The Telegraph wants to speak to landlords about EPC targets and Scotland

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The Telegraph is looking to speak to landlords for two feature stories.

The first one is following the news that EPC C targets have been scrapped, The Telegraph is looking to speak to landlords who were considering selling up or reducing their portfolios because of the cost of the targets – but are now thinking of putting off any drastic decisions.

View Full Article: The Telegraph wants to speak to landlords about EPC targets and Scotland

Interest rates remain unchanged at 5.25% – ending 14 months of rises

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The Bank of England (BoE) has hit the brakes on base rate rises with news that the current rate of 5.25% will remain unchanged.

The decision brings to an end 14 months of base rate rises and follows an unexpected slowdown in price rises last month when inflation fell to 6.7%.

View Full Article: Interest rates remain unchanged at 5.25% – ending 14 months of rises

Big council to regulate more HMOs despite landlord criticism of inspection regime

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Haringey Council has given the green light to an additional HMO licencing scheme consultation.

The authority reports that nearly half of the borough’s population live in a private rented home, and that a quarter of these homes are in poor condition.

It believes this additional scheme – which replaces the existing scheme that comes to an end next May – will give it the tools needed to improve the condition of its PRS homes.

However, Haringey was recently criticised following an NRLA investigation into its additional scheme.

It said the council’s own data revealed that, “Haringey is inspecting properties but finding significantly fewer category 1 (i.e. serious) hazards than you would expect if the properties were substandard, which the council used as justification for introducing the designation.”

Keen enforcer

Despite this, the authority is a keen enforcer of its schemes – including a selective scheme which took effect last November – and revealed that landlords with properties within its boundaries had been issued with fines totalling £207,500 for not licencing HMOs in the past four years, including 43 fines with a further 16 warnings that were resolved before becoming a Civil Penalty Notice.

Councillor Sarah Williams (pictured), cabinet member for housing services, private renters and planning, says the council is committed to ensuring that Haringey residents have access to a safe, sustainable, and affordable home.

She adds: “The new additional HMO scheme will provide a clear regulatory framework to support the many good landlords in Haringey, while giving the council powers to act against rouge landlords.”

Read more about Haringey.

View Full Article: Big council to regulate more HMOs despite landlord criticism of inspection regime

Right to rent checks?

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Hello, could anyone from Property118 please help? As fines are going to increase from early 2024 does anyone know how we can ask the home office to check whether a passport document is genuine?

There are some excellent forgeries out there so how are we supposed to differentiate if unsure?

View Full Article: Right to rent checks?

Property sector reacts to Prime Minister’s announcement on watering down green targets

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The Prime Minister has confirmed plans to water down the phasing out of gas boilers.

The delay will mean landlords do not need to install all new gas boilers in new builds and existing properties in England by 2035.

View Full Article: Property sector reacts to Prime Minister’s announcement on watering down green targets

Free guide published for landlords and tenants on tenancy disputes

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A new comprehensive guide to dispute resolution for landlords and tenants has been published.

The Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS) and the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) have teamed to provide a guide on how to navigate potential conflicts that may arise during a tenancy without the need for legal action.

View Full Article: Free guide published for landlords and tenants on tenancy disputes

Brum council: ‘We’re bankrupt but still enforcing new selective licencing scheme’

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Birmingham Council has confirmed to LandlordZONE that its selective licensing scheme will continue to be enforced despite its dire financial situation.

The authority issued a section 114 notice earlier this month, effectively declaring bankruptcy, mainly due to a bill to settle equal pay claims which is expected to be about £760m.

However, it insists it has a statutory duty to administer both the selective and additional licensing schemes which were approved by the DLUHC.

A spokesman tells LandlordZONE: “The fees received are ring-fenced for use by the schemes and cannot be used elsewhere in the council. The service has received approval from the Section 151 officer to continue delivering the service as planned.”

Disappointed

Many landlords with properties in the city will no doubt be disappointed that compliance activities are scheduled to continue.

LandlordZONE reported earlier this month that thousands faced being hit with a big fine as only a small percentage had applied before the 1^st September deadline.

