COUNCIL tenants have voted against their homes being transferred to another landlord.

Durham City Council said 95 per cent of tenants who returned a questionnaire opted for the authority to continue running housing.

The Government has ordered councils to consider passing the service to housing associations or not-for-profit companies.

Tenants are usually told that a new landlord would have more money to invest in improvements.

The city council sent the questionnaire to 6,364 tenants asking if they wanted to stay with the authority or have their homes passed on to an association.

Councillor Dennis Southwell, cabinet member for housing, said: "I am delighted with the response to the questionnaire; 2,813 tenants returned their questionnaire by the deadline, a response rate of 44.2 per cent.

"Tenants have, therefore, overwhelmingly indicated that they would like the council to continue to own and manage all of the council housing, and the steering group at its meeting has recommended that this option be agreed by cabinet."