A cross-party coalition of over 100 councils call for reform to what it calls “unsustainable” discounts on Right To Buy along with other housing reforms. Led by Labour-controlled Southwark Council over 100 councils call for reform and has provided what it has termed ‘five solutions’ to help build social housing and reduce the reliance on the private rental sector and reverse the growth in homelessness.  A new report from the… Continue Reading 100 Councils Call For Reform On Right To Buy

Rigorous government targets to improve EPC ratings in the private rental sector and the wider housing stock won’t be met without additional incentives, the Nationwide warns. A special study by the lender looks at the energy efficiency of the UK stock, which faces a series of targets to improve EPC ratings – different targets set 2030, 2035 and 2050 as goals. Nationwide’s chief economist, Robert Gardner, says that over the… Continue Reading To Improve EPC Ratings More Incentives Needed

More than 340,000 homes must be upgraded every year to hit 2030 EPC C targets. However, Propertymark says at the current rate, it will take an extra 12 years to get all rented homes up to EPC C standards. Ed Miliband has previously said that all landlords must meet 2030 EPC C targets. Must not be a one-size-fits-all approach Propertymark’s report, Lagging Behind: Energy Efficiency in Low-Viability Properties, reveals a… Continue Reading 2030 EPC C Targets Could Face Delays

Consumer organisation Which? claims there are some 1,000 reports of rental fraud scams a month at this time of year. It says the start of the academic year sees a scramble to secure accommodation from students making last-minute choices on universities and colleges. Which? calculates that this leads to £2.7m lost as prospective tenants pay deposits or so-called viewing fees to fake landlords, often advertising on social media and then… Continue Reading Rental Fraud Scams Cost Tenants Millions

Sadiq Khan is pushing the Labour government to give him the power to impose rent controls in the capital. The Telegraph claims that if given the go-ahead, the Mayor plans to set up a commission to create power to impose rent controls that are tailored to London. Parliament would be required to pass laws giving him the authority to control the prices set by landlords. Calling for the power to… Continue Reading Sadiq Khan Seeks Power To Impose Rent Controls

A new briefing paper from the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) has poured cold water on calls for rent controls in Britain, finding overwhelming evidence that rent controls do far more damage than benefit tenants. The paper by Dr Konstantin Kholodilin, analysed 196 studies spanning six decades and almost 100 countries. While rent controls in Britain may initially lower rents for existing tenants, the review found they typically lead to… Continue Reading Rent Controls In Britain Do More Harm Than Good

The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) has questioned reports suggesting the Labour government is set to introduce French-style hardship tests for landlord possession proceedings. Senior campaigns and public affairs officer, Eleanor Bateman, has expressed concern over recent press speculation that the proposed Renters’ Rights Bill will include such measures. While acknowledging the potential impact of the Bill, she emphasised the lack of concrete information from the government. ‘Landlord could regain… Continue Reading Hardship Test For Landlord Possession Claims

Private landlords face an average bill of £10,000 to hit government EPC C targets by 2030, according to new research. An estimated 2.7 million rental properties will need some form of energy efficiency retrofitting across the PRS in England, Scotland and Wales, adding up to about £24.03 billion, says Reapit, which reviewed a representative sample of rental properties managed using its platform. It based the estimate on historic retrofitting costs… Continue Reading Government EPC C Targets £10k Cost

An appeal judge has backed a tenant’s argument that serving prescribed information before the deposit is paid isn’t valid, meaning their eviction cannot go ahead. In the case of Siddeeq v Alaian, the tenant had appealed against a possession claim at Brentford County Court. Mayor’s and City of London County Court heard that the tenancy agreement was signed on 12th November 2021 and included a section setting out items of… Continue Reading Prescribed Information Before Deposit Paid Isn’t Valid

