LATEST: Tenants win battle with billionaire landlord over ‘revenge evictions’

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A group of campaigning tenants are celebrating an eviction reprieve from their billionaire landlord.

The renters, who live in Olympic House, a block of 170 flats mainly owned by property developer John Christodoulou in Somerford Grove, Stoke Newington, tried unsuccessfully to negotiate for a temporary 20% rent reduction during the first lockdown.

The group’s organisers’ tenancies then appeared to be singled out for eviction, with notices citing the reason as a ‘business decision’ which prompted a raft of protests.

However, their notice of eviction has now been rescinded, while Hackney Council has confirmed that the block is now under investigation for unlicensed HMOs.

It says “ongoing and complex investigations” are taking place into multiple properties in the block.

Hackney Mayor Philip Glanville backed the tenants’ campaign and says: “Let’s hope that this is the start of something far broader from the landlord and their agents, and only one potential victory in a much bigger struggle for renters’ rights across Hackney and London.”

Councillor Sem Moema, Hackney’s mayoral adviser for private renting, adds: “This is a huge win for Somerford Grove renters…that this revenge eviction has been stopped.”

Somerford Grove resident Jordan Osserman told The Hackney Citizen it was good news but suspects the landlord may be getting things in order, ready to issue a valid eviction notice.

He said: “If the landlord and letting agent had agreed to meet face to face I’m sure we would have been able to reach an amicable agreement. It wouldn’t have gone this far. But they chose to behave this way, so we’ve done everything we can under the law to defend ourselves.”

©1999 – Present | Parkmatic Publications Ltd. All rights reserved | LandlordZONE® – LATEST: Tenants win battle with billionaire landlord over ‘revenge evictions’ | LandlordZONE.

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Building & Construction, the Challenges and Opportunities after Brexit

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With the transition period almost over, 11^th hour talks still don’t give a clean signal as to whether a trade deal can be reached by the 31^st of December, or if indeed a trade deal will be agreed at all.

Whilst some argue that reaching a deal is imperative, others argue that trading on WTO rules, with average tariffs at only 3%, will make little difference, though it certainly will to some industries, in particular agriculture and the motor industry, with their much higher tariffs trading with the EU.

Despite this uncertainty, the construction industry has been given a clear signal as to exactly what is coming in the new planning laws of July 2020. The changes announced by Robert Jenrick, the Housing Secretary, are focussed on speeding up the processes that supply new homes to market, and helping breathe new life into town centres across England to meet rising private, domestic, and commercial property needs.

Covid-19 has made the sourcing of raw materials problematic writes Paul McFadyen, Managing Director of metals and workwear retailer, metals4U but he has insights on what this means for business and the construction industry.

The new planning laws are intended to fast track and streamline the planning application process, to allow businesses and domestic housing to expand without the need to relocate. The intention is to reduce the need for building on greenbelt land surrounding towns and villages while keeping economic communities strong and viable, helping retain jobs, and provide continuity for the local workforce, businesses, and communities.

Full planning applications will no longer be required to demolish unused buildings before rebuilding; these buildings can now be repurposed into housing, retail, or commercial concerns, with less bureaucracy, to bring new revenue quickly into the heart of towns and cities.

Homeowners can also add up to two storeys to their existing homes to help transition the changing face of family life – this will be especially helpful to growing families and to help provide support and familiar surroundings for our ageing population.

Updating the planning permission system is well overdue writes McFadyen; for years the construction industry has bemoaned the amount of red tape creating a bottle next in terms of time, and the finance to get construction projects off the ground.

The new system is attracting large scale investment from Westminster; £12 billion has been injected into the government’s affordable home programme, this is projected to underpin the building of 180,000 new homes.

The government have also pledged to boost the Home Building Fund with £450 million to help give access to financial support to small developers – in real terms this is expected to assist the building of 7,200 new homes, and a further £400 million has been assigned to support the building of around 24,000 new homes through the Brownfield Land Fund to target housing provision in city areas such as Liverpool, Manchester, Tyne and Tees Valley, Sheffield, and the larger areas of West Yorkshire and the West Midlands.

This amount of financial commitment to the construction industry will definitely help safeguard the security of the industry, construction workers, and associated services and suppliers well into the new Brexit period.

