OFFICIAL figures show landlord ‘mortgage holidays’ have avoided buy-to-let repossessions hike

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Latest data from lenders’ trade association UK Finance published today reveal only modest increases in number of buy-to-let properties being repossessed by banks and buildings societies.

New figures released today reveal how the government’s directive
to lenders to offer landlords mortgage holidays has so far prevented a steep
rise in repossessions during the crisis.

While mortgages arrears and possessions remain low, UK
Finance’s update for Q1 2020 shows only a modest increase in arrears compared
to the last quarter – the vast majority of which were seen in March as the
COVID-19 crisis hit.

In the first quarter of the year, 640 buy-to-let
mortgaged properties were repossessed, 8% more than in the same quarter of 2019.

UK Finance recorded 4,420 buy-to-let mortgages in arrears
of 2.5% or more of the outstanding balance, 6% fewer than in the same quarter
of the previous year.

But of those, many landlords have even bigger problems as
there were 1,170 buy-to-let mortgages with more significant arrears
(representing 10% or more of the outstanding balance) – although this was 3% fewer
than in the same quarter of the previous year.

UK Finance believes the relatively small increase in arrears compared to Q4 2019 is due to the early effects of Covid-19.

Covid effects

Callum Bilbe, data and research analyst, says: “While we
did see a modest increase in arrears from Q4 2019 to Q1 2020, this rise relates
to the very earliest effects of the Covid-19 outbreak at the start of March,
with the payment holiday scheme being introduced shortly after this, helping to
prevent further payment issues for borrowers who might be struggling.”

He adds that an
increase in buy-to-let possessions compared to this time last year was due to
the backlog of historic cases and ensuring that these are being processed on
the same basis as the latest regulations.

UK Finance points out that the industry response to Covid-19 had been unprecedented, with more than 1.6 million mortgage payment holidays granted.

Read more about mortgage holidays.

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NRLA to back landlords over ‘unnecessary and unjustifiably expensive’ licensing schemes

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Recently-arrived Chief Executive says one of the organisations first jobs will be to look at whether selective and additional property licensing schemes truly deliver the benefits claimed for them, based on the facts.

The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) has said that it is to focus its efforts on persuading ministers and local authorities that property licensing schemes do not raise standards and that, particularly for HMOs, they are thinly disguised revenue raising efforts.

Ben Beadle, the newly-formed organisation’s recently-arrived Chief Executive, made the comments during a webinar held by property legal expert Tessa Sanderson as part of her ongoing online conference.

“The UK seems hell bent on introducing legislation to regulate the housing market when often the measures are already in place,” he said.

“Take licensing – all of the things that landlords need to do in order to get a licence are already legal requirements including gas, electrical, fire safety and smoke detector rules – so why do you need a licence to hold it all together?

“The argument is that licensing raises standards and makes it easier for local authorities to enforce the rules, but I don’t really see an evidence to support this claim and the NRLA will be taking a very close look at licensing and assessing the impact, based on the facts.”

Beadle also says that landlords have become an easy target for legislators including licensing, despite many local authorities claiming it’s ‘not about the money’.

“If it’s not about the money, why does it cost up to £1,000 per property for a licence within some schemes,” he says.

“This is a source of great contention for landlords and it’s an issue that the NRLA is absolutely going to pick up and run with.”

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Opening of housing market welcome, but recovery likely to be slow

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With the market having been effectively closed for business, 80% of the April RICS UK Residential survey’s contributors saw both buyers and sellers pulling out of transactions, resulting in the newly agreed sales balance for April falling to -92%, down from -68% in March.

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Electrical safety: Expert guidance launched

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New rules on electrical safety will be introduced this July, with expert guidance now launched by trade association NAPIT. In addition to the NRLA’s own guide, The National Association of Professional Inspectors and Testers (NAPIT) have issued advice ahead of the introduction of the new rules which will apply to all new tenancies. It has also introduced […]

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Housing market in Wales remains closed for now

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This week the UK Government announced that people in England will be able to move in and out of properties, providing social distancing measures are followed due to coronavirus. However, the rules in Wales remain unchanged for the moment, meaning that moving house in Wales is only allowed where this cannot be postponed. In a […]

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BREAKING: DWP launches online system for APAs to replace unpopular UC47 forms

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The department has launched the system today in partnership with UK firm Caridon Landlord Systems, enabling landlords and tenants to apply online for the housing element of Universal Credit to be paid direct.

The Department for Works and Pensions (DWP) has launched an online platform that enables landlords to apply online for housing benefit to be paid directly to them.

This system, which has been under development for many months, means landlords can organise Alternative Payment Arrangements (APAs) online instead of using the notoriously complicated UC47 forms, which can take hours to fill in and up to three weeks to be processed.

APAs are for claimants who cannot manage their single monthly payment and where there is a risk of financial harm to the claimant or their family.

The new system cannot come soon enough for some landlords, who have become increasingly exasperated that DWP case managers often fail to respond directly to landlords about claims.

Developed in partnership with Croydon-based Caridon Landlord Solutions, the new system provides landlords and tenants with a much simpler tool to request that the housing element of UC is paid direct to a landlord.

As LandlordZONE has reported on many occasions in the past, the old paper-based UC47 forms have been criticised for being difficult to fill in, taking weeks to process and that, often, applications simply disappeared down administrational rabbit holes after arriving at the DWP.

“Given how stretched DWP’s resources are as a result of the pandemic, it is fantastic that they have managed to launch this important improvement to the system which will help those struggling to manage their finances,” says Sherrelle Collman, MD of Caridon.

Her company, which is a specialist UC consultancy for landlords, says it will be working with its clients in the coming days and weeks to get them set up on the new system.

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Call of the week – Viewings and cleaning properties

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This week we helped one of our members with a question they had about their property and managing it in light of the latest guidance. On Wednesday, the government released new guidance around carrying out viewings in properties. The guidance applies to England only. It makes clear that initial viewings should be done virtually where […]

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Much faster new DWP system for direct Universal Credit payments to Landlords

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The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has now launched a new online system to allow rent payments, from tenants in receipt of Universal Credit, to be paid directly to Private Rented Sector (PRS) landlords.  The new system for arranging these Alternative Payment Arrangements replaces the two existing UC47 forms cutting the processing time down from in excess of three weeks to just two hours in some cases.

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Blog: Does anyone like Labour’s lockdown exit plans for private renting?

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With the first tentative moves towards the lifting of lockdown measures in England and Wales, albeit at very different paces, we got our first glimpse of Labour’s proposals for the private rented sector. Shadow Housing Minister Thangam Debboinaire MP, issued a five point plan to protect renters when the effective ban on evictions is lifted […]

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Rental wellbeing helpline opened

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Rental deposit replacement scheme, Ome, has brought forward the launch of their free to use Rental Wellbeing Helpline this week, as the company’s latest research highlights the sharp increase in the affordability of renting for many UK tenants who now find themselves on furlough due to the spread of the Coronavirus.

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