One of the rental sector’s best-known legal figures, Tessa Shepperson, is compiling a definitive list on her blog of all the PRS laws that affect letting agents and landlords. Shepperson has called it The Landlord Law Blog Landlords’ Legislation List. The exact number has been a hotly debated topic for some years with some going as high as 400 PRS laws but she hopes to clear up for once and… Continue Reading Legal expert on the hunt for growing number of PRS laws

Labour has confirmed plans for rented properties to achieve a minimum Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) grade C by 2030. Miatta Fahnbulleh, the Under Secretary for Energy Security and Net Zero, confirmed the plans for rented properties, emphasising the government’s commitment to reducing fuel poverty. In a written question, Green MP Ellie Chowns asked: “To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make it… Continue Reading Plans For Rented Properties To Achieve A Minimum EPC

The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) has thrown its weight behind the government’s new landlord database plan, insisting it could be a tool to weed out criminal landlords. However, it warns against unnecessary red tape for responsible landlords. As a member of the Lettings Advisory Board, the NRLA has helped shape proposals for the new Labour government. That includes a landlord database plan, which the NRLA believes can ‘create transparency… Continue Reading Landlord Database Plan Backed By NRLA

Labour is looking to prevent landlords from evicting tenants who have nowhere else to live, the Telegraph reports. It says government ministers will propose imitating a French scheme which has ‘hardship tests’ that must be followed before evicting tenants is allowed. The rule effectively bans evictions that would leave a tenant worse off. Supported by housing minister Matthew Pennycook, the rule is aimed at reducing homelessness. Labour is also, the… Continue Reading Evicting Tenants Prevented If It Makes Them Worse Off

Kate Davies, executive director of the Intermediary Mortgage Lenders Association (IMLA), says introducing rent controls are not the magic answer to problems in the lettings sector. In a statement to the mortgage industry media she says the new Labour government “would be wise to learn the lessons of history and promise not to introduce rent controls in any form”. She continues: “In Scotland, the Green Party/SNP coalition introduced rent freezes… Continue Reading Introducing Rent Controls Not The Answer

Labour has confirmed that it will require all private sector landlords to bring their properties up to a minimum Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) band C by 2030. Energy Security and Net Zero minister Miatta Fahnbulleh told MPs that “this government is committed to reducing the number of fuel poor households in England. “We will require landlords to improve their properties to Energy Performance Certificate band C by 2030. “Ensuring warmer,… Continue Reading Labour Confirms Minimum Energy Performance Certificate Band C

Landlords who use OpenRent to find tenants will no longer have access to Rightmove when advertising their properties, it has been announced. Rightmove has released a statement this morning confirming that negotiations between the two companies over how much the portal is paid by OpenRent to list properties have broken down. OpenRent’s listings will be removed from Rightmove from 1st September 2024, although OpenRent delted Rightmove’s logo from its home… Continue Reading OpenRent Landlord Listings Removed From Rightmove

Propertymark says stricter rules for EPC targets in the private rental sector must be backed up with incentives and financial support. The trade body is responding to widespread speculation that the government is going to legislate for private rental sector homes to meet EPC rating C, possibly as soon as 2030. It is not known whether there would be a cap imposed on landlords’ spending to minimise the cost. The… Continue Reading Stricter EPC Targets Must Come With Help

The Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 is a cornerstone of English property law, providing essential guidelines for the maintenance and repair obligations of landlords. One of the most critical sections of this Act is Section 11, which outlines the specific duties landlords must adhere to regarding the repair and upkeep of rental properties. This article delves into these obligations, with a particular focus on subsection 1(b), which has notable implications… Continue Reading Landlord and Tenant Act 1985: Understanding Section 11

Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary Angela Rayner has launched a comprehensive review of the National Planning Policy Framework. The objective is to make it easier to build more homes, with Rayner telling MPs that future local decisions “should be about how to deliver new homes, not whether to”. An eight week consultation period, starting today, will allow comments on a series of radical departures from the current approach: –… Continue Reading National Planning Policy Framework Changes