In Curo Places Ltd v Pimlett the Upper Tribunal held that a landlord could not charge a tenant for ‘extra’ services when those same services were previously being provided at no cost to the tenant. Curo was the landlord and Mr P the tenant of a bungalow in a sheltered housing scheme. Mr P’s tenancy agreement …
The Renting Homes (Fees etc.) (Wales) Act 2019 will come into force in Wales on 1 September. The Act, like the Tenant Fees Act in England, will ban landlords and agents from charging private tenants fees for the grant, renewal or continuation of a tenancy agreement. The language of the Welsh Act is largely the …
Willesden Magistrates Court recently ordered a landlord to pay fines of £20,000, costs of £4,678 and a victim surcharge of £170. A landlord in Wembley came to Brent Council Housing Enforcement Officers’ attention following a tip-off from council tax officers that the landlord was attempting to claim a single person’s discount for the property when …
The Tenancy (Deposits and Arbitration) Bill was introduced to Parliament by the Labour MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle on 13 March 2019. The text of the Tenancy (Deposits and Arbitration) Bill is not currently available and it will not be produced unless it reaches its second reading. It is a Private Members’ Bill introduced to Parliament under …
A tenant successfully appealed a possession order granted to a landlord despite failing to provide the tenant with the deposit prescribed information. In the case of Sebastiampillai v Parr, Mr and Mrs S purchased a property with a tenant in situ in July 2014. The deposit paid to the previous landlord and owner of the …
On 1 June 2019 an amended form 6A will come into force. On 7 May 2019 the Assured Tenancies and Agricultural Occupancies (Forms) (England)(Amendment) Regulations 2019 were made. These Regulations amend Form 6A (Section 21 notice) largely due to the changes coming into force under the Tenants Fees Act also on 1 June. At Page …
The House of Commons Library has published a paper considering evidence of private landlords’ reluctant to let to prospective tenants in receipt of benefits. At one point not so long ago, it was quite common for private landlords and lettings agents to advertise properties to let stating that they will not accept applications from tenants …
Reasons private landlords refuse to let to ‘DSS’ tenants Read More »
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, is calling on the government to introduce a new registration system for those renting out a property for less than 90 days a year in London. In 2015 short term lets in London were capped to a total of 90 days a year. However, enforcing this cap has proven …
The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG) has issued guidance for local authority enforcement officers on the powers and options open to them to tackle rogue landlords. The MHCLG guidance is aimed at local authority enforcement officers seeking to ‘drive up’ standards in their local areas. The guidance is said to provide a …
The Civil Procedure Rule Committee (CPRC) has launched a consultation on the enforcement of possession orders and the alignment of procedures in the county court and high court. Most readers of this post will be familiar with the process for enforcement of possession orders both in the County Court and High Court both from personal …
Consultation on enforcement of possession orders Read More »
The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG) has published new guidance for landlords and tenants. The government published the guidance earlier this month to ensure that landlords and tenants understand and fulfil their respective rights and responsibilities. Rental issues can arise on both sides, but the aim of the guidance is to help …
The government has now published its response to the longer tenancies consultation launched on 2 July 2018 for 8 weeks. The government’s response to the longer tenancies consultation is inextricably linked to the announcement earlier this week to abolish section 21 notices. Our initial post on the consultation itself can be read here. The consultation …
In New Crane Wharf Freehold Ltd v Dovener, the Upper Tribunal held that a tenant’s failure to respond to a solicitor’s letter requesting access to a property was not a refusal of access. Tenancy agreements in the private rental market often include an access clause. That is a clause that permits a landlord to gain …
The government has today announced plans to consult on new legislation to abolish Section 21 evictions. The government has outlined plans today to consult on new legislation to end section 21, so called ‘no fault’ evictions. If the plans go ahead landlords will no longer be permitted to serve tenants with a section 21 notice …
On 1 April the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG) published guidance on the Tenant Fees Act 2019. MHCLG has issued 3 guidance documents on the Act for tenants, enforcement authorities and landlords and lettings agents. We will concentrate on the guidance issued to landlords and lettings agents. The guidance begins with a …
From 1 April, all private property agents in England holding client money must belong to a government approved client money protection scheme. Our previous detailed post can be read here. The government has approved the following CMP schemes: Client Money Protect Money Shield NALS Client Money Protection Propertymark RICS UKALA Client Money Protection Further schemes …
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