New or Changing Legislation
Energy Act 2011 – An Overview
The Energy Act 2011 is the result of the much talked about Energy Bill receiving Royal assent. You have probably heard of items contained within the act without perhaps realising that that’s where they originate. In particular, the Energy Act 2011 enacts the following: Green Deal Landlord not to refuse reasonable request for energy efficiency improvements Landlord not to let property unless meets minimum energy efficiency Green Deal The green deal is to be a new financing model to enable the provision of fixed improvements to the...
read moreChanges to the EPC regulations.
From 6 April 2012, changes are being made to the regulations which govern energy performance certificates. The Energy Performance of Buildings (Certificates and Inspections) (England and Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2011 amend the Energy Performance of Buildings (Certificates and Inspections) (England and Wales) Regulations 2007 (no link because they are quite out of date on legislation.gov.uk) There is currently disparity between properties for sale, rent residential and commercial regarding timescales for ordering and obtaining an EPC. The...
read moreHousing benefit rates set to freeze from April 2012
Currently, the amount a claimant receives in housing benefit is based upon the local housing allowance rate. This rate is calculated every month by the rent officer assessing non housing benefit rents within the local area and calculating the 30 percentile of those rents. This provides a monthly figure. As market rents rise (or fall) so, in theory does the LHA rate. Once a claimant tenant is on housing benefit, the rate remains the same for the claimant for up to 52 weeks assuming no change of circumstances. From April 2013, rather than the...
read moreLocalism Act and Tenancy Deposit Schemes
The Localism Bill is now officially the Localism Act. There is no certainty as to when the Act (or parts of the Act) will commence but the suggested aim is for April 2012 Of interest to private landlords in particular will be section 184 of the Act which makes significant changes to the tenancy deposit provisions contained in the Housing Act 2004. Highlights of the changes are: The time for protecting a deposit is increased from 14 days to 30 days The time for supplying the prescribed information is also increased from 14 days to 30...
read moreWales AST Threshold Increase
From 1 December 2011, the annual rent threshold for when a tenancy is an assured shorthold tenancy is increased from £25,000 to £100,000. To see the effects this may have to any existing tenancies, please see our slightly modified article that we did when the change came in for England on 1 October 2010. Tweet
read moreUnder 35 Single Person Rate
Housing Benefit (Amendment) Regulations 2011 Currently, single people aged under 25 have their entitlement to housing benefit capped at the local housing allowance single room rate [Para 5 of Sch 1, Rent Officers (Housing Benefit Functions) Order 1997]. In October 2010, the government announced that this would be extended to persons aged under 35. These regulations bring in the change from under 25 to under 35, subject to limited exemptions relating to certain homeless persons in hostel accommodation, and ex-offenders who pose a risk to the...
read moreWater Charges
The Flood and Water Management Act 2010 makes significant changes to who is liable to pay water bills. In particular it will affect property owners. What’s changing? The Flood and Water Management Act 2010 adds a new section 144C to the Water Industry Act 1991 [s.45 Flood and Water Management Act 2010]. Currently, the “occupier” is the liable person for water bills (Guild members see later for full details). s.144C will place a requirement on the owner of premises where those premises are occupied by another person (but not...
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