Landlord leader slammed over ‘deeply offensive’ comments about student housing

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A leading Northern Ireland landlord has caused a storm after suggesting that families who live in student areas should leave if they don’t like the partying antics of their undergraduate neighbours.

Speaking on BBC Radio Ulster’s breakfast programme Robert Greer, Chair of the Landlords Association of Northern Ireland, told the station’s presenters that “young students and middle-aged people do not mix”.

Referring to the popular student area of Holyland in Belfast, he went on to say that “the handful of families who live in this area must be tolerant of student culture” but that “most of us faced with that would move somewhere else and we don’t understand why they don’t do that”.

This suggestion that non-students should consider leaving areas like Holyland (pictured, above) where university undergraduates accommodation is concentrated has caused a storm following the programme’s broadcast yesterday morning.

South Belfast MP Claire Hannah told local media that: “These comments betray a terrible attitude toward efforts to regenerate and build community cohesion in the Holyland.

“Residents have had to fight this dismissive thwarting attitude for years. The Holyland area is a mix of families, young professionals, students, asylum seekers, and new communities; it is not solely a ‘student village’.

“Many of these residents have lived here for decades and live there all year round. The suggestion that long-term residents should simply leave is offensive and deeply unhelpful.

“The Holyland area has faced challenges year on year and this has been compounded both by the dismissive attitude of landlords and by the acute issues relating to the pandemic.”

Greer told the programme that his organisation didn’t like the problems caused by students in Holyland but that low rents, which are half that of the PBSA blocks in the centre of Belfast, meant places like Holyland would always have large student populations.

Listen to the interview (1:53:30 secs)

Read more about Northern Ireland.

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Major Industry Survey finds office life will continue…

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A major industry survey conducted by international law firm CMS took the views of senior real estate leaders, corporate office occupiers and global institutional investors. The survey reveals the likely impact of the Coronavirus pandemic on UK real estate and the priorities for the sector as it moves beyond the Covid.

In a report entitled “Real Estate Re-set: offices and purpose beyond the pandemic”, CMS reveals that despite short term concerns for offices, they are still open, and “some assets have grown in appeal to investors, with Industrial & Logistics and Healthcare the stand-out sectors.”

Offices, says the report, remain central to occupiers who replied that far from abandoning them, “a blend of home and office working will be best for productivity (45%), creativity and innovation (46%), and motivation of employees (47%).”

82% of occupiers replied that their offices “will continue to be a hub for human connection in some form and 61% saying they will refurnish offices when people return to work – floor plates won’t change, floor plans may.”

The report concludes on the whole that real estate looks resilient “with only 42% of industry leaders saying they are pessimistic about the outlook for the market, much less negative than after the Brexit vote when 64% were downbeat.”

Chris Rae, a Glasgow-based partner and real estate specialist at CMS, has said:

“There’s little doubt that Covid-19 is proving to be a game-changer for commercial property but there are also encouraging post-pandemic signs for the sector. While nearly a quarter of Scottish occupiers expect to downsize, a small majority is anticipating no change to office requirements once we are able to return to work.

“The survey also highlights concerns about the productivity of remote working. While many employees will be seeking to work from home more frequently, the office has a key role to play across most industries where the need to interact and collaborate with colleagues, clients and customers remains essential. The office will also continue to be fundamental in establishing the right culture, camaraderie, and energy to motivate people within many companies and organisations.

“Many managers say they are expecting to implement new health, safety and wellbeing measures in advance of employees returning to the office. While we can expect significant changes to how offices are used, our report suggests this will impact floor plans much more than floor plates in many commercial offices”

One other important aspect which the report brings to the fore is the increasing focus at a high-level, industry leaders, occupiers and investors – the subject of ESG (Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance). Across the piece ESG is increasingly seen as an important and fundamental element which “is having a transformative effect on the both the principles and mechanics of real estate.”

The survey took place in July 2020 on behalf of CMS and gauged and weighted the opinions of over 1,500 occupiers across the UK, Europe, North and South America, Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa.

Ciaran Carvalho, Partner and Head of Real Estate at CMS, said:

“Even before the pandemic, the real estate industry was embarking on a period of seismic change. The transforming environmental, political and social landscape and rapid advances in technology were changing the way we build, where we build and our relationship with where we live, work and spend our leisure time.

