Archive

Back in 2019, the Government promised a ban on so-called no-fault evictions. Section 21 was to be outlawed. While some housing...

Michael Gove’s Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities hit back overnight at critics of the government’s Renters Reform Bill. The Bill...

The Renters Reform Bill returns to the House of Commons today with activist groups critical of amendments put forward to reach...

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

Landlords have only until Friday to give their views on a controversial licensing consultation from a council known for its aggressive...

A government-supporting newspaper says the Renters Reform Bill will be back in the House of Commons next week. Observers have been expecting...

MPs return to the Commons today after a substantial Easter recess - and with progress on the Renters Reform Bill on...

Amendments to be made to the Renters Reform Bill when it returns to the Hoise of Commons next week won’t significantly...

Fines for rogue landlords and agents in London have surged past the £10 million mark.   With 19 council licensing schemes and...

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

The government has committed to returning the amended Renters Reform Bill to the House of Commons in mid-April. MPs return from their...

The government has written to Conservative MPs promising changes to the Renters Reform Bill to ease concerns over its anti-landlord bias. Amendments...

A charity is calling for landlord licensing schemes which cost enough to fund annual inspections, and the issuing of “sentencing guidelines”...

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

Generation Rent has issued an angry statement about amendments to the Renters Reform Bill - just as one MP says agreement...

A London council is consulting on another controversial landlord licensing scheme. Barking and Dagenham council’s existing Selective Licensing Scheme has been applied to...

Housing Secretary Michael Gove’s proposals to restrict Airbnb-style short lets do not go far enough, a group of activists has said. Yesterday...

Activists in the Generation Rent campaign says big city Mayors should “tackle the worst landlords and seize their properties.” It also wants...

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

A survey of local council private rental licensing schemes says 19 selective and additional licensing schemes and consultations will be taking...

A legal services provider is claiming that landlords risk criminal prosecution for breaches of licensing rules that are often “unreasonable and...

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

Amendments to the Renters Reform Bill, designed to give landlords more protection, have won the backing of a prominent industry figure. Neil Cobbold,...

The National Residential Landlords Association is urging MPs to back what it describes as “pragmatic” changes to the Renters Reform Bill...

An additional licensing scheme for HMOs has come into effect in a London borough.  The new scheme will cover properties in Greenwich which...

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

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

Councils in Greater Manchester admit to charging landlords over £14,000 for “officer time” involved in licensing schemes. There are currently eight selective...

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

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

Bristol’s Labour-controlled council says it wants to spend some £17m of local council tax payers’ money on two new licensing schemes...

Rents continue to rise rapidly in every English region, Scotland and Wales according to the latest market snapshot from the respected...

Owners of short-term let properties are being urged to apply for a licence under Scotland’s short-term licensing scheme before the October...

Landlords providing accommodation on the Wirral are likely to get further licensing as a new consultation goes ahead.  The proposals suggest continuing...

The letting agents’ trade body ARLA Propertymark is urging the government to regulate Airbnb and other short let platforms but to...

Southwark’s Labour council has won the backing of Housing Secretary Michael Gove for one of the largest private landlord licensing schemes...

Licensing schemes continue to spread - even to the Channel Islands. The Jersey Evening Post reports that the island’s Chief Minister has...

The Labour dominated council in Bristol has written to Housing Secretary Michael Gove demanding that he gives it the powers to...

The Labour Mayor of Newham in London has called for a vast extension of landlord licensing. Rokhsana Fiaz says she welcomes a...

This year is set to bring sweeping rental reforms that will change the face of lettings forever. Landlords should be following...

Labour is considering raising the buy to let and holiday home stamp duty surcharge above the current three per cent if...

A PropTech entrepreneur is advising landlords worried about red tape to use letting agents. Neil Cobbold, managing director of rental payment service...

A leading figure in the PropTech sector wants this week’s Budget to provide more funding for local council enforcement of rental...

Charnwood council in the East Midlands is now accepting applications from landlords of private rented properties that are covered by two...

Landlords and letting agents are invited to join a virtual forum for details of a new licensing requirements and to find...

The consumer service Which? Has taken the unusual approach of setting out a 12 point guide to landlords about how to...

Landlords are being hit with record fines as growing numbers of local councils launch licensing schemes.  PropTech firm Kamma, which monitors council...

The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health has written to Housing Secretary Michael Gove urging him to make it easier for councils...

A borough-wide consultation on landlord licensing for privately rented properties in Brent is taking place for the next 12 weeks.  The online...

An organisation that describes itself as ‘politically independent and a charity’ is launching a probe into how further regulation could help...

PropTech firm Kamma says total fines for agents and landlords have now topped £8m in London alone with a £238,000 increase...

Generation Rent, which typically attacks all landlords and especially those involved in buy to let, has instead focussed its latest social...

