LATEST: New student Covid rules risk chaos in shared houses during mandatory tests

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The National Union of Students (NUS) has called for more support for students who test positive for Covid in private accommodation before the Christmas break.

New Government guidance on plans for the mass testing of students so they can travel home once national restrictions end on 2nd December, means if someone tests positive before they leave they’ll need to self-isolate for ten days. 

It says that moving all learning online by 9th December gives these students enough time to isolate and still get home for Christmas.  

Under current guidelines, their housemates will have to isolate too, however, if they’re living alone – particularly in an HMO – it could be a challenge to shop and feed themselves.

The Government advises that isolating students living in HMOs should discuss their circumstances with both their landlord and their college, who should, “work in tandem to ensure that necessary support is in place”.

However, the NUS says following massive lockdowns in student halls, students are unsure as to who counts as their household in cases of isolation. It wants clear and supportive guidance alongside the mass testing programme.

NUS President Larissa Kennedy (pictured) says: “We have seen universities try and get away with some shocking behaviour, including charging over £200 for a fortnight’s food for students.

Students deserve better than being extorted while they are vulnerable; it’s vital that they get wellbeing support and free food if they are unable to leave their accommodation – this includes those in private housing.” 

Despite universities’ best efforts, many students contracted the virus within days of arriving on campus earlier this term. An estimated 40,000 students have become infected while in their university towns, leading to thousands having to isolate.

Read more about student accommodation.

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Guest blog: How Crisis is working WITH private landlords on ground-breaking pilot scheme

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When the coronavirus outbreak began early this year, homelessness organisations along with local councils and Scottish Government moved quickly to protect people experiencing homelessness, especially people who were sleeping rough, from the pandemic, providing them with somewhere safe to stay and self-isolate.

This undoubtedly saved lives.

Once in the hotels, organisations like Crisis have been working to provide support to people to move on into more permanent, stable accommodation.

Along with Streetwork and Cyrenians, we set up a new pilot scheme which focused on helping people move on from homelessness and into a privately rented home.

In April, the UK Government increased the rate of housing benefit so that it now covers the lowest third of rents across the rental market.

This meant that hundreds of properties were now affordable for people who relied on benefits in Edinburgh, offering a route out of homelessness.

The pilot, which is funded by Scottish Government, began in April, with the partners working to build the pathway from hotels to safe and settled homes for people with a range of support needs.

Crisis was able to build on the success of its Help to Rent scheme, which already works closely with landlords and people experiencing homelessness across Edinburgh to help find a settled home in the private rented sector.

We liaise closely with landlords and agencies, Cyrenians co-ordinates the service, and Streetwork ensures tenants have a full package of person-centred support.

Assessment process

This support is trauma informed and begins while the person is experiencing homelessness, assisting them through the assessment process which includes finding the right home for them.

Person centred, the support ranges from helping people to move in, set up and maintain a home, to supporting them to pursue their own goals in life.

Emotional support is a key aspect of the help provided to assist people to successfully leave homelessness behind for good.

We’re supporting people to leave homelessness behind for good because of the scheme.

We’ve built up stronger relationships with landlords and letting agencies and built our understanding of the support needs that people experiencing homelessness may have so that we can continue to successfully support people to find and maintain a tenancy in the private rented sector.

We know that ending homelessness is possible. Through access to the private rented sector and support to maintain a tenancy, we know that people are provided with a base to rebuild their lives and leave homelessness behind for good.

If you’re a letting agent or landlord and would like to discuss a potential property – or simply find out more on about Help to Rent or the PRS Pilot – please contact Crisis’ PRS Service Manager, Eluned McHardy on 0131 209 7700 or eluned.mchardy@crisis.org.uk

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Section 21 review hearing date and tenancy missing?

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Hello. After serving a section 21 I have just received a hearing date for a review.

The court papers advise me to do the following: Provide to the courts a bundle of all documents filed in the case to date and to provide a paper copy of that bundle to the defendant.

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‘Don’t believe ‘get rich quick’ claims about property investment, says leading landlord

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Property investment newbies have been warned that TV shows that claim making money from property is ‘easy’ should be taken with a pinch of salt.

Luton landlord Jonathan Schuman told some of the 36,000 people who subscribe to the All About Property Facebook group last night that there is no substitute for detailed local knowledge, research and good contacts with estate agents.

“Only if you do that will you eventually find the kind of deals where you can make money,” he says.

“So to speak, you’re after £1 properties that you can buy for £50p and then sell on for 75p, but that’s all about sourcing and persuading agents to come to you first with properties.

“It’s why I always say property investment is all about people and not property.

“You need to spend at least two or three weeks researching a market before you enter it – otherwise how do you know whether a property is an opportunity or not?

Deal costs

“Novice investors also need to understand that there are costs involved that aren’t talked about much on TV shows including the deposit, stamp duty, agency fees, legal fees and interest costs.”

Schuman, who revealed he is recovering from a mild bout of Covid after contracting the virus several weeks ago, was interviewed by Paul Shamplina.

The two discussed the current market and the effect of the pandemic on property investment.

Schuman surprised many of those viewing by saying neither stamp duty, unemployment or economic downturns were a determining factor in an active property investment market, but rather interest rates.

“If there is a serious recession in the coming months then it will be my fourth, but I can say with confidence that although things may look bleak and the least likely time to invest, given our low interest rates it will still be an ideal time to jump in.”

Read our interview with Jonathan Schuman.
Listen to a podcast on investing in property during the pandemic.

©1999 – Present | Parkmatic Publications Ltd. All rights reserved | LandlordZONE® – ‘Don’t believe ‘get rich quick’ claims about property investment, says leading landlord | LandlordZONE.

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Landlords battle council over ‘pricey’ new HMO licensing scheme

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Welsh HMO landlords could find themselves required to pay an additional licence fee as well as the Rent Smart Wales registration fee after Swansea councillors approved a pricey new additional licensing scheme.

The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) says the high fee – between £714 and £1,020 – is like schemes in London where the operating costs would be expected to be higher.

Despite this, The City and County of Swansea is pushing ahead with the scheme for HMOs in the St Thomas electoral ward from February 2021 and is also renewing the scheme in the Castle and Uplands wards.

It reports that 41% of HMOs in the Castle ward were subject to complaints relating to poor waste management, while 38% were related to noise complaints.

Social issues

But the NRLA argues that this is typical of a general inner-city area and is the result of social issues and not the lack of bureaucracy around landlords.

It claims that with only 12 HMOs in the St Thomas ward, there’s insufficient need for a scheme there.

The council says additional licensing will be used as a tool to improve standards by working with landlords, while licence fees will go towards funding more HMO officers, although it acknowledges that recruitment will be challenging during the pandemic. 

NRLA Welsh policy officer Tim Thomas (pictured) says: “Given the difficulties the council are likely to face in recruiting officers to improve HMO properties in the area, the NRLA Wales have written to the deputy leader asking him to consider delaying the scheme until a time when recruitment will be less restricted.”

Read more: Are HMOs the way forward within the PRS?

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Property prices in areas of military significance

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Research by Benham and Reeves, has revealed that postcodes home to a part of our military history are also home to higher property prices when compared to the wider area. House price data in postcodes home to 10 military locations indicated that on average prices hit £618,225 which is 155% higher than the current average in Great Britain.

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Can the loft conversion still be used as a bedroom?

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We are about to buy a 3-bedroom house plus a loft conversion completed over 16 years ago with no regulations. The owners did not do the loft conversion, and we think they are struggling to find any signed off building regulation documents.

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