BREAKING: New Model Tenancy to prevent ‘no pets’ blanket bans by landlords

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Housing Minister Christopher Pincher has launched an update to the Model Tenancy Agreement that when implemented will prevent landlords from issuing blanket ‘no pets’ bans.

Instead, consent for pets will be the default position, and landlords will have to object in writing within 28 days of a written pet request from a tenant and provide a good reason.

The new guidance appears to go further than Andrew Rosindell’s (pictured) proposed Dogs and Domestic Animals (Accommodation and Protection) Bill, which he told LandlordZONE last year would not make pets a ‘default right’ for tenants.

The housing ministry says that just 7% of private landlords advertise pet friendly properties, meaning many people struggle to find suitable homes.

In some cases, it claims, this has meant people have had to give up their pets all together.

Under the new agreement, rejections can only be made where there is good reason such as in smaller properties or flats where owning a pet could be impractical.

To ensure landlords are protected, tenants will continue to have a legal duty to repair or cover the cost of any damage to the property.

“We are a nation of animal lovers and over the last year more people than ever before have welcome pets into their lives and homes,” says Pincher.

Tiny fraction

“But it can’t be right that only a tiny fraction of landlords advertise pet friendly properties and in some cases people have had to give up their beloved pets in order to find somewhere to live.

“Through the changes to the tenancy agreement we are making today, we are bringing an end to the unfair blanket ban on pets introduced by some landlords.

“This strikes the right balance between helping more people find a home that’s right for them and their pet while ensuring landlords’ properties are safeguarded against inappropriate or badly behaved pets.”

The Model Tenancy Agreement is the government’s recommended contract for landlords.

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Landlords unable to respond to London council’s so called “consultation”

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Landlords you need to make your voice heard! You have only until February 11th to respond to the licensing proposals of the City of Westminster council. Except you can’t. The City of Westminster has some 52,700 rental properties constituting 43% of its total housing stock.

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‘Breathing space’ debt scheme is NOT a free ride for defaulting tenants, says leading lawyer

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The new ‘breathing space’ scheme aimed at helping out those with rent arrears isn’t a free ride for defaulting tenants, warns a leading law expert.

Debt Respite Scheme regulations – which launch on 4^th May to cover most debt including rent arrears – aim to give people in debt a better chance to stabilise their finances during a 60-day moratorium on interest, charges and enforcement action while they seek help.

David Smith (picture, above), partner in the commercial litigation team at JMW Solicitors, says a moratorium isn’t there to simply delay the inevitable.

Free ride

He adds: “This is not a free ride for defaulting tenants. A section 21 notice can still be served and enforced against a tenant subject to a moratorium and so can a section 8 notice citing grounds other than arrears of rent.”

However, although he has heard of some tenants calling agents to say that the regulations mean they can’t serve a notice for rent arrears, he doesn’t believe most will use it to simply delay debt proceedings.

Smith adds that the scheme implies a need to have some degree of reasonable belief that a tenant will be able to enter into such an agreement.

He says: “Many tenants will not be aware of this option, will never become aware of it, and even if they were, will have no reasonable means of paying their debts anyway and so would not be likely to get a breathing space.”

Smith says under the scheme, tenants must still continue to pay their rent for their main home – and if they don’t, the landlord can apply to the relevant debt advice organisation to cancel the moratorium. If this is declined, they can then apply to the courts to ask for the moratorium to be ended or to allow legal action for eviction on the grounds of arrears to progress.

Read more about the Breathing Space scheme.

©1999 – Present | Parkmatic Publications Ltd. All rights reserved | LandlordZONE® – ‘Breathing space’ debt scheme is NOT a free ride for defaulting tenants, says leading lawyer | LandlordZONE.

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Land Registry clarifies charges for re-launched property research tool

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The Land Registry has confirmed that it will continue charging landlords £3 for researching title registers and plans on its new online service, after posting a confusing blog.

It had implied that users of its new Search for property details site could view ownership information for free, but when queried by LandlordZONE, it admitted that a title register and a title plan would continue to cost £3 each – and that it would clarify this information.

Its current Find a Property service – which many landlords find clunky and difficult to use – is being retired later this year and the new Search for land and property information site will take over.

In March, property ownership details will be added to the Search site so landlords can view the latest price paid for a property as well as the property description shown in the register and can identify if any restrictions or rights exist on the land.

Since its launch in March 2003, Find a property has returned millions of searches from people looking to find out who owns land and property or how much it was bought for, while Search for land and property information was launched in February 2020 and has already seen more than 750,000 searches made.

A Land Registry spokesman says: “This newer service is easy to use and will eventually give you information you need whether you’re researching house prices in advance of a move, looking for legal or ownership reasons or simply to satisfy your personal curiosity.

“You can find information such as property deeds, and the house price data uses the same price paid data set produced by HM Land Registry, that’s used by Zoopla and other property websites.”

More features such as customer accounts, map searching, digital register and title plan view will be added to the service this year.

©1999 – Present | Parkmatic Publications Ltd. All rights reserved | LandlordZONE® – Land Registry clarifies charges for re-launched property research tool | LandlordZONE.

