Creeping bureaucracy is creating a massive financial risk for landlords and agents who are managing HMOs, says Nigel Lewis.
Read MoreLeading council urges local tenants to report misbehaving letting agents
Exeter has set a bad precedent by urging tenants to report agents for a wide range of issues including discrimination, harassment and evictions.
Read MoreHMO managers face unlimited fines if they break new fire safety rules
Home Office says landlords or responsible persons will fall under the remit of the new Fire Safety Order, which follows the Grenfell tragedy.
Read MoreWhen is an HMO not an HMO?
...when it hasn’t got a licence. The Property Ombudsman, Katrine Sporle, adjudicates on a case of inaccurate property description.
Read MoreLetting agent fined £80,000 over unlicensed HMO properties
Fire in attic of one property led local council officers to inspect the property and discover it lacked working smoke alarms, fire doors or safety notices.
Read MoreBanned landlord fined nearly £8,000 for over-crowded, unlicensed HMO
In mitigation, Sanaur Rahman has claimed local letting agents wouldn't manage the property on his behalf and that he in poor health.
Read MoreCouncil backs down over licensing scheme after property industry campaign
Councils will have to be more careful how they introduce borough-wide additional licensing schemes following a legal challenge by Safeagent and the RLA over a scheme in Hounslow.
Read MoreLetting agency fined £3,000 after admitting three offences relating to HMO
Bolton firm Miller Metcalfe Estate Agents Ltd must also pay £1,616 in costs and a victim surcharge after fire safety features were found missing at town centre property.
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