“The pandemic has accelerated many of these trends, while magnifying the issues and bringing into focus the opportunities the industry faces. This report is published at a critical time for real estate, with the industry at a crossroads. It is front and centre of the national agenda with the emergence from lockdown and the reopening of our offices, shops, schools, cafes, restaurants and leisure facilities.

“While the findings from our survey on the immediate prospects for some UK real estate asset classes are challenging, the resilience, innovation and commitment from our industry leaders to tackle climate change, diversity and inclusion and wellbeing is truly inspiring.

“Far from a burying the head in the sand approach and being overwhelmed by the short-term commercial reality of the ‘new world’, our pioneering companies are demonstrating a real social purpose, focusing on long-term, innovative yet pragmatic solutions to building our communities of the future.”

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Get a move on! Property industry pledges to make house sales quicker

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Landlords have been promised better service when buying or selling property following the launch of an industry initiative.

The Home Buying and Selling Group (HBSG) forum, which is attended by representatives from estate agency, conveyancing and other industry sectors as well as government officials, is asking estate agents to ‘take the pledge’ and promise to help improve the property sales process.

This includes asking agents to keep their customers fully informed and pre-warned about the buying process which, it is hoped, will resolve the problems that can hold up a sale, reducing fall throughs, help prevent fraud and, for some, reduce the time it takes to buy and sell.

For example, this includes recommending that vendors instruct a solicitor on the day a property is marketed, as is the case when selling via an auction.

Pledge

All the major industry organisations representing those involved in property sales have signed the pledge including mortgage brokers, estate agents, legal firms, surveyors, removals companies and consumer organisations.

Trade bodies involved include Propertymark, The Law Society, Conveyancing Association, RICS and Trading Standards.

Ana Bajri, RICS Associate Director, Residential (left) says: “As more people look for new homes to suit their working or family needs, it is vital that industry works together to help people move home as quickly, safely and smoothly as possible. 

“RICS members are an integral part of the house buying process. As part of the Home Buying and Selling Group we have been working hard with other professions to help consumers by setting out a more efficient approach for home moving   

“To ensure the pledge is a success, RICS are calling on their profession to support the pledge and actively support home movers to take steps to help ease the process.”

The initiative is also backed by the Property Redress Scheme. Its Head of Redress Sean Hooker (below) says: “We fully support this pledge and the work that the HBSG has done to produce guidance for home moving in the wake of the covid19 pandemic.

“The emphasis on communication, disclosure and documentation, will enhance the experience of the consumer and along with the promises from the other property professionals, will hopefully lead to quicker sales and less transactions falling through. As a redress scheme, we believe this will lead to less complainants and enhanced professionalism in the sector.”

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Letting agency expelled by redress scheme following phishing attempt investigation

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The challenge faced by both landlords and tenants from phishing scams has been laid bare following the latest agent expulsion revealed today by the Property Redress Scheme.

The company is Rotherham-based lettings agency Matthew & Evans Rentals, which an investigation by the PRS revealed to have been involved in an attempt to phish tenants.

Phishing, as many landlords will be aware, is when criminals attempt to persuade people to unwittingly reveal their personal details. This data can then be used for various purposes including identity theft and credit fraud.

The PRS investigation uncovered a communication, believed to be an email, sent to prospective tenants which sought a ‘responsible person’ to rent a property for €575 a month, and asked those replying to reveal personal information.

PRS says this was a ‘red flag’ to its team along with a lack of property details oe any links to the agent’s privacy policy and contact information.

Unlawful practices

Based on this, the PRS board decided to immediately expel the company from the scheme for ‘unlawful practices and not acting according to the standards we expect from our members’.

The company appears to have disappeared – there is no trace of its office, website, or portal listings online.

Sean Hooker, Head of Redress at the PRS, says: “This is the first time we have come across such a blatant practice and we cannot condone such behaviour.

“It would be remiss of us to allow them to remain part of our scheme. This is a serious breach of professional trust by an agent and is against the law.

“We expect the highest standards of our agents who are members and while mistakes do happen, deliberate attempts to deceive and exploit people will not be tolerated.”

The Property Redress Scheme urges consumers to report suspicious behaviour to them immediately, so they can take appropriate action.

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LATEST: Ben Beadle tells Touchstone: “Wish the lady better and give her money back”

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Landlord leader Ben Beadle has joined the chorus of calls urging Touchstone Education to show compassion to a sick woman fighting the property training firm for a refund.

