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14/7/25 8:13 pm
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Properties that let the sector down are in the minority, a regulation expert will tell the upcoming NRLA conference.
Linda Cobb, senior manager at DASH (Decent and Safe Homes), believes her organisation is making a real impact, but wants to reinforce the message that regular property inspections are essential to maintain standards. She also advocates for a more empathetic approach that balances respect for tenants’ homes with landlords’ need for protection.
“The big drum I always bang is making sure you’re doing your property inspections, making sure you get inside that front door,” she tells the NRLA. “Creating that professionalism and urging people away from ‘yeah, it’s alright, they’ve been in there 15 years, I’ve not had any trouble’.”
DASH emerged from the first wave of housing legislation, when the Housing Health and Safety Rating System and licensing schemes were introduced. Rather than each local authority developing their own policies independently, DASH coordinated efforts across the East Midlands.
It now works alongside local authorities via Operation Jigsaw - an MHCLG-funded project helping councils navigate the Renters’ Rights Bill by focusing on preparedness and implementation. The initiative provides support for council officers to collaborate and cooperate with others within their region, such as by sharing intelligence on criminal landlords and letting agents. One of the project’s successes is the increase in use of a national intelligence database.
It recently ran an online survey and found that more than 85% of local authority officers were concerned about increases in enforcement demand, according to Local Government Lawyer.
Through DASH’s accreditation scheme, which includes virtual property inspections, Cobb encounters properties that desperately let the sector down – but insists these remain in the minority.
“We’ve got thousands of landlords on our books, and we’ve got something like a 97% compliance rate,” she adds. “Working together – landlords and authorities - we can create a robust rental market that works for landlords and tenants.”
NRLA’s UK Housing Conference is on 5th November in Liverpool.
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