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...

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

The government has given the green light to two selective licensing schemes in areas of Burnley. The previous five-year schemes expired at...

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

Applications open later this week for one of the country’s largest and most controversial landlord licensing schemes - in Liverpool. The new...

PropTech firm Kamma says 11 new discretionary licensing schemes for landlords are set to launch in April - a record. This is the...

The majority of local authorities in England do not accurately record the number of private rented sector tenure complaints which they...

New selective licensing schemes are now live in areas of north and east Manchester covering more than 1,400 properties.  This means compulsory...

The activist group Generation Rent says it’s celebrating a victory in its campaign to secure a national mandatory landlord register. Newspaper leaks...

Proposals to introduce an Additional Licensing scheme for HMOs in yet another part of the country are to be discussed by...

Councils north of the border will be given powers to ensure short-term lets are safe and meet the needs of local...

Landlords in the East Midlands are invited to a virtual forum to find out about the implementation of two new licensing...

An independent think-tank is the latest organisation wanting landlord licensing schemes across England plus a nationa landlord register, emulating similar schemes...

The Generation Rent activist group has repeated its call for a landlord register in England, saying it could mean more tax...

A council in Leicestershire is poised to introduce two new licensing schemes for private landlords. Charnwood council has now approved the conditions...

There are just three weeks left for landlords to respond to one of the largest consultations undertaken by a council in...

There are now 10 councils with licensing schemes covering more than 20 per cent of the rental market according to activists’...

Greater Manchester’s Labour Mayor, Andy Burnham, wants to introduce a £1.5m Good Landlord Charter This would work in partnership with the city’s...

Salford council in Greater Manchester is to introduce landlord licensing for HMOs where three or four tenants live - and the...

A Midlands council has given notice of two landlord licensing schemes set to be introduced later this year. Charnwood council has been...

A council enquiry is proposing a flurry of new landlord licensing schemes in one county in England.  An inquiry into the private...

A council has now approved plans for two of the country’s largest licensing schemes - one is so large it needs...

Landlords in the the Charnwood area of the Midlands are invited to give their views on the proposed conditions for two...

The government has revealed that it has no plans to introduce a national licensing scheme for landlords. Housing minister Chris Pincher MP...

Landlords concerned at licensing proposals put forward by Newcastle council have only until Sunday to respond with their views. The authority is re-designating...

Momentum is building against councils pushing ahead with licensing schemes despite the pandemic. Earlier this week ARLA Propertymark, the letting agents’ trade...

The Rent Smart Wales quango, now five years old, has been sharply criticised by the National Residential Landlords Association.  A report commissioned...

It appears that a London borough council’s two licensing schemes have expired at the turn of the year, with no alternative...

Landlords with properties in the Havering area have until January 24 to submit a selective licence application, giving them a 50...

A landlord has been ordered to pay £3,928.44 after failing to licence two properties he has been letting out in Nottingham.  Jaswinder...

A lettings trade body says expensive council licensing schemes could force landlords to sell, making vulnerable tenants homeless or obliged to...

Pressure groups attacking landlords and letting agents are usually on the other side of the fence from property industry professionals but...

The Labour-controlled Swansea council in south Wales is being asked by a landlord body to rethink its licensing proposals. The authority is...

A council wants to introduce private rental sector licensing as part of a pledge made back in 2018. Plymouth’s Labour controlled council pledged...

A local authority is inviting landlords to a virtual forum to be held today to canvas views on two proposed licensing...

Landlords are being encouraged to give their views on plans to introduce licensing schemes in a number of regions across the...

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

Coventry Council has been accused of acting irresponsibly by introducing a licensing scheme for private rented housing earlier this week.  The council...

Southwark Council has given the go-ahead for the introduction of a new licensing scheme which could see landlords across the borough...

Coventry Council is acting irresponsibly by pressing ahead with plans to introduce a licensing scheme for private rented housing, according to...

Renters have higher levels of harmful stress levels than homeowners, according to new research.  A survey of almost 4,000 renters by Shelter...

There are more than 130,000 unlicensed properties in London that should be licensed under either selective, additional or mandatory HMO licensing...

Private landlords in Enfield may soon have to obtain new licences after the local council launched a consultation aimed at gaining...

The National Landlords Association (NLA) is calling on local authorities to take much firmer action against rogue letting agents that tarnish...

The National Landlords Association (NLA) has slammed the government’s Selective Licensing Review for failing to listen to landlords. The report, which was...

Members of the general public are being offered the opportunity to have their say on Brent’s landlord licensing scheme. Brent Council wants...

Plans to introduce a new licensing scheme for privately rented homes in Barking and Dagenham has been approved by the government. Under...

The next few months are likely to be challenging for letting agents as they adjust to an outright ban on letting...