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Lockdown finance support and options

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It has been another tough start to the year for everyone, including landlords, many of whom have tenants that are unable to pay their rent in full (or at all) due to COVID-19. With many already struggling to cope under the tighter restrictions in the UK

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Third lockdown has created a perfect storm for the property market

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The latest Hometrack House Price Index for January is indicating the third national lockdown is exacerbating a supply and demand imbalance in housing with demand for homes in the first two weeks of January up 13%, but supply down 12% creating a corresponding house price increase of 4.3%.

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LATEST: HM Treasury to be grilled over stamp duty deadline extension by MPs

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A senior HM Treasury spokesperson is to be grilled by MPs on why the Chancellor has so far not extended the stamp duty holiday deadline.

Current estimates show that between 350,000 and 500,000 home purchases are hoping to complete by the deadline of 31^st March including thousands of landlords, who if they can complete on time will not be charged stamp duty on properties under £500,000.
Landlords will still have to pay the additional 3% ‘second home’ duty.

A petition signed by over 130,000 people meant parliamentary authorities were required to consider allowing a debate on extending the holiday deadline by six months, but last week this was kicked into the long grass by Covid safety requirements.

But the official Petitions Committee has now circumvented the suspension of debates within Westminster Hall by organising an online debate within parliament this Monday (1^st February ) at 4.30pm.

HM Treasury is sending Jesse Norman (pictured, below), Financial Secretary to the Treasury to answer questions, which will be led by Elliot Colburn MP.

“As was the case when Westminster Hall was closed due to Covid-19 last year, we have had to innovate to find ways to hold the Government to account, and crucially to voice the concerns of petitioners in the House of Commons, while our usual debates cannot be held,” says Catherine McKinnell MP, Chair of the Commons Petitions Committee.

“As these petitions demonstrate, there are important issues affecting hundreds of thousands of people that are being missed. Their calls for help and support must be heard.”

The 90 minute virtual sessions will be open to all to watch live on Parliament TV and Parliament’s YouTube channel.

Read Tom Entwistle’s examination of the stamp duty holiday.

©1999 – Present | Parkmatic Publications Ltd. All rights reserved | LandlordZONE® – LATEST: HM Treasury to be grilled over stamp duty deadline extension by MPs | LandlordZONE.

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First ‘sex for rent’ prosecution against Surrey landlord under way

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A landlord exposed by Jeremy Kyle investigators has become the first person to face ‘sex for rent’ charges.

Christopher Cox, 52, from Cranleigh, in Surrey, will appear in court next month charged with two counts of inciting prostitution for gain and one count of controlling prostitution for gain, following an investigation by TV researchers into landlords offering rent-free accommodation in return for sex.

Cox was featured in an episode of the Kyle Files in 2019, where a female producer posed as a vulnerable prospective tenant. They then handed a dossier to Surrey Police.

In January 2019, legal guidance was changed to make this kind of exploitation punishable by a seven-year jail term, after the charity Shelter revealed that 250,000 women had been targeted in the previous five years.

Criminal inquiries

Senior crown prosecutor Claire Prodger says: “The charges arose out of an investigation by ITV researchers, passed to police in 2019, which resulted in further criminal inquiries.

“This is a complex case and we have reached the decision following a careful review of all the evidence gathered during this period.

“It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.”

Shelter research suggests 30,000 women in the UK have been propositioned with explicit ‘arrangements’ since the coronavirus pandemic started in March.

Cox will make his first court appearance at North East Surrey Magistrates Court in Staines (pictured) on 24^th February.

©1999 – Present | Parkmatic Publications Ltd. All rights reserved | LandlordZONE® – First ‘sex for rent’ prosecution against Surrey landlord under way | LandlordZONE.

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Private sale swap with BTL buyback?

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I think the initial part of this plan sounds like a relatively straight forward proposition, but the second buyback part probably not… so, I hope the good people of P118 can point me in the right direction!

I’m living in a property that still has a mortgage

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Northern Ireland government to help ALL university students pay their rent

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Northern Ireland’s economy minister Diane Dodds (pictured, above) has vowed to boost student hardship funds and push universities to support tenants during the pandemic including students renting properties off private landlords.

While she insists that student accommodation is a matter between the individual student and their private, university or corporate landlord, Dodds says she recognises students are in a very difficult position as a result of the COVID restrictions.

The minister was being grilled by MPs at the Northern Ireland Assembly, where MP Mark Durkan asked if she would meet the accommodation costs of university and college students renting property they couldn’t use while courses moved online.

Dodds replied that she was looking at ways to provide more support, including asking the Student Loans Company to investigate whether it can deliver payments to all Northern Ireland students.

Financial hardship

“My department, through the universities, continues to provide support to any students who face genuine financial hardship for whatever reason, including difficulties with their accommodation contracts,” said Dodds.

“In recognition of those difficulties and the ongoing impact of the Covid-19 pandemic…I will be seeking additional funding to increase the total amount that is available for student hardship in the current financial year.

“I have also instructed the universities to publicise and promote the availability of those additional funds to ensure that they reach eligible students as quickly as possible and to consider whether any requirements set by them for students to access funds can be relaxed or removed.”

The National Union of Students in Northern Ireland says students shouldn’t have to pay for accommodation they’re unable to access and claims they’re being treated unfairly by private landlords.

Queen’s University has extended a rent holiday for students living in their halls of residence until the beginning of March, while Ulster University is reviewing requests to leave student accommodation early on an individual basis.

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