LATEST: Government gives landlords direct access to £350 electric vehicle charge point grants

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Government ministers have launched an electric vehicle ‘charge point grant’ for landlords to encourage more homes within the UK to accommodate electric vehicle ownership.

Under the scheme, both residential and commercial landlords will be able to apply for 75 per cent of the cost of charging points as electric vehicle ownership soars – up 186% during 2020, official figures show.

The new system replaces the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme and provides landlords across the whole of the UK up to £350 where they own parking areas – previously only tenants had been given access to the scheme.

There is a catch. Landlords must be VAT registered or registered at Companies House to be eligible. 

A related scheme enables tenants to apply for a similar grant on their own behalf, so where landlords do not meet the registration requirements – for example, if they are not company or VAT registered landlords – then tenants can apply themselves for a grant to have a charging point installed.

Net Zero

Timothy Douglas, Head of Policy and Campaigns at trade association Propertymark, says: “The announcement is welcomed and due to the size of the private rented sector and the substantial role it will play in a greener future, we hope that in time, the scope of eligible landlords can be widened to meet the changing needs of tenants and help towards our Net Zero targets.”

There are several conditions that must be met to be eligible for a grant which are being administered by DVLA on behalf of the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles, and are claimed using a manual process initially, with a digital service expected in the Summer of 2022.

Read more about the scheme.

©1999 – Present | Parkmatic Publications Ltd. All rights reserved | LandlordZONE® – LATEST: Government gives landlords direct access to £350 electric vehicle charge point grants | LandlordZONE.

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Article 4s Blocked PD Window of Opportunity

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A Window of opportunity now exists for property developers in areas with expiring Article 4 restrictions? The Housing Minister, The Rt Hon Stuart Andrew MP, has asked a number of London Boroughs to revise their article 4 applications rejecting blanket Article 4 applications across Boroughs.

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Extra layer of Management with RTM?

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We have just been successful with our Right to Manage ‘bid’ and the handover is in June. What is concerning a number of us is that our current management company is managed by and answers to a property management company

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Generation Rent aims to stop landlords using Section 13 notices to raise rents ‘unfairly’

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Tenant advocacy group Generation Rent has set its sights on preventing landlords from raising rents via Section 13 notices by reforming the Fair Rent tribunal system that underpins them.

The group, which is headed up by Baroness Kennedy and has considerable clout in Whitehall and local authority corridors of power, says its research suggests the whole Fair Rent review system is tipped too much in the favour of landlords.

Research chief Dan Wilson Craw (pictured) says he expects more landlords to turn to Section 13 notices to raise rents once it becomes more difficult to evict tenants when ‘no fault’ Section 21 notices are eventually abolished by the government within its much-anticipated Spring rent reform White Paper.

“If landlords can no longer use the threat of a Section 21 eviction to force tenants to pay a higher rent, we might expect more landlords to use Section 13 notices,” he says.

“This may result in more cases where the tenant has to move because they cannot afford a higher rent – cases that could be thought of as ‘economic evictions’. The Rent Tribunal will in turn become more important.”

With an assured shorthold tenants (AST) tenants can challenge a rent rise if it is ‘significantly higher’ than similar ASTs in the area.

Tribunal decisions

Generation Rent looked at 341 Fair Rent tribunal cases between January 2019 and August 2021 and found that tenants who challenge a rent increase at the Rent Tribunal come away with an average increase of 5.5% per year – much higher than rent inflation in the country, and much higher than most people see their wages increase by.

“This is because the Rent Tribunal bases its decisions on what similar properties to your home are being listed for on the market,” says Craw.

“Without an overhaul of the Rent Tribunal, renters will continue to face unaffordable rent increases and economic evictions after the abolition of Section 21 evictions.

“This is why we argue that alongside efforts to restrict Section 13 notices, improve awareness of the Tribunal and widen accessibility for renters, capping rent increases in tenancies at wage inflation is needed to protect renters from unaffordable rent rises.”

Read the Generation Rent blog in full.

©1999 – Present | Parkmatic Publications Ltd. All rights reserved | LandlordZONE® – Generation Rent aims to stop landlords using Section 13 notices to raise rents ‘unfairly’ | LandlordZONE.

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LATEST: EPC firm launches first-of-kind Band C upgrade consultancy service for landlords

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A company based in Wales has launched a first-of-a-kind service that helps landlords work out how to most cost-effectively raise a property’s performance to EPC Band C.

