Housing Conditions

We work to maintain good standards of housing in the District in many ways. This includes enforcing legislation for housing standards, particularly in the private rented sector which includes Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO's are shared houses and bedsits). When it is considered appropriate we can enforce repairs or we can arrange for them to be done and recover the costs from the owners.

PDF  Private Sector Housing Renewal Policy - 14/06/2007 : 248Kb

Frequently asked questions about Housing Standards and Overcrowding.

Licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation

The 2004 Housing Act, introduces the licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs). From the 6th April 2006 the definition of HMO is changing and it will be compulsory to license larger, higher-risk HMOs. The six local authorities within Gloucestershire have set up a single licensing scheme to cover the whole of Gloucestershire.

Further information and advice can be found on the Gloucestershire HMO Licensing Scheme website at http://www.cheltenham.gov.uk/propertylicensing

Schemes to Promote and Assist Private Renting

We have Fit to Rent Awards, Deposit Bonds and Rent in Advance schemes. Further information can be found in our Frequently Asked Questions on Landlord/Tenant Services (non-Council).

Information for Landlords

Find up to date information for Local Landlords, download Landlord Forum Topics and read our Landlords Newsletter.

Grants to assist with Home Repairs, Improvements and Adaptations for Disabled Persons

We provide a range of means tested grants to help those in need to remain comfortably in their homes, including adaptations for disabled people. For more information please see Frequently Asked Questions for Housing Grants.

PDF  Preliminary owner - occupiers means test form - 23/06/2004 : 244Kb

Empty Homes

We use a combination of promotional campaigns, advice and enforcement to bring as many empty homes back into use as we can.

Find out more information on Empty Homes

Camping and Caravan Sites

Both residential and holiday sites have to be licensed with a few exceptions. This enables us to control standards by ensuring that licence conditions are complied with.

Pest Control

See our Pest Control page.

Home Energy Efficiency

We actively promote our home energy conservation strategy to improve the energy efficiency of homes. This includes providing grants for insulation, carrying out advisory surveys and organising promotional campaigns. We are also involved in the delivery of schemes in partnership with other organisations and work to obtain external funding for these schemes.

Further information on our Home Energy Efficiency programme can be found in the FAQ section on Energy efficiency.

Drainage

We deal with problems caused by defective private sewers, drains and septic tanks. One of the key issues is determining who is responsible for any work that may be needed. More information about this is available in our FAQ section on Drainage.

You can view the Land Drainage byelaws below.

PDF  Land Drainage Byelaws - 27/06/2003 : 34Kb

We are also working to reduce the risk of flooding in the District through advice and enforcement procedures. We provide sandbags from our offices and through various contacts throughout the District including builder's yards.

For more details, please view our Frequently Asked Questions for Flooding.