‘Stop all new property licensing activity for six months’, say leading organisations

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Accreditation scheme safeagent and consultancy London Property Licensing have joined forces to claim that now is not the time to be extending or introducing Select or HMO licensing schemes.

All proposed new or expanded property licensing schemes should be put on ice for six months until the Coronavirus pandemic is over, two leading organisations have said.

Accreditation scheme safeagent and housing consultancy London Property Licensing are calling for both new HMO or Select Licensing schemes to be delayed and reviewed again in six months’ time.

This, they claim, will free up local authority resources and discourage non-essential property inspection that ‘could add to community spread of the virus’.

The two organisations are asking Secretary of State Robert Jenrick to introduce a six-month moratorium on approving any more selective or HMO licensing schemes.

They are also calling on local authorities to pause any new additional or selective licensing scheme designations for six months, while any existing consultations not already underway should be delayed, also for six months.

“This is not an anti-licensing proposal, but rather a sensible measure in response to Coronavirus,” says Isobel Thomson, CEO of safeagent.

“Right now, the sector needs to hunker down. We need to free up local government and lettings industry resources to focus on more urgent tasks.”

Richard Tacagni, MD of London Property Licensing, says: “It seems likely that the limited resources in local government, and the expertise offered by Environmental Health Officers, will need to be re-focused on maintaining key public services to support the wider public health agenda.”

Exclusive: what would this mean in London?

London Property Licensing has compiled this list of ‘live’ proposed consultations and schemes in London including those that would be affected by a six-month moratorium (in bold).

• Camden: recently consulted on renewal of their additional licensing (AL) scheme. Current scheme ends Dec 2020
• Croydon: recently consulted on renewal of their selective licensing (SL) scheme. Current scheme ends Sept 2020
• Enfield: new AL scheme starts Sept 2020; awaiting decision about proposed SL scheme
• Havering: consultation on new AL & SL schemes ended Sept 2019; awaiting decision on implementation
• Hounslow: recently consulted on new AL scheme; awaiting decision
• Islington: recently consulted on new AL scheme; awaiting decision
• Lewisham: recently consulted on new AL & SL schemes; awaiting decision
• Waltham Forest: AL scheme approved and starts 1 April; SL scheme renewal approved and starts 1 May

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Sometimes, some things have just got to be said

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Sometimes, some things have just got to be said, because what tenants think is helping them, is in fact doing the opposite (see screenshot below).

Unbelievable! This Corbyn and Labour anti-landlord people publicising tenants should get a break from paying the rent.

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Covid19 and Gas safety Certificates?

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Just been talking to my Gas engineer about Covid 19 and he is considering battening down for the next few months, I wonder where we all stand over annual safety certs if you cannot get an engineer to visit premises?

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Selective licensing scheme given go ahead in Wirral

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A selective licensing scheme will come into force in Wirral on 1st July this year after plans were given the go ahead at a Council cabinet meeting last month. The designation will cover six areas within the local authority including Birkenhead South, Egerton North, Egremont Promenade South and Seacombe Library, Egremont South and Tranmere Lairds. […]

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£3.2m Council funding for rough sleepers to self-isolate

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Rough sleepers, or those at risk of rough sleeping will be supported by £3.2 million of initial emergency funding if they need to self-isolate to prevent the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).

The funding will be available to all local authorities in England and will reimburse them for the cost of providing accommodation and services to those sleeping on the streets to help them successfully self-isolate.

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Breaking: Mortgage holidays will only apply to ‘amateur’ landlords, not rental businesses

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Trade body UK Finance has told LandlordZONE that the three-month mortgage holiday will only be available to landlords who operate their properties as sole traders, but will not apply to those who have business mortgages.

The government has revealed that it has persuaded mortgage lenders to give landlord customers a mortgage payment holiday of up to three months if they are experiencing issues with their finances as a result of Coronavirus, including tenants who stop paying their rent.

Trade body UK Finance has told LandlordZONE this morning that the mortgage holiday is only available to ‘amateur’ landlords who operate their properties via personal residential buy-to-let mortgages, and not for those who operate properties via a business.

“Mortgage lenders will support customers who are experiencing issues with their finances as a result of COVID-19 and the options include a payment holiday of up to three months,” says Stephen Jones, CEO of UK Finance.

It also says that landlords who have tenants who are unable to pay their rent should contact their lender as soon as possible to discuss the options that may be open to them.

But UK Finance is keen to underline that the mortgage payment holiday is not free money. Landlords will have their payment reduced to zero for the period, but interest will continue to added to their mortgage balances.

“Where repayments are deferred for a time, the borrower will need to make up these repayments in the future, which could be over the remaining term,” says UK Finance.

“Providers will look at customers’ individual circumstances and offer support on a case-by-case basis.

