Government policy for rented housing is failing

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Landlords are claiming that a string of data released today demonstrates the failure of government policy for the private rented sector. The Royal Institution for Chartered Surveyors is warning that private sector rents are set to increase by 2 per cent over the next year as a result of the demand for such housing exceeding […]

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Mark Smith (Barrister-At-Law) Landlord tax planning strategies – Liverpool

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Our Hon. Legal Counsel, Mark Smith, Head of Chambers at Cotswold Barristers will be presenting an overview of several landlords tax strategies at the pin Liverpool Meeting property networking event Thursday 27th February 2020.

The event will be held at The Shankly Hotel

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I can do what I want when I want – Wrong!

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I recently read the shocking story about Mr Valentine-Brown who was murdered by his landlady, her partner and two accomplices when they decided they would take the eviction process into their own hands.  Although an extreme case, this story serves to highlight just how quickly problems can escalate when emotions are running high and landlords take an unlawful route to eviction.

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No parking spaces for redevelopment say Council!

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As painful as the planning process is – the council have approved our plans, but scuppered us with the worse possible restriction if we proceed. How they can come to such a conclusion and feel it is a viable solution.

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The most dangerous trade professions and jobs in Britain revealed and safety tips for amateur DIYers

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The latest research by tradesperson comparison
site, HaMuch.com,
has found that the skilled trade occupations account for the highest rate of
non-fatal injuries as a percentage of all injuries sustained since 2016 and
with Spring approaching leading to more of us attempting DIY jobs at home,
they’ve provided a few basic tips to help avoid any unexpected accidents.

HaMuch.com
analysed Gov.uk
data and also found that skilled trades professionals were also most at risk of
musculoskeletal disorders such as Carpal Tunnel, Tendonitis and muscle and
ligament strain.  

The data does provide one silver lining
however, with skilled trade professionals one of the least likely to suffer
from stress, depression and anxiety caused by work.  

Tree surgeons top the table as the most
dangerous trade, with heights clearly a factor as tilers and scaffolders also
rank in the top three most dangerous trades.  

Plumbers and bricklayers were the least likely
to be injured while at work, with electricians also ranking surprisingly low.
 

What is it doing the damage?  

Contact and injury with power tools is the most
prevalent cause of accidents amongst the trades, closely followed by the same
contact with non-power tools.

Electrocution and lawnmower related injuries
also ranked high, along with incidents with ladders and misuse of tools.

It’s good to see that plenty of public health
announcements highlighting the importance of lifting with your knees are paying
off, as injury through lifting heavy items is currently the least common
injury.  

Top tips to avoid injury 

While accidents can happen in a professional
environment, these accidents can also be common within the house as more and
more of us take to DIY around the home in order to save money.  

With that in mind, HaMuch.com,
has put together a few vital tips to remember when undertaking home
improvements yourself.

Know what you’re doing

This should always be the starting point but
more often than not we go wading in thinking we know what we’re doing. This
might be a harmless, albeit time-consuming approach to an Ikea flatpack, but
when you’re talking about the more tasking DIY jobs it can be costly. Always
read the manual on proper use and if you’re undertaking a job for the first
time, always do your research online first to get a comprehensive understanding
of the potential dangers involved.

The majority of accidents with power tools, in
particular, happen when improper use causes a lack of control, often down to
holding them incorrectly, our hands slipping into the blade or drill piece, or
the tool falling from our grip and causing injury to other areas of the body.

Always make sure you have a firm grasp in the
right areas and don’t try any unconventional manoeuvres even if you feel
comfortable using the tool itself.

Check the power

This is a major one when it comes to injury
through electrocution as well as the use of power tools. Undertaking electrical
work should always be done by a professional but one of the major causes of
injury both in the professional workspace and the home is starting work without
turning the power off first.

This also goes for power tools such as drills,
saws and garden tools. When you’ve finished using them turn the power off
either at the plug or on the tool itself if it’s cordless. This avoids any
injury from accidentally activating the tool while you aren’t in proper
control.   

Concentrate and clear the area

Tradespeople carry out their work in a
professional capacity and even then accidents happen. 

At home having the kids around, the football on
the TV or music on the radio can distract you from the work at hand and just a
few seconds of lapsed concentration can result in injury.  

