Archive

It is possible that licensing regimes operated by local councils could cut the fees they impose on landlords. The House of Commons...

Environmental health officers are making a last ditch bid to save local council licensing. The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health reckons that...

An industry supplier is analysing licensing schemes and whether they achieve anything to improve rental housing standards. Yuno says questions need to be...

A landlord has been ordered to pay £2,500 in fines, compensation and costs after a council brought a prosecution against him. Jama...

Another council is consulting about a controversial selective licensing scheme.  North Lincolnshire council says the proposed scheme is “designed to improve housing...

Supporters of council selective licensing start rearguard action  Some of those involved in local councils have started a campaign to save selective...

Urgent action is needed by government to protect tenants who live in poor quality private rented homes, MPs have demanded. A report...

A new council licensing scheme has been given the go ahead by the government. Peterborough council’s selective licensing scheme will be run...

Many households are struggling with rising costs, while renters in particular continue to struggle with low quality housing, the Resolution Foundation...

The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health has given a warm welcome to many of the provision in the Renters Reform Bill...

Newcastle council is seeking new members of its Landlord Accreditation Scheme, which it claims recognises and rewards “reputable landlords who offer...

Changes put forward to the Renters Reform Bill to crack down on rogue landlords, protect vulnerable residents and improve the safety of...

More than 300 landlords have applied for a new licence brought in this summer by Tory controlled Kensington and Chelsea council...

Illicit HMOs have been targeted in a bid to improve housing standards and make communities safer. North Northamptonshire council joined forces with...

A series of template letters have been drafted so that landlords can write to MPs about problems caused by the Renters...

Both the Generation Rent activist group and London Labour Mayor Sadiq Khan have issued a joint attack on private rental sector...

Six in 10 landlords support minimum property standards for the private rented sector, Paragon Bank research has found. The government has pledged...

Landlords have helped drive an improvement in standards in privately rented property, with four in five upgrading each rental home they...

A landlord has been ordered to pay more than £1,600 after pleading guilty to an illegal eviction. Grace Young of Derby let...

Activist group Generation Rent is demanding that the government tighten regulations on damp and mould - and is tying this to...

Landlords say housing standards in one of the UK’s biggest cities could sugar because of council tax changes for empty homes. Manchester’s...

A council has scrapped a rental accreditation scheme because it “didn’t work.” It attracted only good landlords and thus did not improve...

Renters’ Reform Bill The Renters’ Reform Bill will dominate the PRS policy agenda in 2023. Signs are encouraging that DLUHC is considering...

Housing Secretary Michael Gove has made an announcement overnight that “the government will always act to protect tenants.” The claim comes as...

Renters don’t have it easy. Housemates can be unpredictable, rules can be strict, but worst of all – it’s expensive.  Most tenants...

A Selective Licensing scheme introduced by a council back in 2016 is set for expansion.  Middlesbrough council claims that its scheme has...

The government - at least until it changes under the new Prime Minister to be announced today - is moving forward...

The government is investigating a new way to tackle renters’ anti-social behaviour in the social housing sector - through a new...

A landlord who repeatedly let out an unsafe house has been fined £20,000 by magistrates. Housing officers from Salford council found fire...

A market research company is to go door-to-door to seek residents’ views as part of a council’s consultation on landlord licensing. MEL...

Birmingham’s Labour controlled council is writing to Housing Secretary Michael Gove for consent to apply a new licensing scheme over 25...

A council has launched what it calls a “scores on the doors” style accreditation scheme for landlords. The Decent and Safe Homes...

A housing chief in a controversial council has tweeted that “Private landlords must be held accountable!”. She also claims on social media...

A lettings sector trade body is blasting local authorities for their poor record on trying to eliminate rogue landlords. The National Residential...

Landlords and owners of empty homes in North Somerset are invited to a free event next month to find out more...

A landlord has been prosecuted for a second time for breaches of Wirral council’s selective licensing scheme. The council’s housing standards team...

A landlord company has been fined more than £15,000 for failing to improve housing conditions in three properties. North Somerset council received...

Landlords must pay well over £700 for entry into what is now the UK’s largest ever HMO licensing scheme, at Westminster...

Private tenants in a major city are being invited to take up a voluntary role helping to shape the local rental...

The landlords’ trade body says there’s an enforcement postcode lottery across part of the UK. The National Residential Landlords Association’s Welsh Enforcement...

A Conservative MP claims there is a major power imbalance between tenants and landlords and widespread reforms are required to stop...

A serial-offender landlord has been fined for putting tenants at serious harm from fire and exposing them to substandard and dangerous conditions. Nilendu...

A not-for-profit educational charity that acts as a lettings agency has praised private landlords for contributing to a rent discount scheme. Sulets...

Landlords have only until February 11 to respond to the licensing proposals of the London council with the largest private rental...

A landlord leader has hit out at a council’s selective licensing scheme, suggesting it is “bureaucracy for bureaucracy’s sake” and nothing...

A leading officer in a Labour council which has in the past taken landlords to court says this process is so...

A new report makes searing claims about the performance and quality of landlords and their homes in the private rental sector. Almost...

Generation Rent activists are back on the warpath, this time accusing councils of not doing enough - and sometimes nothing -...

