Grenfell Survivors Call For Urgent Ban On Combustible Building Materials

 The bereaved and survivors of the Grenfell disaster have called for an urgent ban on the use of combustible materials in buildings after they said evidence at the public inquiry had revealed “fraud”, “cover-up” and “incompetence” in the construction industry. Their lawyer told the inquiry chairman, Sir Martin Moore-Bick, that methods of checking safety of materials had been revealed as “positively dangerous” and that a key independent testing centre for construction products had been “complicit in manufacturers’ frauds”. Read more on the Guardian website.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/sep/13/grenfell-survivors-call-for-urgent-ban-on-combustible-building-materials

Government Fails To Tackle Covid Rent Debt Crisis

The eviction ban in England has been extended for six weeks, in a move described as a ‘sticking plaster’ by landlords. Current restrictions were due to end on 4 January, following a month-long ban on bailiffs serving notices and enforcement in England over the Christmas period, a move which Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick said would 'help protect the most vulnerable renters'. The NRLA says the move will do nothing to support landlords and tenants long term and what is needed is a comprehensive financial package, to allow tenants to continue to pay their rent without building unmanageable debt. Read more on the NRLA website.

https://www.nrla.org.uk/news-government-fails-tackle-Covid-rent-debt-crisis

Tens Of Thousands Made Homeless Despite UK Ban On Evictions

Tens of thousands of people have been made homeless since the start of the pandemic despite a ban on evictions, with charities warning that younger people are falling through the gaps. Since April this year at least 90,063 people in the UK have been threatened with homelessness – and more than half of these have already lost their accommodation. Charities say data shows a new cohort of homeless people who have slipped through the cracks despite protections such as the ban on evictions and a government scheme to house the homeless during the coronavirus crisis. Read more on the Guardian website.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/nov/08/tens-thousands-homeless-despite-uk-ban-evictions-covid-pandemic 

Councils Call For Extra Funding To Help Prevent Evictions When Ban Lifts

Councils are calling on the government to increase the funding available to support struggling renters ahead of the evictions ban ending, as London boroughs reported a 30% increase in those needing help since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Umbrella group London Councils that said boroughs expect demand for Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) to “skyrocket” when landlords restart possession proceedings. DHPs are allocated to local authorities to help those unable to keep up with housing costs. Read more on Inside Housing.

https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/news/councils-call-for-extra-funding-to-help-prevent-evictions-when-ban-lifts-this-weekend-67918

Exactly What The Ban Extension Means To Agents And Tenants

The Law Society has set out exactly what the extension of the eviction ban means to agents, landlords and tenants. The society says:

- Courts are neither hearing nor progressing applications for possession orders made by landlords before March 24;

- This applies to all private or social housing tenancies

- There are exceptions: these include applications for possession against trespassers

- Schedule 29 Coronavirus Act 2020 also remains in force meaning landlords must provide tenants with a notice period of six months when issuing a notice seeking possession;

- Tenants are still obliged to pay rent during this period.

Read more on the Letting Agent Today website.

https://www.lettingagenttoday.co.uk/breaking-news/2020/8/exactly-what-the-ban-extension-means-to-agents-and-tenants

Government Announces Another Extension To Evictions Ban

The MHCLG has confirmed that it is to extend the ban in England on evictions to 20 September and will also introduce six-month long notice periods that will run until 31 March 2021. The ban, which was announced in March because of the Coronavirus pandemic, is currently due to end of 23 August. It has also been confirmed that once the courts do re-open, only serious cases including those involving anti-social behaviour and domestic abuse will be prioritised. The further four-week extension will allow for further work to be done to prepare before the ban is lifted and mean that landlords will continue to be unable to start proceedings to evict tenants. Read more on the ARLA website.

https://www.arla.co.uk/news/august-2020/government-announces-another-extension-to-evictions-ban/ 

