Regulation & Law
News articles looking at national legislation and local regulation and the application of law to the residential property industry.
-
Family of tragic former soldier calls for ‘property investment’ course regulation
Danny Butcher took his own life after spending £13,000 on a property investment course and his father now says action must be taken.
Read More » -
Council ‘war’ on HMOs continues with two more extended schemes
Councillors in Brighton and Wigan have voted through 'article four direction' restrictions for smaller HMOs housing three or fewer unrelated people.
Read More » -
Suzy Lamplugh Trust wins Home Office action on stalking
The Suzy Lamplugh Trust has welcomed Home Office proposals to protect the victims of stalking after the charity played a key role in framing the new banning orders. From January 20th the police will be able to secure Stalking Protection Orders (SPOs) to ban pursuers from approaching or contacting their victims or visiting their home or where they work or study. “I am determined that we do everything we can to better protect victims and new SPOs will help the police to intervene and take action against perpetrators at the earliest opportunity,” says Victoria Atkins, Minister for Safeguarding and Vulnerability. Suky Bhaker (left), acting chief executive of the Suzy Lamplugh Trust – which is named after the 25-year-old estate agent who went missing in 1986 and is presumed murdered, said: “Today is an important step forward in the way stalking is handled in England and Wales and an acknowledgement of the suffering victims of stalking can face. “We welcome the introduction of Stalking Protection Orders and hope to see the new order complement the existing legislation to ensure that victims receive a proactive response when they come forward and report stalking.” The Suzy Lamplugh Trust was set up by the…
Read More » -
Ministers ‘not listening’ on perfect storm facing high street estate agents
ARLA and the NAEA Propertymark have written a uncharacteristically blunt joint letter to business minister Andrea Leadsom warning that business rates are driving estate agents off the high street and helping reduce employment within the sector. Signed by both David Cox and Mark Hayward, the letter reflects the growing anger within the industry that the government is unaware of the perfect storm being faced by high street agents. This includes being charged higher business rates than retail premises because agents’ branches are considered offices rather than shops; and facing both increased costs created by additional regulation and competition from online agents, who utilise home-based representatives rather than office staff. “One of our members has told us that the amount they pay in business rates is greater than the annual profit made in a year,” the letter says. Fewer jobs It also suggests that this cost is beginning to impact employment levels; 3,000 fewer people were working within the sales and lettings sectors last year than compared with 2017, Propertymark claims. The letter also points out that while agents support the government’s recent investment in towns and communities and Boris’s electoral commitment to ‘thriving high streets’, the cost of business…
Read More » -
Two jailed for £1m property fraud
A pair of fraudsters who bought and sold over 50 properties but failed to pay nearly £1 million in tax, have been jailed for more than eight years.
Read More » -
ANOTHER council wades in to regulate ‘wild west’ Airbnb property sector
Brighton councillors vote through motion calling for Airbnb to draw up list of local 'trusted landlords' as disruption by 'party houses' causes anger in the seaside city.
Read More » -
Binning freeholders will leave residents worse off
Following details of leasehold reform within the Queen's Speech Michael Gaston, Managing Director of Estates and Management, argues that professional freeholders are about to become more important than ever.
Read More » -
Compulsory electrical checks for all rented properties start
Government expects its new electrical checks regulations to become law on 1st April 2020, despite worries over availability of engineers.
Read More » -
Sporle: Why I am stepping down from The Property Ombudsman
Katrine Sporle talks to The Negotiator about the reasons she is leaving the redress scheme and her hopes for the the new Ombudsman who takes her place.
Read More » -
Lettings agency fined £25,000 over ‘squalid and dangerous’ unlicensed HMO
Two directors of Masons Estates (East Anglia) Ltd and the company itself have been fined after council officers found the property in a dangerous state of repair and overcrowded.
Read More »
