Slum London landlord banned for five years and fined £30,000 by court

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A rogue landlord who packed 40 tenants in a four-bedroom property has been handed Brent Council’s first banning order.

Jaydipkumar Rameshchandra Valand (main picture, inset), 48, of Swinderby Road, Wembley, has been banned from letting out houses in England and engaging in any sort of property management work in the country for the next five years.

Valand was one of four landlords found guilty of raking in £360,000 by housing tenants in the semi-detached house in Napier Road, Wembley (main picture), in 2018.

Enforcement officers discovered one tenant living in a lean-to shack made from pallets and tarpaulin with no lighting or heating.

Although he was handed a £5,000 confiscation order, Valand went on to exploit more vulnerable tenants. In January 2022 he was found guilty of breaching housing regulations at a licensed HMO property in Wembley Hill Road.

Enforcement officers discovered fire safety issues, accumulating waste, disrepairs and unhygienic conditions, while he pocketed £1,400 a month from tenants without tenancy agreements.

Lie revealed

Valand was fined £30,000 and ordered to pay £3,347 in costs by Willesden Magistrates Court and, although he declared that he didn’t own a business in the UK, Brent officers were able to demonstrate in court last year that this was a lie.

Council leader Muhammed Butt (pictured) says: “Brent Council takes a zero-tolerance policy against rogue landlords such as this, and we will use everything in our powers to hold them to account to safeguard our vulnerable residents.”

The borough introduced a selective licensing scheme at the beginning of August, covering all landlords who rent out properties in Dollis Hill, Harlesden & Kensal Green and Willesden Green.

Pictures: London Borough of Brent

Read more about landlord licencing.

View Full Article: Slum London landlord banned for five years and fined £30,000 by court

Help! The managing agents are blanking me

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Hi, I have tenants that haven’t paid rent for over a year. The managing agents won’t reply to my emails or phone calls.

We haven’t fallen out and I haven’t been rude, but they are just blanking me totally

View Full Article: Help! The managing agents are blanking me

Adverts for rented homes must be more accurate says Trading Standards

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Descriptions used by letting agents to advertise landlords’ properties to potential tenants must be more accurate, guidance from Trading Standards outlines today.

As many landlords will know, agents use a plethora of different terms to market properties both online, in branch windows and on boards, but the National Trading Standards team monitoring the industry believes many are used inaccurately or not updated quick enough.

This can lead to “frustration and delay in the home buying and renting process” for example when a home hunter phones up an agent to enquire, only to find it’s already been rented out.

Agents who both let and sell properties are being reminded that it is their legal responsibility to update the details of properties offered and National Trading Standards has issued a new list of preferred terms which are:

New on the market – A property that has not been advertised since the last sale or let of that home.

New Instruction – A property where an agent has recently been instructed to market (and which may have been offered for sale by another agent without being sold or let).

New and Exclusive – A property that is either a new instruction or new on the market which is exclusive to that agent or portal (depending on the context).

New Method of Let – for example when a landlord or agent decides to only accept sealed bids having previously not done so.

These changes may seem technical, but they are designed to stop agents marketing rented properties as ‘available’ or ‘just launched’ when they are not, boosting their stock and making them look more successful locally than they are, although Trading Standards are too polite to spell this out. Some agents also keep marketing properties that have been rented in order to attract potential tenants for other homes.

Clarity

Emma Cooke, Policy & Information Manager, National Trading Standards Estate & Letting Agency Team, says: “Agents commonly use terms like ‘new on the market’, ‘new instruction’, ‘under offer’, ‘sale/let agreed’, ‘sold/let subject to contract’ in advertisements, marketing boards and on property portal listings.

“This updated guidance is intended to provide consistency and clarity and – by providing a working definition – we hope this helps reduce unnecessary confusion for property agents, consumers, and other organisations in the property industry.”

Fair and accurate

Sean Hooker, Head of Redress at the PRS, (pictured) adds: “This guidance will help estate agents and their customers have a clear understanding of what are fair and accurate descriptions to use in advertising and to avoid complaints about misleading or unfair terms.

