‘Tenant Fees Act has backed landlords into a corner over accepting pets’

admin    Uncategorized     agents

AdvoCATS founder and pets campaigner Jen Berezai sympathises with landlords who have been backed into a corner by the government’s Tenant Fees Act over accepting pets.

The charity is calling for the Act to be amended to allow landlords to either take additional deposits off tenants seeking to rent with pets or require tenants to take out extra insurance.

It has prompted a cross-party group of 35 MPs, peers and industry figures to write an open letter to housing secretary Robert Jenrick urging him to make it easier for landlords and agent to accept tenants with pets.

It now wants MPs to table a question in the debate on the Renters Reform Bill and is pushing for its proposal to be included in the White Paper.

Frustration

Landlord Mick Roberts has voiced the frustration of many in the sector, saying that, in the past, landlords could just charge a higher deposit and those tenants who didn’t cause damage would get all their money back.

“There’s no better insurance than the tenants’ own money,” says Roberts, who adds that if landlords are forced to take tenants with pets, they have no choice but to increase rent across the board – even for those without pets.

Berezai says the modern tenancy agreement doesn’t cut it and agrees that landlords want to be able to cover potential damage – but their hands are tied.

She tells LandlordZONE: “Landlords currently haven’t got many options and we’re trying to provide them with some.”

Berezai started the charity in 2018 while working at a rescue shelter, after becoming frustrated at the number of people wanting to adopt pets but being refused permission by their landlord.

“Lockdown rammed it home to people who had never experienced loneliness or isolation just how valuable a pet is,” she adds.

Visit Advocats

©1999 – Present | Parkmatic Publications Ltd. All rights reserved | LandlordZONE® – ‘Tenant Fees Act has backed landlords into a corner over accepting pets’ | LandlordZONE.

View Full Article: ‘Tenant Fees Act has backed landlords into a corner over accepting pets’

HMO landlord hit hard by Scotland’s tough licensing regulations

admin    Uncategorized     agents

A landlord who was hauled up on minor maintenance issues has been refused an HMO licence by Glasgow City Council.

Khurshid Begum told its licensing and regulatory committee that he had sorted all the problems at his property in Grant Street, Hillhead, but councillors would still not approve the letting licence.

All HMO landlords in Scotland need a licence or risk a fine of up to £50,000, while all private landlords must apply for registration with their local authority every three years.

The country’s more draconian rules could be replicated in England if the government’s Renters Reform Bill gets the go-ahead; the White Paper proposes greater regulation of landlords in England including a register of landlords and compulsory membership of a redress scheme.

Cracked bath

Council inspectors found a cracked bath and broken cooker ignition switch at Begum’s property, while fire officer Kevin Murphy told the committee that there had been no maintenance records for the fire alarm system or emergency lighting since 2016.

He added that a self-closing door wouldn’t shut and said: “As far as we are concerned the premises remain unsatisfactory. To this day we have failed to receive any communication from the representative.”

Begum insisted that all necessary certification had been sent to the Scottish Fire & Rescue Service and that issues had been fixed, including the bathroom, while a new cooker had been fitted and there were plans to redecorate the house.

However, councillors described the situation as worrying and pointed to a number of fatalities in the cities caused by fires. Councillor David Turner said: “You have had students in there without fire checks. This is just not acceptable.”

©1999 – Present | Parkmatic Publications Ltd. All rights reserved | LandlordZONE® – HMO landlord hit hard by Scotland’s tough licensing regulations | LandlordZONE.

View Full Article: HMO landlord hit hard by Scotland’s tough licensing regulations

Hyde Park Property Meet with Mark Smith (Barrister-At-Law) – 23rd September

admin    Uncategorized     agents

We meet at our stunning new Marble Arch venue – The Hard Rock Hotel/Great Cumberland Place. As always, our gatherings serve to inform, educate and entertain – with a wealth of time for quality, relaxed networking. Our events rarely include systems based on speed and paid pitches.

