Streets where landlords own every other home

MOULDY PROPERTIES AND ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR CAUSE WORRY

- JOSEPH TIMAN

THE terraced houses off Matthews Lane in Levenshulme look typical of many of Manchester's streets.

But there is something that makes them stand out.

Almost two-thirds of the properties on this estate are rented out by landlords. Manchester council estimates that 170 of the 264 homes in these streets are privately rented properties a higher proportion than average across the city.

Across Manchester, around 90,000 homes are part of the private rented sector, accounting for 38 pc of housing in the city. However, the sector remains largely unregulated, allowing rogue landlords to go unchecked.

Since 2017, a council crackdown on unsafe housing in Manchester has seen hundreds of privately rented properties inspected and many landlords fined. Damp, mould and fire safety hazards have been identified in privately rented properties thanks to the selective licensing schemes rolled out across the city.