Blog: Landlord Electrical Checks Look Likely from 2020

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The government has laid further regulations under the Housing and Planning Act 2016 in order to start the process of bringing into force the requirement for all landlords to carry out electrical safety checks. In this blog first published on Anthony Gold, RLA Policy Director David Smith takes a closer look at the issue of electrical safety […]

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Landbay say 75% of tenants are happy

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Landbay conducted a study ‘delving into the psyche’ of 2,000 private renters in the UK and as suspected the vast majority (75%) said they were happy.

Landbay went on to report:

“Some of this is a reaction to the financial demands of buying a home

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Landlords Alliance donates to defend our property rights

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Unless you’ve been living under a stone, you will have seen the Government waging a relentless war against private landlords. Some of the effects of this are now being seen in the courts, where extremely poor legislation, full of ‘unintended consequences’ is beginning to hit landlords hard. 

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Criminals laundering money for fraudulent rental payments

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Fraud:

Criminals have been sentenced for money laundering after fraudulent rental payments.

Three London criminals have been sentenced after pleading guilty to money laundering in April 2019. Two criminals were sentenced on 27 June 2019 and the third was sentenced on 21 September – all the sentences were handed down at Snaresbrook Crown Court.

The sentences follow an investigation spearheaded by the National Trading Standards eCrime Team, which found that an online property letting business – Oliver Knights – was being used as a vehicle for fraud that has led to at least £50,000 financial loss for tenants and landlords.

All three defendants pleaded guilty to money laundering, having knowingly allowed their bank accounts to be used to launder the proceeds of lettings frauds between the 31 December 2013 and 4 September 2015.* These proceeds specifically relate to rental payments received for properties that were never available to rent.

The final sentences handed down were as follows:

• Adnan Iqbal 34 from Barking, sentenced to 10 months, suspended for 18 months on 21 September 2019
• Shaidul Islam 29 from Ilford, sentenced to 1 year, suspended for 18 months
• Kamran Malik 31 from Plaistow, sentenced to 1 year, suspended for 18 months.

Mr Islam and Mr Malik were also ordered to pay compensation orders totaling more than £15,000, which is being redistributed to victims. All three were also ordered to do 120 hours unpaid community work each.

The investigation was prompted by more than 40 complaints to Action Fraud and Citizens Advice about Oliver Knights and has exposed how the business was used a vehicle for fraud, causing financial loss, distress and significant inconvenience (such as leaving people without a home) for prospective tenants and landlords. It is not suggested that the defendants were involved in the underlying frauds.

Lord Toby Harris, Chair, National Trading Standards, said:

“The defendants knowingly allowed fraudulent payments to be made into bank accounts and – while not being the architects of the fraud – have benefited financially from fraudulent activity. We are determined to clamp down on those who benefit from the financial exploitation of others and I am grateful to our investigators for their determination to secure justice and compensation for the victims, who have been left out of pocket and, in some cases, emotionally scarred.”

“The internet is a natural place to search for rental properties, but online search portals can be manipulated by criminals and it’s important to be vigilant. You should always check properties through accredited schemes – such as the Residential Landlords Accreditation Scheme or the National Approved Letting Scheme – and avoid paying deposits before you have visited the property yourself. Importantly, never feel pressured to transfer money to strangers.”

To report any suspected cases of fraud you should contact the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 03454 04 05 06.

Background on Oliver Knights – a vehicle for fraud

Whilst it is not suggested that the defendants were involved in the underlying frauds, the background to Oliver Knights is important to understand the impact of the money laundering on victims.

Oliver Knights advertised properties to let on websites such as Rightmove, Zoopla, Gumtree and their own site to attract interest from prospective tenants. After initial dialogue and property viewings, consumers paid deposits and rent in advance – totalling hundreds or thousands of pounds – only to be told that the property was no longer available, or to not hear anything further from Oliver Knights representatives.

Some of the properties offered for rent had never been available and had been falsely advertised without the consent of the owners. In other instances, consumers paid deposits and rent and moved into the property before discovering that the transaction had been completed without the landlord’s knowledge and/or without the necessary payments being passed on to the landlord by Oliver Knights. This left some renters without a home and caused financial loss to landlords.

Victims – both consumers and landlords – have mentioned the impact of the experience on them. This includes:

• Causing stress and anxiety
• Loss of money, including being forced to borrow money from high-interest lenders to pay for deposits
• Leaving people without a home – some victims had to sofa-surf for weeks or relocate to a different city and change jobs
• Health issues, including headaches, exhaustion, weight loss and panic attacks.

* The charges were money laundering contrary to section 327 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.

