The streets where every other house is owned by a landlord

The terraced houses off Matthews Lane in Levenshulme look typical of many of Manchester's streets. But there is something that makes them stand out.

Almost two-thirds of the properties on this estate are rented out by landlords. Manchester council estimates that 170 of the 264 homes in these streets are privately rented properties – a higher proportion than average across the city.

Across Manchester, around 90,000 homes are part of the private rented sector, accounting for 38 pc of housing in the city. However, the sector remains largely unregulated, allowing rogue landlords to go unchecked.

READ MORE: Join the FREE Manchester Evening News WhatsApp community

Since 2017, a council crackdown on unsafe housing in Manchester has seen hundreds of privately rented properties inspected and many landlords fined. Damp, mould and fire safety hazards have been identified in privately rented properties thanks to the selective licensing schemes rolled out across the city.

The schemes require private landlords in particular parts of the city to obtain a licence and as part of the process, their properties can be inspected. Hundreds of compliance inspections have been carried out in Manchester so far, with most private rented sector properties found to be 'broadly' or 'fully' compliant.

But landlords of 82 properties have been subject to legal notices or fines totalling £115,299 to date. And now, another 700 homes will be affected.

This week, four new selective licensing schemes were launched in Moss Side, Whalley Range, Rusholme, Longsight and Levenshulme. The affected streets are selected according to the proportion of private rented properties in them.

Areas with significant and persistent problems such as anti-social behaviour,