SLUM landlords are charging vulnerable tenants to live in squalor in the borough and Dudley Council is not taking action, a councillor claimed today.

Cradley and Wollescote Councillor Richard Body warned the problem is getting worse after seeing a rise in mistreated tenants in his surgeries.

And after researching the problem Cllr Body is demanding Dudley Council starts protecting vulnerable tenants in the borough.

He said: “These homes are of a very poor standard, they are damp, have unsafe electrics, kitchens not fit for use and have bathrooms that are out the ark.

“It seems our prisons are a better place to live.

“Landlords simply do nothing and our council can do nothing due to not having any powers so there are no checks before tenants move in.”

He added: “I have learnt that our council make no checks what so ever on private rented homes.

“In our ward just like most wards I expect, there are substandard low priced homes being brought up and rented out.

Cllr Body has contacted the Local Government Association to see if the problem can be solved on a national level.

He said: “These people maybe unemployed, finding life hard to cope with, completely alone or depressed and our council can do nothing.

“We need to change this. We need a registrar and spot checks of house conditions. Life shouldn't be better for prisoners than our residents living in virtual slums.”

Cllr Body wants Dudley Council to start random spot checks on suspected slum properties and asking local residents to report suspected slum landlords.

Councillor Adrian Turner, Dudley’s cabinet member for housing, libraries and adult learning, defended the council’s record.

He said: "Dudley Council has a good relationship with many of the private landlords.

“We work with them via our landlords forum and provide training opportunities through the Midland Landlord Accreditation Scheme, which accredits the property owner and the Dudley Property Accreditation Scheme, which accredits the property.

He added: "We do however have a legal responsibility to respond to complaints received by private tenants about landlords and the condition of their properties.

"When we have received a complaint and depending on the circumstances, we will visit properties to see whether they meet a number of standards. If a property doesn't meet the required standards, the council will either contact the landlord and give them a period of time to rectify any problems.

“If the landlord fails to do so and there is a high risk to the tenant then the council does have the power to prohibit the property, although this is a last resort.

“In extreme cases the council will carry out emergency repairs or consider prosecution."