The original super-spreaders are a “gnawing” menace for landlords

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Rats are proliferating in lock-down and domestic sightings of these sewer dwellers, along with mice, are on the rise, particularly in densely populated towns and cities. The population of rats in the UK has increased by 30 million in a year to 150 million – boosted by quiet urban areas and plentiful carelessly disposed of, waste food – there are now thought to be 2.2 rats for every person.

“They say you are only ever 6ft away from a rat – and in 2020 lock-down it’s now more likely than ever this year!”, so says Jenny Rathbone from UK Pest Control company www.Pest.co.uk

Rats & Mice

Although house mice are less repulsive, sometimes even considered to be cute by some people, especially field mice, they are a still, like rats, a public health pest and can cause serious harm. They can spread nasty diseases, such as Salmonella and Listeria through their urine, droppings and bedding.

Mice can gain access through the tiniest of holes from around 6mm. They will mark their territory with their urine and build nests near food sources. This puts people at risk of food poisoning. As they move around, they carry dirt and bacteria, transferring these to carpets, worktops, cabinets etc. Given enough time they will become nibbling nuisances, causing a lot of expensive property damage: electricity cables, water and even gas pipes are not beyond their gnawing and kibbling powers.

Pest infestations of these rodents are a nightmare for landlords and tenants alike. Often tenants see them as the landlord’s responsibility, even though in most cases they are not. For tenants, hearing the rodents scurrying and scampering around behind skirtings, in the crawlspace or the attic, when all’s quiet, and lying in be at night, is unsettling to say the least.

According to advice from the British Pest Control Association (BPCA) there has been a “perfect storm” for vermin infestations during lock-down. They have reported a 51 per cent increase in rodent activity during the first lock-down and a notable increase again during the second lock-down, with 78 per cent of pest controllers reporting increased rat and mouse sightings.

Winter the worst time for infestations

Winter is always the worst time for rodent infestations, with both these species seeking the warm and food supply of a human residence, and usually one that has easy means of access, i.e., holes in walls, vents, drains, poorly fitting doors and windows.

Paul Blackhurst head of Rentokil Initial’s technical training academy says,

“The general consensus is that lock-down has allowed rodents to take hold,”. Even daytime sightings of rats have increased because their living environment is being disturbed more when families are home, they are desperate for food because bins aren’t being replenished as often in lock-down, and rat populations have expanded so much.

Rats will be attracted to neglected plots of land, empty houses and piles of rubbish, Tell tale signs of rats are gnaw marks, tiny footprints in dust, shredded material they use for bedding and of course the tell tale droppings. Rats, unlike mice, need a water supply daily, hence they always live near drains and running water, and they produce larger droppings than mice, both together producing between 40 and 80 droppings per day.

Rodent-proofing

Concentrate on pints of entry. Seal up the tiniest holds with mortar, plaster or wire wool. Minimise under door gaps with draft strips and make sure wall cavity vents have small enough grills and are not broken. Place fine wire mesh over them if necessary.

Rats love drains and sewers so for serious infestations you may need to consider professionally fitted one-way gates in the drains to prevent entry – they allow water to flow through but stop the rats coming back up.

Food should never be left lying around indoors, food sources and storage areas should be secure and clean, and disposals of food scraps should always be kept secure and away from rats and mice.

Call the pest control experts

Consider calling in the experts if chemical controls and traps, which you can purchase from hardware suppliers, don’t work. Administered rat poison can risk killing the rodent in an inaccessible place, where a rotting corpse will not just attract other vermin, it could cause vile smells, so physical traps are preferable.

The problem we have right now says Jenny Rathbone, “is that rats are trying to bed down for winter, and this will happen (more) when we get a few cold snaps”, Pest.co.uk is advising landlords, tenants and property managers to take proactive measures before winter really hits and before they find a warm home for the winter months. Once ensconced inside they become harder to eradicate.

©1999 – Present | Parkmatic Publications Ltd. All rights reserved | LandlordZONE® – The original super-spreaders are a “gnawing” menace for landlords | LandlordZONE.

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LATEST: Priti Patel says Right to Rent review delayed until Spring ‘due to Covid’

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Delays caused by Covid have pushed back a Government report on how the Right To Rent scheme might change.

Home Secretary Priti Patel says the pandemic has impacted field work which means the delivery of its final implementation report won’t happen until Spring 2021.

In response to a written question from Stephen Timms, chair of the work and pensions committee, who asked for an update on the Windrush Lessons Learned Review, she said the Government was in the “discovery and scoping phase of the review”.

One of the six areas studied in the review is how to prevent people without lawful status from accessing the private rental sector.

Patel said: “A full evaluation of the Right to Rent scheme is already underway.

The evaluation includes a call for evidence to tenants, landlords and letting agents, a mystery shopping exercise and surveys of landlords. Members of the right to rent consultative panel provided input into the design of the evaluation.”