For more information visit www.nationaltradingstandards.uk

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BLOG: Wales homeless debate misses out key component – the PRS

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Calum Davies is the Welsh Policy & Public Affairs Officer at the RLA. Here he reflects on the last few weeks in Welsh politics. Homelessness has been high on the political agenda in Wales over the last month. With October 10 marking World Homeless Day, we were updated on the Welsh Government’s homelessness strategy, with […]

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Buy Build Complete to generate quicker returns

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PIP is delighted to offer investors the chance to invest in a beautiful 1-bed apartment in Shipley, near Leeds starting from only £77,000.  These apartments have been discounted by 12% off current selling prices.  According to local letting agents, Martin &

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Stamp duty for multiple purchase from same seller?

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Hi I’am currently in the process of purchasing 2 properties from the same seller.

I believe this is termed a “linked” purchase and extra SDLT is payable to HMRC.

Please can anyone advise me of what the position of SDLT might be in this situation.

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Help RLA fight Welsh Section 8 repossession challenge

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The RLA is fighting a ruling which could stop landlords taking back properties from tenants who are refusing to pay rent.

It could be very important to challenge these absurd legal decisions for when/if Section 21 is scrapped and the traps attached to Section 21 are potentially carried over to Section 8.

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Esther McVey wants digital revolution

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Housing Minister, Esther McVey, has announced plans to release data held by local bodies to enable the UK PropTech sector to thrive and for them to “bring about a digital revolution in the property sector.”

The Housing Minister will announce measures to:

• Open up Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) data for the first time in a transparency drive and enable PropTechs to obtain things like energy performance certificates and the square footage information of properties.

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Landlord’s claim against popstar – success due to inventory work…

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Inventories:

Is there something
about celebrities that makes them a petty bad tenancy risk? One
landlord recently fond that out the hard way when he rented a
property to popstar and former X Factor judge Tulisa Contostavlos.

The landlord claimed
that the three-bedroom property, located in Enfield and costing
£3,466 per month to rent, was let in ‘tip-top condition’ but
returned to him in an ‘appalling’ and ‘unlettable’ state.

The reported damage,
created between September 2014 and July 2016, included a smashed
sink, cigarette burns, stains and doors ripped from hinges.

Something very
similar happened a few years ago with international model, Kate Moss:
“Party-loving Kate is not a model tenant”, said the headline in
the Daily Mail, “For a girl who epitomises the urban chic of
metropolitan life, moving to the country was always likely to be a
difficult transition for the supermodel Kate Moss, said the report.

Moss’s stay at
honeysuckle-bedecked Walnut Tree Cottage eventually cost here
thousands of pounds in compensation after the 300-year-old property
was wrecked by flood water and trashed after wild partying, while she
was renting it, and after a long battle for the landlord.

Tulisa Contostavlos,
the former N-Dubz star was recently ordered to pay over £70,000 to
the landlord of her property, Andrew Charalambous, after it was heard
the luxury home had been ‘trashed’ during her tenancy.

What saved the day
for the landlord was the independent inventory check-in and check-out
report carried out by nation-wide inventory franchise firm, No
Letting Go. This was the key in providing evidence of serious
damage caused to a North London flat said the landlord.

When the case went
to court, Contostavlos’ lawyer argued that the damage was not caused
by her and that it was not above ‘normal wear and tear’. However,
judge David Saunders ruled against her and she was ordered to pay
compensation, interest and legal costs in excess of £70,000 to Mr
Charalambous.

The inventory work
on the property was carried out by Mitchell Walters, the owner of No
Letting Go’s Barnet and Enfield franchise, who deals with many
high-end properties in the capital.

The landlord has
described the inventory work carried out at the property as
‘excellent’.

“We were
pleased to be able to contribute towards helping the landlord win
compensation in his case against the former tenant as the property
was treated very poorly and would have cost him thousands to renovate
and repair. Our inventory reporting helped to demonstrate its
pristine condition at the start of the tenancy,” says Mitchell
Walters.

“Hopefully the
high-profile nature of this case will help to remind landlords and
letting agents about the potential financial implications of property
damage if they don’t have professional and comprehensive measures in
place.”

Nick Lyons, CEO and
Founder of No Letting Go, the UK’s largest provider of
inventory services, said:

“We can see
from this case the importance of an independently and professionally
compiled inventory.”

“It’s clear
that the type of damage being reported was certainly not wear and
tear, but when serious disputes between landlords and tenants like
this occur, being able to prove it through evidence becomes crucial
if landlords want to recover costs for repairs and replacements.”

“This case also
shows that it doesn’t matter whether a rental property is at the very
top or bottom end of the market, landlords and letting agents need to
follow the same procedures when it comes to documenting its condition
before, during and after a tenancy if they want ensure they are
protected against damage,” he says.

No Letting Go
is the UK’s largest provider of inventory services with over 65
offices across the country. It was crowned Lettings Supplier of the
Year in 2016 and is a member of the Association of Independent
Inventory Clerks, ARLA Propertymark, safe contractor and the British
Franchise Association.

www.nolettinggo.co.uk

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