The woman paid Touchstone £13,000 but after being signed off sick for six months with complex physical and psychological problems including those caused by contracting Covid, couldn’t attend most of the courses she’d paid for.

However, Touchstone has refused to pay the money back and although boss Paul Smith insists the firm does give refunds he’s told LandlordZONE that he won’t discuss her case.

Speaking on the Property Tribes YouTube channel, Beadle, CEO of the National Residential Landlords Association says: “It seems to me that a more appropriate solution would be to wish the lady better and give her money back.”

He adds: “Whatever the rights and wrongs of somebody withdrawing from a course, sometimes as a business owner you need to step back and think ‘is it fair that I keep somebody’s money, notwithstanding the absolutely dreadful situation that the individual finds herself in?’.

“It’s an interesting indicator for others thinking of going down that line…is this a business that does the right thing despite what’s written in a contract? It doesn’t sound like it to me.”

Paul Smith contacted LandlordZONE to say that: “For the unequivocal avoidance of doubt I have never refused to give a refund to any woman let alone this anonymous woman you are reporting on.”

Watch the video

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Winter Economy Plan leaves landlords out in the cold

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Rishi Sunak has outlined additional government support to businesses and workers impacted by coronavirus with a package of measures that will continue to protect jobs and help businesses through the uncertain months ahead as the spread of the virus is tackled.

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Will landlords benefit? Rishi Sunak reveals details of winter business support measures

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Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced a new package of business support measures to boost the economy when the furlough scheme ends in October.

This should be good news for landlords, whose tenants are likely to be recipients of much of Sunak’s largesse in the form of continuing salaries and hopefully better job security in the coming months. The measures will also benefit larger landlords who run their portfolios as businesses and have received bounce back loans.

Jobs support

Sunak’s new job support scheme – to be launched on 1^st November for six months – aims to keep employees in work on shorter hours rather than making them redundant.

Also, employees will to work at least one-third of their normal hours and for those hours not worked, the Government and their employer will each pay one-third of their wages, so that they’ll get at least 77% of their pay. The grant will be capped at £697.92 a month.

All small and medium firms will be eligible, even if they haven’t used the furlough scheme, while larger ones can apply, but only if their turnover has fallen due to Covid.

Launching his winter economy plan, Sunak said: “We’re now nurturing recovery of the economy – the rationale must be different to what has come before. It’s fundamentally wrong to hold people in jobs that exist just in furlough – people need to be in viable jobs.”

Bounce back loans

In his statement in the Commons, he also announced a boost for businesses struggling with cashflow to give them more time and flexibility with bounce back loans under a ‘pay as you grow’ scheme. The new scheme covers both bigger CBILS loans as well as smaller ones up to £50,000. Also, the deadline to apply for both schemes is extended to the end of the year.

And there’s more. Loans can be extended from six to 10 years, halving the average monthly repayments while borrowers can make interest-free payments if needed or suspend payments for up to six months.

Sunak cut businesses some slack with their VAT tax bills too, allowing them to spread payments over 11 smaller payments with no interest to pay, while those filing self-employed income tax assessments can now extend their bill over 12 months from next January.

Industry reaction

David Alexander (pictured, below), joint managing director of apropos, says: “The Chancellor has missed a golden opportunity to provide support to individual landlords in this country at a time when many of them are experiencing severe financial hardship.

“These ‘invisible’ people, who own one or two properties and rental is often their sole source of income, make up the majority of landlords in the UK and they are facing extremely difficult times.”

“If these individuals are not supported then the risk is that they will exit the private rented sector (PRS) in large numbers which will cause enormous problems for tenants in the coming year. Supporting this vital group within the renting sector is essential and must be addressed immediately.”

Visit the HM Treasury site.

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We cannot continue to let Landlords struggle without support

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Responding to the Chancellor’s Winter Economy Plan, Chris Norris, Policy Director for the National Residential Landlords Association, said:

“We welcome the Government’s measures to subsidise wages. We warned that the end of the furlough scheme ran the risk of many households facing further difficulties in paying their rents.

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Landlord Action and the Property Redress Scheme partner to help landlords regain possession of their properties

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PRESS RELEASE

Eviction and housing law specialist solicitors, Landlord Action, have partnered with the Property Redress Scheme to provide a first of its kind service to help landlords regain possession of their properties.

Landlords who use Landlord Action to serve notice on their tenants and start the process of eviction, can choose to simultaneously use the Property Redress Scheme’s mediation service to come to a resolution outside of court.

