Housing Services summary of strategies

Housing Services produce a number of strategies and plans designed to tackle local housing problems. The Council is required to produce some of these by Central Government, whilst others have been developed as a local response to specific issues. All of the strategies contribute to the aims of the Richmond upon Thames Community Plan, which is concerned with the social, economic and environmental well-being of Richmond upon Thames and its residents.

Tenancy Strategy

The Tenancy Strategy(pdf, 54KB) outlines London Borough of Richmond upon Thames's guidance to local Registered Providers when developing their tenancy policies. This guidance relates to choice of tenancy types and, for fixed term tenancies, the Council's position with regard to tenancy duration and tenancy renewal. The Tenancy Strategy also outlines the Council's position with regard to Affordable Rent, including 'guideline rents'.

Intermediate Housing Policy Statement

The Intermediate Housing Policy Statement(pdf, 102KB) sets out Richmond upon Thames’s position with regard to the prioritisation of applicants for intermediate housing and the income eligibility range for applicants to intermediate housing schemes in the borough.

Homelessness Strategy 2012-16

The Homelessness Strategy 2012-16 sets out how the Council, with its partners, plans to address homelessness in Richmond upon Thames.

Housing Strategy

The Housing Strategy 2008-2012 covers the whole range of housing issues facing Richmond upon Thames and identifies the challenges to be met and how the Council, with its partners, intends to deal with them. It is complemented by a number of more detailed strategies and reviews that are focused on specific issues, as laid out below.

Older People's Supported Accommodation Review

The Older People's Supported Accommodation Review (2008)(pdf, 478KB) looks at older people's existing means of maintaining independent living. In light of this analysis of local data, trends and best practice, the Review develops options and recommendations regarding the services that allow older people to remain at home and independent, and the changing nature of sheltered housing and residential care.

Empty Property Strategy

The Empty Property Strategy(pdf, 1650KB) (EPS) aims to encourage owners to bring empty domestic properties in this borough back into occupation.

Private Sector Housing Renewal Policy

The Housing Services Private Sector Housing Renewal Policy(pdf, 384KB) sets out the Council's priorities for offering grants, loans and other forms of assistance to help improve private sector housing in the borough. The original policy was published in summer 2003 and was reviewed in 2004 (see the 2004 reviewed policy here(pdf, 24KB)).

Further amendments were made in June 2006 (see the 2006 ammendments here) and May 2009 (see the 2009 amendments here(pdf, 23KB)). The new version of the Private Sector Housing Policy is currently under review and will be available soon.

Private Sector Enforcement Policy

The Private sector housing enforcement(pdf, 83KB) relates to the duties and powers vested in the Council to deal with substandard private sector housing, substandard management of private housing and the enforcement of various legal aspects of the relationship between neighbouring residents or landlords and their tenants.

South West London Housing Partnership

London Borough of Richmond upon Thames is part of the South West London Housing Partnership (SWLHP), along with the boroughs of Croydon, Kingston upon Thames, Lambeth, Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth.

The partnership launched a Housing Strategy for South West London(pdf, 447KB) in April 2004. The SWLHP has agreed six strategic objectives to guide the partnership’s work in 2008/09.