Bolton council is recruiting more apprentices in an expansion of its Housing Standards Team.
New recruits will allow the team to clamp down on what the council calls “failing landlords”.
The council recruited two apprentices in 2023 and is now looking to add a further two to the team.
They will study towards their Advanced Certification in Private Sector Housing Enforcement while working for the council, before taking on a full-time role after qualifying.
A council spokesperson says: “The proportion of households across the country who are in privately rented homes has almost doubled since 2004 and this change has been reflected in Bolton too.
“Unfortunately, there are some unscrupulous landlords out there who exploit people’s desperation, and the standard of some private rented accommodation is nowhere near good enough.
“Nobody should have to live in a home which isn’t safe, or which makes them ill, and the council is committed to upholding the highest possible housing standards.
“These new recruits will give us extra capacity to tackle more of those whose substandard properties put tenants at risk.
“By training our own enforcement officers, we are creating exciting opportunities to anyone looking for a new career where they can make a real difference too.”
The apprenticeships are part of Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s so-called Good Landlord Scheme.
This article is taken from Landlord Today