“It will also help agents avoid complaints with us and awards going against them for misdescription or worse prosecution by Trading Standards und consumer protection regulations.”

View Full Article: Adverts for rented homes must be more accurate says Trading Standards

Tax incentives required for EPC improvements

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An industry body is urging the chancellor to introduce tax incentives for energy improvements for PRS homes.

Propertymark has written a letter to Jeremy Hunt suggesting changes to the tax system that will incentivise landlords to improve energy efficiency ratings.

View Full Article: Tax incentives required for EPC improvements

Tenant jailed after conning kind-hearted landlord out of £212,000

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A kind-hearted landlord has been left destitute and suicidal after being tricked out of £212,000 by one of his tenants.

Cruel conman Derek Conway (main pic, inset) preyed on Eugene Schofield’s good nature by pretending he was terminally ill but that he had a £100,000 windfall waiting to be paid, Lancashire Live reports.

Schofield owned five buy-to-let properties in Blackpool which he rented out to people who were struggling. Preston Crown Court heard that he did not take deposits or check references as he “took people as he found them”.

Conway had told his landlord that his medical treatment would cost £103,000 and asked Schofield to lend him the difference.

Gambled

He later claimed he had paid the money to a clinic, but the doctor had disappeared with his payment and the clinic would no longer treat him. However, Conway had gambled the money away.

Between 2013 and 2019, Conway left his landlord unable to afford to feed himself or pay his bills and owing £20,000 to HMRC. He sold all his properties and re-mortgaged his own home to help his tenant out, losing £1,000 a week rental income.

In a victim impact statement, the landlord told the court: “I never took a bond or references as my opinion was that if people are renting, they need some kind of financial assistance.

“If my tenants were ever struggling with rent, I would always try to help out. I would give them a loan for as long as they needed it.”

Schofield said he became so depressed he attempted to take his own life and was no longer sleeping or able to support himself.

Conway, of no fixed address, was jailed for six years and nine months in a case the judge labelled, “A long term, cruel deception of a vulnerable man.”

Pics: Getty and Lancashire Police

Read more about people who con landlords.

View Full Article: Tenant jailed after conning kind-hearted landlord out of £212,000

Landlords worried over plans to bring in compulsory ombudsman membership

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Nearly 60% of landlords are either against or not convinced by the Government’s plans to bring in mandatory membership of an ombudsman for all landlords in England, it has been revealed.

The proposals, which are within the Renters (Reform) Bill passing through parliament, aim to ensure disputes between private renters and landlords are settled impartially, quickly, at a low cost and without going to court.

Mortgage broker Landbay canvassed 1,100 landlords and found that while almost half of them were unsure whether the ombudsman was a good idea and would like more information about it, 10% were against it and 42% agreed the proposal was a good idea.

Impartial

Those landlords who were supportive of an ombudsman were keen to point out that it must be impartial and offer timely resolution of disputes rather than lengthy court cases.

But those against the service said they thought it would ‘always side with the tenant and it was just a money-making scheme’ and that if it were run by Government would just be ‘another layer of bureaucracy’.

Indications are that, like the ombudsman schemes that help letting agents and their customers resolve disputes, it would be run by a third party outside Whitehall.

Paul Brett (pictured), MD of intermediaries at Landbay commented: “Our survey found uncertainty around the idea of a Private Rented Sector ombudsman.

“On the positive side, it would be good if disputes could be quickly resolved without having to go to court, but there is some scepticism as to how quick this would be. It appears that more information is needed before such as scheme is created.”

View Full Article: Landlords worried over plans to bring in compulsory ombudsman membership

Strategies for Maintaining a Steady Property Income Stream

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Property investment is an attractive avenue for building wealth and generating passive income. However, success in property requires more than just purchasing properties; it necessitates effective cash flow management. Maintaining a steady income stream is crucial to ensure your property investment endeavors remain profitable and sustainable.

View Full Article: Strategies for Maintaining a Steady Property Income Stream

Carer/partner won’t leave after tenant died?

