Banbury residents that rent from council are invited to help improve new tenants' charter

The council is inviting all 180 households in the district that rent from them to share their thoughts and concerns on how to improve the services provided in a series of consultations.

One of the new charter’s key goals will be to strengthen the relationship between the council as landlord and its tenants, using this to improve services.

Cllr. Nicholas Mawer, portfolio holder for housing, said: "Everyone deserves to feel safe and comfortable in their own home and, if they rent, to be able to clearly understand how well their landlord is performing.

"A charter will allow us to provide our own tenants that confidence, as well as empowering them by encouraging them to take part in the process of drafting it.

"The idea behind this charter is that not only are we clearly laying out our own promise to our tenants, we are also establishing an important reference point. Our expectation will be that other landlords take note and, with our support, match our commitments."

At the same time that the district council begins work on its charter, council officers will be engaging with other social housing providers and private landlords in the district to encourage them to make similar improvements to their own standards.

The council will listen to the tenants in a series of consultation meetings before making a final decision on the charter at a meeting of the executive on Monday, February 6.

Cllr. Sean Woodcock the leader of the Banbury Labour group at the council said: “We don't recognise this Tenants'Charter as anything like what it was intended to be. This watered down version is nothing more than asking officers to do what they should already be doing.

"The Conservatives have shown that they can't be trusted to take the issue of poor standards in rental accommodation seriously, or of giving residents more information or a larger voice. Cherwell Labour are committed to introducing a proper Tenants' Charter if we are in control after May's District Council elections."