With notice periods now six months for Section 21 and most Section 8 notices served after 29 August 2020, the unique offering helps landlords to regain possession of their properties quicker.

Through the Property Redress Scheme’s mediation service, the landlord and tenant can come to an amicable resolution over rent and repossession. They can then choose if they want to formalise the agreement in a legally binding document, which will set out what happens if either party breaks the agreement.

The innovative partnership will also help cases that continue to court.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) recently announced that the Pre-Action Protocol that applies to social landlords is likely to be extended to landlords in the private rented sector. The Protocol requires a landlord to make reasonable attempts to resolve issues with the tenant before a case can be heard in court.

The Property Redress Scheme’s mediation service provides landlords with reports that can be used in court to show they have tried to resolve issues with their tenants.

“This is a unique and innovative offering,” said Founder of Landlord Action, Paul Shamplina.

“When the courts reopen next week, there is going to be a huge backlog of cases for the courts to deal with. This means most landlords will have to wait longer to get their properties back, on top of the new six-month notice periods. I think most landlords will be waiting between a year and 18 months to get possession through the courts.”

 “That is why we have teamed up with the Property Redress Scheme. Through our partnership we can offer landlords an expert eviction process and the chance to get their property back sooner than current court process allows.”

“Since the Property Redress Scheme launched its mediation service back in April it has settled 45% of the cases it has been instructed to mediate on. I’m confident that Landlord Action and the Property Redress Scheme will help thousands of landlords get their property back”.

Both Landlord Action and the Property Redress Scheme are part of the Hamilton Fraser family. The Hamilton Fraser family is a group of companies that provides specialist insurance and regulatory services to the private rented sector.

To find out more about Landlord Action and the Property Redress Scheme’s join offering, visit: landlordaction.co.uk/eviction/take-action or tenancymediation.theprs.co.uk/mediation

ENDS

For more information contact: Tom Bancroft, Marketing Executive: tom.bancroft@hamiltonfraser.co.uk

About Landlord Action

Landlord Action is one of the UK’s best-known eviction and housing law specialists and is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority since 2013. Landlord Action’s founder Paul Shamplina has been helping landlords since 1999 and has been involved in more than 40,000 cases. With a team of experienced solicitors and legal advisers that specialise purely in landlord and tenant law, Landlord Action are highly qualified to assist you with problem tenants, squatters, rental debts and legal documents in England and Wales. Our aim is always to resolve issues quickly and minimise losses so you can be safe in the knowledge that you are getting the best advice, documentation and service possible.

About the Property Redress Scheme

The Property Redress Scheme (PRS) is a straightforward and easy to use consumer redress (ombudsman) scheme designed specifically for property agents and professionals. The main purposes of the Property Redress Scheme are to allow agents to comply with their legal requirement to be a member of a government-authorised consumer redress scheme and to settle or resolve complaints made by consumers against PRS members.

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LATEST: Political pressure grows in Wales to ban Airbnb

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Another Welsh politician has waded into the debate over the proliferation of Airbnbs in the country, calling for them to be banned.

Plaid Cymru’s candidate for Aberconwy in next year’s Senedd election, Cynghorydd Llanrwst councillor Aaron Wynne, reckons the holiday rental business stops young people getting on the housing ladder and threatens hotels and locally run letting businesses.

More than a quarter of houses in Conwy are used as holiday homes and a growing number of homes for sale throughout the county are now regularly marketed by estate agents as being suitable to turn into Airbnb lets.

It follows attacks on the platform earlier this summer from fellow Welsh politicians who slammed news reports encouraging investors to buy holiday lets in the region; articles flagged up areas in Wales offering affordable housing to buy as holiday lets to cash in on the staycation boom.

Blight

Wynne argues that Airbnb properties should instead be used for family homes as housing stock shrinks. “Airbnb is a blight on our communities,” he says.

“It’s just not sustainable to have so much of our housing stock out of the reach of the people who want to and need to live here. The Welsh government needs to act and change the planning rules so homes can’t be turned over to be used for commercial interests that do not benefit our communities.”

He adds that holiday home owners are using Airbnbs as an extra source of income which damages the Conwy tourism industry.

“This has been a very difficult year for our hotels and guest houses so having holiday home owners making extra cash by turning their holiday home into an Airbnb is undercutting these businesses that are so important to the fabric of our communities.”

Read more about Airbnb.

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