Agenda item

The Cabinet Member for Housing reported on a review of a number of the Council’s tenancy management policies which was undertaken to ensure that the arrangements were relevant and in line with best practice.

Three policies had been reviewed, namely the Succession of Tenancy Policy, the Management Transfer Policy and the Domesticated Animals Policy which, in future would be referred to as the Keeping Dogs and Other Pets Policy.  A new Relationship Breakdown Policy had also been produced to establish the principles to be applied in cases where joint tenants of a property were no longer together.

The Cabinet Member referred to the key aspects of the new policies, which had each been subject to an Equalities Impact Assessment, and confirmed that all Council tenants would be consulted on the proposals in line with statutory requirements. 

In respect of the Keeping Dogs and Other Pets Policy, officers agreed to revise the draft policy wording to reflect that the intention of the policy was to promote reasonable and responsible pet ownership rather than being overly prescriptive regarding the number and type of pet that could be kept in a Council property.  The Leader also referred to the positive impact of the Council’s pilot Dog DNA registration scheme which had seen a 60% reduction in dog fouling in parks in the three wards covered by the pilot. 

Cabinet resolved to:

(i)  Adopt the revised Succession Policy as set out at Appendix 1 to the report;

(ii)  Adopt the revised Management Transfer Policy as set out at Appendix 2 to the report;

(iii)  Adopt the revised Keeping Dogs and Other Pets Policy as set out at Appendix 3 to the report;

(iv)  Adopt the new Relationship Breakdown Policy as set out at Appendix 4 to the report; and

(v)  Authorise the Strategic Director of Customer, Commercial and Service Delivery, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Housing, to agree the implementation date of the policies and any minor changes considered appropriate following the statutory consultation with tenants.