A NEW vetting scheme for private landlords is to be introduced in Darlington.

Councillors see the move as a way for the private sector to catch up with tenancy action in local authority housing.

Two members welcomed the scheme.

As the council's cabinet agreed a landlord accreditation scheme on Tuesday, Coun Eleanor Lister hailed the action. Also speaking for fellow Northgate ward member, Coun Dot Long, she said: "In our ward, people are often moved from council estates into the private sector.

"Some of these families cause mayhem and make people's lives a misery.

"Up to now, there has been very little landlords could do if they want to take these people on, so this discipline will be most welcome.

"The council is taking the initiative and that is to be applauded. Thank you."

Coun Bill Dixon, cabinet member for community and public protection, said: "Through this we can start to do in the private sector what we have done with our own housing stock and vigorously enforce tenancy agreements.

"Problems on the larger estates have all but disappeared. But in some of the older wards, we have virtually no power and this gives us a start in gaining those powers to maintain the same kind of public order."

Councillors see the need to engage with private sector landlords as a priority in tackling a spiral of deprivation and decline in the town's 11 most disadvantaged wards.

A report said an accreditation scheme could also make a real contribution towards improving housing conditions and combating anti-social behaviour.

At present there are few controls on private homes, apart from a basic fitness standard.

As an incentive to sign up to the scheme, landlords will be offered a range of benefits such as insurance discounts, priority for renovation grants, fast-tracking of claims and a hotline for housing benefit issues.

Accreditation could also create a market advantage.

An officer will be appointed to run the accredited lettings scheme.

Darlington has 3,600 privately rented properties - 8.3pc of the total housing stock. But the number and identity of landlords is not known.

Landlords will be invited to submit details of properties they want to be included in the scheme and these homes will then be inspected. To be accredited, owners will have to sign up to a code of standards