The selective scheme covers up to 50,000 properties across 25 wards – the largest in the UK – but the council now reports that it has received more than 18,400 applications and issued nearly 4,000 draft or final licences. If they have not completed an application, landlords could face a fine of between £5,000 to £15,000.

The spokesman adds: “Landlords can get more information by visiting www.Birmingham.gov.uk/prpl or by emailing pl@birmingham.gov.uk for advice.”

It’s expected that the council will soon announce council tax rises, job losses, service cuts and asset sales as part of a recovery plan, following the government’s decision to intervene in the running of the authority.

View Full Article: Brum council: ‘We’re bankrupt but still enforcing new selective licencing scheme’

Sunak scraps Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) targets

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Landlords will be celebrating after the government announced it will scrap the energy performance certificate (EPC) targets for homes.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak unveiled the plan – along with a ban on binning gas boilers – during a televised press conference from Downing Street.

View Full Article: Sunak scraps Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) targets

REVEALED: Full details of Rishi’s U-turn on boiler ban and EPC rules

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Rishi Sunak has made a speech rowing back on several key green policies that were to cost landlords thousands but that were part of his key Net Zero pledges.

Announcing a ‘new approach’ to one of the biggest challenges faced by the UK – climate change – saying “we must reduce our emissions” and that politicians need to “look people in the eye and explain what’s really involved”.

He said this includes being honest about the real-life implicaitons of previous measures to reduce carbon emissions including banning gas boilers even though many properites are not suitable for a heat pump and mandatory EPC Band C upgrades in just a few years’ time.

Sunak also said that although many people, despite wanting to do their bit to reduce carbon emissions, should not have measures forced on them by politicians, espeically “those who are already struggling to make ends meet”.

He said without a national debate on carbon emissions reduction, the backing of the people for change would be lost, saying a more pragmatic approach is needed despite the need for ‘hard choices’ and a commitment to meet the UK’s existing Net Zero ambitions.

This includes giving property owners ‘far more time to move to heat pumps’ and ‘not forcing anyone to rip out existing gas boilers’ and only requiring property including landords to replace them with heat pumps once they have worn out and even then not until 2035. An existing boiler upgrade scheme will be raised by 50% to £7,500.

Sunak also referenced minimum EPC levels for properties, mentioning that the huge costs of upgrading homes is likely to be passed on as higher rents to tenants. The looming EPC changes due to go live for existing tenancies in 2028 are now to be scrapped, with more Government money instead being offered as a carrot to landlords and home owners to upgrade their properties.

Therefore fines for landlords who do not upgrade their properties to a minimum Band C by the 2025 and 2028 deadlines are therefore not off the table.

A survey out today highlights why the Government has rowed back – just one in five property owners told boiler repiar firm Fair Fix they supported the planned ban on gas boilers, with 94% believing it should be their decision as to what type of energy powers their home.

Earlier today Foreign Secretary Sue Braverman took to the radio and TV studios to defend the row back, telling both Times Radio and the BBC’s Breakfast Show that she applauded Sunak for making a “difficult decision” that showed “pragmatism and proportionality” saying “we’re not going to save the planet by bankrupting the British people”.

“We need to ensure that we take into account economic growth, household budgets and the cost of living,” she told Radio 4’s Today programme.

Former housing secretary Simon Clarke has said this morning: “I am very clear: The delivery of net zero should not be a hair-shirt exercise”.

Denial

But the U-turn on green policies shows there is much internal conflict within the Tory party. While Gove recently said he wanted to ‘soften’ the impact of green upgrades for landlords, a Government minister in the Lords last week denied any changes were in the pipeline.

Zac Goldsmith (pictured), who until recently was a minister in the Government, said: “His short stint as PM will be remembered as the moment the UK turned its back on the world and on future generations. A moment of shame.”

Alok Sharma, who chaired the recent CO26 summit, said it was important that Britain must stay committed to its Net Zero commitments.

Sunak is expected to make his speech this week but may reveal more details today following last night’s leak.