Access to products and services post-Brexit are a major factor in the future planning and security of construction. Details of how the UK will do business with the EU and Global markets are beginning to emerge, however, Covid-19 is also heavily affecting the sourcing of raw materials, construction materials, and labour; it is a major contributing factor to the current recession the UK is now facing.

The best way to grow the construction industry through these trying times says Mr McFadyen, “is to invest within our shores as highly as possible. By utilising the skills and products already held, or manufactured, within the UK we can support the UK economy while making a real difference at a grass roots level to the livelihoods of all the sectors and services that make up, and contribute to, the construction industry supply chain.”

“We need to prioritise UK based materials manufacturers and suppliers, utilise the skills and talents of UK based architects, surveyors, tradespeople, project managers, and the entire collective of workers that are instrumental in the success of all construction projects,” he says.

The UK construction industry currently relies heavily on migrant workers from other EU countries and the end of the free movement of labour post-Brexit will lead to a skills shortage in some areas. The Construction Industry Training Board, (a public body sponsored by the Department for Education) has recently published its Strategic Plan for 2021-2025; this focusses heavily on how the department is investing in training support for the construction industry to increase the opportunities and outcomes for trainees and existing workers. Although this will not necessarily solve the problems in the short term, it offers hope for the longer-term success of building a skilled and innovative workforce post-Brexit.

Much of the investment for larger infrastructure construction projects currently comes from the European Investment Fund and the European Investment Bank – this funding will end when we exit the EU, and at the present time it is unknown if the revenue the UK will save in EU membership fees will adequately plug this €7.8bn deficit, an educated guess would suggest not says Paul McFadyen, the Metals4U CEO, and he concludes:

“There is no doubt that the construction industry will suffer in the wake of our exit from the EU, however, with a forward-facing positive attitude, a commitment to investing in UK based suppliers and services from within the industry, the pledge of government investment, and an update to planning laws to remove some red tape, the future success of construction in the UK has much promise of a brighter tomorrow.”

©1999 – Present | Parkmatic Publications Ltd. All rights reserved | LandlordZONE® – Building & Construction, the Challenges and Opportunities after Brexit | LandlordZONE.

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Non-resident Landlord scheme and 6 months rule?

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Hi everyone. I’ve been reading some conflicting advice about people who have lodgers and go away for a few months (fixed-term stay somewhere say for a summer job, less than a year, definitely not “moved out”, all belongings still in main home and room kept free).

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LATEST: Vanished guest house investment couple re-emerge in Oz

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A property investment guru couple who disappeared leaving disappointed participants in their investment schemes puzzled as to their whereabouts have popped up as ‘spiritual’ leaders in Australia.

Marta and Lloyd Smith – now known as Riya Loveguard and Aeron Lazar – ran Home Whisperers, a project management and home improvement firm, as well as offering property education.

They were a golden couple who were regulars at networking events and also successfully encouraged investors to part with cash for their business ventures.

Bodacious!, their chain of boutique guest house hotels including the White House hotel in Swansea, was shut down earlier this year.

Facebook

In a new video just posted on Facebook the couple (main picture) have set out to explain what happened. Says Marta: “We had a big social media following then we decided to play a game of monopoly – we got a hotel – it didn’t end up well.

“We invested £150,000 into a business venture and we had three or four hotels…until the end of last year we were on expensive short-term finance. We were hit by Covid 19 and ordered to stop trading.”

Walk away

In a separate Facebook post, she explains that she’s also closed down her online women’s investment group. She tells viewers: “We’ve learnt you have a right to walk away.”

Lloyd enthuses that he’s now, “reconnected with my higher self and began working with light beings called the Arcturians”.

His website encourages people to activate galactic frequency codes to “unlock your divine potential and step into the life of your dreams!”

Andrew Burgess, of Property Education Truth Seekers (pictured), says on his latest YouTube video: “Lots of people trusted these two who have now gone on to see aliens.”

Burgess urges investors to think twice before investing in projects touted by unproven gurus like this couple. “Don’t invest, steer clear, keep away from these self-proclaimed internet celebrities,” he says.

©1999 – Present | Parkmatic Publications Ltd. All rights reserved | LandlordZONE® – LATEST: Vanished guest house investment couple re-emerge in Oz | LandlordZONE.

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YOUR forums questions answered: ‘Re-signing a tenancy agreement early’

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The hugely popular LandlordZONE forums are where landlords share their experiences, exchange tips and ask for advice. We answer a recent question and turn to the experts at Hamilton Fraser to give their best answer!

