New housing minister to be lobbied by ‘pet with lets’ campaigners

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Campaigners have vowed to take their ongoing battle for pet rental reform to the new housing minister.

AdvoCATS founder Jen Berezai (pictured) is writing to Simon Clarke (main pic), to ensure he’s aware of its Heads for Tails campaign – calling for an amended Tenant Fees Act 2019 to allow for landlords to require pet insurance and/or by adding a pet deposit to permitted payments – and ongoing efforts to make proposed reforms work in practice.

As part of the Fairer Renting White Paper, landlords will need a good reason to refuse permission for a tenant to have an animal in their home and if they do say no, tenants will get the power to challenge their decision.

Landlords will also be able to request that tenants’ pets are fully insured – meaning that damage to property is likely to be covered by the pet’s insurance policy.

However, Berezai tells LandlordZONE: “We’re concerned that the new minister won’t have the same priorities and he certainly isn’t up-to-speed with our report and why pet reform is important. We need to keep the issue on the agenda.”

She also plans to write to outgoing housing minister Eddie Hughes, thanking him for his support and asking him if he’ll add his name to Advocat’s list of supporting MPs and peers, which now numbers 41.

Advocats is part of a working group including The Lettings Hub and the NRLA which meets regularly to discuss the issue. It is also promoting a Society for Companion Animal Studies online conference on 18^th September, Pet Friendly Housing – How can we keep people and pets together?, which landlords can join. The group has previously reported how the ban on keeping animals is the second biggest reason for tenants relinquishing pets to rescue centres.

You can register here Register here for the conference.

View Full Article: New housing minister to be lobbied by ‘pet with lets’ campaigners

Money matters: with costs skyrocketing, the experts at Belvoir offer some great money saving tips for landlords…

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At a time when costs seem to be constantly rising and the financial forecasts seem to be all doom and gloom, now is an ideal time for DIY landlords to review their portfolios and, where appropriate, adjust outgoings. This month Belvoir advises on some key areas to consider.

Mortgage review

If you have a BTL mortgage, make sure you talk to an independent financial advisor to check that you are on the best available deal. A reputable whole of market broker company will be able to shop around on your behalf and source the best deal to suit your circumstances. Whilst many landlords will undoubtedly be feeling the pinch as interest rates rise, mortgages remain a very affordable way to borrow money, and there is still a huge shortage of rental properties, so BTL remains a good investment.

Don’t forget that landlords are responsible for assessing their own tax, and as the rules often change, it is advisable to take independent financial tax advice to help navigate what can be quite a complex task.

Property maintenance

One area that landlords should not try and cut costs on is the maintenance of their properties. Landlords have a duty of care to ensure the safety of their tenants and all rental accommodation should be maintained to a high standard to ensure they are safe and legally compliant. Importantly, regular maintenance will help to retain the value of the property as an investment. A good agent will advise on what areas of property maintenance are the responsibility of the landlord, and which ones the tenant is responsible for. In addition, a comprehensive inventory at the start and end of a tenancy will help to avoid costly disputes when the tenancy agreement comes to an end.

Unless you are a DIY landlord with excellent property maintenance skills, and you can be available quickly to deal with any emergency issues that may arise, it is better to outsource to a reputable tradesman. Belvoir offices have lists of trusted tradesmen that can be relied on to deal with any issues promptly and efficiently, in a cost-effective manner.

Legal compliance

There are literally hundreds of regulations governing Buy to Let. Failure to comply with these regulations, which change regularly, can result in hefty fines. Don’t risk losing money or in the most severe cases of neglect, a prison sentence. If you are a DIY landlord it can be very difficult to keep up with fast-changing laws and regulations, and this is where a good agent can help to save you money and shoulder the burden. If you are uncertain of any areas of legal compliance regarding your rental property, telephone or call into the office of a professional letting agent and ask for some advice.

Rental reviews

Rents vary across the country, with some areas commanding high rents and other regions remaining much lower. Importantly, tenants are only able to pay what they can afford, and this is where an agent can really help to prove their worth, as they will know exactly what rents can be achieved in their area for particular types of property. In addition, comprehensive tenant referencing prior to a tenancy being agreed is an important way to ensure that tenants will be able to pay rents, and to help avoid costly legal disputes should circumstances change. A good agent will be able to advise on insurance packages to help avoid expensive legal costs or loss of rent should the worst happen and a tenant stops paying rent for some reason.

Time management

When calculating your outgoings as a landlord, don’t forget to factor in the cost of your time. How much time are you spending on sourcing tenants, carrying out inventories, dealing with maintenance issues, checking rental payments and all the other tasks that come with being a landlord? Do you realistically have enough time to do these jobs properly? This challenge becomes even more difficult for landlords who own several investment properties. It is true that time is money, and this being the case, it can be a real money saver to outsource some or all of these vital tasks. If you are a DIY landlord who has previously dismissed the thought of engaging an agent because you automatically thought that the costs outweighed any benefits, it may be time to reconsider. Agent fees are tax-deductible, and the time and money saved can make a real difference to the profitability of your business.

