Archive

Consultation time is short for landlords wanting to comment on a new licensing scheme proposed for Scunthorpe. The public consultation closes at...

A south coast council is set to clampdown on HMOs after a report highlighted alleged issues with the likes of bins,...

A council has agreed a council tax rise of an additional 100% on second home and long-term empty homes, despite widespread...

A council says a new bond scheme designed to increase the quality and availability of affordable housing for private renters across...

SNP councillors in Scotland have come up with an innovative suggestion to improve energy efficiency in private rental properties. They want councils...

A landlord has been slammed with £9,000 in fines and costs for ignoring notices to improve his property. Following reports of disrepair...

A council is reminding prospective tenants about the importance of making sure their next shared rental is licensed as a house...

A council is asking landlords to sign a document declaring they are letting safe and compliant properties. Dorset council has launched the...

Another council has set up an advice session for private rental landlords in the area. This even will take place at Neath...

Dorset councillors have approved proposals for a council tax premium on second homes and a tightening up on its existing premium...

A bid to make three Northumberland holiday cottages available as permanent private residences has been rejected by planners. At a time when...

A private landlord has been prosecuted for failing to carry out works to make his rented property safe . David Almond of...

Bristol’s controversial Labour council is extending previous licensing schemes to other parts of the city at some £1,800 HMO per licence...

A Selective Licensing scheme proposal is out for consultation in the Scunthorpe area -  with a harsh message from a council...

New additional and selective licensing schemes are to be considered by the controversial Bristol city council. The council’s Labour Mayor - Marvin...

Labour-controlled Haringey Council in London says the owners of short lets and furnished holiday homes will be forced to pay double...

Landlords who fail to ensure their private rented homes meet required standards face massively increased charges from a council. Bath & North...

Renters and landlords of properties without gas central heating can now get energy saving green measures installed free of charge or...

A local authority is calling for emergency legislation to help it and other councils stop the spread of Airbnbs and other...

A local authority is introducing charges for the issuing of Improvement Notices to landlords - and has chosen to announce it...

Landlords providing much-needed private rented accommodation in part of Merseyside are to fall under an expanded  licensing regime.  Wirral councillors have voted...

A council is to spend £10m to buy homes on the open market to house local people - some at risk...

Labour’s Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves has campaigned for a selective licensing regime in her Leeds constituency. She joined the city council leader...

Almost all landlords letting out properties in a London borough will soon be legally required to have a selective license. It’s one...

Stockton-on-Tees is the latest council seeking people's views on the introduction of Selective Licensing for private rented housing. It launched a consultation...

A major council has declared a Housing Emergency for its city, attributing part of the problem to rising private rents. A statement...

Plans to introduce Selective Licensing of privately rented properties have been agreed by leading Stockton-on-Tees councillors and now go for consultation. Under...

A prominent north of England council has launched a six-week public consultation on proposals to tighten the planning rules around converting...

A council has been slammed for its “absolutely outrageous” failure to stop the eviction of up to 80 tenants - a...

Councillors in part of Wales are considering the creation of a 'Report A Rogue Landlord’ system for tenants who claim their...

A council is telling landlords that its new selective licensing fee is so low it should be entirely tax deductible and...

Haringey council has got a £200,000 windfall from landlords of unlicensed HMOs. And now it’s set to get even more. Councillors are to...

The Scottish National Party councillor for Oban North and Lorn - which includes the village of Plockton, made famous by the...

Brent council in North London has launched a new selective licensing regime across part of the borough. Landlords who let properties in the...

A northern council is considering tightening the planning rules around converting properties into HMOs. A report to Burnley council’s executive recommends removing...

A six week consultation is now underway as a council bids to stop HMOs being used as Airbnb or other short...

Landlords across just one London borough who failed to license HMOs have been issued with fines amounting to £207,500. To date, 59...

A rogue landlord has been fined £27,460 for putting residents at risk by failing to maintain a property. Flintshire County Council brought...

Trade bodies and short let landlords have made a last-ditch appeal to politicians to stop new rules which could see the...

A council is boasting that it’s taking a "really hard line” over HMO regulation. New rules in Blackburn with Darwen prevent family...

A leading agent in an area set to be hit by draconian planning restrictions on holiday lets is warning that the...

Councillors in Warwick look set to decide tomorrow whether to implement an additional licensing scheme for some HMOs.  Following a public consultation...

A council is to consult on a new licensing scheme that aims to tackle rogue landlords in parts of Scunthorpe that...

A council in the south east of England says it is “exploring the possibility” of introducing a huge landlord licensing scheme. Councillors...

A prominent Labour councillor in Liverpool has told the local media: “Parts of Liverpool are blighted by landlords who treat the...

A team of experts will look into the impact ofd Airbnbs and other short lets in a part of the UK...

A city council has slammed what it calls ‘neglectful landlords’ as part of an illegal dumping crackdown. Stoke-on-Trent’s Labour authority has declared...

A council is launching a bid to make the use of a home for a holiday let subject to a mandatory...

A group of rental activists in London claims that over 10,000 private rented homes in the borough of Brent have a...

