Bradford residents 'furious' at rat claims

Households in temporary accommodation after rat infestation

A woman in her 80s has been bitten by a rat after an infestation which has caused the council to put two households into temporary accomodation.

Tied up in red tape

Boring bureaucracy can prevent housing officers from giving their customers the best service, says Inside Housing’s anonymous columnist

Tall tails

Ombudsman concerned by direct complaint ban

The housing ombudsman has admitted he is worried by government plans to bar tenants from complaining to him directly.

Fuel for doubt

Calling in the movers

The ‘bedroom tax’ is meant to encourage tenants to downsize if they are under-occupying their homes. But, especially in the north of England, social landlords say there are simply not enough smaller houses and flats to move tenants into.

Catch the pigeon

Landlords face tough penalties if they fail to deal thoroughly with infestations by insects or animals, says Giles Peaker

Green guru

Social landlords must ask themselves now how they will access green deal cash and whether energy company obligation funding can help, says Sally Hancox

Hands-on approach

A new breed of customer-focused housing officers is giving tenants a lot more satisfaction. Emily Rogers meets one of them

The right combination

Landlords should ensure the benefits of combined heat and power systems outweigh the burdens, says Nnenna Morah, senior associate in the housing team at Lewis Silkin