COUNCILLORS have sworn to crackdown on rogue landlords as it emerged that half of some types of properties fall below a national standard on decent homes.

A report presented to Weymouth and Portland Borough Council’s management committee stated that 51 per cent of converted flats and 36.5 per cent of all rented properties fail the government’s Decent Homes Standard.

Further, just one in five privately rented flats and multiple occupancy houses have fire extinguishers.

The committee agreed to back a campaign by charity Shelter to improve the lives of private renters and implement a tougher policy on rogue landlords. Councillors heard that the move will not cost any more than what is spent on the housing service at present.

Director of Communities Kate Ryan said: “Our approach at the moment fits in the middle of the Shelter campaign.”

The committee also praised the work of the housing team.

Cllr Roebuck said: “I think what the report demonstrates is that the housing team work very hard and effectively, but the point is there needs to be a combination of education, advice and enforcement where appropriate.”

Cllr Rachel Rogers said she meets people almost every day through her work at the Citizens’ Advice Bureau whose landlords are ‘sailing close to the wind’.

She added: “The majority are doing a good job, but just one poor landlord is one too many and we need to make it clear we are not going to tolerate it.”

The borough council’s briefholder for housing Cllr Kevin Brookes said a scheme will be set up to allow landlords to post details of properties to let on a website run by the council. A joint landlords’ forum across Weymouth and Portland and West Dorset is also being rolled out.

Cllr Brookes added: “I think there is a lot of ignorance and I do not think some landlords know what they are doing. It is something you can fall into almost accidentally.”

Cllr Christine James added that she would like to see rogue tenants targeted along with landlords who are not fulfilling their duties.

The committee approved the recommendations to support the Shelter initiative to address poor standards in the private rented sector.