Sadiq Khan unveils plan to tackle overheating in homes

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Sadiq Khan unveils plan to tackle overheating in homes

The Mayor of London has announced measures to tackle overheating in homes.

Sadiq Khan has unveiled the Heat Ready London plan, which will require new-build homes to be designed to reduce the risk of overheating

The news comes as landlords will need to meet EPC C targets by 2030.

One million homes at risk of overheating

According to data by the London Assembly, more than one million homes may be at high risk of overheating.

Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said the plan will help the capital adapt to rising temperatures:

He said: “Rising temperatures are no longer a future threat, they are becoming a growing reality for Londoners. It is affecting our communities, from homes and high streets to schools, hospitals and care services.

“That is why I am proud to unveil Heat Ready London, London’s first-ever heat plan. This is a new vision that will help tackle the huge obstacles we face with rising temperatures.

“No single organisation can address the scale of the challenge alone, so this is a call to action to our partners to use this framework to drive collective delivery so we can protect lives and strengthen the resilience of our city.”

Risk of indoor overheating

Under the plans, Mr Khan said London is already tackling overheating through the London Plan, which requires new homes to be designed to stay cooler in hot weather using measures such as shading, ventilation and smarter design, helping to reduce the need for energy-intensive cooling.

The Mayor added: “Addressing overheating in much of London’s existing housing is a key priority and will require coordinated action across government, councils and the housing sector to keep Londoners safe and comfortable as temperatures rise”.

Under the Heat Ready London plan, this will include retrofitting the highest-risk homes to reduce the risk of indoor overheating and protect the most vulnerable, particularly in high-risk areas.

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Head of landlord group slams claims of “greedy landlords” in deposit row

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Head of landlord group slams claims of “greedy landlords” in deposit row

The head of a landlord association has hit back at the accusation of “greedy landlords clinging on to tenants’ money” through deposits.

An article in the Big Issue by Generation Rent claims landlords can make “unreasonable deductions to encourage renters to settle so they can get back at least some of their money sooner.”

However, the chief executive of the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA), Ben Beadle, posted on X, formerly Twitter, calling Generation Rent’s comments “unhelpful nonsense”.

Government plans to remove insured deposit schemes

The government have previously announced potential changes to the tenancy deposit protection system, including plans to remove insured deposit schemes.

Under the Renters’ Rights Act, landlords must place a tenant’s deposit in a government-approved tenancy deposit scheme such as the Deposit Protection Service (DPS), MyDeposits or the Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS).

Custodial schemes hold the tenant’s deposit with an independent protection provider for the duration of the tenancy. Insured schemes allow landlords or letting agents to keep the deposit themselves, backed by insurance through an approved protection provider.

Under the proposed reforms, letting agents and landlords would no longer be permitted to hold tenants’ deposits in their own bank accounts, with all deposits instead required to be held in custodial tenancy deposit protection schemes.

Structure of system makes it easy for greedy landlords

Generation Rent has welcomed the government’s potential changes to abolish insurance-backed schemes and claims the current system is unfair to tenants.

Writing in the Big Issue, Dan Wilson Craw, deputy chief executive of Generation Rent, said: “The structure of the protection system makes it easier for greedy landlords and letting agents to cling on to as much of their tenant’s money as they can.

“Landlords can choose to either lodge the deposit money with the scheme itself for free (known as the custodial system) or pay a fee to insure the cash while holding on to it themselves (the insurance-backed system). All three schemes offer this choice.

“Some insurance schemes set a time limit for tenants to request their deposit back at the end of the tenancy, and also don’t require landlords to pay undisputed money to the tenant while a dispute is being adjudicated.

“This gives landlords leverage to make unreasonable deductions and encourage renters to settle so they can get back at least some of their money sooner. Of course, for many of us, having just moved home, getting out of our overdraft is paramount, so we can be bounced into giving up some of our money as long as we get enough of it returned quickly.

“In extreme cases, landlords can drag their feet so much that once the deadline has passed, it’s too late to raise a formal dispute, and the landlord pockets it all.”

He added: “Last year we recommended a range of measures that would encourage renters to challenge unfair deposit claims and reunite them with their money more quickly after moving out, including the abolition of insurance-backed schemes.

“The government has listened and is now carrying out a reprocurement process for deposit protection, proposing a single provider and only the custodial system of protection.

“Letting agents are not happy about losing their insurance option, and until the tender is finalised, it’s not a done deal. While the details are being worked out, we want the government to spell out to bidders that delayed return of deposits is unacceptable.

“It should be the landlord’s responsibility, not the tenant’s, to make a claim on the deposit if they have the grounds, and to do this within two weeks of the tenancy’s end, or the scheme returns the cash to the tenant.”

Unhelpful nonsense

However, chief executive of the NRLA, Ben Beadle slammed Generation Rent’s comments and said most tenants gain back their deposit.

