Search Results for: hmo
-
Proptech
Online service launches ‘goodbye to letting agents’ poster campaign
An online service for landlords has launched a London Underground advertising campaign that urges landlords to say 'goodbye to lettings agents'.
Read More » -
Features
What’s in your pipeline?
Lisa Isaacs discovers that today’s utilities services can provide impressive new income streams and savings for your business.
Read More » -
Guest Blogs
The future for independent estate or letting agencies
"The butcher, the baker (and the candlestick maker) are now rarities in England’s villages, says Adam Walker and, sadly, it looks as if the local independent estate or letting agency is going the same way."
Read More » -
Latest property news
All 33 London councils sign up to join Mayor’s new rogue agent database
The Mayor of London's new rogue agent database, which also includes landlords, will now be supplied with details by all the capital's councils.
Read More » -
Features
Do the property industry associations do a good job?
If ever there was a time the property industry needed someone to fight its corner - but are the punches being thrown effectively?
Read More » -
Latest property news
Letting agents today face new but “pointless” Banning Orders and Rogue Database system
The government’s Banning Orders and Rogue Database system for letting agents has gone live today despite the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA) describing the initiative as “disappointing” and “pointless”. From now onwards, landlords or letting agents who are convicted of specific offences can be banned from letting or managing a property for at least 12 months via a Banning Order, and added to the Rogue Database for at least two years. The offences cover the most serious housing and criminal crimes. These include those involving fire and gas safety, Right to Rent, housing benefit fraud, ignoring council improvement notices, collusion in cannabis cultivation or drug dealing, poor HMO management, illegal evictions and violent or sexual offences against tenants. “I am committed to making sure people who are renting are living in safe and good quality properties. That’s why we’re cracking down on the small minority of landlords that are renting out unsafe and substandard accommodation,” says Minister for Housing and Homelessness Heather Wheeler. “Landlords should be in no doubt that they must provide decent homes or face the consequences.” First Tier Tribunal Once convicted, councils can apply to a First Tier Tribunal to have the landlord or agent involved banned…
Read More » -
Latest property news
People are moving home half as often during their lives than ten years ago, claims Savills
The financial crisis of 2008 still casts a long shadow over the UK property market and that includes a halving in the number of times people move home during their lives, research by Savills has highlighted. Its examination of home moves reveals that the average has dropped from 3.6 times to 1.8 times per family since the crash, a figure that stubbornly refuses to budge. In comments made to the BBC this morning, Savills’ Head of Research Lucian Cook suggests that unless people are enabled to move house more often, there is little point helping first time buyers on to the first rung of the property ladder. The areas where people are moving the most are in Wandsworth, Basingstoke and Deane, Norwich, Rushmoor, Lambeth, Corby, Swindon, Aylesbury Vale, South Norfolk and Bracknell Forest. The destinations where people are staying put the most include Pembrokeshire, Harrow, Ceredigion, Blaenau Gwent, Brent, Wolverhampton, Isle of Anglesey, Sefton, Newham and Redbridge. “Those not trading up are the forgotten people of the housing market,” Lucian Cook told the BBC. Savills categorises housing markets in the UK into three types. These are areas where house prices are stagnant and don’t produce the equity gains people need…
Read More » -
Latest property news
Leading council has so far fined rogue agents and landlords £100,000
Brent Council, which says it has fined agents and landlords £100,000 since introducing civil penalties last year, revealed it had collected £63,500 of the fines levied and is waiting to collect the remainder under its 49-day payment rules. “When we start the process of issuing a Civil Penalty Notice there is a legal process that we have to follow in order to [firstly] notify the landlord of or intention to issues a CPN and [also] allow a period of time for the landlord to appeal the issuing of the CPN,” a council spokesperson says. “[If a landlord] refuses to pay the civil penalty once the allotted period has expired, Brent Council will pursue the case through to the civil courts.” Brent, along with Hackney and Tower Hamlets, is one of the capital’s most deprived areas and has come down hard on landlords and agents who provide sub-standard accommodation. Nearly 5,000 properties within its boundaries are now covered by two main property licensing schemes. These are a borough-wide licensing scheme for HMOs as well as a selective licensing scheme for rented properties within certain areas, which the borough charges £340 for a five-year license. The fines collection figure came to light…
Read More » -
Latest property news
Nottingham gets green light to restrict To Let boards again after ‘crime reduction’
The City of Nottingham has been given the green light to continue severely restricting the use of To Let boards by agents for a further five years, after it was claimed that a previous control order led to a reduction in crime. Originally introduced by the council in 2012 via a five-year Regulation 7 Direction order, Nottingham has now successfully applied for a second order from Savid Javid’s Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government The extended scheme will come into operation on 19th February. Boards must follow strict design guidelines and can only be erected from January to September each year. Also, only one board per building is allowed, and agents can only erect one board in a street. Nine roads in a mainly student area of the city will now continue to be policed by the new regime, and any agent wishing to put up such a board outside of its rules will require the permission of the council to do so on a case-by-case basis. The decision follows a site visit by a planning inspector to the area affected by ‘board blight’ who agreed with the council that a further five-year control order was needed. The council…
Read More » -
Latest property news
Think again about “simplistic” longer tenancies, landlords warn government
The National Landlords Association (NLA) has called on the government to think again about its proposed longer tenancies legislation following a meeting with new junior housing minister Heather Wheeler. The NLA’s CEO Richard Lambert met with her yesterday along with representatives of ARLA, RICS, NALS and the RLA to discuss government priorities for the private residential market ahead of a busy year for the government. This will include widening regulation within the HMO sector, the tenant fees ban, stricter energy efficiency regulations and a consumer and industry consultation on longer ASTs to increase tenant security. It is this last measure that is exercising minds at the NLA. During the meeting, the organisation says it pressed Heather Wheeler (pictured, below) to “think beyond simplistic calls for longer tenancies and look at how best to incentivise landlords to offer a wider range of tenancies to cater for the increasingly diverse range of what tenants may need”. ARLA also made an interesting point on longer tenants recently, which is likely to have also been put the minister, based on research by Capital Economics. It suggests that by abolishing tenant fees, which is scheduled to become law next year, the market will favour those…
Read More »
