Shared Home Tenants 'May Face Rent Rises Or Eviction'

Tenants living in shared houses in England could face eviction or increases in rent because of changes to government rules, the National Landlords Association (NLA) has warned. From 1 October an extra 160,000 houses of multiple occupancy (HMOs) have to be registered with local councils, almost triple the current figure. The Tenants Union said any increases in rent would be unfair on tenants. The government said the new rules would raise housing standards for tenants. HMOs are homes where people, who are not related, sleep in separate rooms but share facilities such as kitchens or bathrooms. Read more on the BBC website.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-45641216

A Buy-To-Let Register By The Back Door?

Increasing numbers of local councils are introducing licensing schemes for landlords, costing them up to £1,000 to register. One in five boroughs are now operating such schemes, which can require all landlords in a given area to obtain a licence or face criminal charges.  Their introduction leads to the question of whether councils are ushering a potential buy-to-let register by the back door, as calls for national landlord licensing have so far not been acted on. n some cases, landlords could have to fork out up to £1,000 to gain a licence, at a time when tax and regulatory changes are forcing many smaller landlords out of the sector. Read more on the This is Money website.

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/buytolet/article-5945643/Brits-spend-time-searching-holiday-mortgage-research-finds.html

Implementation Dates For Housing Act Policies

Regulations introducing Starter Homes are due to come into force in the summer. Housing and Planning Act implementation dates:

·         Starter Homes, in force this summer

·         Secure tenancies, in force this autumn

·         Higher Value Asset sales, in due course, no detail is given on the timing

·         Brownfield registers, spring

·         Housing association insolvency regime, regulations will come before parliament in February

·         Self-build and custom building regulations, 31 October

·         Planning obligations and affordable housing, remains under review

Read more on Inside Housing.

Lib Dems Fight For An Open Register Of Rogue Landlords

Liberal Democrats are fighting to ensure potential renters have access to lists of rogue landlords. An amendment to the Housing and Planning Bill, which would make it possible for tenants to check whether their landlord was on lists held by local authorities, was rejected by the government in the Lords. Liberal Democrat Peers will continue to push an amendment to the Bill at a later stage on this vital Freedom of Information issue.  Read more on 24dash.

Councils Must Keep A Register Of People Interested In Self-Build

From April, councils will be required to maintain a register of people who want to build their own home, the housing minister, Brandon Lewis has announced. The register, compiled as part of the process of planning for future housing and land use, is intended to make it easier for those interested in self- or custom-build to find plots of land to realise their ambition. Guidance for the new measure has been put in place to “clearly set out” the procedure local authorities will have to take when people wish to register their interest for a plot of land. Read more on the Housing Excellence website.

Government Publishes Landmark Housing And Planning Bill

The Government has published its landmark Housing and Planning Bill. Among the provisions in this wide-ranging bill is the statutory framework for the Government’s ‘Starter Homes’ scheme which includes a new legal duty to be placed on councils to guarantee the provision of 200,000 starter homes on all reasonably sized new development sites. These will be offered to first-time buyers at a 20 per cent discount on market price. Another key measure provides ministers with powers to intervene to ensure that all councils have local plans in place by 2017. In addition, the legislation introduces the requirement for local authorities to keep registers of brownfield land, an extension of the right-to-buy discount to some housing association tenants and a duty on local authorities to sell their most expensive vacant homes. Read more on the Planning Portal.