Andy Burnham has launched a £300,000 pilot scheme aimed at tackling “unlawful” illegal evictions in Manchester.
It’s just one part of Greater Manchester‘s first step towards protecting tenants in all types of rented accommodation, and empowering those who feel “trapped in substandard housing“.
Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) says it plans to “rewire the rental system” in our region, so that it “works for people, not against them”, and to support this, the Mayor announced last week that a £600,000 package of measures has now been set out to help tenants clamp down on rogue landlords.
The Good Landlord Charter is the first of its kind in the UK, will cover social and private rented sector housing, and will work with landlords who are willing to improve the standard of the properties they rent out.
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It’s aiming to set out “clear, practical, and accessible” standards to drive up the quality of renting in Greater Manchester.
Today we set out how Greater Manchester will drive forward our mission to improve housing standards by:
🔍 Giving renters the right to request a Property Check 🚫 Tackling illegal evictions 🏚️ Claiming back housing benefit from rogue landlords
— Mayor of Greater Manchester (@MayorofGM) May 16, 2024
According to GMCA, recent data has shown that,’ throughout Greater Manchester, around 23% (56,000) of private rented homes, and just under 17% (82,000) of all rented homes, do not meet the legal Decent Homes Standard’.
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But since many tenants feel unable to raise complaints for fear of eviction, it’s thought the true number of substandard rentals may be as high as 40%.
This is why the Mayor has announced two more new pilot projects that will come into effect over the next 12 months.
To support the Good Landlord Charter, £300,000 will be invested in the Renters (Reform) Bill and introduce a new duty on local authorities that’ll help them tackle unlawful evictions and harassment of tenants by setting up a new team of housing law experts who’ll “provide advocacy and support” to renters, and “strengthen enforcement capacity”.
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Andy Burnham launches £300k scheme to stop ‘unlawful’ illegal evictions in Manchester / Credit: Rockpanel | GMCA
When the Renters (Reform) Bill is made law, it’ll become illegal for landlords to rent out homes that don’t meet the ‘Decent Homes Standard’, and because of this, £150,000 is also being made available to support a new pilot with Oldham Council that’ll explore how GMCA, the central Government, and local Councils can work together to claim back housing benefit from landlords who are letting out substandard homes.
“Everyone across our city-region deserves a good, safe, and secure home,” declared Mayor Andy Burnham as he launched the pilot schemes last week.
“It should be the starting point for a good life. It should not damage your health or be a source of concern and anxiety, but sadly, too many people in Greater Manchester still find themselves in those situations, and are trapped in poorly maintained properties and in fear of unlawful eviction.
“But the days of bad landlords renting out unsafe and unfit homes are coming to an end.
“This new right to a property check for all residents, backed up with new measures to protect renters and take action against rogue landlords, will empower people across Greater Manchester and put us on course to become the UK’s only Housing First city-region.”
Featured Image – Super Straho (via Unsplash)
Property
Greater Manchester could be getting a new town under ‘ambitious’ Government housebuilding programme
Emily Sergeant
Greater Manchester could be getting a new town under an ‘ambitious’ proposed Government housebuilding programme.
Manchester Victoria North is one of seven new towns that have been proposed.
Named for consideration as part of what the Government is referring to as the most ambitious housebuilding programme in more than half a century, the locations of seven new towns have been revealed this week, and also include other northern locations like Leeds South Bank, as well as places in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, and Greenwich.
The Government says that the next generation of new towns are to be ‘built for the future from the ground up’.
They will create well-connected new communities with homes, jobs, schools, green spaces, and suitable transport links planned from the start.
Each proposed location is expected to deliver at least 10,000 homes – with several delivering 40,000 or more in the decades to come.
Greater Manchester could be getting a new town / Credit: Manchester City Council
All seven of the proposed new towns are set to be designed for modern everyday life, the Government insists – with neighbourhoods that people can easily get around without a car, incorporating shared green spaces and ‘vibrant’ high streets.
As part of the Manchester Victoria North proposals announced this week, at least 15,000 homes regenerating the heart of Greater Manchester are to be built, with a new Metrolink stop connecting residents to jobs across the city.
“People want real change,” explained Housing Secretary, Steve Reed. “They want homes they can afford, local infrastructure that works, and good jobs in thriving communities.
“Our next generation of new towns marks a turning point in how we build for the future.
“From the ground up, we’re planning whole communities with homes, jobs, transport links, and green spaces designed together, so we can give families the security and opportunities they deserve.”
Alongside the new towns consultation, the Government has also confirmed today that the National Housing Bank will launch on 1 April, backed by up to £16 billion of financial capacity and aiming to deliver over 500,000 new homes.
The Government has also confirmed additional support worth up to £400 million over the next decade for ‘subsidised products’.
Featured Image – James Feaver (via Unsplash)
Property
Altrincham named one of the UK’s best places to live in 2026 in The Sunday Times’ annual ranking
Emily Sergeant
A popular Greater Manchester town has been named among the UK’s best places to live by the Sunday Times in its annual ranking.
That’s right… it’s that time of year, once again.
The Sunday Times is known for pulling together a list of what it considers to be the most sought-after places to live in the UK every year, and 2026’s ranking has officially been published today – with dozens of locations across the country making up the comprehensive guide, and six of those coveted locations being right here in the North West.
The Sunday Times’s expert judges have visited all locations on the list, and assessed factors such as schools, transport, culture, broadband speeds, access to green spaces, the health of the high streets, and much more to devise the always-talked-about annual ranking.
Macclesfield in Cheshire, Eden Valley in Cumbria, Lancaster in Lancashire, and Aigburth in Liverpool are just some of the North West areas named by the publication in the 2026 list.
Altrincham has been named one of the best places to live in the UK / Credit: The Manc Group
A spotlight has also been shone on two Greater Manchester towns, and one of two has even been given the regional North West title… but which are they?
Where has taken the top spot as the best place to live in the North West for 2026, and is therefore one of the best places to live in the whole of the country? Well, that honour has been given to none other than Greater Manchester’s very-own Altrincham.
The publication described the Trafford town as ‘classy, cool and effortlessly comfortable’.
“Altrincham is a top-notch town brimming with independent businesses and big brands, and now it’s flying even higher,” The Sunday Times said.
The fact that co-working has now arrived on the high street thanks to the conversion of the old Rackhams department store, and that the town’s cultural and creative ‘cachet’ is also on the rise, have been highlighted as reasons as to why Altrincham has been chosen as the North West’s winner, as well its newly-flourishing fitness scene.
Of course, the town has also been praised for its transport links into Manchester city centre and across the region, as well as it being a great place for families thanks to the excellent local schools on offer.
Didsbury was the other Greater Manchester town chosen to represent the best of the North West – with the Manchester suburb described as being ‘stylish, solid, safe, and, yes, a little bit smug in parts… but that’s okay’.
Emily Sergeant -
20th May 2024 