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Hi, We have a tenant who was served a section 21 back in April which expired on 26 June 2023. They were in arrears of over £6k. Due to the tenants’ health issues we were regularly in contact with their partner who was also the carer

View Full Article: Carer/partner won’t leave after tenant died?

Debate rages over huge arrangement fees for landlord mortgages

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A mortgage expert has advised landlords not to be put off by high arrangement fees on BTL mortgages, but some landlords and brokers have accussed lenders of profiteering.

With some fees as much as 7% of the mortgage amount, lenders have been accused of taking advantage of a precarious mortage market, but Lee Grandin of Landlord Mortgages says this simply isn’t true.

“The only reason this has come about is that the regulations are more stringent now for when lenders are working out cover, as interest rates have risen,” he tells LandlordZONE. “Those landlords coming off fixed rates can’t go onto a fixed rate with a new lender.”

Brokers have explained that higher arrangement fees – introduced after last year’s mini-Budget – are the only instrument lenders have to ensure borrowing can still continue for the benefit of the landlord, but also to satisfy their stress tests with the regulator.

Affordability

In short, lenders are acting out of necessity to enable landlords to achieve affordability.

Grandin adds: “Five years ago, fixed rates were a lot lower and they may have lent on a fixed rate of 4% for five years. That’s the only reason lenders are charging a fee – but with a 7% arrangement fee, the pay rate comes down significantly.”

He adds that the mortgage environment is set to evolve as lenders still need to get rid of money. “Margins will come down over the next few years and there will be a move towards tracker mortgages with much lower margins,” says Grandin.

“Lenders weren’t offering any lifetime trackers after the credit crunch like they used to, but these are starting to emerge again.”

But portfolio landlord, Kundan Bhaduri, director of London-based The Kushman Group, has accused lenders of profiteering and urged the Government to step in: “While some argue that these fees are a strategic way to maintain lower interest rates and enhance affordability, it is becoming increasingly evident that they border on profiteering, as they are causing extreme financial distress to landlords.

“Lenders used to charge around £995 to 2% in arrangement fees, but they’re now not far off £50,000 in some cases.”

Read more about mortgage arrangement fees on the LandlordZONE Forum.

View Full Article: Debate rages over huge arrangement fees for landlord mortgages

UPDATED: Bed bugs, an increasingly common problem in rentals…

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Bedbug Pest Control:

There’s been an explosion in the incidence of bed bugs that Rentokil blames on the bloodsucking creatures hiding in second-hand furniture.

Rentokil says it has seen a 65pc increase in bed bug infestations in Britain this year, blaming the rise in the increasing popularity of furniture recycling, particularly in rentals, and also because of a post-pandemic resurgence in travel, Airbnb and hotel stays.

Professor James Logan, from the London School of Tropical Medicine, told The Daily Telegraph that more people buying used furniture from websites including eBay and Facebook Marketplace is spreading bedbugs.

The small brown bugs deposit themselves unseen in the nooks and crannies of beds, chairs and couches before they creep out at night, biting their prey, their unsuspecting human victims. These bites result in nasty swollen sores and rashes and though they rarely spread diseases, they can cause infections.

The most common type of bed bug in the UK, cimex lectularius (main image), can also feed on household pets. Rodents and birds have been known as carriers of these nasty bugs.

Severe infestations will lodge themselves in floorboards, electrical sockets and even electrical items such as TV sets and stereo systems – they will find anywhere to hide that’s warm and dry.

Prof Logan said that Airbnb style travel and tourism, added to climate change may also be behind the dramatic increase seen in Britain. He added:

“Obviously we probably had a bit of a lull during Covid but with things starting to get back to pre-pandemic levels in terms of travel, it’s very likely that there will be bed bugs on the move much more again and travelling in people’s suitcases.”

A recent phenomenon in Britain

Most people in Britain have never seen one or even heard of anyone reporting a bed bug infestation, though now that seems to be changing, they may be a relatively recent phenomenon, but they are catching up now.

