Number of renters claiming Universal Credit housing help continues to balloon

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Latest government figures reveal that the number of people claiming Universal Credit has increased six-fold in recent weeks and that more and more private renters are now reliant on it to pay their rent.

Increasing numbers of private landlords are seeing more of their rent paid by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) as millions more people who would normally not need benefits claim Universal Credit, latest government figures published today show.

The DWP’s latest figures show that entitlement for housing benefit is now included in the
majority of Universal Credit awards to households in their payments; 65% of
payment awards included this in February compared with 52% in February 2017.

The DWP has seen a surge in
the number of Universal Credit claims as huge numbers of the population have lost
jobs and income.

More than 1.5 million claims
were made for Universal Credit between 13^th March and 9^th
April – six times more than in the same period last year and the most in a
single month since the introduction of Universal Credit in 2013.

The record
number of claims led to 1.2 million people starting new payments during that
time.

The DWP figures show that 4.2 million people
were receiving Universal Credit on 9^th April, with claimants made up
of those on low incomes or out of work.

The North West saw the largest month-on-month increase in the numbers claiming the benefit and it’s now the region with the most people claiming – 13.8% of all renters.

Read more recent news about Universal Credit.

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Citizens Advice say tenants should not be pressured to allow viewings

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Citizens Advice wants the government to extend the measures put in place to protect tenants from the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic. In particular the government should accelerate its policy to scrap section 21 and is also calling for temporary changes to allow courts further discretion when faced with tenants whose rent arrears have been caused by the coronavirus outbreak.

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Bank of England chief economist tentatively discusses negative interest rates

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Andy Haldane, the Bank of England’s chief economist, has told the Sunday Telegraph that negative interest rates could be considered in an effort to combat economic effects of the coronavirus lockdown measures.

Haldane indicated the Bank of England is currently reviewing a number of monetary options it could take in its response to the global pandemic.

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Rent guarantee agent changed contract without permission?

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Hey all, in February I signed a rent guarantee agreement with an agency for 18 months. I have a 7 bedroom HMO which I have only just finished the refurbishment on.

Unfortunately, Covid-19 came along and the lockdown was enforced before they could fill all the rooms.

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Will anyone bother? New Coronavirus guidance to make viewings hugely complicated to conduct

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New advice given by a leading industry body will now require landlords and letting agents to do large amounts of preparation and legwork before, in-between and after property viewings to keep those involved safe.

This includes landlords and letting agents are being asked to check prospective tenants’ backgrounds to ensure they are serious about moving home, it has been announced.

The new guideline is part of information released tonight by industry body Propertymark, which if followed will make rental property viewings much more difficult, lengthy and involved than many landlords probably realise.

Propertymark’s new guidance has been drawn up following consultations with the government and is designed to reduce ‘tyre kicker’ or speculative viewings by tenants by asking beforehand if they are financially and practically ready to move home.

This is designed to keep viewings to a minimum. Landlords will be required to ask tenants searching questions prior to physical viewings and will have to also strongly suggest that tenants undertake virtual viewings of properties before physical ones are attempted.

These requirements are in addition to existing health screening questions that landlords and letting agents will have to ask in order to ascertain whether tenants are exhibiting Coronavirus symptoms or not.

Propertymark also says that tenants must agree to each viewing by email and that those viewing properties must confirm beforehand in writing that they have masks and gloves, otherwise a viewing cannot take place.

It has also been confirmed that properties will have to be cleaned in between viewings. All this advice is in addition to guidance last week.

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Former shadow chancellor urges tenants to break legally binding rental contracts

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John McDonnell is the most high profile politician to back a campaign urging renters to stop paying their rent if they need to prioritise food and other living expenses.

Former Labour chancellor John McDonnell is backing a call
for tenants to break legal contracts and stop paying rent.

Along with a group of union leaders and MPs, he’s urging
renters to prioritise essential spending instead of rent.

McDonnell says: “Renters are facing immense worry and
hardship because of the pandemic. Radical action is needed to support them and
nothing should be ruled out including suspension of rents, rent controls and of
course, the longer term supply of the decent homes needed.”

London Renters Union is heading the charge to organise a
rent strike movement, following the lead of activists in the US and Australia.

It wants people to pledge online at www.cantpaywontpay.uk to withhold enough of their rent to meet their
basic needs, including food and bills. Its open letter has been signed by
Labour MPs including Clive Lewis, Kate Osborne
and Ian Byrne, who want rent payments suspended during the crisis and
the cancellation of rent debt.

