SCOTS: ‘Our landlord register hasn’t worked – so be careful as you plan yours, Mr Gove’

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Scotland’s landlord leader says the “postcode lottery” over how its country’s register is administered means it has failed to weed out bad practices or use the opportunity to communicate with private landlords.

Scottish Association of Landlords chief executive John Blackwood (pictured) is encouraging housing secretary Michael Gove to think carefully about how he can properly achieve the aims of its proposed national register for England – announced today in the government’s levelling up White Paper.

Private landlords in Scotland are legally required to apply for registration with their local authority and get a registration number to show they’ve been approved – which is renewed every three years.

Council control

Its landlord registration scheme delegates maintaining the register to 32 local authorities, which isn’t an ideal situation, says Blackwood, as many landlords own properties in different authorities which means they have to pay multiple registration fees.

More importantly, Blackwood tells LandlordZONE that because of the postcode lottery used to administer the scheme, it isn’t always weeding out bad practice.

You don’t know how many rogue landlords aren’t registering, while there are only a small number who are refused registration,” he says.

“When it was set up, we hoped that the register would be a way for local authorities to communicate with landlords and keep them updated with information about their rights and responsibilities.

Missed opportunity

“But some authorities simply use it to keep a list of landlords which is a missed opportunity. A national register would have an advantage and should be easier to maintain.”

However, one clear benefit is the ability for the public to search the register to find out how to contact the owner of a let property.

Blackwood adds: “The UK government needs to carefully consider what the purpose of the register is and how its effectiveness will be monitored as there is no point it just creating a register of names and addresses for the sake of it.”

©1999 – Present | Parkmatic Publications Ltd. All rights reserved | LandlordZONE® – SCOTS: ‘Our landlord register hasn’t worked – so be careful as you plan yours, Mr Gove’ | LandlordZONE.

View Full Article: SCOTS: ‘Our landlord register hasn’t worked – so be careful as you plan yours, Mr Gove’

Lenders keen to cater for First Time Landlords

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The choice of buy-to-let deals available to first-time landlords (FTL) has grown at a time when demand is rife for rental properties, according to the most recent research by Moneyfacts.co.uk.

As product availability has recovered in the wider buy-to-let (BTL) sector following the impact of the pandemic

View Full Article: Lenders keen to cater for First Time Landlords

Existing Decent Homes Standard is not the right vehicle

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Responding to proposals in the Government’s ‘Levelling Up’ White Paper that private rented homes will be required to meet the Decent Homes Standard, Ben Beadle, Chief Executive of the National Residential Landlords Association said:

“Every tenant should have the right to expect properties to be safe and secure.

View Full Article: Existing Decent Homes Standard is not the right vehicle

Levelling Up White Paper – S21 abolished – Landlord register – Decent homes standard

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Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions will further be abolished, ending the unfair situation where renters can be kicked out of their homes for no reason.

We will consult on introducing a landlords register, and will set out plans for a crackdown on rogue landlords –

View Full Article: Levelling Up White Paper – S21 abolished – Landlord register – Decent homes standard

BREAKING: Levelling up White Paper confirms ‘crack down’ on landlords

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Housing secretary Michael Gove has confirmed a raft of renting reform proposals within the government’s levelling up White Paper, although today’s announcement remains thin on detail.

But what it lacks in depth it makes up for with ambition; the document includes dozens of radical proposals including a heavy focus on landlords.

As expected, there is to be a national landlord register, a crack-down on rogue landlords, the implementation of a national ‘decent homes standard’ and moves to abolish section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions.

Other measures that were within the renting reform consultation such as the lifetime deposit scheme, are not included.

Local pride

Gove clearly wants the private rented sector to be part of the government’s efforts to level up the UK economically and in relation to opportunity, health, education, policing and devolved decision making and government spending to conclude 12 key ‘missions’ by 2030.

The government also wants to get more renters on the property ladder; and the government’s ambition is for the number of non-decent rented homes to have fallen by 50%, with the biggest improvements in the lowest-performing areas.

“Not everyone shares equally in the UK’s success,” says Gove (pictured).

“For decades, too many communities have been overlooked and undervalued.

“As some areas have flourished, others have been left in a cycle of decline. The UK has been like a jet firing on only one engine.

“Levelling up and this White Paper is about ending this historic injustice and calling time on the postcode lottery.”

Reactions from landlords

Ben Beadle (pictured), Chief Executive of the National Residential Landlords Association says: “Every tenant should have the right to expect properties to be safe and secure.

“The existing Decent Homes Standard however is not the right vehicle with which to achieve this important goal.

“At present, this standard, designed for the social rented sector, does not reflect many of the differences between it and the private rented sector. This includes the types and age of properties in each.

“We will work with the Government to ensure whatever standards expected of the sector are proportionate, fit for purpose and can be properly enforced. Without this, criminal landlords will continue to undermine the reputation of the vast majority of responsible landlords doing the right thing.”

“The White Paper has also re-announced plans to end Section 21 repossessions, consult on a national register of landlords and develop plans to better tackle rogue landlords.”

Shelter commentary

Osama Bhutta, its Director of Campaigns (pictured) says: “Today’s commitment from government is a crucial step forward and offers hope to the millions of people being held back by the housing emergency.

