SafeDeposits Scotland’s dispute management training tour

admin    Uncategorized     agents

In the last year, 490 disputes have arisen between landlords and tenants in the Edinburgh postcode area according to the latest research from SafeDeposits Scotland.

The deposit protection provider found that the average amount that tenants and landlords in the capital disagreed over deductions to the deposit at the end of a tenancy was £351 and that disputes in the city accounted for almost one in five (18.93%) of all tenancy disputes in Scotland.

The post SafeDeposits Scotland’s dispute management training tour appeared first on Property118.

View Full Article: SafeDeposits Scotland’s dispute management training tour

Call of the Week: Assured shorthold tenancies

admin    Uncategorized     agents

Since the introduction of the assured shorthold tenancy (AST), most landlords have been able to use a section 21 notice to regain possession of their property where they have a legitimate reason to do so. However, not all tenancies are assured shorthold tenancies and quite often landlords are not aware that they have something else. […]

The post Call of the Week: Assured shorthold tenancies appeared first on RLA Campaigns and News Centre.

View Full Article: Call of the Week: Assured shorthold tenancies

Welsh Government proposal to shake up rules around size of student flats

admin    Uncategorized     agents

The Welsh Government has put forward a proposal to shake up the rules around converting unfilled purpose built student accommodation into social housing. At a press conference on Tuesday, the Housing Minister Julie James AM said that the Welsh Government will shortly launch a consultation on plans to change the rules around space standards in […]

The post Welsh Government proposal to shake up rules around size of student flats appeared first on RLA Campaigns and News Centre.

View Full Article: Welsh Government proposal to shake up rules around size of student flats

The standard of PRS accommodation has significantly improved

admin    Uncategorized     agents

The standard of accommodation in the PRS has significantly improved in the last decade as the sector has expanded and professionalised. The proportion of homes in the PRS in England deemed non-decent by the ONS has fallen for ten consecutive years

The post The standard of PRS accommodation has significantly improved appeared first on Property118.

View Full Article: The standard of PRS accommodation has significantly improved

Should I sell or risk tenants buying at undervalue price?

admin    Uncategorized     agents

Should I sell? What Solutions are there for this Dilemma? I Realise that Nothing has happened YET! But I just want to be clear about what my options are.

Who thought George Osborne would have removed Mortgage Interest Relief!

The post Should I sell or risk tenants buying at undervalue price? appeared first on Property118.

View Full Article: Should I sell or risk tenants buying at undervalue price?

£700,000 tenancy fraud prevented in Wolverhampton

admin    Uncategorized     agents

Tenancy Fraud:

In all, nine cases
of tenancy fraud, totalling an estimated £695,000, have been stopped
after a crackdown by Wolverhampton Council’s counter-fraud team, in
four months

As reported by
Thomas Parkes in the Wolverhampton Express and Star, illegal
sub-lettings, fraudulent right-to-buy applications and social housing
application frauds were uncovered by the team.

Other frauds and
potential frauds detected involved those where owners tried to pass
the property on to a relative, or failing to hand over keys, were
also detected.

These all came to
light between April and July this year, a report by the counter-fraud
team revealed.

In total around 150
instances of suspected fraud were investigated by the team. A Council
spokesperson said that action would be taken to recover all the
stolen money as part of a “zero-tolerance” policy.

The crackdown is
part of a central Government funded HMRC pilot scheme to tackle crime
in the housing sector.

The report to the
council’s Audit and Risk Committee says:

“The counter-fraud
team is continuing to develop and lead in raising fraud awareness
across the council and in promoting an anti-fraud culture.

“The team carries
out investigations into areas of suspected or reported fraudulent
activity.

“It also organises
a series of council wide pro-active fraud activities, including the
targeted testing of areas open to the potential of fraudulent
activity.

“The council
was selected by the Cabinet Office as one of only 10 local
authorities to take part in a pilot National Fraud Initiative (NFI)
exercise where HMRC data has been matched to the council’s data for
the first time.

“HMRC hold
information about household composition, household earnings and
property ownership.

“A sample of
matches were investigated with the majority relating to tenancy
issues.

“The counter-fraud
team has provided feedback to the Cabinet Office which has been used
to help refine the matches and to ensure the maximum impact is
achieved from the exercise.�

A spokesman for
Wolverhampton Council said: “The city of Wolverhampton Council
operates a zero-tolerance policy on fraud and will not hesitate to
take action as appropriate.

“We are pleased
to be a key partner in this National Fraud Initiative data matching
exercise because, ultimately, fraud against the council is fraud
against the hard-working taxpayers of Wolverhampton.�

©1999 – Present | Parkmatic Publications Ltd. All rights reserved | LandlordZONE® – £700,000 tenancy fraud prevented in Wolverhampton | LandlordZONE.

View Full Article: £700,000 tenancy fraud prevented in Wolverhampton