Councils Warn Office To Residential Conversions Harming Town Centres

The widespread conversion of offices to homes under Government changes to planning rules are harming London's town centres, creating substandard housing and undermining jobs and growth, councils have warned. The Coalition introduced permitted development rights in May 2013 to allow empty and underused office space to be converted into housing without the need for planning permission. London Councils, which represents the capital's 33 local authorities, believes permitted development rights have created a "free-for-all" which has undermined the viability of town centres by draining away commercial property. At the same time, they have removed councils' ability to demand that schemes include affordable housing for local people. Between May 2013 and April 2015, London boroughs received at least 2,639 office-to-residential prior approval applications. Read more on the Housing Excellence website.

Over 400,000 Private Landlords' Properties Damaged By Tenants

Research has revealed that 28% of the country's private landlords have had their property damaged by tenants in the last 12 months. According to the National Landlords Association's (NLA) estimates, over 400,000 of the UK’s 1.5 million private landlords have been affected. And the NLA's research shows that the North East is the most perilous place to let out a property, where 46% of landlords have encountered a problem with damage in the last year. Read more on the NLA website.