Clarification Issued by Enforcers of Heat Network Regulations
Introduction The Office for Product Safety & Standards (OPSS) are the enforcers for The Heat Network (Metering and Billing) Regulations 2014 and are part of the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS). We have recently been contacted by...
HMO Letters Another Financial Blow for Landlords
Tens of thousands of landlords are set to receive letters from their mortgage lenders after a change in the legal definition of which houses in multiple occupation require a licence. A legislation update on October 1 in England which changed the definition and meant...
Tax Checks for Landlords Licensing Homes on the Way
Landlords may have to prove they pay the right taxes if they apply for licences to rent out property. Squirrelled away in Chancellor Phillip Hammond’s Budget 2018 documents is a scant paragraph outlining the measure. The move is a follow-on to the almost forgotten...
Licence Conditions and Occupation by Students
Under the Housing Act 2004, where a licence is required and a local authority issue a licence, they may impose conditions on the licence holder under section 67 Housing Act 2004: (1) A licence may include such conditions as the local housing authority consider...
Lawyers Called in as Court Defeats Undermine Licensing Schemes
Government lawyers are looking into how recent court defeats will impact how councils charge shared house licensing fees. In the first case, the High Court declared Richmond Council, in South West London, illegally levied a fee to cover the cost of managing a shared...
Hefty Penalties for Landlords Missing HMO Licensing Deadline
Time is running out for landlords to apply for shared house licences in England under new legislation that starts from October 1. Around 160,000 houses in multiple occupation in England need a licence under the new rules even though they fall outside of the current...
Shared House Was Worst Housing Officers Had Seen in a Decade
Landlord David Green owns the worst letting property housing officers have seen in Birmingham for a decade. Inspecting his four-storey shared house split into 10 flats, they recorded a catalogue of shameful breaches of fire, health and safety rules. The home had...
Judges Rule Council’s HMO Licence Fees Unlawful
Landlords may be overpaying shared house licensing fees and could claim hundreds of pounds in refunds from local councils, according to a ruling from the High Court. The shock decision came from a legal challenge by landlord Peter Gaskin, who refused to pay £1,799...
The Changes to HMOs You Need to Know About
From 1 October 2018, significant changes are being made to which HMOs are licensable and minimum room sizes in HMOs in England. Changes to mandatory licensing Currently, a property requires a mandatory licence if all of the following apply: the property is a House in...
Landlord Crammed 40 Tenants in Dilapidated Former Pub
A landlord ended with a £15,000 court bill for shoehorning 40 tenants into a dilapidated former pub. Hayden Rogers failed to turn up before magistrates at Mold, Flintshire, to plead to 12 breaches of house in multiple occupation regulations. He was convicted and fined...
Councils Crack Down on Bogus Landlords Ripping Off Tenants
Councils are cracking down on tenants ripping off other tenants by posing as bogus landlords often in death-trap properties. One tenant running a sub-letting scam in London was fined £20,000 for breaking shared house management rules and health and safety breaches. A...
Landlord Licensing Scheme Nets 32,000 Homes to Rent
The UK’s second largest landlord licensing scheme is about to launch. Councillors in Nottingham are putting the final touches to a selective licensing zone that covers an estimated 32,000 private rented homes across the city. The largest scheme started in January...
Government Concerns Trigger Selective Licensing Review
The government has put selective licensing of shared houses under the microscope with a review as landlord and letting agent groups slam the system. Selective licensing is a tool for local councils to exert strict controls over landlords and rented property standards....
Government Finally Reveals New HMO Guidance
The government has finally revealed to landlords how health and safety rules for shared houses will impact their property businesses. From October 1, private landlords renting out homes to five or more tenants from two or more separate households must have a local...
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