The post Hyde Park Property Meet with Mark Smith (Barrister-At-Law) – 23rd September appeared first on Property118.

View Full Article: Hyde Park Property Meet with Mark Smith (Barrister-At-Law) – 23rd September

LATEST: Investors pile another £1.2m into Airbnb landlord platform

admin    Uncategorized     agents

Airbnb property management firm GuestReady’s latest crowdfunding campaign has smashed its €1 million target in 24 hours.

The Seedrs offer has been hugely over-subscribed – raising €1.5 million or £1.2 million and counting from nearly 400 investors – demonstrating the huge interest in the short-term accommodation sector and reinforcing the continued staycation holiday boom.

At the start of the year, GuestReady raised £1.3 million from a similar campaign and was the second largest Seedrs crowdfunding campaign of 2020. It also raised £4.75 million in European funding led by a Russian venture capital firm.

UK-based GuestReady manages short lets via sites such as Airbnb, Booking.com and Expedia on behalf of lanldords, offering services including guest management, property maintenance, housekeeping and listing management to help landlords maximise rental revenue.

They can then keep up-to-date with a mobile app showing revenue and ratings.

GuestReady operates in 30 cities across Europe and the Middle East with a portfolio of more than 2,500 properties and has an ambition to reach 10,000 soon.

Bookings boom

Currently in London neighbourhoods such as Mayfair and Chelsea, the company says its bookings have increased by 300% so far this year and in July were double its July 2020 booking levels.

CEO Alexander Limpert (main picture) says the fast response to its share offer is a strong vote of confidence in the company’s vision.

He adds: “There still are many investors coming in and we would like to offer them the opportunity to join us on this great journey. For now, we are officially overfunding and are still accepting more investments.

“We do not know yet for how long, and thus invite all of those who are thinking of jumping on board to not miss out on this opportunity.”

Read more about short-lets industry.

©1999 – Present | Parkmatic Publications Ltd. All rights reserved | LandlordZONE® – LATEST: Investors pile another £1.2m into Airbnb landlord platform | LandlordZONE.

View Full Article: LATEST: Investors pile another £1.2m into Airbnb landlord platform

Tenant Fees Act barrier to renting with pets

admin    Uncategorized     agents

Propertymark is backing a Report and an Open Letter sent from a cross-party group of over 35 MPs and peers who have joined together with leading pet charities and organisations to explore how the Tenant Fees Act is impacting on renting with pets.

The post Tenant Fees Act barrier to renting with pets appeared first on Property118.

View Full Article: Tenant Fees Act barrier to renting with pets

Sibling landlords to pay back £22,683 to tenant trio

admin    Uncategorized     agents

A sibling landlord duo in London have been told to pay their tenants £22,683 after operating a rented property as an HMO without a licence.

The Watsons rented out the three-bedroom flat within a former commercial unit in Camberwell, South London to their three tenants for 11 months in September 2019 after taking a £2,653 deposit.

Unfortunately for the Watsons, the property is within the London Borough of Southwark’s additional licencing scheme covering HMOs with three or more unconnected people living within them using shared facilities.

But the landlords had assumed that, as many do, that local HMO regulations covered only properties with five or more tenants.

The Watson family owns the entire complex of which Flat 4 was just one being rented out, with the parents owning 40% and their daughter and son owning 30% each.

Offence committed

A Property Tribunal in central London heard the case. All parties agreed an offence had been committed, but the Watsons said their good conduct as landlords during the tenancy should lead to a reduction in the fine.

They also pointed to a dispute over the cleanliness of the flat after the tenants moved out, but admitted that due to an oversight the tenants’ deposits had not been protected or a copy of the How to Rent guide provided at the start of the tenancy.

Judge H Carr said the rent paid by the three tenants – £25,300 – should be paid minus a 10% reduction for ‘some good landlord behaviour’, or £22,683.

“In making its decision the tribunal takes into account that this was not a deliberate flouting of the law by the respondents,” said Carr.