Croydon Council has applied for government consent to renew the borough’s landlord licensing scheme that makes sure privately-let properties meet key...

Unscrupulous landlords in the East End of London been ordered to pay more than £100,000 over the past 12 months for...

Brent Council’s application to extend its selective licensing scheme in the north west London ward has been rejected by central government.  Brent...

While some rogue landlords and bad players grab the headlines, the reality is that the vast majority of private sector landlords...

London Borough of Brent has approved the renewal and extension of borough-wide additional licensing for Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) for...

Standards in the private rented sector have improved as buy-to-let landlords respond to legislation aimed at improving living conditions for tenants,...

A rogue landlord has been fined £55,000 and ordered to pay court costs of £2,989.67 as well as a victim surcharge...

An unscrupulous landlord has been told to pay close to £25,000 after being prosecuted for renting out rooms in an unlicensed...

Today is the final day for the public to have their say on the possible introduction of the Weymouth landlord licensing...

Members of the general public are being offered the opportunity to have their say on the possible introduction of the Weymouth...

Two landlords have been ordered to pay more than £30,000 for breaching fire safety and over-occupancy licence conditions at their House...

Walsall Council is considering introducing new selective landlord licensing in Walsall town centre and Willenhall with a view to raising standards in...

A landlord who failed to install a proper heating system and left safety hazards across a house in Peterborough has been...

Havering Council continued to clampdown on rogue landlords in 2018, with new figures revealing that the local authority issued just over...

Standards in the private rented sector have got better as buy-to-let landlords respond to a flurry of legislation aimed at improving...

A buy-to-let landlord has been handed a two-year suspended sentence, ordered to pay more than £4,000 and given 100 hours of...

Great Yarmouth Borough Council has vowed to clampdown on rogue landlords who allow tenants to live in poor housing standards in...

A buy-to-let landlord has been fined £5,000 for letting a property with a number of hazards that could have endangered the...

Cheshire East Council has pledged to clampdown on rogue landlords who allow tenants to live in poor housing standards within the...

A pilot scheme has been launched with a view to improving property standards, increasing awareness, boosting engagement and increasing housing supply...

A rogue landlord letting a cold, damp property with a lack of hot water and heating has been ordered to pay...

The government is hoping to improve standards in the private rented sector in Telford by handing £388,925 to Telford & Wrekin...

In 2006, selective licensing was introduced, giving councils the power to force landlords to clean up their acts. These licenses allow...

Plans to introduce new licensing schemes for privately rented homes across parts of North West London have been given the go-ahead by...

Two buy-to-let landlords in Burnley have been fined a total of £27,500 as part of Burnley Council’s campaign to clamp down...

A plan to introduce a new selective licensing scheme in Telford has been scrapped by Telford & Wrekin Council after more...

Dangerous electrical mains installation, ‘defective’ sanitary fitments in both the bathroom and kitchen, and a ‘lack of automatic fire detection’, were among...

The Residential Landlords Association (RLA) has expressed its support for new legislation that will help ensure rented homes are safe and...

Two landlords in Bath have been ordered to more than £16,000 for failing to hold the correct HMO licences. Elizabeth Vowles, 48,...

Local authorities now have greater powers to control properties rented out in their areas, thanks to changes in the mandatory HMO...

City councillors in Nottingham have approved a new licensing scheme aimed at improving housing standards in the city’s private rented sector.  Following...

A new property licensing scheme has been introduced by Redbridge Council in order to crack down on rogue landlords – and...

Private landlords in Nottingham may soon have to obtain a licence after plans to introduce a selective licensing scheme were given...

An MP’s bid to make homes in the rented sector ‘fit for human habitation’ has received support from the Residential Landlords...

A rogue landlord who made almost £130,000 in illegal rent after converting his three-bedroom house into two flats without planning consent...

There could soon be no fewer than eight separate selective licensing areas in Manchester and Salford if proposed schemes are approved,...

The first disqualification order against a private landlord north of the border has been granted by a court in Fife. The man,...

The Conservative party should put rent controls at the heart of their general election manifesto as part of a wider effort...

A landlord has been ordered to pay in excess of £235,000 for renting out illegal bedsits in east London after pleading...

The City of Lincoln Council will launch the Trusted Landlord Scheme this week in an effort to promote best practice and...

A man who is currently serving six years in prison for child sex abuse offences is among four rogue landlords in...

Some of country’s best private landlords have been recognised at an awards ceremony held in Sheffield. The city’s Private Landlord Award event...

Two unscrupulous landlords in Reading have been fined almost £9,000 for poor housing standards and a complete disregard for the welfare...

A landlord who failed to comply with an Improvement Notice and carry out essential repairs to his property was ordered to...

The Residential Landlords Association (RLA) has once again defended the private rented sector (PRS) after Shelter’s latest analysis of housing trends...

A landlord who put his tenants’ safety at risk by allowing his property to fall into serious disrepair has been hit...

A dozen landlords in Waltham Forest, north east London, have been prosecuted and fined a total of £60,000 after failing to...

A legal bid to stop Croydon Council’s plans to license private landlords has been unsuccessful in the High Court. At the Royal...