“All providers are ready and able to offer support, we would encourage customers to speak with their provider at the earliest possible opportunity to discuss the options available to them.”

©1999 – Present | Parkmatic Publications Ltd. All rights reserved | LandlordZONE® – Breaking: Mortgage holidays will only apply to ‘amateur’ landlords, not rental businesses | LandlordZONE.

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Are Shelter Abusing Their Financial Muscle? AGAIN!!!

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Shelter are currently running a Social Media campaign which alleges that landlords can be fined up to £13,000 for discrimination if their Agents advertising includes phrases such as “No DSS”.

Property118 has challenged Shelter to produce evidence of legislation or Case Law to justify this claim

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Landlord charged after shocking conditions found at three HMOs

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Zhiqiang Shen, and a company which until recently he was a director of, have been charged with operating the Ipswich HMOs without licences and with little regard for tenants safety.

A property manager has been charged with a raft of offences related to running three unlicensed HMOs in Ipswich.

Shen
Residences and former company director Zhiqiang Shen, of Manor Road, Chatham,
is charged with operating two HMOs without a licence in Woodbridge Road and a
third in Granville Street, as well as breaches of HMO maintenance regulations.
He denies all charges against him and the company.

At a
hearing at Suffolk Magistrates’ Court, Ipswich Council alleged that both
Woodbridge Road properties lacked fire escape routes and contained bedrooms
with mouldy windows.

It
said one of the Woodbridge Road properties contained two windowless bedrooms,
no protected escape route, no adequate fire alarm, and a first-floor bedroom
fitted with a fastening capable of being padlocked and trapping the occupants
inside.

Other alleged breaches of HMO regulations at the property include a mouldy bathroom and first floor rear room, no light bulbs in the ground floor entrance, lobby, corridor or rear room, and loose paving slabs in a back garden containing beds, furniture, building materials and a shopping trolley.

Rear yard washbasin

At
the property in Granville Street, the council alleges that there was a lack of
escape route, fire alarm and emergency lighting, the only hand wash basin was
in the rear yard, and the only WC was in an external lean-to shed in the rear
yard, where beds and other materials were being stored.

Both
Shen and the company are also accused of failing both to comply with notices
served by the council or produce documents, failing to provide tenants with
contact details, and failing to undertake electrical check.

The next hearing has been fixed for 20^th May at Suffolk Magistrates Court, local media have reported.

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UK Airbnb landlords unhappy after platform makes them pay for cancellations

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Company says it will be working in the days and weeks ahead to identify tools and initiatives to support its hosts during these ‘very challenging times’.

UK Airbnb landlords will now have to offer refunds for cancelled bookings in line with the company’s world-wide response to coronavirus.

After some guests complained they weren’t getting their
money back, the bookings platform announced that guests could cancel existing reservations made on or before 14^th
March, with a check-in date up to 14^th
April, and get a refund, while hosts could cancel without being charged.

However, Airbnb’s Extenuating Circumstances policy has been met with dismay by some hosts. Daniel Clarke, estate agent at Potent Property asks on Twitter: “Why is your extenuating circumstances policy allowing guests to cancel at hosts’ expense? You’ve chosen guests over hosts.”

Impact hosts

In a statement, the company said it understood the
announcement would impact hosts around the world, many of whom depended on the income
it generated.

It added: “We will be working in the days and weeks ahead
to identify tools and initiatives to support our hosts during these very
challenging times.”

Airbnb has confirmed that it won’t collect any service fees
or benefit in any way from reservations cancelled under this new policy.

The booking platform said some hosts had already provided
guests with refunds outside of their existing cancellation policies, and that of
those reservations cancelled in the last month, 86% of the money was refunded.

Merilee Karr, chair of the Short Term Accommodation Association, believes it’s important for everyone to co-operate during this period of uncertainty.

“All
businesses – big and small – are affected from the reduction in travel,” she
says. “Our advice is to work together to support our customers and as we call
for government support to ensure that our industry comes out of the crisis in
the strongest possible position.”

Coronavirus looks set to delay Airbnb’s plans to become a publicly traded company this year. Airbnb had planned to make an initial public offering, however, this is now in doubt until the virus has been contained.]

Read more about Coronavirus.

©1999 – Present | Parkmatic Publications Ltd. All rights reserved | LandlordZONE® – UK Airbnb landlords unhappy after platform makes them pay for cancellations | LandlordZONE.

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Helping landlords help tenants

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NLRA chief executive Ben Beadle on supporting landlords in a time of national crisis. With the rapid spread of coronavirus across the country, more and more landlords are asking what they need to be doing to protect and support their tenants. What we are facing is an unprecedented situation – with circumstances changing sometimes hourly […]

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