Landlords’ reaction

Responding to the Prime Minister’s speech scrapping proposed energy efficiency targets for households, including rental properties, Ben Beadle (pictured), Chief Executive of the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA), says: “We want to see all properties as energy efficient as possible.

“But the uncertainty surrounding energy efficiency policy has been hugely damaging to the supply of rented properties.

“Landlords are struggling to make investment decisions without a clear idea of the Government’s direction of travel.

“It is welcome that landlords will not be required to invest substantial sums of money during a cost-of-living crisis when many are themselves struggling financially.

However, ministers need to use the space they are creating to develop a full plan that supports the rental market to make the energy efficiency improvements we all want to see.

“This must include appropriate financial support and reform of the tax system which currently fails to support investment in energy efficiency measures.”

View Full Article: REVEALED: Full details of Rishi’s U-turn on boiler ban and EPC rules

UPDATED: Full details of Rishi’s U-turn on boiler ban and EPC rules revealed

admin    Uncategorized     agents

Rishi Sunak has made a speech rowing back on several key green policies that were to cost landlords thousands but that were part of his key Net Zero pledges.

Announcing a ‘new approach’ to one of the biggest challenges faced by the UK – climate change – saying “we must reduce our emissions” and that politicians need to “look people in the eye and explain what’s really involved”.

He said this includes being honest about the real-life implicaitons of previous measures to reduce carbon emissions including banning gas boilers even though many properites are not suitable for a heat pump and mandatory EPC Band C upgrades in just a few years’ time.

Sunak also said that although many people, despite wanting to do their bit to reduce carbon emissions, should not have measures forced on them by politicians, espeically “those who are already struggling to make ends meet”.

He said without a national debate on carbon emissions reduction, the backing of the people for change would be lost, saying a more pragmatic approach is needed despite the need for ‘hard choices’ and a commitment to meet the UK’s existing Net Zero ambitions.

This includes giving property owners ‘far more time to move to heat pumps’ and ‘not forcing anyone to rip out existing gas boilers’ and only requiring property including landords to replace them with heat pumps once they have worn out and even then not until 2035. An existing boiler upgrade scheme will be raised by 50% to £7,500.

Sunak also referenced minimum EPC levels for properties, mentioning that the huge costs of upgrading homes is likely to be passed on as higher rents to tenants. The looming EPC changes due to go live for existing tenancies in 2028 are now to be scrapped, with more Government money instead being offered as a carrot to landlords and home owners to upgrade their properties.

Therefore fines for landlords who do not upgrade their properties to a minimum Band C by the 2025 and 2028 deadlines are therefore not off the table.

A survey out today highlights why the Government has rowed back – just one in five property owners told boiler repiar firm Fair Fix they supported the planned ban on gas boilers, with 94% believing it should be their decision as to what type of energy powers their home.

Earlier today Foreign Secretary Sue Braverman took to the radio and TV studios to defend the row back, telling both Times Radio and the BBC’s Breakfast Show that she applauded Sunak for making a “difficult decision” that showed “pragmatism and proportionality” saying “we’re not going to save the planet by bankrupting the British people”.

“We need to ensure that we take into account economic growth, household budgets and the cost of living,” she told Radio 4’s Today programme.

Former housing secretary Simon Clarke has said this morning: “I am very clear: The delivery of net zero should not be a hair-shirt exercise”.

Denial

But the U-turn on green policies shows there is much internal conflict within the Tory party. While Gove recently said he wanted to ‘soften’ the impact of green upgrades for landlords, a Government minister in the Lords last week denied any changes were in the pipeline.

Zac Goldsmith (pictured), who until recently was a minister in the Government, said: “His short stint as PM will be remembered as the moment the UK turned its back on the world and on future generations. A moment of shame.”

Alok Sharma, who chaired the recent CO26 summit, said it was important that Britain must stay committed to its Net Zero commitments.

Sunak is expected to make his speech this week but may reveal more details today following last night’s leak.

View Full Article: UPDATED: Full details of Rishi’s U-turn on boiler ban and EPC rules revealed