If you have a big job that requires the use of
dangerous tools or materials, clear the house from kids and other distractions
and then clear your work area from any trip hazards and obstructions.

Protect yourself

Protective gear is used in the trades for a
reason and while it may be hot, uncomfortable or make you feel a bit stupid,
opting to go without can increase the level of injury sustained during an
accident.

At the very least, pick up protection for your
eyes, a sturdy pair of gloves to protect from injury from tools or hazardous
substances, and if you’re lifting heavy objects invest in a pair of steel toe
cap boots.

Always work with or near someone

While you want to clear the house of
distractions, working with someone can dramatically reduce the risk of injury.
Not only can they hold materials while you work on them, they can also secure a
ladder and help lift heavy objects.

If an accident does happen, they can help
reduce the damage by turning off power tools, moving you from the dangerous
area, helping to apply pressure to a wound, calling an ambulance and alerting
them to where you are located.  

Founder and CEO of HaMuch.com,
Tarquin Purdie, commented: 

“You’re probably thinking that these tips go
without saying and they should, but all too often accidents in the trade
workplace and home are caused by neglecting the most basic of safety measures
either through choice or a momentary lapse of concentration.

If it can happen to a trained professional who
undertakes these tasks week in week out, it can certainly happen to the amateur
DIY enthusiast at the weekend and while your jobs at home may be more simple,
accidents can often happen with the easiest of tasks such as cutting wood,
going up a ladder, or changing a light switch. 

You should always be 100% confident in your
abilities before attempting a job and if you’re not it can be more
cost-effective, as well as better for your health, to hire a tradesperson.
While you might think the cost of doing so is high, in many cases, there is
clearly a reason for this as they remain one of the most likely professions to
have an accident in the workplace and this danger is going to require a certain
cost.”

©1999 – Present | Parkmatic Publications Ltd. All rights reserved | LandlordZONE® – The most dangerous trade professions and jobs in Britain revealed and safety tips for amateur DIYers | LandlordZONE.

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BREAKING: Green London mayor hopeful backs ‘freezing of rents’

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Sian Berry wants the capital to be the testing ground for English rent controls before similar schemes are rolled out elsewhere.

A Green Party Mayor of
London would freeze rent in the capital as a way to kick-start similar schemes across
the UK.

If Green candidate Sian
Berry beats Sadiq Khan in the 7^th May election, she has today pledged
to immediately freeze the amount landlords can charge while a commission looks
at ways to lower rent prices within two years.

She tells Metro.co.uk:
“The way to do it is in stages. The answer is going to come back (that rents
should be) lower than now – and that’s the radical part.”

London rented households
have seen rents increase by 1.2% in 2019, to an average of £1,450 a month –
more than double the median rent for England, according to the latest Office
for National Statistics figures.

Berry suggests lessons
could be learnt from the varying forms of rent caps in cities such as New York,
Paris and Copenhagen.

A pilot scheme in the
capital could then lead to similar policies being introduced in other UK
cities, by finding ways to reduce prices, says Berry: “We want some certainty
in the market in the meantime. We need to have an interim period to have a
freeze, which is what they have just done in Berlin to take some heat out of
the system…and create the absolute certainty of the direction of travel.”

The freeze would last until
the commission report was published, probably in 18 months to two years, she
added.

©1999 – Present | Parkmatic Publications Ltd. All rights reserved | LandlordZONE® – BREAKING: Green London mayor hopeful backs ‘freezing of rents’ | LandlordZONE.

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Call of the Week-electrical safety

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The RLA has received a number of calls regarding electrical safety inspections in the last month. New regulations are coming into force that will require landlords in England to have an electrical installation condition report (EICR) in place before they grant or renew a tenancy from July 1st 2020. The rules are set to be […]

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Landlord pays £90,000 in fines and costs for unlicenced houses, even though properties were in good shape

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London Borough of Brent is latest council to get tough with landlords who don’t register their properties within Selective Licensing scheme areas.

A landlord in London
is the latest to be fined for renting out unlicenced properties within a
Selective Licensing scheme and is to pay a total of £90,763 despite the
properties (one of which is pictured) not giving council inspectors any serious
concerns.

Stephen Ige, aged
49, has pleaded guilty to renting out three unlicenced properties within the
London Borough of Brent after being told by council representatives several
times that he needed to comply.

