Council claims government has ‘gone cold’ on selective licensing approvals

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Scarborough Council fears ministers have gone cold on selective licensing after a year-long wait to get approval for its new plans.

Last summer, the authority voted for a new scheme to cover the Scarborough South area in the town’s Weaponness and Ramshill ward following a public consultation.

This needs government approval as it would take the total number of properties covered by selective licensing above 20%, however, councillors at a meeting of its lives and homes overview and scrutiny committee heard that there was still no news.

Housing manager Andrew Rowe (pictured, above) told the meeting the government had previously blamed Covid for the delay in making a decision.

He said: “Despite lots and lots of chasing, including some lobbying by the [local] MP, the government has not made a decision on that third scheme yet and we sense that perhaps the government is becoming a little bit cold on selective licensing but we will see.”

Change of emphasis

Rowe added that a number of selective licensing applications from other authorities in recent weeks had been refused, suggesting a “change of emphasis or policy” from the government.

However, a Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities spokesman tells LandlordZONE that decisions to approve selective licensing schemes are made on a case-by-case basis and would not be drawn on whether there has been a policy change.

He adds: “Scarborough’s selective licensing scheme application is currently under consideration by the department.”

Councillors heard that one option was to end the first selective licensing scheme the council adopted in 2017 – in Castle and North Bay wards – as all the inspections in that area had been carried out, which would mean it would no longer need the government to sign off on the Weaponness extension.

All privately rented properties within parts of the Central ward in Scarborough were covered by a second scheme in 2019.

Watch the meeting.

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Complimentary entry – The Property Investor Show 15 & 16 October at ExCeL London

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The Property Investor Show is the largest, longest-running and most respected property investment expo presented in the UK and after a Covid-enforced absence is delighted to return to ExCeL London on 15 & 16 October.

For over 20 years

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Landlord Action reports eviction instructions up 43% versus pre-pandemic

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Landlord Action, one of the UK’s best-known eviction and housing law specialists, has seen a 43% rise in instructions from landlords and letting agents between 1 June 2021, when the eviction ban ended, and 1 September 2021, versus the same period in 2019

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Tory conference to debate private rented sector reform and green homes plans

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The Conservative party faithful will get the chance to share their views with MPs on the future of the PRS and making homes greener at next week’s conference.

Away from the main stage, fringe events at the Manchester meet include a discussion on what the Renters’ Reform Bill means for the future of private renting, when Shelter’s chief executive Polly Neate will join Eddie Hughes, Minister for Rough Sleeping & Housing, to discuss renting before the return of the Renters’ Reform Bill.

This fringe event promises to explore how it can, “use this moment to deliver lasting change to the private rented sector, working with renters and landlords”.

The government has promised to introduce the Bill in the autumn which will include details on abolishing Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions, proposals for a new ‘lifetime’ tenancy deposit model and reforms to drive improvements in standards, including by ensuring all tenants have a right to redress.

Green plans

Another meeting will see Housing Minister Christopher Pincher (pictured) joining other MPs to discuss the government’s pledge to ‘build back greener’.

“It will consider how best to overcome the obstacles that are holding back a green housing revolution, and discuss incentives to homeowners, the regulatory and financial structures to drive technological development, and the responsibility for decarbonising social housing stock,” says the promotional blurb.

Landlords will be hoping that they manage to come up with something better than the Green Homes Grant, which handed out funding for energy efficient improvements but was scrapped in March, just over six months after its launch.

Spending watchdog the National Audit Office has since slammed the government’s handling of the scheme, saying it was delivered to an over-ambitious timetable and was not executed to an acceptable standard.

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Purchase of second home in Family Trust for son?

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Hi All, My wife and I have a small property portfolio held in an LLP. We are in the process of purchasing a property for our 37-year-old son using the equity from our main home.

As he’s autistic and unable to handle his finances prudently

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LATEST: Scotland to begin paying £10m fund to tenants with Covid rent arrears

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The Scottish government has outlined how co-operative landlords and tenants can share a £10 million fund to help plug Covid-related arrears, four months after announcing the measure.

Councils have been tasked with distributing the new grant fund which aims to help both private and social tenants who have fallen behind on their rent and are at risk of eviction.

Each authority will get a one-off allocation of funds, based on an agreement with CoSLA, The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities.

Tenants and landlords are being told that they can’t apply directly for funding – instead local authorities will use their discretion to determine whether individual circumstances warrant a grant payment.

The cash will be available until the end of March 2022.

Housing Secretary Shona Robison says the grants will support tenants and landlords who are willing to work together to address rent arrears and agree a repayment plan.

“Councils have substantial experience in supporting people who have fallen behind on their rent and are therefore well placed to work with both tenants and landlords in making use of this grant fund,” says Robison (pictured).

“Anyone who has been financially impacted by the pandemic and needs help to avoid eviction should contact their local authority housing department to discuss their circumstances.”

Nina Ballantyne, Citizens Advice Scotland social justice spokesperson, adds that the network saw a real spike in demand for housing-related advice during the pandemic.

“Our analysis suggests almost 300,000 people in Scotland missed a housing payment last year because they ran out of money before pay day.”

The new grants come on top of the Scottish government’s £10 million Tenant Hardship Loan Fund launched last December, offering an interest-free loan.

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