The union says millions of people feel enormous
pressure to prioritise rent over buying food. It points to its recent
YouGov poll which discovered that two-thirds of people agree that there are
circumstances where those who’re struggling to make ends meet should stop
paying rent.

A spokesman adds: “We are ready to take
further collective action if the Government fails to adequately address the
growing Coronavirus rent crisis.”

Another campaign, backed by Open Labour and Momentum, is calling on the Labour Party to adopt a cancel the rent policy, and has been signed by thousands of members.

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Scottish private rental market faces collapse unless ALL landlords are offered Coronavirus loans

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Two leading industry organisations have made the claim, saying government is currently only offering single-unit landlords the loans at the moment.

Scotland’s rental sector is at risk of
large-scale collapse unless larger portfolio landlords are offered help from
the government’s loan scheme, say landlord and housing groups.

Landlords in the region can now apply for an interest-free
loan with deferred payments if their tenants are having difficulty making
payments because of the Covid-19 crisis.

The scheme covers 100% of the rental income from one property, however, the Scottish Association of Landlords (SAL) and Chartered Institute of Housing Scotland believe many tenants could be left without homes as struggling landlords exit the sector.

SAL chief executive John Blackwood says. “A small-scale landlord operates the same way as other SMEs, some of which may be entitled to government support for each of their separate outlets.

Rent arrears

“We would ask for a similar position for
landlords, even if this was on a sliding scale for additional properties and
where the impact of rent arrears can be evidenced.”

He suggests that landlords
with more than one property should be made to declare that their business doesn’t
qualify for any of the other coronavirus support available, such as the job
retention scheme, business grants, business rates holiday or self-employed
support.

“This would quickly and
easily achieve the same goal but ensure landlords who need support do not slip
through the cracks,” says Blackwood.

He adds: “Debt worries will
make landlords less likely to use this support, leading instead to them selling
up and exiting the sector, reducing housing supply at a time when it is most
needed.”

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‘Retail rents could drop by 50% after Coronavirus’

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Leading commercial property agency makes prediction, claiming that social distancing, lower footfall, bankruptcies and online competition will make lower rents inevitable as retail and leisure margins shrivel.

Retail rents could reduce by up to 50% in some areas following the Coronavirus pandemic, a leading commercial property management company has warned.

Adam Diamant, who runs London estate agency and surveying firm Land Commercial, says the downturn in footfall and the continuing ban for many leisure and food businesses will be the final nail in the coffin for thousands of retailers, and that 2020 is shaping up to be a write-off for many landlords.

Diamant should know. Started by his father, his company has grown into one of the largest commercial property management firms in London but is now caught between tenants looking to reduce costs and landlords who are not keen to grant waivers or holidays.

“Many of our more sensible landlords choose to opt for deferments which I think is the most pragmatic way out of this crisis,” he says.

Land Commercial’s portfolio includes about 30% retail, office and light industrial while the rest is block management of leasehold apartments.

“The past few weeks have been pretty horrendous as the requests to defer or waive rent began coming in via phone and email as soon as the lockdown was announced,” he says.

But while he has no beef with tenants who want to plan for the future, Diamant is less impressed by those who were due to pay their quarters’ rent on 24/25^th March but who contacted his company as soon as the lockdown happened on the 20^th to say they couldn’t afford their rent.

No excuse

“When they’re paying in arrears there’s no excuse,” he says. “There’s lots of genuine people, but there are others who are taking advantage of the situation.

“Corporates tend to be aggressive and tell us what they are doing and cleverly word it, saying they are taking a rent holiday.

“They are still negotiating, it’s just that they feel they have the power because of who they are and can dictate terms.

“But when you’ve got a major national retailer like Poundland claiming they can’t pay the rent but have customers queuing around the corner at their store, it’s hard to fathom.”

Consequently, Diamant says some of his landlords are not being flexible, but, on the other hand, others are going the extra mile. This includes one who owns an arcade of 14 small shops who has given her tenants a two-month rent and service charge holiday.

“By overall I think many people under-estimate what a huge problem Coronavirus is going to be for the retail property sector,” he says.

Read more about commercial rents during the pandemic.

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New Waltham Forest property licensing scheme

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The majority of landlords with rental properties in the London Borough of Waltham Forest must now obtain a property licence in order to continue to let their property lawfully. It comes as a new five year selective licensing scheme was introduced in the Borough on 1st May, covering 18 out of 20 wards. Only the […]

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Buyer asking for further reduction due to current situation?

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Just before the pandemic we had an offer for a Leasehold Maisonette which we advertised and we accepted a reduced offer. Since then he has asked for a further reduction of 5K due to the uncertainty of the current market promising to exchange contracts without any delay.

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