Floored (Agenda Edition 4)

Subjects for Tenants Groups to discuss with their landlord

Some tenant groups have asked us for topical agenda items/subject briefings for their tenant group to discuss with their landlord.  TPAS Cymru have created a briefing series that we call ‘The Agenda’ which provides tenant groups with an overview of a subject and suggestions questions you might want to ask in your engagement with your landlord.  This briefing will be focused on the following: Floored: Provision of flooring in social housing.

Over the past year, TPAS Cymru have teamed up with Tai Pawb to find out more about the provision of flooring in newly-let social homes. We are grateful to members and tenants for responding to the survey and helping us in our research.  

Publishing our joint report - 'FLOORED' - we've found that a lack of flooring or carpet has impacted on tenants' health and wellbeing. Those surveyed listed issues such as a lack of warmth, safety and sound in their homes, health issues, including breathing difficulties, and depression. Responses from tenants with children highlighted safety issues and an increase in isolation and loneliness in not being able to invite friends to visit.  
 
The report, however, also highlighted good practice, whereby some social landlords left existing flooring in place where possible and through a request from a new tenant. Moreover, some landlords were working with organisations to help tenants secure safe and affordable flooring options.  

The Executive Summary can be found here. (PDF)

The Full Research Report can be found here. (PDF)

Questions for Tenant groups to ask:

1. What are the reasons you pull up carpet when people leave their homes?
2. Is it possible to look at a system, whereby you ask tenants when they view their potential new home if they want to keep the carpet but they will be liable for it? This can be a contractual agreement
3. What do you do with carpet when you pull it up?
4. Are you impacting negatively on the carbon footprint and putting more waste into landfill?
5. Is it possible for you to do a cost analysis of the costs associated to ripping up carpet and getting rid of it. Also, the costs associated to turning void properties around regularly, because people aren’t staying in them. The costs associated to staff going out to noise related ASB because of the lack of flooring, should also be considered and then compared with the cost of fitting carpets in voids.
6. Will you put carpets in voids?
7. Will you put carpets in new builds?
8. How will you support people in existing homes that have no carpet?

We would love to hear about your conversations with your landlords. So please email [email protected]