Vibrant says its EPC Plus service is offered alongside the mandatory EPC that every rental property must undergo every ten years.

Each bespoke report produced by Vibrant as part of the EPC Plus service details the current and potential EPC rating, how it compares with the average for the area, the CO2 produced by the property each year and the CO2 savings that could be achieved.

The report itself has been designed to be simple to understand, with clear and concise advice on what upgrades and improvements are recommended, as well as information on multiple sources of funding that may be available.

Services like are ‘nice to have’ but the government’s proposals to force all landlords to bring their properties up to a Band C by 2025 for new tenancies and the remainder by 2028 will make it a pressing and expensive issue for millions of landlords very soon.

These proposals as they currently stand will impact an estimated 3.2 million landlords whose properties have an EPC rating of D or below.

“The increased attention on improving the performance of the UK housing stock means that in the coming years landlords will be under greater pressure to make improvements that will bring down energy usage,” says Daniel Kittow, MD of Vibrant.

“Our EPC Plus Service will provide them with a complete overview of the current performance alongside clear and targeted recommendations, allowing proactive improvement and management of each property.”

©1999 – Present | Parkmatic Publications Ltd. All rights reserved | LandlordZONE® – LATEST: EPC firm launches first-of-kind Band C upgrade consultancy service for landlords | LandlordZONE.

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Coventry landlord first to be fined under new electrical safety compliance legislation

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A landlord in Coventry has become the first in England to be fined under the recently-introduced Electrical Safety Standards legislation.

Since July 1^st 2021 all residential landlords in England must ensure that the electrical installations in the property are safe and are inspected and tested at least every five years.

The inspection must be carried out by a “competent person” and an Electrical Safety Certificate issued, a copy of which must be made available to the appropriate authorities if required, and copy given to the tenants within 28 days of being completed.

Should the local authority request a copy of the report it must be provided within seven days.

£1,600 fine

Coventry City Council, which has chosen to save the landlord’s blushes by not naming him, has nevertheless fined him £1,600. After being given seven days to provide a certificate within this statutory time limit, he subsequently failed to provide it.

This was for a property on Stoney Stanton Road near the centre of Coventry (pictured).

The Council will now also be serving a remedial notice requiring further action to be taken.The EICR report should have been completed on or around the 1st April 2020 by a competent and suitably qualified electrician to show that the electrical installation in the property was safe and a copy provided to the tenant.

Adrian Chowns (pictured), Property Licensing and Housing Enforcement Manager for, Coventry City Council says: “We believe this is the first time these powers have been used by a Local Authority in England.

“It highlights how Coventry City Council are taking a proactive approach to enforcement and clamping down on rogue landlords in its city.”

Read more about electrical safety compliance.

©1999 – Present | Parkmatic Publications Ltd. All rights reserved | LandlordZONE® – Coventry landlord first to be fined under new electrical safety compliance legislation | LandlordZONE.

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ACORN holds demonstrations in six cities calling for ‘cheap rent’ and more PRS regulation

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Renters Unions around the UK held demonstrations over the weekend during which campaigners called for ‘cheap rent’ and also urged the government to implement its rent reform proposals fully.

Members of tenants union Acorn gathered in Brighton, Leeds, London, Newcastle, Sheffield and Walsall, sharing their experiences of private renting and putting their demands to MPs with key ministerial and governmental housing positions.

The group managed to win approval from one politician over the weekend – Lloyd Russell-Moyle, who is a member of the All Party Parliamentary Group looking into reform of the rental market.

He is the Labour MP for Brighton Kemptown and an energetic housing activist in parliament.

Change needed

An Acorn speaker told those attending the Brighton event that: “Successive governments have failed to reform the private rented sector and give England’s 11 million private renters a decent place to call home — this needs to change.”

Acorn’s activities over the weekend are designed to put pressure on the government not to backtrack over its Rent Reform Bill proposals, which are expected imminently.

As well as abolishing Section 21 evictions and reforming Section 8 notices, the government’s plans include a national landlord register, mandatory redress for landlords and their tenants and a lifetime rental deposit system.

Eviction ignorance

Some of the demonstrators at the events seemed to be unaware of English law governing the PRS – one man told The Morning Star newspaper that renters were fed up living under the threat of being evicted at ‘a moment’s notice’.

