Tenants More Anxious About Their Rights

Google searches for ‘can my landlord evict me’ have increased by 52% in two months of lockdown, research from Boiler Plan shows. Another common thing to search for has been ‘responsibilities as a tenant’. Residents in Bristol search for tenants’ rights on Google the most of the 20 cities analysed, averaging 540 searches per month. Despite the ban on tenant fees coming into force in June 2019, ‘can letting agents charge fees’ is the fourth-most asked question, and ‘what are tenancy fees’ is the sixth-most asked question. Read more on the Property Wire website.

https://www.propertywire.com/news/tenants-more-anxious-about-their-rights/

Regulator Investigations Into Breaches Of Tenants’ Rights Increase By 61%

The Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) investigated 61% more housing associations for tenant-related issues last year than the year before, it has revealed. Figures released as part of the English regulator’s Consumer Regulation Review show that there were 502 referrals of housing associations to the regulator in 2018/19. Of these, 124 cases were escalated up to the highest level and investigated by the regulator, up 61% on the 77 investigations carried out in 2017/18. The 502 figure for overall referrals was a decrease on the previous year, which saw 543 referrals. Download the review from the Gov UK website.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/817807/Consumer_Regulation_Review_2018-19.pdf

Warning Over EU Tenant Rights After Brexit

With the fate of Brexit seemingly down to “indicative” votes, reality on the ground has EU citizens in Britain denied access to benefits such as council housing and social security payments. Already, one housing association has announced a special session for tenants affected by Brexit to outline the legalities of their situation. Parliament’s human rights committee says that situation is “precarious”, despite government claiming it is”‘committed” to protecting related rights. The committee has raised concerns that the Immigration and Social Security Co-ordination (EU Withdrawal) Bill could leave people in a “rights limbo”. Read more on 24housing.

https://www.24housing.co.uk/news/warning-over-eu-tenant-rights-after-brexit/

Heseltine Launches Panel Of Experts To Kick-Start Estates Regeneration

New tenants rights will be at the heart of the regeneration of some of the country’s most deprived estates, according to Lord Heseltine. A panel  will look at how the layout of estates can be best used to deliver more quality homes that people can buy and rent. The experts will also ensure that there are strong protections in place for existing residents so they will always be given the right to return to their communities. The 17-strong group, co-chaired by Lord Heseltine and Housing Minister Brandon Lewis and reporting to the Prime Minister and Communities Secretary Greg Clark, will develop a national estate regeneration strategy and work with up to 100 estates to tackle deprivation and transform them into vibrant communities. Read more on the CLG website.