The aim of the Residential Services Team is to protect the health, safety and welfare of all residents of Swindon and to encourage the improvement of physical standards, and standards of management in housing across all tenures.

The Residential Services Team has extensive powers to deal with unsatisfactory or unsuitable housing and insanitory conditions.  The principle pieces of legislation that we apply are:

• The Housing Acts of 1985 & 2004.
• The Housing, Grants, Construction & Regeneration Act 1989
• The Building Act 1984.
• The Public Health Acts of 1936 & 1961.
• The Environmental Protection Act 1990.
• The Prevention of Damage by Pests Act 1949.

In each case the team will consider all relevant information and evidence before deciding on what enforcement option is appropriate.  These are:

• To take informal action
• To issue a formal caution
• To issue a formal notice
• To prosecute.

Or a combination thereof.

Central Government has promoted the Enforcement Concordat, which sets out what business and others being regulated can expect from enforcement officers.  By adopting this, Swindon Borough Council has committed to best practice in enforcement procedures.  The Council has.also adopted its own generic enforcement policy which sets out the general principles that it will follow in relation to enforcement and prosecution.

The standards within the Enforcement Concordat, and the Council's own generic enforcement policy can be accessed by checking Swindon Borough Council's Enforcement Policy.

The Residential Services Team has its own approved policy for the regulation of Housing Standards and for the Licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation. This formally sets out the principles and methods which will be used to secure improvements in Private Sector Housing. Importantly it establishes how Swindon will make use of the wide ranging enforcement powers contained in the Housing Act 2004. A copy of this Policy can be accessed by downloading the following document. Private Sector Housing Enforcement Policy.