He said on X, formerly Twitter: “Unhelpful nonsense on landlords holding deposits ‘hostage’, but there is certainly an opportunity to reform the deposit system, which has worked well since its introduction 19 years ago, and I’d support this, having been involved in the scheme’s roll out from 2008.

“But there’s nothing dodgy about the insured scheme. For many tenants, they will get their money back far quicker than through the custodial scheme and undisputed deposits are already required to be returned within 10 days of agreement, but there is certainly an opportunity to speed timeframes up.

“Most ‘greedy landlords’ value their time and sanity rather than arguing the toss over a few quid in a deposit. That’s if they bother taking one at all. Which is why some sensible reforms would be welcome.”

He added: “If I were radical, I’d scrap the current way of thinking and have deposits tenant led. Tenant selects the scheme and lodges the money, tells the landlord, landlord makes a claim if they need to within 10 days of tenancy ending , or it goes back to the tenant. Job done.”

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Landlords to face new digital verification rules for Right to Rent checks

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Landlords to face new digital verification rules for Right to Rent checks

Mandatory right to rent checks for registered digital verification will come into force on 1 October.

The government has announced that secondary legislation introduced this week will make it mandatory for landlords who opt to carry out Right to Rent checks electronically to use a registered digital verification provider (RtR DVSP).

Right to Rent rules were introduced in England under the Immigration Act 2014. They require landlords to verify the immigration status of prospective tenants before a tenancy begins, ensuring they have the legal right to rent property in the UK.

Landlords have a number of options

The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) writes on its website that the government is keen to move to a fully digital immigration system.

The association said: “Landlords have a number of options when it comes to carrying out the checks and can either carry out a manual right to rent check, using hard copy documents, a Home Office online right to rent check or a virtual right to rent check using a RtR DVSP.

“The government is keen to move to a fully digital immigration system and started issuing eVisas in 2018. Landlords whose tenants have eVisas are able to evidence their right to rent using the Home Office online service.”

Facial recognition technology

In the government’s code of practice for landlords and agents on right to rent checks, a registered digital verification provider (RtR DVSP) can verify the following documents:

• A valid British or Irish passport, including an Irish passport card, provided it expired no more than six months ago.
• Acceptable documents from List A and List B, where they have been provided to the RtR DVSP by, or on behalf of, the issuing authority in a digital format.

The code also says RtR DVSPs can use facial recognition technology to help landlords confirm that the occupier is the same individual whose Right to Rent check has been carried out.

It adds: “If the landlord wishes to use facial recognition technology, this must be carried out using a RtR DVSP. The RtR DVSP will provide a comparison verifying the image on the document and the match to the individual. Landlords must retain a copy of this comparison securely alongside a copy of the document checked. The landlord must provide the occupier with a reasonable opportunity to verify their identity if the technology is unable to verify the images.

“You must retain a clear copy of the check for the duration of the tenancy and for one year after the tenancy has come to an end.”

As previously reported by Property118, an industry body is urging the Home Office to simplify Right to Rent guidance for landlords and letting agents.

Propertymark is calling on the government to provide a shorter checklist for landlords, arguing that the current Right to Rent guidance is “too long”.

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Tenant demand drives up rents – Aldermore

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Tenant demand drives up rents – Aldermore

Rents continue to rise as government legislation puts pressure on landlords, according to new research.

Data by Aldermore reveal two out of three renters are paying more rent than expected as tenant demand continues to surge.

The news comes as the Renters’ Rights Act came into force on 1 May 2026.

Surge in tenant demand

According to the data, nearly two-thirds (63%) say they ended up paying more rent than they initially intended when securing their current home.

A similar proportion (62%) say they were competing with more prospective tenants than expected when trying to secure a rental property.

Six in ten (60%) say they found it difficult to secure a suitable property, while more than half (55%) experienced a longer search process than expected.

The average tenancy length has also edged up to 4.5 years. However, the picture is more challenging for those on the move, with nearly a quarter (23%) of renters moving home in the last year.

Landlords are having to adapt

Jon Cooper, director of mortgages at Aldermore, explains with additional regulation for landlords, many are having to adapt.

He said: “Our latest Buy to Let Index shows that while many renters are staying in their homes for longer, those looking to move are still facing a highly competitive market. Many are finding they need to pay more than they originally expected, and in some cases expand their search to previously unthought-of areas just to secure a suitable home.

“At the same time, the operating environment for landlords has become more complex, which threatens to place pressure on the number of available rental properties. Increased regulation and wider economic pressures mean many landlords are having to adapt how they manage their properties and finances.

“To avoid exacerbating the current challenge facing renters, the focus must be on maintaining sufficient supply in the private rental sector, to support affordability and give renters greater choice and mobility.”

The data also reveals two out of five renters (41%) say they had to move to a different area because there were no affordable rental properties where they wanted to live, while over a third (36%) moved further away from work, family or support networks.

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