The huge fine includes
£25,000 for each property plus £5,000 for failing to supply documents to Brent
and £10,763 in costs to the council.

The size of the
fines also reflects the fact that Ige is a repeat offender, having previously been
found to have illegally let two other properties in the area. He was later fined
£5,000 for each property but subsequently applied for licences for the two
properties.

Brent’s Selective
Licensing schemes operate in the wards of Dudden Hill, Kensal Green, Kilburn,
Mapesbury and Queen’s Park, although a further 13 wards may soon be included if
the borough’s recent application to the Secretary of State is given the green
light.

“Renting
out a property is a serious business and in Brent we have introduced selective
licensing to ensure that tenants are living in safe, well managed homes,” says Brent
Council’s cabinet member for housing and welfare reform Cllr Eleanor Southwood.

“If you are a
landlord in selective licensing area, failing to licence your property puts you
at risk of being prosecuted and fined.

“While the council did not identify any serious concerns with the
current state of Ige’s properties, our licensing scheme is designed to give
tenants confidence that they are living in homes that are safe.”

©1999 – Present | Parkmatic Publications Ltd. All rights reserved | LandlordZONE® – Landlord pays £90,000 in fines and costs for unlicenced houses, even though properties were in good shape | LandlordZONE.

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Counterclaim to section 8 for unreported mould?

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Help! I have taken a tenant to court (section 8) rent arrears and the court provided the tenant with a solicitor. The tenant is now claiming that the property is not fit for purpose as it has damp mould in various places ( this has never been reported to me).

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It’s a renters market, is the “tail wagging the Commercial Landlord’s dog?”

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Rent paid in Arrears:

Given the toughest
trading conditions in living memory on Britain’s high streets – in
fact the trading conditions in retail are probably unprecedented –
tenants, at least those with a reasonable chance of surviving the
online onslaught, are beginning to “flex their muscles.”

It’s a tenant’s
market, where to some extent, lease terms permitting, they can
dictate conditions to their landlords, some of whom are struggling
themselves.

Intu, the leading shopping centre owners, for example, have just announced the possibility of a £1bn cash call on their shareholders. The debt-laden company, owners of shopping centres including the Trafford Centre in Manchester and Lakeside, among others, has announce it is in serious discussions with its major shareholders. These include The Peel Group, and recent investors including the Hong Kong-based Link Real Estate Investment Trust.

As retailers go into
administration, CVAs, and close down, others are rationalising their
estates by closing unprofitable locations. Property values and market
rents meantime are falling, given the mounting vacant spaces
appearing on the high street.

Whilst many stores
are over-rented (paying above the current market rent), due to the
long-term nature of business leases, some locations are tied-in for
some time and therefore their tenants are looking for other ways to
protect their cash-flows.

One way of doing
this, as WHSmith is attempting, is to agree with their landlords to
accept rents in arrears, as opposed to the time old industry practice
of quarterly rents in advance. The successful national stationery
chain is reported (Sunday Times 9^th February) to be
asking landlords to make the switch from advance to arrears.

There’ no law that
states rents must be paid either way, it’s purely a matter of
convention, and indeed residential rents are almost always paid
monthly in advance. How rents are paid – monthly, quarterly,
advance or arrears – is a matter for negotiation between landlords
and tenant; its contractual not a statutory requirement. In normal
circumstances when there is competition for rentals between tenants,
as is currently the case with residential, it’s a way for the
tenant to quickly secure a tenancy.

But not so in
retail; it’s not normal circumstances. So unless the property is in
a highly desirable location, commercial landlords may be coerced into
agreeing more tenant friendly terms: lower rents, monthly payments
instead of quarterly, short leases, or as in WHSmiths case, payments
in arrears. These demands will undoubtedly put landlords themselves
under more financial pressure.

According to the
Sunday Times, WHSmith already pays rent in arrears on several
large high street stores, and secured rent cuts averaging 35% on
leases renewed last year. Given the continuing tough trading
conditions and the shrinkage of many retailers estates, competitors
are likely to follow suit with cash saving demands on landlords.

©1999 – Present | Parkmatic Publications Ltd. All rights reserved | LandlordZONE® – It’s a renters market, is the “tail wagging the Commercial Landlord’s dog?” | LandlordZONE.

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