“But it has very serious concerns that a long-standing professional landlord has failed to comply with the local authority licensing requirements.”

©1999 – Present | Parkmatic Publications Ltd. All rights reserved | LandlordZONE® – Sibling landlords to pay back £22,683 to tenant trio | LandlordZONE.

View Full Article: Sibling landlords to pay back £22,683 to tenant trio

UK landlords could reap rich rewards from Afghan crisis

admin    Uncategorized     agents

With private rentals and holiday homes in high demand, many due to Covid and holiday staycations, some councils are offering landlords some very attractive incentives, dubbed “golden hellos” of up to £3,500.

Some councils have been offering private landlords and second home owners “golden hellos”, according to The Times newspaper of up to £3,500, plus six weeks’ rent paid up front, for those willing to house Afghan refugees.

The lettings are done on a rent-to-rent arrangement where the council rents off the landlord owner and then sublets (or effectively provides free accommodation) to the refugee families. The council manages the rental and pays rent (guaranteed rent) whether the property is occupied or not, and undertakes to return the property in good condition.

Some landlords are wary of rent-to-rent or “guaranteed rent” arrangements due the problems and legal complexities when multiple tenancies are involved, but letting to a local authority, providing the legal documentation is properly sorted, is considered much safer than letting to unknown and untried rent-to-rent landlord.

Generous payments up front

Richmond upon Thames and Wandsworth, in southwest London, says The Times are offering incentives from £2,000 for a one-bedroom home and up to £3,500 for a four- bedroom property for a minimum tow-year contract.

Bristol city council is also offering one-off payments according to the publication of between £685 and £1,250 for a minimum of six months. The council will also furnish homes to what they claim will be “a high standard” and undertake basic maintenance and repairs.

Likewise, such is the shortage of rental accommodation at this time, Wiltshire council has offered to furnish homes and pay four months’ rent up-front and a month’s deposit.

The rent will be paid to landlords at the local housing allowance rates, which vary depending on the location, but for example, a four-bedroom property in Richmond upon Thames attracts a rental of £2,573 per month.

Luxury living

Kensington and Chelsea borough council is reported as offering to house four fortunate Afghan familes in four adjoining mews properties close to Portobello Road and its antiques market in west London. These are £1 million homes located in Britain’s richest borough which would ordinarily rent out privately for around £2,500 a month.

Local councils are anticipating difficulties finding suitable accommodation for the fleeing families as the average Afghan family is said to include seven members.

Elizabeth Campbell, the council leader at Kensington and Chelsea, told The Times:

“We must do what we can, and we must do it quickly. My hope is that others will step in and contribute over the coming weeks.”

She said that the council has already taken in around 500 migrants, including Afghans and many others who fleeing the Syrian civil war. So far many have been living in hotels for over 12 months while await their asylum claims to be processed.

Risk of exploitation

For those landlords with suitable accommodation in the right locations these deals may have great appeal as there is guaranteed rent, and little risk with a local authority backing, providing they agree suitable contracts.

One landlord from the north of England said he would be interested in the scheme but worries that some landlords with run-down accommodation would be taking advantage of the situation, earning these rewards on the cheap against more responsible landlords.

©1999 – Present | Parkmatic Publications Ltd. All rights reserved | LandlordZONE® – UK landlords could reap rich rewards from Afghan crisis | LandlordZONE.

View Full Article: UK landlords could reap rich rewards from Afghan crisis

Cleaning is the most common cause for deposit disputes

admin    Uncategorized     agents

The Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS) statistical briefing for 2020/21 reported on the most common reasons for tenancy deposit disputes with cleaning leading the way at 49% of the total disputes handled, up from 42% in the previous reporting year. Click here for the full report.

The post Cleaning is the most common cause for deposit disputes appeared first on Property118.

View Full Article: Cleaning is the most common cause for deposit disputes

Join Me On My Property Development Project Site

admin    Uncategorized     agents

Join me at my new property development project as I take you on a site tour through this shop and uppers permitted development conversion project.

