• overall, the percentage of dwellings in the private rented sector across Bexley is 22% which is higher than the national average of 19%. Of the 17 wards in Bexley, 9 have a percentage of private rented sector dwellings greater than the national average, with Belvedere having the highest proportion (32%)
• the ‘before’ and ‘after’ analysis of the current Selective Licensing scheme showed that improvements have been made as the levels of category 1 hazards did reduce for each tenure, however, the reduction seen was not significant enough to alter the overall percentages of category 1 hazards within each tenure
• three areas of focus within Bexley were identified based on levels of private rented stock, which were:
  • two wards in excess of 30%
  • three wards with 25-30%, and
  • four wards with 19 to 24% (i.e. above the national average of 19%¹)
• of the three wards in Bexley with 25 to 30% private rented stock, Sidcup ward has the highest level of category 1 hazards (8%), excess cold (4%) and disrepair (5%), whereas Slade Green & Northend has the highest levels of fall hazards (5%). Compared to the average of Bexley’s overall private rented stock for each property indicator, Sidcup has the same levels of category 1 hazards and disrepair, but higher levels of excess cold and lower levels of falls hazard. Meanwhile, Thamesmead East and Slade Green and Northend have lower levels of all four indicators compared to Bexley’s average
• of the four wards in Bexley with 19 to 24% private rented stock, Longlands has the highest levels of category 1 hazards (8%) and excess cold (3%), and Crook Log has the highest levels of fall hazards (5% and disrepair (6%). Compared to the average of Bexley’s overall private rented stock for each property indicator, all four wards have the average level of category 1 hazards, for excess cold Crayford, Bexleyheath and Crook Log are average but Longlands is slightly higher than average, for falls hazard Crayford, Bexleyheath and Crook Log are average but Longlands is slightly lower and for disrepair Crook Log, Bexleyheath and Longlands have slightly above average levels of disrepair, whereas Crayford has the same level as the average
• incidents of ASB in recent years (2020 and 2021) were highest in Belvedere and Crayford in 2020 and Bexleyheath and Thamesmead East in 2021
• 52% of private rented dwellings in Slade Green & Northend ward are located in the 20% most deprived LSOAs in England, which is notably higher than the figure for Bexley’s private rented stock as a whole (6%)
• there are specific areas within the wards identified that have higher levels of private rented stock and deprivation and disrepair which could be considered for targeted interventions

Footnotes:

¹ English Housing Survey Headline Report, 2018-19