New regulations

New regulations being implemented tomorrow (25th November) will allow non-UK nationals in England to prove their status for Right to Rent through a digital Home Office check.

Tenants will get a share code, which landlords and agents can combine with their date of birth, to access a real-time Home Office system. Some checks will still require document checks as not everyone will have an immigration status that can be checked online.

©1999 – Present | Parkmatic Publications Ltd. All rights reserved | LandlordZONE® – LATEST: Priti Patel says Right to Rent review delayed until Spring ‘due to Covid’ | LandlordZONE.

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Deposit scheme £ mistake?

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I have a property that was let in 2009 via an agent. The agent gave me the deposit and the 1st month’s rent.  I didn’t know that the deposit should have been protected in an account at the time.

Then in 2015 the agent said that he will deposit £675 in a government scheme.

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Covid changes: Renters now want longer leases, decent broadband and a home office

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Tenants are asking for longer leases with the average length now 22 months, research by estate agency Kinleigh Folkard & Hayward (KFH) among 2,000 London tenants has discovered.

Its annual tenant barometer found that 38% of renters prefer leases of 18 months or more, with more than a third wanting a lease that’s at least three years long.

KFH says that as more people spend time at home, 58% of all tenants say access to private outdoor space is paramount, with 48% citing optimal broadband speed as a key factor and 44% wanting a dedicated space to work.

Job insecurity

Against the backdrop of furlough and job insecurity, KFH says 66% of tenants cited affordability as high on their wish list, along with the desire for outdoor space.

Tenants are also rethinking their commute times and as a result are happy to keep their options open when looking for rental properties; 44% of tenants living in zones one and two would consider moving to zone three, while 46% of tenants in zone three are open to moving to zone six and beyond.

The pandemic has not only changed how and where we live, but also how and where we work, says Paul Masters(pictured), group operations director of KFH.

He adds: “It’s too early to tell if tenants will trade off commute times against the internal and external space advantages of living slightly further out long term, but tenant sentiment is likely to keep shifting as we move through the next few months.”

Read more tenants/landlord surveys.

©1999 – Present | Parkmatic Publications Ltd. All rights reserved | LandlordZONE® – Covid changes: Renters now want longer leases, decent broadband and a home office | LandlordZONE.

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LATEST: FCA extends landlords mortgage ‘holiday’ scheme until July

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Landlords seeking a new mortgage payment deferral or who want to extend an existing one have been given a new cut-off date for the scheme of July 2021.

The date has been revealed by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). It says lenders must allow landlords to extend ongoing payment deferrals after the original cut-off date of 31^st March 2021 up until July next year. Borrowers are able to take ‘holidays’ of six months in total, but it can be taken in tranches.

Also, landlords newly impacted by the pandemic have until the beginning of February to request a deferral as the scheme runs for a maximum of six months.

The FCA has also said lenders should not downgrade a landlords’ credit rating if they do request a mortgage payment deferral, although documentation shown to LandlordZONE by a leading buy-to-let broker suggests that some lenders are rejecting applications if a landlords has received other kinds of Covid-related government support.

But industry organisations Safeagent has questioned whether the new FCA guidelines are the right approach at all.

“We question if deferral of mortgage payments is the answer, or if it pushes the problem further down the track,” says its Chief Executive Isobel Thomson.

“While lenders will be adhering to the guidance which provides up to six months deferral, we know it may take badly affected tenants much longer to get back on their feet, meaning landlords could be building up debt and struggling to meet mortgage payments for many months to come.

Safeagent is calling on the government to introduce grants or loans for landlords who have tenants are in receipt of Universal Credit and whose housing payments do not cover all their rent.

“This would recompense landlords for the shortfall on their mortgage and any additional interest over the period.”

Read more about the mortgage holiday.
Read the guidance in full.

©1999 – Present | Parkmatic Publications Ltd. All rights reserved | LandlordZONE® – LATEST: FCA extends landlords mortgage ‘holiday’ scheme until July | LandlordZONE.

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Claiming possession of a part of my garden leased from the council?

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I moved into the end terrace property 20 years ago and part of the garden to the side and rear of the house was leased from the council.

Approximately a year after I moved in the lease expired on the part of the garden and the council wrote and offered me the opportunity to purchase.

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Pets can keep landlords and tenants happy during Lockdowns

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The Deposit Protection Service (The DPS) has issued new guidance on domestic animals in rented properties following the surge in pet ownership during lockdown.

According to the Kennel Club, two out of five new puppy owners this summer bought their pet as a ‘Covid companion’

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EICR – Consumer Unit installed by unqualified electrician?

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I hired an electrician to do an EICR who found the Consumer Unit needed to be replaced. I then gave the job to him to complete.

However, after the job was completed, it turned out he isn’t qualified to register the installation with Building Control at the local council

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