View Full Article: Money matters: with costs skyrocketing, the experts at Belvoir offer some great money saving tips for landlords…

Gas Safe warns landlords over number of dangerous appliances in homes

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One in five homes inspected nationally had a dangerous gas appliance which needed to be switched off immediately, while three in five were in an unsafe condition, according to the Gas Safe Register. 

Landlords are being encouraged to make sure their properties aren’t part of the problem by following the advice promoted during Gas Safety Week, which starts today.

The campaign hopes to raise awareness of the importance of taking care of gas appliances that are unlikely to perform optimally if poorly installed or incorrectly maintained. Problems can even lead to carbon monoxide poisoning, gas leaks and fires.

Landlords should make sure that gas pipework, appliances and flues in their properties are safely maintained and that all gas appliances and flues provided for tenants’ use have an annual safety check.

A Gas Safety Record must be provided to the tenant within 28 days of completing the check or to any new tenant before they move in, and a copy kept until two further checks have taken place. Landlords should also ensure that maintenance and annual safety checks are carried out by a qualified Gas Safe registered engineer.

Illnesses

Awareness campaigns have already contributed to reducing the number of illnesses caused by carbon monoxide poisoning, according to Propertymark, but it says there is still plenty more work to be done.

CEO Nathan Emerson (pictured) adds: “We’re proud to support the Gas Safe Register in its campaign again this year.

“We understand the importance of education when it comes to gas safety and by spreading this vital information especially to agents and landlords, we can limit the devastating impact that unsafe appliances can have.”

Visit the Gas Safe Register at www.gassaferegister.co.uk/help-and-advice

Read more: How to gain access to a rented property for gas checks.

View Full Article: Gas Safe warns landlords over number of dangerous appliances in homes

Nearly half of landlords denied access for gas safety checks

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Landlord Action is issuing a reminder to landlords on the importance of carrying out annual gas safety checks – and a request to tenants to ensure they grant the necessary access to landlords to facilitate this. 

They point to a recent survey that reveals nearly half of landlords have

View Full Article: Nearly half of landlords denied access for gas safety checks

Renting 4-5 rooms on AirBnB – which use permission class?

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Hi, I’d like to move house but retain my existing property, rented to multiple single occupants using AirBnB for periods of minimum 5 days to maximum 3 months.

The majority of visitors will be international visitors for Mon PhDs (I know this as I have been using the rent a room scheme for two years and 90% of visits are postgrad students on short courses at nearby university).

View Full Article: Renting 4-5 rooms on AirBnB – which use permission class?

To sell, or not to sell?

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Hi, I have a mortgage coming off its fixed rate at the end of October and it’s not possible to switch rates until six weeks before.

With mortgage interest rates currently raising by the minute, my profit margins are disappearing and I’m tempted to sell up –

View Full Article: To sell, or not to sell?

Cheltenham Council takes action to tackle empty high street shops…

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Cheltenham Council is using a two pronged approach under its innovative Business Improvement District (BID) organisation to tackle empty shops on its high streets.

The Business Improvement District (BID) is a business-led body formed in the borough to improve a centrally defined commercial area. The organisation is funded by businesses themselves, for the benefit of those businesses, and it aims to coordinate investment into the area, and to deliver projects and services to enhance those already provided by the Council.

Cheltenham says, “A BID is a not-for-profit company, which can only be formed following consultation and a ballot in which businesses vote on a BID proposal… for a maximum five-year term the BID and operates within a legislative framework… defined within the business plan [businesses] will be required to pay the mandatory BID levy.”

First established in Canada and the US, BIDS now operate around the world and there are more than 300 in the UK, including Bath, Bristol, Swindon, Salisbury and Worcester.

The two-pronged approach will tackle empty shops in Cheltenham town centre where landlords of empty shops are being told to do more in an effort to boost the high street by filling their vacant premises.

The borough council and Cheltenham BID are pursuing the two-pronged strategy which starts with engagement (consultation) and ends with enforcement.

A respected industry expert has been appointed to work with the town’s property agents and property owners, while the council is doing its part by ramping up its existing commitments and issuing warning letters to those responsible. These warnings will request that owners review and improve the condition of their properties when needed.

Currently, 32 properties in the town have been identified as in need of improvements, one of these being the former Sports Direct unit (102-104 Cheltenham High Street) which Cheltenham says is a “live example of active engagement with the property owner and the agent.”

