Creeping bureaucracy is creating a massive financial risk for landlords and agents who are managing HMOs, says Nigel Lewis.

Exeter has set a bad precedent by urging tenants to report agents for a wide range of issues including discrimination, harassment and evictions.

Home Office says landlords or responsible persons will fall under the remit of the new Fire Safety Order, which follows the Grenfell tragedy.

...when it hasn’t got a licence. The Property Ombudsman, Katrine Sporle, adjudicates on a case of inaccurate property description.

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.

In mitigation, Sanaur Rahman has claimed local letting agents wouldn't manage the property on his behalf and that he in poor health.

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.

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.