Six month notice periods for possession extended to 31st May 2021 The Government has announced that the requirement for landlords to provide 6-month notice periods to tenants before they start court proceedings will be extended until at least 31st May. HHSRS national survey launched The Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) was developed in

On the 3rd March, Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced the Spring Budget for 2021. The Budget unveiled the government’s tax and spending plans for the year ahead, including a series of measures to support businesses through the pandemic and assist the UK’s long-term economic recovery. Among these plans are tax changes, extensions to Stamp Duty and

This will be a regular news update for members in order to keep up with changes in legislation and relevant news items for landlords. Extension to bailiff evictions There has been an extension to the ban on bailiff evictions, Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick announced on 14 February 2021. The ban on bailiff evictions – which

This will be a regular news update for members in order to keep up with changes in legislation and relevant news items for landlords. Green Homes Grant If you’re a homeowner or residential landlord you can apply for a Green Homes Grant voucher towards the cost of installing energy efficient improvements to your properties. Improvements

Breathing Space The Debt Respite Scheme, (also known as Breathing Space), will come into force on 4th May. This legislation temporarily stops landlords from chasing tenants for unpaid debts by offering a period of time to find a solution to their financial problems. There are two types of breathing space that a tenant may enter into:

The PM has confirmed the Government will bring in emergency legislative measures to protect tenants unable to cover rent owing to the loss of household income attributable to the coronavirus. It is not yet clear what this will mean in practice, however it obviously suggests that landlords will be prevented from seeking eviction for the

The Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property) Regulations 2015 introduced from 1st April 2018 states that properties having a new tenancy would require an EPC rating of ’E’ or above. As from 1st April 2020 existing tenancies will need to comply unless a valid exemption has been registered. However, this applies to properties which are legally

First of all what is a property inspection?   A property inspection is where the property landlord or their representative conducts a visit (or visits) during the life of a tenancy. The number of visits will relate to the length of the tenancy and concerns the landlord has. Once during the tenancy of one year is

The Rented Homes Bill announced in the Queen’s speech before Christmas has not yet been presented to Parliament and there has been no response to the public consultation. The Bill includes : strengthening the rights of landlords who need to gain possession of their property through the courts, via a reformed section 8 and an

The new regulations, if implemented, mean new tenancies from 1st July 2020 must comply. All tenancies must comply, including those granted before 1st July 2020, by 1st April 2021. The Electrical Safety Regulations will require private landlords to ensure electrical safety standards in the 2018 edition of the IET wiring regulations (BS7671:2018) are met, whenever