‘Revenge evictions’ following tenant repair requests still common, says Shelter

admin    Uncategorized     agents

Private renters who complained to their landlord, letting agent or local council in the last three years were two and a half times (159%) more likely to be handed an eviction notice than those who kept quiet.

New research from Shelter – compiled by YouGov using online survey results from 2,000 renters – also reveals that a quarter of private renters in England (25%) have not asked their landlord for repairs to be carried out or conditions to be improved for fear of being evicted.

Disrepair

It says that in the last year, 76% have experienced disrepair in their home, 51% had issues with damp and mould, 31% had problems with lack of hot water or heating, and 18% experienced electrical hazards or issues with essential safety equipment.

Shelter reports that since the beginning of the year, its online advice pages on disrepair have been accessed every 18 seconds, a 53% increase on the same period last year.

The charity is urging the government to urgently introduce the Renters’ Reform Bill to put an end to unfair evictions, drive up standards, and hold landlords to account for poor behaviour.

Chief executive Polly Neate (pictured) says that by dragging its heels, the government has left private renters in a terrible catch-22; they either shut up and put up with disrepair, or risk more than doubling their chances of eviction in a cost-of-living crisis.

“Renters are bearing the brunt of government dithering over urgently needed private rental reforms,” adds Neate.

“Renters can’t wait any longer, the government must urgently make its Renters’ Reform Bill law to protect tenants who call out poor conditions from unfair evictions and homelessness.”

Read more: How to handle the eviction process.

View Full Article: ‘Revenge evictions’ following tenant repair requests still common, says Shelter

Ever seen a McDonald’s employment contract like this?

admin    Uncategorized     agents

Hi all, Has anyone ever come across a McDonald’s work contract in the course of tenant referencing?

This is the one that was sent to me earlier this week:

Dear N
Employment details
We’re delighted to confirm your appointment as Crew Member with McDonald’s at our restaurant situated at BRISTOL ….

View Full Article: Ever seen a McDonald’s employment contract like this?

Landlords will have until 2028 to hit EPC target – claim

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Landlords will have five years to reach planned EPC targets for ALL rented homes, and the new cap on costs will be £10,000, a newspaper reveals.

The Telegraph says the government will announce the new deadline after responding to fears that landlords do not have time to meet the proposed 1 April 2025 target.

View Full Article: Landlords will have until 2028 to hit EPC target – claim

App that helps tenants fix their own leaks launches service for landlords

admin    Uncategorized     agents

National video maintenance platform Help me Fix is extending its reach to more self-managing private landlords with the launch of a new service.

The software virtually connects tenants to tradespeople who can resolve simple maintenance issues remotely and for more complicated ones, recommend the right parts for a first-time fix, eliminating the need for an initial call-out fee.

While it has mostly worked with letting agents and portfolio landlords since launching in 2020, its new Hub service is a specifically landlord-facing software product which can automatically request quotes from a landlord’s own contractors or auto-instruct in an emergency after a call.

Hub also has a national network of vetted tradespeople that a landlord can access on demand.

Hub launches in May, charging landlords £10 per property per month for unlimited calls, promising to save them 50% on their maintenance bills.

Founder Ettan Bazil (pictured) tells LandlordZONE that the company is active in more than 20,000 properties in the UK.

He adds: “We have never had an incident where our advice has caused damage to a property, in fact, the reverse applies. Because tenants are usually connected with a tradesperson in under 30 seconds, we prevent major incidents from escalating and causing damage to the property.”

Social media

He recently shared an example on social media (main picture) about how Help me Fix had walked a tenant through disassembling and re-making the trap connections, permanently resolving a leaking basin waste.

Bazil adds: “The resident was happy for us to share the footage and photos and even happier that he had progressed from someone that had never made a plumbing connection to master plumber in 15 minutes.

“All of this without a property manager having to instruct a contractor, no carbon footprint from a diesel-guzzling van, and no call out charge for the landlord.”

View Full Article: App that helps tenants fix their own leaks launches service for landlords