The new director of Generation Rent, Ben Twomey, takes over from Baroness Alicia Kennedy this morning. A statement announcing his appointment earlier...

The body representing local councils is backing the government’s Renters Reform Bill - even though Labour dominates most local authorities. Councillor Darren...

Next Thursday voters up and down the country will be casting their votes in a series of local elections which are...

A London landlord has been found guilty of not licensing three buy to lets. Gurbachan Matharu from Dagenham was found guilty at...

West London landlord Shashibhushan Vyas, from Isleworth, has been fined over £115,500 for illegally converting a side extension into a separate...

An immediate private sector rent freeze and eviction ban for the duration of the cost of living crisis is the key...

A new Tory-controlled super-council, which came into force at the weekend and combines eight previous local authorities, has announced an immediate...

West London landlord Shashibhushan Vyas, from Isleworth, has been fined over £115,500 for illegally converting a side extension into a separate...

The new director of Generation Rent is Ben Twomey, who takes over from Baroness Alicia Kennedy on June 14. A statement from...

A Labour candidate hoping to become the MP in a popular tourist area is on the warpath over what she calls...

Worcester council’s communities committee meets this week, with councillors asked to approve the change which will mean that HMO properties with...

A north of England council has released figures on the number of complaints it has received about private landlords. Pendle council in...

A Cardiff landlord has been ordered to pay just over £4,500 for failing to rectify faults relating to two flats he...

A council is to spend £1m “to gather information about the conditions of specific groups of privately rented properties and proactively...

A Labour MP has told the House of Commons that “families are being turfed out of their private rented homes under...

We’re used to councils having a pop at private landlords - but now one has praised a landlord for helping to...

Another council says it wants to implement private sector rent controls - although it has no power to do so. Belfast council...

A Labour council which banned councillors who were landlords from contributing to a key debate has done a U-turn on legal...

Plans to impose a premium on council tax for for second homeowners have been approved by Cornwall Council with all-party agreement. The...

Bristol councillors who are landlords have been told they cannot speak in a debate on rent controls.  Earlier this week we explained...

A Labour council is being tipped to vote tomorrow to introduce rent controls for the private sector, even though it has...

A Conservative controlled council in the Cotswolds has written to Housing Secretary Michael Gove, urging him to implement rental reform legislation. The...

A London council says it’s been given the go ahead by Housing Secretary Michael Gove for an “unprecedented” third five-year term. The...

Two councillors have successfully used the London Assembly to push London Mayor Sadiq Khan and the government to do more to...

A maverick landlord who has hit the headlines countless times in recent years has lost his latest bid to sue the...

Two groups of activists who campaign for rent controls and reform of the private lettings sector have turned on each other. Acorn...

A scheme which some regard as the most controversial landlord licensing regime in the country is coming under scrutiny. Labour councillors on...

Greenwich council in south London has launched a new selective licensing scheme: all private-rented single-household properties in five wards of the...

Landlords who rent out HMOs in parts of the Midlands are urged to act now so they don’t get hit with...

A council has taken the unusual step of making an announcement that investigations are underway into allegedly unlicensed private rental properties. Cambridge...

Birmingham council has been granted permission by the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to introduce a massive Selective Licensing...

Barnet council in London is pushing ahead with plans to reintroduce an HMO licensing scheme next month, following a 15-month hiatus.  Additional...

A Bristol landlord has been banned from letting properties after repeatedly failing to meet the required standards. Naomi Knapp, a portfolio landlord...

Activists in the Acorn group is hoping to attract Labour councillors who run Leeds to a meeting next week, which will...

A new political party called Breakthrough is campaigning for radical reform of the rental sector and housing in general. The party -...

A 10 week consultation by Portsmouth council on proposals for new HMO licensing has finished with 1,050 responses. Licences are required for...

A landlord group is threatening legal action following a council’s approval of a new licensing scheme. York council - run by a...

A council claims that a substantial number of private landlords in its area have evicted long term tenants to make space...

Holiday lets and second homes in one hotspot in the UK have not, after all, impacted on house prices and affordability,...

As part of The Renters’ Reform White Paper, the UK government proposed that all tenants be moved onto a single system...

Landlords and owners of empty homes iare being invited to a free event next week to find out more about help...

A review into the way a council deals with HMOs has been launched in response to concerns about the concentration of...

A rogue landlord has been fined £5,500 following a successful prosecution by Mendip council in Somerset. The council’s private sector housing team brought a...

A new Selective Licensing scheme for private landlords in Nottingham has been approved by the city council and now goes for...

A court has told a multi-millionaire landlord he must pay £125,000 after a 10-year campaign of abuse against a local council.  Last...

A consultation is underway into the extension of yet another private landlord licensing scheme for a further five years. Since March 2018...

Voters in Bristol have decided to abolish the city’s directly elected mayor following a referendum. The city was given the choice of...

A Labour city council that has already called for powers to impose rent controls has now extended its existing landlord licensing...

Private landlords who let out properties in Central West Bromwich are being urged to check if they need to apply for...

A council is launching a Private Tenants Charter which it says will set standards for landlords and private rental sector organisations...

A council in one of the remote parts of the UK is appealing for registered landlords who might be able to...