Recent Articles
New tougher electrical safety standards to protect private tenants
According to the most recent data tenants in the private rented sector face a higher risk of electrical shock and fires caused by electrical faults in their homes compared to social housing tenants. To address this the government introduced new powers in the Housing and Planning Act 2016 to set and enforce tougher electrical safety […]
Landlords will be required to join a Housing Redress Scheme
For first time ever, private landlords will be legally required to join a housing redress scheme – boosting protection for millions of renters across the country. Announced today by Ministry of Housing Communities & Local Government, The Rt Hon James Brokenshire MP. For further details click here. Scope of mandatory private landlord redress, “There is […]
West of England Landlord Expo 2019
The next Bristol Landlord Expo will take place on Tuesday 2nd April 2019. For more details or to register as an exhibitor click here.
Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 is now Law!
The Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 is now Law! Following agreement by both Houses on the text of the Bill this Act received Royal Assent on 20 December 2018. The Bill is now an Act of Parliament (law). The full version of the Act can be found by clicking here. This important new […]
Housing Court Consideration: Call for Evidence!
New Housing Court – call for evidence: Open Consultation To access the consultation paper click here. Description If you are a landlord or property professional that has suffered from the current inefficient and costly court process whilst, for example, evicting tenants or making deposit claims etc, then please do share your experience and complete the consultation […]
General Data Protection Regulation Check List
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) have released a compliance check list. The check list is designed for sole traders, however, it is also relevant to private landlords. Going through the check list will help you understand what is required of you by the Data Protection Act 2018 and General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and whether […]
Private Tenant – Right to Buy Report
The Government is considering the introduction of a private sector “right-to-buy” scheme for private rented sector tenants who have rented the same property for a minimum term of three years. Proposed by think tank “Onward”, their “Make a House a Home Report” suggests that Capital Gains Tax is scrapped and a gain share scheme is […]
Gas Safe Checks – Boilers & Flues Amendments
On 6th April 2018 amendments to The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 came into force. Of interest to landlords is the provision under section 6 Article 36(A)(1) relating to boiler and flues annual checks. The amendment provides flexibility to landlords in permitting gas boiler and flue annual checks to be conducted two months in […]
Changes – do you need a Licence?
Do you need a licence for your rental property? The rules are changing and will be extant from 1st October 2018, by which time qualifying landlords will need to have applied for a licence! If you may have five or more unrelated tenants forming more two or more households in a property, irrespective of the […]
Longer Tenancies in the PRS
We are encouraging landlords to respond to this consultation. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government are seeking views and comments on overcoming the barriers to landlords offering longer tenancies in the private rented sector (PRS). The government is committed to increasing security for tenants in the private rented sector while balancing landlords’ needs […]
