Quick News Updates

This was LB Hackney.  What does this mean for payments made?

Southend-on-Sea City Council has successfully secured a 3 year Banning Order against a rogue landlord and estate agency owner.

Since January 2020, it has been a criminal offence to trade as a property agent without being registered with HMRC for anti-money laundering supervision.

Merton Council is believed to be the first in the country to seize a landlord’s properties.

The government has said it has “no plans whatsoever to devolve rent control powers”.

A £10,000 fine for failing to provide an Electrical Safety Installation Certificate when requested by Hastings BC.

This industry-wide survey was launched last week and aims to gather real world feedback on current take up and impact, of the new Material Information rules.

Energy minister says landlords will need to attain an Energy Performance Certificate band C for their properties by 2030.

Walton Street property confiscated after the owner could not provide a “reasonable explanation” about how it was paid for.

The government has closed the Afghan housing portal and will cease processing offers from members of the public who are willing to provide housing to people fleeing Afghanistan.

Housing minister Matthew Pennycook has said unequivocally that rent controls will not be introduced in England despite their adoption in Scotland and potentially in Wales.

Complete this form to help organisations lobby government about the new Material Information rules.

Read about the bank base rate cut on 1 August and property industry reactions.

Barnsley landlord Hassan Fahri and his two managing agents have been fined a total of £17,000 for operating an unlicensed HMO, failing to provide documents, and being in breach of an improvement notice.

An HMO landlord has lost his appeal against an improvement notice ordering him to update a ‘paddle staircase’ in a case that highlights the surprising lengths some councils will go to enforce licencing rules.

A rogue landlord who was also a letting agent in Essex has been banned from being a landlord for three years.

A report indicates that London’s PRS makes a gross value added contribution of £14.6 billion to the UK economy.  

A landlord has failed in a last-ditch attempt to convince a property tribunal that he shouldn’t have to pay a rent repayment order – and has been stung with a £13,643 bill.

Tenants, landlords, property agents and anyone with an interest in the private rented sector are invited to have their say.

If you are a landlord in Enfield you may want to make a submission with your views.

One of the options discussed in Council meetings in Durham where the takeup of selective licenses has been low.

From the briefing notes it looks broadly similar to the Renters Reform bill that got lost at the end of the last Parliament.  But we need to see the draft bill before we can really comment.

An inspection found the property, which was originally a family home, was occupied by seven different households, accommodating nine tenants across three storeys.

Proposing a consolidation and modernisation of the contempt law. It refers to anti-social behaviour injunctions and concerns about enforcement against vulnerable people. It also proposes giving the First-Tier Tribunal a contempt jurisdiction.

This has now been launched and aims to set out clear standards to give confidence to tenants and support landlords to raise the quality of homes.

Olufemi Forseythe was fined £1,800, ordered to pay Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council’s costs of £750, and a victim surcharge of £72.

A case about the Court’s power to extend time limits.  A social tenant applied to the Court of Appeal for permission to appeal against her possession order. The application was out of time and she applied for an extension.  This was refused as the delay was significant and her case was considered weak.

Starting from 1 July 2024.  It is a selective licensing scheme meaning ALL landlords in the relevant wards must comply.  Landlords applying before 20 August will get a 20% early bird discount.

Phil Turtle of Landlord Licensing and Defence has warned that these can act as a trap for landlords who may inadvertently provide information that can be used against them in the future.

Rushanara Ali, re-elected in Bethnal Green and Stepney, owns two residential properties in the capital so she should have first hand knowledge of the problems facing landlords.

It is expected that he will be in charge of new private-sector housing legislation.

This new news service will help keep you up to date with all the changes.