“You cannot level up the country without safe and secure homes. The devil will be in the detail, so the government now needs to set out how it will deliver on its promises.

“Renters have had a rotten deal for years. Far too many have been forced to live in shoddy conditions, afraid to complain for fear of eviction.”

Read the White Paper in full.

©1999 – Present | Parkmatic Publications Ltd. All rights reserved | LandlordZONE® – BREAKING: Levelling up White Paper confirms ‘crack down’ on landlords | LandlordZONE.

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Contract or deposit first?

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For those of you that manage your own properties (without using an agency etc), what is your sequence of events when you have a person(s) interested in taking a room or a property?

I ask this because I am having an abnormal amount of people saying that want to take a property and asking for a tenancy contract

View Full Article: Contract or deposit first?

Evictions have a new look – at Landlord Action

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Leading evictions specialist Landlord Action has a new look after the company’s redesigned logo and website went live today.

Paul Shamplina, who is currently busy filming a special report on evictions with ITV, says the ‘powerful and bold’ branding signifies the strength of the company and goes hand in hand with the more complex legal cases that will be undertaken by the team.

Founded in 1999 as the UK’s first fixed-fee evictions specialist for private and corporate landlords and now employing over 200 legal professionals, it joined the Hamilton Fraser family in 2017.

This enabled the group to offer an end-to-end lifecycle service to landlords, covering everything from insuring their property and protecting the deposit, to protecting against poor service by their letting agent and helping landlords get their property back in the event of non-payment of rent or other tenancy issues.

Tumultous

The past two years have been tumultuous for landlords, with eviction suspensions and extended notice periods.

Since the ban on bailiff enforced evictions ended, the number of renters being evicted has increased and Landlord Action predicts that in 2022 possession figures will double when compared to 2020 and 2021.

“Supporting landlords in stressful times is what we do,” says Paul Shamplina, founder and also Chief Commercial Officer at Hamilton Fraser (main picture).

“Our business has evolved, and our team has grown to deal with the effects of the pandemic and changes in the market.

“We will continue to manage the rise in possessions, whilst also broadening our focus to encompass the more complex legal issues facing landlords in today’s market, given the shift of power in the tenant’s favour.

“Going forward, our services will become more and more important to landlords as the economy gradually unlocks following a tough winter.”

Paul Sowerbutts (pictured), who joined the company as Head of Legal last year, says: “This fantastic rebrand is the next step in Landlord Action’s move towards offering a one-stop shop for all of a landlord’s legal services.”

©1999 – Present | Parkmatic Publications Ltd. All rights reserved | LandlordZONE® – Evictions have a new look – at Landlord Action | LandlordZONE.

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January house price inflation at 11.2%

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The latest January Nationwide House price index is reporting the strongest start to a year since 2005 with inflation running at 11.2% up from 10.4% in December with January prices up 0.8% month-on-month.

The average price of a home in the Uk now stands at £255,556

Robert Gardner

View Full Article: January house price inflation at 11.2%

LATEST: Manchester goes live with ANOTHER new selective licensing scheme

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Manchester has extended selective licensing in more of the city, covering another 1,400 properties in The Ladders, Hyde Road, Trinity and Ben Street areas.

Four similar schemes already cover 1,800 properties in Crumpsall, Old Moat, Moston and Moss Side/Rusholme where 1,871 licences have been issued, along with 51 enforcement letters, fines totalling £108,000 and 12 suspended prohibition orders.

The scheme extension follows two consultations which the council says found that 92% of residents who responded agreed that private rented properties should be inspected. The NRLA went public with its opposition to the scheme.

Officers conducted 701 external inspections and 145 internal inspections in the new areas and found six category one hazards and 215 other hazards which led to three enforcement letters telling landlords to improve their properties.

Councillor Gavin White (pictured), executive member for housing and employment, says it’s clear that these schemes improve standards in private sector homes – and tenants are seeing the real-life benefits.

He adds: “The enforcement work carried out by council officers mean that residents in private sector homes in these areas can sleep soundly knowing that their homes have been made safe as a direct result of selective licensing.” ]

Eight more?

Manchester Council has flagged up another eight areas where it might consider schemes in future, including Claremont Rd/Great Western Street, Moss Side, and Royals, Longsight, which would cover another 1,031 properties.

Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham is a supporter of landlord licensing schemes and is also set on introducing a Good Landlord Charter in partnership with the city’s 10 councils to support landlord licensing and drive up standards in the private rented sector.

The licence fee for the new areas is £798 for five years, with an early bird offer of £591 if landlords apply before 30^th April.

©1999 – Present | Parkmatic Publications Ltd. All rights reserved | LandlordZONE® – LATEST: Manchester goes live with ANOTHER new selective licensing scheme | LandlordZONE.

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There’s a new podcast for Landlords everyone’s talking about you won’t want to miss

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There’s a buzz in the air, and it’s for good reason. This week LandlordZONE reported that: “in the wave of podcasts that have come out recently, none have made quite an entrance like the newest outfit on the block, Landlord Sales Agency – The Podcast.

View Full Article: There’s a new podcast for Landlords everyone’s talking about you won’t want to miss