Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham (main picture) has warned rogue landlords that they will soon have 'nowhere to hide'.

The city region’s public consultation on its new Good Landlord Charter launches next week, tasked with helping to drive up standards in the private rental sector and deliver on the authority’s ambitions for greater control over housing.

The charter, which has been designed by the mayor and a group of tenants, landlords and other housing experts, will accredit landlords who meet certain standards, and covers both social housing and private rental providers. New teams will be set up, consisting of staff from the fire service, environmental health staff and police.

Alongside the charter, it plans to give all renters the right to request a property check if they are concerned about the state of their home and, working with Greater Manchester councils, the authority will boost its inspection and enforcement capability.

Optimistic

“I am grateful to the working group of tenants, landlords and other experts who have helped us draw it up, and I am optimistic about the change it will bring,” says Burnham.

“We know there are many decent landlords in our city-region and the introduction of the charter will give them a way of being recognised as such.

"That said, we know there are others who do not treat their tenants properly and do not respect our communities. For the first time, our residents will have a greater ability to distinguish between the two.”

Adds Burnham: “Put simply, the days of bad landlords being untouchable are coming to an end.”

Speaking to Radio Manchester, he said the city region would “not accept this whole culture of landlords sometimes taking money through the benefits system, public money, and then not putting a penny of that back into their properties”.