Bed bug infestations were common in the United States before
World War II, however, with improvements in hygiene and chemical treatments in
the 1940s and ‘50s, they were virtually eliminated there.

But like all the types of insects that have existed since ancient times, they are very persistent and survive in the most hostile environments, eventually adapting and thriving to adverse conditions, but they like warmth best. They commonly exist in most parts of the world: Africa, Asia, the Americas and Eastern Europe, and in Britain they have become more common, the warming weather being one factor, though international travel, Airbnb and more hotel stays are others.

These creatures are tiny brownish, flattened insects that feed solely on the blood of mammals, including humans, the most common types preferring feeding on humans; they bite all warm-blooded animals, including dogs, cats, birds and rodents.

Night hawks

They are mostly active at night, preferring to hide away
from daylight but remain close to where people sleep. Their flattened bodies
enable them to fit into the tiniest crevices in floors and beds. Signs they are
present are hatched and un-hatched eggs and dark spotting stains, which is their
dried excrement.

They usually bite people at night while they are sleeping, piercing the skin with an elongated beak through which they withdraw blood. As the bite is painless, the person seldom realises they are being bitten, but some may develop an itchy red sore or welt within a day or so of the bite, though for some there’s no reaction at all.

Eradication is a challenge

The creatures are challenging to eradicate, to say the least. It is unlikely that a DIY solution to eradication will be successful, so as soon as an infestation is suspected pest control professionals should be called in before the infestation becomes too extensive.

Since they are able to hide in so many different places,
inspections must be very thorough indeed and total elimination is not always a certain.
However, an experienced pest controller will know where to look for bed bugs, and
will have the equipment necessary to give the best chance of their disposal
first time.

All none essential fabric furniture should be removed, and it may be necessary to dispose of and replace beds and chairs. Disposing of the furniture requires great care if the infestation is not to be spread, and once the item in question has been removed it should be burned.

If an infestation is spotted the sooner it is treated the better as it will be much more difficult to irradiate once it spreads and the bugs become well established – the infestations can become very large.

Landlords and bedbugs

As with any insect or rodent infestation there’s always the question of who is responsible when a property is tenanted – tenant or landlord?

Ideally the tenancy agreement should set out clearly the circumstances in which the tenant can be held responsible for infestations of these sorts of creatures or rodents such as mice and rates.

However, nothing is cut and dried with this and unless it can clearly be shown that tenants have been responsible for the matter, a policy of goodwill should be adopted. It is perhaps preferable that the landlord takes on the responsibility – after all it’s in their long-term interests.

Dealing with the problem comprehensively my mean the tenants have to move into alternative accommodation temporarily, so the landlord should contact their insurers – good landlord’s policies should cover this.

How to remove bedbugs

To rid yourself of a bedbug infestation is not easy, you really need to use a pest control professional such as rentokil, but there are certain things you can do in the meantime to control the outbreak. Here are some steps you can take:

• Wash all bedding, curtains, and clothing in hot water and dry them on the highest dryer setting.
• Remove and replace cushions and pillows.
• Put other items that can’t be washed in the dryer and run it on high for 30 minutes or more.
• Replace mattresses if you can, otherwise: take a stiff brush to scrub mattress seams to remove any bedbugs and then thoroughly vacuum.
• Repeatedly vacuum beds and the areas them around them
• Vacuum floor boards and floor coverings thoroughly.
• Dispose of the vacuum cleaner waste dust in a sealed plastic bag and place it in the bin outdoors right away.
• Put a tightly woven, zippered cover or sealed polyethene cover on mattresses or to keep bedbugs from entering or escaping.
• Bedbugs can live several months without food, so keep cover on mattress for at least a year.
• Repair cracks in plaster, glue down peeling wallpaper, and seal holes and wide joints in floor boards.
• Remove all unnecessary clutter from lounges and bedrooms and move beds away from walls and other furniture.

[Image: the common bed bug Cimex lectularius]

View Full Article: UPDATED: Bed bugs, an increasingly common problem in rentals…