Please Help – 1 AST but some tenants have not been paying?

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We have been landlords for almost 15 years – specialising in students. There is always one AST for 12 months (we have no HMO licence and do not need one right now). We have never encountered any problems. We are good landlords

View Full Article: Please Help – 1 AST but some tenants have not been paying?

Landlord wins 40% RRO reduction despite omitting to re-licence during COVID

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An expat landlord who forgot to licence his property during the pandemic has managed to get £6,500 knocked off a hefty Rent Repayment Order.

Gary Michelson told a First Tier Property Tribunal that the more severe lockdown in France and his fears for family members suffering from Covid-19 resulted in him forgetting to renew it.

He argued that as a one-property, unprofessional landlord who was resident overseas, he relied on his managing agent to remind him of his obligations.

The tribunal ruled that it was no excuse but said this wasn’t a case where a landlord didn’t licence a property to avoid spending money.

It added: “We accept that Mr Michelson did genuinely intend to renew his licence, and that he did genuinely forget to do so, in the conditions of the pandemic.

“That does not amount to a defence of reasonable excuse, but it is relevant to the level of his culpability and the amount of the RRO.”

Lapsed

The tribunal ordered him to pay £9,860 out of a possible £16,426. It had heard that the two tenants lived in his two-bed terraced house in Pretoria Avenue, Walthamstow (pictured), which was licensed under a previous scheme in Waltham Forest that lapsed in April 2020.

“The new scheme came into effect the next month but Michelson did not apply for a licence until June 2021.

He told the court that he relied on the rent as his only income and that £11,520 in an ISA would go towards paying off the principal of the interest-only mortgage (£161,000) in 2027.

Now retired and living in France, he added that he would have to sell the property because the mortgage was interest only.

The tribunal heard he had not disclosed two additional joint accounts held with his partner but agreed that it couldn’t assume he could use these resources which it took into account when deciding on the cash award.

Read more about RROs.

©1999 – Present | Parkmatic Publications Ltd. All rights reserved | LandlordZONE® – Landlord wins 40% RRO reduction despite omitting to re-licence during COVID | LandlordZONE.

View Full Article: Landlord wins 40% RRO reduction despite omitting to re-licence during COVID

Former TV landlord warns over ‘sub-standard’ homes for Ukrainian refugees

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Private landlords housing Ukrainian refugees should ensure their homes are up-to-scratch, says a former landlord, after one family was forced to live in a filthy flat.

Tenant and former landlord Tim Earing (pictured) applied through the Homes for Ukraine scheme to house a mother and her two children (main picture) in his Beckenham flat, but the father and grandmother arrived with them, which meant he didn’t have enough room.

Earing has previously appeared on Paul Shamplina’s Channel 5 show, Nightmare Tenants, Slum Landlords when he was having problems evicting a tenant.

His experience, along with a number of serious health issues, prompted him to sell his rental property and he now lives in social housing.

Flat stay

“I didn’t turn the Ukrainian family away and they all stayed in my flat for two weeks but I couldn’t house them legally as there were too many of them and I hadn’t had my DBS check done by the council by then – my landlord also hadn’t given me the go-ahead despite numerous phone calls,” he tells LandlordZONE.

“Thankfully, local churches and the community helped provide mattresses and beds.”

Bromley Council moved the family into a bigger house owned by a private landlord but it was sub-standard, says Earing.

“It was filthy, the kitchen was thick with grease and it smelt of cat pee. I helped them get it to a reasonable condition but it was unacceptable for them to have to live like that. Thankfully, the landlord has now agreed to wash the carpets.”

Inadequate

He’s frustrated that some landlords are getting paid by councils to provide inadequate properties to refugees and says local authorities also need to step up their response and provide safer homes, whether temporary or long-term.

However, the experience hasn’t put him off and he’s hoping his landlord will give him the go-ahead to try again.

“It’s the best thing I ever did and I’ve met some wonderful people,” he adds.

LandlordZONE has approached Bromley Council for a comment.

Read the latest government guidance on housing Ukrainian refugees.

©1999 – Present | Parkmatic Publications Ltd. All rights reserved | LandlordZONE® – Former TV landlord warns over ‘sub-standard’ homes for Ukrainian refugees | LandlordZONE.

View Full Article: Former TV landlord warns over ‘sub-standard’ homes for Ukrainian refugees

Renters Reform Bill pushed back and Rent controls off the table

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Housing Minister Eddie Hughes was answering written questions to Parliament and indicated that the Renters Reform Bill that includes proposals to ban Section 21 would be pushed back. After previously stating the White paper would be published this Spring he now seems to be much less certain on timescales.

View Full Article: Renters Reform Bill pushed back and Rent controls off the table

57% of PRS benefits tenants now have a Local Housing Allowance shortfall

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Official data shows that of all private rented households in receipt of the Local Housing Allowance over half, 57%, have a shortfall. This amounts to just over 820,000 households.

Regionally, the proportion of private rented households affected ranges from almost 41% in London (although based on a much higher number of claimants)

View Full Article: 57% of PRS benefits tenants now have a Local Housing Allowance shortfall