A recent BID survey of Cheltenham town centre found there were 43 unoccupied ground floor retail units in the central BID zone, representing 8.85% of a total of 486 units. Springboard, the Retail Footfall Analytics specialist, in its July vacancy report, showed that Cheltenham’s vacancy rate was 8.8%, set against a national average figure of 11.2% and the South West average of 9.4%.

There are new openings planned for this coming autumn, which Cheltenham Council hopes will lead to an even further reduction in it’s average vacancy rate.

“Footfall is a good indicator of the strength of the high street and again this shows Cheltenham High Street is resilient to the current economic conditions; despite the impacts of the pandemic and the recent cost of living crisis, businesses have responded positively. The peak was early in July and ties in with the dates of the music festival, Wimbledon Big Screen, and launch of the Umbrella project,” says Cheltenham Borough Council.

Cllr Max Wilkinson, cabinet member for economic development, culture, tourism and wellbeing, says:

“Many people are concerned about the high street and we are too – particularly empty and unsightly shop fronts. Despite the well-known challenges faced by every town and city centre, Cheltenham is faring relatively well.

“However, we will not be complacent and we know there is work to do. Many of the landlords of shops in Cheltenham are investment firms and they can be challenging to deal with. That’s why we are pursuing a two-pronged approach of stepping up discussions with agents and landlords of empty premises, while taking enforcement action when it is needed – as evidenced by the 32 letters already sent.”

The Vacant Shops Academy was commissioned by the Council and Cheltenham BID to audit existing units in Cambray Place, The Strand, High Street, including the lower High Street, Promenade, Montpellier and the Regent Arcade to help develop a plan to fill them.

The delivery of this plan, in addition to the recently renovated Clarence Fountain pocket park and the Wilson Art Gallery and Museum refurbishment, is continuing the council’s work, “to create a vibrant town centre for residents and visitors,” says the Council.

The Council is powerless to set business rates or dictate what the rent levels will be in shops owned by private landlords. Many of the empty premises in Cheltenham, says the Council, are owned by investment or pension firms, and some of these are offshore.

The new programme of activity by BID, “is expected to last one year and includes a review of business engagement alongside formal enforcement action by the council against landlords who do not ensure their premises are well-maintained,” the Council says.

Heath Gunter, Cheltenham BID chief executive, said:

“The traditional high street is changing and through working with The Vacant Shops Academy we can ensure that Cheltenham is at the forefront of this evolution. It is an important piece of work that needs to be done and it is great that Cheltenham BID can partner with Cheltenham Borough Council on this project.”

Enforcement action means using existing legislation to demand action of owners who do not respond to consultations: a section of the planning act (Chapter II, Section 215) gives Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) the power to require ‘proper maintenance of land’.

In effect this allows LPAs to take enforcement action where, “it appears that the amenity of a part of their area, or of an adjoining area, is adversely affected by the condition of the land in their area”.

Where the Council and BID consider it does adversely affect the area they may serve a notice on the owner and occupier of land under this section of the act. Such a notice will then set out the steps the Council considers is required to remedy the condition of the land.

View Full Article: Cheltenham Council takes action to tackle empty high street shops…

4 ways to make sure you find a good tenant with great pets!

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Although it’s not a legal requirement to let a property to tenants with pets yet, there are several moves to make it more difficult for landlords to say ‘no’. This includes wording in the Government’s own ‘model tenancy’ which some landlords use that will prevent them from “a blanket ban on pets”. The tenancy agreement assumes that ‘consent for pets will be the default position’, and if the landlord objects, they have to respond to a tenant’s request, in writing, within 28 days to explain why.  

In addition, the recent white paper on ‘Rent Reform’ indicates this will be widened to all private landlords letting property and will include a mediation process if the tenant feels the landlord’s refusal for them to let with pets isn’t fair.

With over half of households having a pet, but only 7% of properties advertised to let with pets, renting to animal lovers could be a great way to secure a long term, excellent tenant, who may even pay a little more rent.

However, it’s essential to carefully reference check both the tenant and the pet(s). Here are four ways to check a tenant and their pets before you let to them:-

#1 Meet the pets

This is an excellent way to make sure the pet living in your property isn’t going to be a noise nuisance to neighbours or indeed cause damage. Ask the tenant to meet you at the property with the pet and you will soon know if they are a good pet to let to.

#2 Vet checks

If a tenant looks after their pet well, they are likely to be known by their local vet. Dogs and cats will need vaccinations, flea and worm treatment and some vets offer packages to provide these, so check with your tenant if they are up to date with the required care and ask for a written vet reference.

#3 Emergency and holiday care

A sensible pet owner will always know who will look after their pet in an emergency, be it a dog sitter, local kennels or friends and family. So check who will look after the pet when needed and, as a landlord, it’s worth keeping these details to hand, just in case.

