Grenfell Contractors Set For ‘Get Out’ Over Inquiry Evidence

Grenfell contractors have as good as got their ‘get out’ over evidence they give to the Inquiry being used against them in criminal proceedings. But inquiry chair Sir Martin Moore-Bick acknowledges that the breadth of privilege applied for poses “particular problems” for the Inquiry given the broad range of offences with which many of the witnesses might be charged. Sir Martin has, however, asked the Attorney General for a pledge that evidence given by corporate witnesses won’t be used prosecute them. Read more on 24housing.

https://www.24housing.co.uk/news/grenfell-contractors-set-for-get-out-over-inquiry-evidence/

Landlords: Databases – Parliamentary Written Answer

Baroness Grender: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the database of rogue landlords and property agents provided for in the Housing and Planning Act 2016 will be published. Will it include all rogue landlords who have committed an offence or only those who have been banned.?

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: The Government is planning to introduce the database of rogue landlords and property agents with effect from 1 October 2017. It will contain details of landlords and property agents who have been served with a banning order, or have been convicted of a banning order offence, or have received two or more civil penalties. 

Right To Rent Criminal Sanctions Come Into Effect

New regulations contained in The Immigration Act 2016 came into force from 1st December, making changes to the Right-to-Rent scheme.  Landlords currently face a fine of up to £3000 if they are found to be letting property to people without the right to reside in England. From 1st December however a landlord will have committed a criminal offence where they know or have “reasonable cause to believe” that the property they are letting is occupied by someone who is disqualified due to their immigration status. An offence is also being brought in from 1st December for agents who knew or “had reasonable cause to believe” that their landlord client was letting to a tenant who was disqualified due to their immigration status. Read more on the NLA website.

Maximum 5 Year Jail Sentence for Landlords Failing Immigration Checks

Since February all private landlords in England have had to carry out “right to rent” checks on tenants for all new tenancies. Landlords currently face a fine of up to £3000 if they are found to be letting property to people without the right to reside in England. But from 1st December a landlord would have committed a criminal offence where they know or have “reasonable cause to believe” that the property they are letting is occupied by someone who is disqualified due to their immigration status. It will also be an offence for agents who knew or “had reasonable cause to believe” that their landlord client was letting to a tenant who was disqualified due to their immigration status. Read more on the NLA website.

Landlords Facing Jail Over Right To Rent Breaches

Landlords that knowingly rent out property to people who have no right to rent in the UK could be sent to prison. In her speech to the Conservative Party Conference Home Secretary, Amber Rudd MP announced that from December landlords ignoring the Right to Rent rules brought in this February will be committing a criminal offence and could be jailed. She said the party is committed to reducing net migration to sustainable levels of ‘tens of thousands, not hundreds of thousands’. She also announced a £140m Controlling Migration Fund to ease the pressures on public services in areas of high migration – and to fund enforcement operations against criminal landlords. Read more on the RLA website.

Million Private Renters Suffer Under Rogue Landlords

More than a million private renters across England have suffered at the hands of law-breaking landlords over the last year, according to estimates from Shelter. Around one in eight (12.9%) renters have experienced problems ranging from landlords entering homes without permission and deposits not being properly protected to renters being abused, threatened or harassed by landlords or feeling they were unfairly treated due to their race, nationality, gender or sexual orientation. The housing charity warned that "a minority of rogue landlords" are causing misery to renters by committing civil and criminal offences. Read more on the AOL website.

Council’s Rogue Landlords Scheme 'Has Teeth'

Three ‘rogue’ landlords have to pay over £4,000 in fines and costs for not signing up to a selective licensing scheme - having ignored council letters urging them to comply. Oldham Council successfully prosecuted the three to show its scheme - introduced last year to improve the management of properties and flush out rogue landlords and irresponsible tenants - has teeth. The council made it a criminal offence to operate a privately rented property without a licence in eight specified areas of the town. Under the scheme a landlord will also commit a criminal offence if they fail to comply with any of the conditions of a licence granted to them. Read more on 24dash.

Responsible Landlords To Get Protection From Immigration Bill

Members of parliament have approved measures that will give greater protection to responsible landlords wanting to evict illegal immigrants. Changes to the Immigration Bill, proposed by the government and approved on 25th April, will provide protection for landlords who take reasonable steps in an appropriate time frame to terminate tenancies of tenants in the country illegally. Previously under the Bill, landlords would face immediate criminal sanctions upon discovery that they failed to ensure their tenants had the right to rent property before having the chance to evict them. Read more on 24dash.

Charities Fear Squatting Law Will Raise Homelessness

Charities have warned making squatting illegal will drive up homelessness, as new powers come into effect.  From 1 September squatting in residential buildings has been a criminal offence in England and Wales.  Under the new law, squatters could face a year in jail or a £5,000 fine if they trespass onto the property.  Leslie Morphy, chief executive, Crisis said, ‘It will do nothing to address the underlying reasons why vulnerable people squat in the first place - their homelessness and a lack of affordable housing.’  Landlords will be able to complain to the police who can then arrest the squatters.  The law will not catch tenants who originally occupied properties with permission but subsequently refused to vacate.  Previously squatting has been treated as a civil matter meaning that landlords had to go to court to prove that squatters have trespassed onto their property to get an eviction.  Read more on the Crisis website.