As many LandlordZONE readers will be aware to their cost, Shelter estimates that the most commonly-used eviction process, a Section 21, can take between seven and eight months to complete from serving notice to the bailiffs enforcing a court decision.

©1999 – Present | Parkmatic Publications Ltd. All rights reserved | LandlordZONE® – ACORN holds demonstrations in six cities calling for ‘cheap rent’ and more PRS regulation | LandlordZONE.

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Inflation spike drives investors to seek ‘safe haven’ in private rented sector

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Rising inflation is pushing more landlords and investors into high-yield buy-to-let property markets as they seek safe havens for their cash, estate agency Hamptons has reported.

Consequently, the North East which offers investors average gross yields of 9% has seen the proportion of properties bought by landlords in the region jump from 20% to 27% over the past 12 months.

Similar dramatic increases in landlord buying activity has also been seen in the East Midlands, East of England and Wales.

In Middlesborough, a staggering 58% of homes for sale were bought by landlords, including an increasing number from London.

And overall investors bought 14% of all homes sold across the nation during the first three months of 2022, the highest proportion recorded since 2016 when landlords rushed to complete before the new 3% stamp duty charge kicked in.

Hamptons say this investment surge means some of the 300,000 properties lost from the private rented sector since 2017 as landlords, faced with extra costs and red tape have exited the market, are being recouped.

Buying doubles

Overall, investors bought 42,980 homes across Great Britain during the first three months of this year, equating to £8.5bn worth of property – nearly twice the figure recorded pre-Covid during the same period.

Coupled to a slowdown in landlords selling their properties, this means the private rented sector is set to grow again, and there was a net gain of 13,480 rental properties in Great Britain between January and March this year compared to a 7,640 net loss during the same period last year.

“Tax and regulatory changes have weighed heavily on the buy-to-let sector over the last five years causing more landlords to sell up at a time when fewer new entrants were looking to buy,” says Aneisha Beveridge, Head of Research at Hamptons (pictured).

©1999 – Present | Parkmatic Publications Ltd. All rights reserved | LandlordZONE® – Inflation spike drives investors to seek ‘safe haven’ in private rented sector | LandlordZONE.

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Treasury to recognise Stablecoins and develop Cryptoasset strategy

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The Treasury has announced moves to recognise ‘Stablecoins’ as a valid form of payment and part of wider plans to make Britain a global hub for Cryptoasset technology and investment.

This is part of a package of measures to ensure the UK financial services sector remains at the cutting edge of technology and includes:

• introducing a ‘financial market infrastructure sandbox’ to enable firms to experiment and innovate

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REGULATION: Wales reveals 29 reasons why a property can be ‘unfit’ after July 15th

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Landlords in Wales have been given detailed new guidance to make sure their properties are up to scratch ahead of the new Renting Homes (Wales) Act.

From 15^th July, they will need to ensure homes are fit for human habitation at the start of, and during, the occupation contract, and the new guidance aims to help them understand their responsibilities.

The Act provides 29 examples of ‘matters and circumstances’ where action might be needed to prevent contract-holders (tenants) from potentially living in unfit conditions.

These include damp, mould growth and exposure to the cold, but are so extensive they even cover explosions and the threat from debris created by a blast and the resulting partial or total collapse of a building.

Landlords are advised to, “conduct visual and/or physical inspections to minimise the likelihood wherever possible”.

At the other end of the risk scale, they are warned to conduct visual and physical inspections to minimise the likelihood of “collision or entrapment” occurring in doors or windows.

Smoke alarms

The guidance also sets out landlord requirements which must be complied with, namely ensuring that their properties have both smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors in proper working order and ensuring the inspection and testing of the electrical installation.

Read more about England's legislation on Fitness for Human Habitation.

The guidance states: “It is important to understand that where a landlord fails to comply with these requirements, the dwelling is to be treated as if it were unfit for human habitation.”

The requirements relating to installing smoke alarms and electrical safety testing will not apply to existing tenancies that switch to an occupation contract until 15th July 2023, however, from 15th July 2022 all new contracts will need to comply with them. Carbon monoxide detectors must be installed in all relevant properties from 15th July 2022.

Details can be found on the Welsh Government website.

©1999 – Present | Parkmatic Publications Ltd. All rights reserved | LandlordZONE® – REGULATION: Wales reveals 29 reasons why a property can be ‘unfit’ after July 15th | LandlordZONE.

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