#4 Assistance dogs cannot be refused

If a tenant has an assistance dog, it’s important to be aware you cannot legally refuse a let. And remember they will be very well trained and are a lot less likely to cause any damage to your property or a nuisance to neighbours.

If an agent is fully managing your property, it will be their responsibility to check both the tenant and the pet. Check too that the agent will do regular visits to the property to carry out periodic checks. This helps tremendously as the agent will pick up problems before they become a real issue.

Thinking of letting your property and considering letting with pets? Speak to someone at your local Leaders branch and we can explain how to let to tenants with pets safely.

View Full Article: 4 ways to make sure you find a good tenant with great pets!

Propertymark pledges support for Gas Safety Week

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Landlords are being urged to check that their gas appliances are safe by understanding the law.

The call comes from Propertymark who are supporting Gas Safety Week which is now in its 12th year.

The event will see organisations across various industries come together for one common goal –

View Full Article: Propertymark pledges support for Gas Safety Week

BRIEFING: Rogue landlords face prison sentences under new rules

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Under plans to get tough on landlords, stricter standards will be brought in to eliminate unsafe and cold rental housing says the Government

Landlords could be facing six-month prison sentences if they let older homes that are unsafe and cold for their tenants.

Under new Government plans upgrade older housing stock in the private rented sector (PRS). These proposals have been published by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC). Formerly the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government, the department is tasked with implementing the Governments “levelling up policy”, and this will be partly achieved through housing reforms.

The new policy proposal would see landlords who let properties that are below standard, and who fail to keep their properties warm, dry and in good safe repair, would potentially be criminally prosecuted in a local magistrate’s court where a judge will decide their fate. The maximum sentence for these housing offences will be six months in prison.

According to Rachel Mortimer writing for The Daily Telegraph, the Government intends to introduce the new minimum standards right across the private rented sector (PRS) in England, which are similar to those already existing in social housing provided by local councils.

The intention is to stamp out poor practice and unsafe homes.

In a consultation published on Friday which will last for 6 weeks, from Friday 2 September 2022 to Friday 14 October 2022, ministers have revealed plans for a “legal duty on landlords” to ensure minimum standards are met which ensure their properties are in a “reasonable state of repair” when they let them.

The Government is encouraging individuals and organisations, interested parties to respond to the consultation via an online survey. 

Those landlords who fail to keep their properties up to these minimum standards will face either a civil penalty by the local authority or a prosecution in a magistrates’ court which could result in a custodial sentence as well as a ban from acting as a landlord or property manager.

The consultation will seek views from interested parties on the introduction and enforcement of a Decent Homes Standard in the private rented sector in England.

Currently, landlords who do not provide meet minimum standards face either a civil penalty of £30,000 or can be handed an unlimited fine by a court and banned from ever leasing property again.

The Government claims that this will introduce the biggest overhaul of the private rented sector in a generation once the new Decent Homes Standard is brought into force. The current standard is not legally binding in the PRS, though there are strict rules for gas and electrical safety and fire safety which can potentially result in a prison sentence for landlords.

The DLUHC says…

“The current enforcement system largely places the obligation on local councils to identify hazards in privately rented properties and take enforcement action against the landlord, who must then comply.

“This creates an environment where some landlords are not proactive in ensuring their property meets requirements and rather wait for an inspection to be told what improvements need to be made whilst tenants live in unacceptable conditions.”

The former Levelling Up minister Michael Gove, before he was sacked during the ousting of the present prime minister Boris Johnson, pledged earlier this year to halve the number of poor-quality rentals over the next eight years.

Gove’s plans could prove challenging and expensive for those landlords with older properties that need extensive improvements. Some of these properties will need thousands of pounds spending on them to meet the coming new environment standards – £10,000 to £15,000 pound upgrades to meet the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) targets are not unheard of.

Experts are warning that these tough new standards, along with the removal of section 21 and fixed-term tenancies will mean that more landlords will consider leaving before these new rules are introduced, exacerbating and already tight housing market.

Tenants just cannot find enough vacant rentals to satisfy their needs due to a severe shortage of rental accommodation. What capacity there is has been subject to kikes in rent levels and is now resulting in bidding wars between tenants.

Enforcement

Ben Beadle, of the National Residential Landlords Association, told Ms Mortimer of The Daily Telegraph: “All the laws in the world will do nothing without improved enforcement against the minority of landlords who tarnish the reputation of the responsible, law-abiding majority.

“That requires properly resourced councils tackling the criminals and rogues, whilst allowing the responsible majority to easily prove their home is safe and compliant.”

Experts in the industry have observed for many years the introduction of increasingly strict regulations which have failed to improve standards.

Generally, its the responsible landlords who follow the rules and meet the ever higher standards, but the rogues seem to get away with this because there’s a lack of grip on enforcement by local authorities.

View Full Article: BRIEFING: Rogue landlords face prison sentences under new rules