way."