Click on the video below:

The post Join Me On My Property Development Project Site appeared first on Property118.

View Full Article: Join Me On My Property Development Project Site

Explained: Major upcoming EPC Regulation changes for Buy-To-Let landlords

admin    Uncategorized     agents

The UK Government has identified that homes across the UK contribute about 1/5 of all carbon emissions from the country. In order for the UK to reach its ambitious carbon neutrality goals, the UK Government has decided to focus on improving the energy efficiency of homes, especially buy to let properties and new builds. As part of this, in several recent consultation documents, it has been suggested that the minimum energy efficiency standard (MEES) of residential buy-to-lets should be raised.

At this time all buy to let properties must have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of E or above. Meeting this requirement meant that many landlords needed to undergo costly upgrades to their properties in order to legally advertise and let their properties to tenants.

Under current UK guidelines, landlords need to update the EPC at least once every 10 years. Not having an EPC rating that meets the minimum energy efficiency requirements could result in large fines for landlords.

Find out more in our latest EPC Guidebook

Upcoming EPC Regulation Changes

As already mentioned, the current minimum energy efficiency standard for buy to let properties is a band E. This MEES came into full effect last year in 2020. However, in a consultation document from late 2020, it was suggested that the minimum EPC rating be raised to a band C for all new tenancies by 2025, and all existing tenancies by 2028.

According to recent survey statistics, almost 60% of homes in the UK have a D rating or lower which means this change will affect the majority of landlords in the UK potentially costing them £1,000s in forced property upgrades. The UK Government has released suggested changes and potential costs associated with these changes to reach the new minimum EPC standards. Landlords will need to review their insulation in walls, floors, and windows, as well as potentially install new, more energy-efficient boilers.

If this sounded bad enough, in a consultation document from June 2021 it was determined that this bar should be raised again. The document strongly suggests raising the minimum EPC rating for buy to let properties to a B by 2030 with only 4 of the 84 consultants thinking this minimum ‘inappropriate’ or unachievable.

Regulations changes are covered in more depth in our free EPC Guidebook

What do these EPC regulatory changes mean for landlords?

The first big issue is the cost. Currently, the cost for EPC improvements for landlords is capped at £3,500. However, this cap will likely be raised to £10,000 for the new EPC minimum. And while there are potential funding options that landlords can reach out to, they are few and far between.

What this means is that landlords will need to get a new EPC rating done with suggested changes for improvements. They will then need to implement these changes at personal cost just to legally keep their property as a buy to let. Landlords should keep careful records of all expenses accrued whilst improving their EPC rating using a digital income and expense tracking system like Landlord Studio. Once you hit the cap, you’ll be able to register for an exemption so that you don’t need to make any further changes at that time and good records will be vital an exemption from further improvements is to be filed.

With the EPC bar being raised again by 2030, it’s likely that you’ll need to spend even more money. As such landlords need to be planning property improvements in order to spread the cost of these improvements out over the next 10 years.

There are a few exemptions to meeting the new minimum EPC regulations. Examples of exemptions include:

• if the building is listed and upgrades would unacceptably alter the properties character or appearance,
• the upgrades or changes required to improve the EPC are not approved by the mortgage lender
• or the work is carried out and the cost accrued but the EPC rating has not yet reached the minimum energy standard.

If you believe your buy to let may be exempt you can register it on the PRS exemptions register.

We have outlined a complete breakdown of the current EPC regulations, the upcoming and potential changes mentioned in this document, as well as exemptions, suggested property improvements, and a list of penalties along with references and links to further reading to important documents such as the aforementioned consultation documents and government papers in our downloadable EPC guide.

To learn more about EPC and the upcoming changes, download our free EPC Guidebook here.

©1999 – Present | Parkmatic Publications Ltd. All rights reserved | LandlordZONE® – Explained: Major upcoming EPC Regulation changes for Buy-To-Let landlords | LandlordZONE.

View Full Article: Explained: Major upcoming EPC Regulation changes for Buy-To-Let landlords