Housing Policy and Strategy Library
Our housing policies set out our responsibilities as a landlord and outline the rights of our tenants. We are committed to keeping these policies up to date, with regular reviews to ensure they remain effective and relevant.
The council values the input of our residents and actively involves them in consultations and scrutiny to help shape these policies, ensuring they meet the needs of our community.
Adaptations Policy for Tenants in Council Housing
The Adaptations Policy details how we will provide appropriate adaptations to housing for tenants with a disability. This document replaces the 2012 version of the policy, and covers eligibility, application processes, timescales, and future housing considerations, to ensure disabled residents have safe and accessible homes. This policy also outlines what financial help is available for residents, if they must relocate.
Additional Licensing Scheme Designation 2024
This policy introduces an additional licensing requirement for certain houses in Sandwell, that are home to three or more people from different households. From October 2024, landlords must apply for a license, to ensure that their properties meet the appropriate safety and management standards.
Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) Policy
This policy outlines our response to dealing with anti-social behaviour (ASB). The policy outlines our definition of ASB, our approach to addressing it, the reporting process, our guiding principles, and the enforcement procedures.
Asset Management and Compliance Strategy 2025-2030
The Housing Asset Management and Compliance Strategy 2025-2030 sets out how we will manage and look after our council houses and buildings, land spaces, play areas and garages. It will guide our future strategic property decisions to make sure we manage our stock both sustainably and efficiently.
Borough of Sanctuary Strategy
This strategy outlines our vision for Sandwell, as a Borough of Sanctuary, that welcomes those fleeing violence and persecution in their own countries and protects the rights of all migrants, asylum seekers and refugees. A ‘Borough of Sanctuary’ is a borough which provides a welcoming place of safety, for people who are asylum seekers, refugees, and migrants.
Empty Property Strategy
This five-year strategy aims to tackle and reduce the number of empty properties across our borough and the impact this has on the surrounding community. This includes a plan to bring back into use 200 privately owned empty homes in Sandwell.
Homelessness & Rough Sleeper Strategy
This strategy sets out how we aim to prevent homelessness and ensure that support and accommodation is available for people who are either at risk of losing their home or have lost their home.
Housing Allocations Policy
Our Housing Allocations Policy outlines who is eligible for a council property and sets out the process for determining a households level of priority. This policy is frequently reviewed in response to changes in the law or to changing local needs.
Housing Needs Assessment 2022
The Housing Needs Assessment details how Sandwell Council plans to meet the current and future forecasts of housing needs in the borough. This includes households with care and support needs and people from global majority groups. This document also sets out how we generate an outline for what the demographics and demand for social housing should look like over the next several years within our local area.
Housing Strategy
The Housing Strategy is a high-level plan that guides the development of our services from 2023 to 2028. It outlines a clear vision for how we aim to achieve our shared goal of providing housing that is secure, sustainable, and high-quality, that meets the needs of Sandwell’s residents. The Housing Strategy outlines five key priorities for Sandwell Council: to provide more affordable homes, to make best use of the homes we have, to provide quality housing for all, to support people’s health through housing and to address climate change and fuel poverty.
HRA Business Plan
The Housing Revenue Account Business Plan sets out our strategic plan for managing and maintaining the borough’s social housing stock. It sets out in detail the council’s short to medium term plans and priorities for its housing and asset management services.
Local Lettings Plan – Alfred Gunn House
This plan details our ambition for a safe and engaged community at Alfred Gunn House, and a reduction in anti-social behaviour cases, encouraging long-term tenancies rather than short-term stays.
We have been working with local residents to develop a Local Lettings Plan for Alfred Gunn House, which has been undergoing refurbishment. A Local Lettings Plan sets out additional criteria determining who can be allocated a property in a specific area, differing from the usual allocation process.
Local Lettings Plan – Thorn Close
This local lettings plan aims to significantly reduce the number of anti-social behaviour cases at Thorn Close. The plan will allow us to set additional criteria as a requirement for a tenancy at Thorn Close. The council will not be accepting bids from applicants who have been a perpetrator of anti-social behaviour in the last 3 years and all applicants will undergo pre-tenancy interviews.
Mobility Scooter Policy
Sandwell Council has a duty to ensure that mobility scooters are being stored safely. The Mobility Scooter Policy ensures that all customers have fair and consistent guidance from the housing service regarding their responsibilities for safe storage and charging of their mobility scooter.
Private Rented Sector Housing Assistance Policy
The Private Rented Sector Housing Assistance Policy details Sandwell Council’s commitment to providing housing support services for our most vulnerable residents. This policy aims to improve the health and wellbeing of Sandwell residents by addressing problems with unsuitable homes that do not meet resident’s needs. The policy also sets out Sandwell Council’s financial support offer for home adaptations and improvements, and the requirements and criteria that must first be met.
Property Compliance Policy
The Property Compliance Policy outlines how Sandwell Council ensure that all housing in the borough is compliant with government safety regulations. This includes compliance with gas, electric, water, asbestos, lifting equipment, fire and building safety regulations. This is a legal requirement of Sandwell Council as both an employer and as a landlord and is critical in guaranteeing that we provide safe and quality homes to our residents.
Reasonable Adjustments Policy
The Reasonable Adjustments Policy outlines what actions and adjustments the council will make to improve both the accessibility of council services and the quality of service we deliver. Our ambition is for all Sandwell residents to receive a good quality, consistent level of service, however they choose to contact the council.
Resident Engagement Strategies
Following the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017, it is now a statutory requirement to have an engagement strategy for tenants and leaseholders in all council high rise buildings. This strategy explains how tenants and leaseholders can be involved in the making of safety decisions, what tenants and leaseholders can do to keep themselves and their neighbours safe and what safety features are in place for each high-rise building.
Tenancy Conditions and Agreement
This is a legal contract that details both the rights and obligations of both tenants and the council as a landlord. The contract includes information on rent, maintenance and repairs, our responsibilities, ending a tenancy, anti-social behaviour, vehicles, animals, furniture and the service of notices.