Question: My current tenancy agreement has a break clause which allows the tenancy to be ended after four months by giving two months’ notice. Can we both agree to sign a new contract which puts further into the future the earliest available opportunity to enact the break clause?

Answer by Mike Morgan (pictured, below), Legal Division Manager at Hamilton Fraser and Head of HF Assist.

“Both the landlord and the tenant in this instance would appreciate the greater security of tenure which could be offered by a tenancy agreement which sets out a longer period before a break clause can be enacted.

While it is perfectly in order to sign a new tenancy agreement to replace the existing one (which is effectively surrendered once a new agreement is signed), it is important to think through the consequences of this approach.

Specifically, who does the new agreement benefit? Although another break clause will benefit the tenant, it undermines the certainty of another fixed term. It may therefore be better to run with a fixed term without a break clause, and negotiate an early surrender should the need arise.”

Find out more about tenancy agreements, including the implications of ending a tenancy agreement early, in Hamilton Fraser’s article How to create a legal and binding tenancy agreement. Landlord Action can help with drafting AST agreements and other legal documents.

Join LandlordZONE’s forum here.

Hamilton Fraser supports landlords, letting agents and tenants by offering a range of solutions and thought leadership to help them navigate the private rented sector. Most recognised in the private rented sector for providing award winning landlord insurance, the Hamilton Fraser family includes Total Landlord Insurance, mydeposits, the Property Redress Scheme, Client Money Protect, Landlord Action, Ome, HF Assist and Total Landlord Mortgages.

Did you know? 

“HF Assist premium subscribers can download a free tenancy agreement template, up to date with the latest legislative requirements. Find out more at www.hfassist.co.uk”

©1999 – Present | Parkmatic Publications Ltd. All rights reserved | LandlordZONE® – YOUR forums questions answered: ‘Re-signing a tenancy agreement early’ | LandlordZONE.

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Hoarding: ‘One of the worst cases ever faced by a landlord’, says evictions expert

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One of the most extreme cases of hoarding ever encountered by a landlord is due to be shown on Channel 5 tonight when the latest episode of Extreme Nightmare Tenants airs at 10pm,

The hour-long show highlights several unusual cases of errant tenants including a letting agent who uncovers a cannabis farm and a raid by Harrow housing officers on a former pub turned HMO that uncovers deadly weapons.

Arguably the most shocking case concerns Leslie-Anne Franklyn, a former social worker living in Cambridgeshire who bought her neighbour’s house several years ago as an investment with a rent protected tenant in-situ.

The female tenant, who had terminal cancer, refused anyone entry to inspect the property and despite legal efforts, it was only after she died that the shocking reality of her living conditions became apparent.

Vacant possession

During the TV show Paul Shamplina is shown donning a protection suit (pictured) and mask to inspect the property and gain vacant possession, which  he says was the worst he’d seen in his 35-year career.

“The terrible thing is that the tenant had told the local council that Leslie-Anne was a ‘rogue landlord’ because the property had some minor defects, and yet she wouldn’t allow anyone to enter the house to fix them,” says Shamplina.

“When we finally entered, it was clear that tragically this woman had been living on her sofa and that, due to her extreme hoarding, the rest of the house including the toilets could not be reached – the rubbish was up to my waist.

“I will leave it to your imagination to wonder what it was like in there, but suffice it to say there were a lot of used bin liners lying around.”

Extreme hoarding

Extreme hoarding of the type featured on this programme is recognised by the NHS as a disorder. The tenant featured will have, likely other sufferers, been triggered by many of the commons reason for the disorder including not having a partner, enduring a deprived childhood and severe mental health issues.

“Many people who hoard have strongly held beliefs related to acquiring and discarding things, such as: “I may need this someday” or “If I buy this, it will make me happy”. Others may be struggling to cope with a stressful life event, such as the death of a loved one,” the NHS advice page says.

Watch the programme live or on catch-up.
Find out more about vacant possession.

©1999 – Present | Parkmatic Publications Ltd. All rights reserved | LandlordZONE® – Hoarding: ‘One of the worst cases ever faced by a landlord’, says evictions expert | LandlordZONE.

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Spain has abandoned any pretence of respecting private property rights

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Recently I have been getting to know some landlords in Spain. I think it’s good for us to network with others – to support each other if nothing else.

The Spanish landlords have been explaining to me quite how bad it is for them now.

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