Landlords Evicting Tenants Must Reveal If Tenants Have Been Affected By Covid-19

Landlords who look to evict tenants once the eviction ban ends on August 23rd need to disclose whether a tenant’s circumstances were affected by the pandemic. If the situation isn’t properly disclosed judges could throw the case out of court. Mary-Anne Bowring, group managing director at Ringley and creator of automated lettings platform, PlanetRent, said: “The new measures announced by the government are fair as they will encourage landlords to engage with their tenants, as any business would with a customer to agree credit terms.” Read more on the Property Wire website.

https://www.propertywire.com/news/landlords-evicting-tenants-must-reveal-if-tenants-have-been-affected-by-covid-19/ 

Coronavirus: MPs Warn Of 'Wave Of Homelessness' When Eviction Ban Ends

England could see "a new wave of homelessness" when a ban on evictions ends later this month, MPs have warned. The ban was introduced in March as part of emergency legislation to protect those hit financially by the pandemic. Amid fears that evictions may lead to more homeless, 21 MPs have urged the government to guarantee council funds to house rough sleepers for a year. The government said it would "continue to provide appropriate support" to those affected. New evictions in England and Wales had initially been suspended until 25 June, but the pause was extended to 23 August. Read more on the BBC website.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-53797657

Pre-Lockdown Cases A Priority

Possession cases that began before lockdown – including proceedings against anti-social tenants – will be prioritised when the courts reopen next month. Housing Minister, Christopher Pincher MP confirmed the news in response to a written question asking whether the current evictions ban will be extended. The NRLA has been campaigning for cases which began before the pandemic to be given priority, after it was revealed some landlords and neighbours were trapped with abusive tenants, with the eviction ban preventing landlords repossessing the properties. Read more on the NRLA website.

https://news.rla.org.uk/pre-lockdown-cases-a-priority-nrla-win-on-possessions/

Members Rallied To Contact MPs As Evictions Ban Extended

The extension of the evictions ban will have devastating consequences for some landlords, with the NRLA encouraging those affected  to write to their MPs to make sure their voices are heard. Landlords could face serious financial hardship or end up stuck with anti-social tenants for months on end as a result of the extension and the association wants them to share their experiences to make sure they have their say when it comes to agreeing a new possessions process. Read more on the RLA website.

https://news.rla.org.uk/members-rallied-to-contact-mps-as-evictions-ban-extended/

Eviction Ban Extended

Landlords could be left for five months without rent and anti-social tenants allowed terrorise neighbours after the government announced an extension to its eviction ban. The ban, introduced by the government in response to the Covid-19 pandemic has now been extended by two months following an announcement late this afternoon. Housing minister Robert Jenrick said the suspension of evictions from both private rented accommodation and the social sector will be extended by two months until August 23. He also announced new court rules, which he said ‘will ensure vulnerable renters are protected when the suspension of evictions ends’ Read more on the RLA website.

https://news.rla.org.uk/disappointment-as-eviction-ban-extended/

Universal Credit Rent Arrears Deductions Suspended

Third-party deductions – which see Universal Credit claimants have money they owe taken directly from their monthly benefit awards – have been halted until 10 May. The move is intended to help streamline the Universal Credit system amid huge demand arising from the impacts of the coronavirus crisis. Deductions for rent arrears, service charge arrears and council tax arrears will not be taken during the pause. Claims in which rent is paid directly to landlords through Alternative Payment Arrangements are not affected by the change. Read more on Inside Housing.

https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/universal-credit-rent-arrears-deductions-suspended-66228?utm_source=Housing60&utm_medium=email&utm_content=article_link&utm_campaign=H60

Rents: Coronavirus – Parliamentary Written Answer

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has made an assessment of the feasibility of introducing a ban on rent increases for (a) social and (b) private rented housing for the duration of the covid-19 outbreak. 

Christopher Pincher: The Government have no plans to ban rent increases during the COVID-19 outbreak as we have already announced extensive measures to protect renters affected by coronavirus. All tenants remain liable for their rent and those who can afford to should continue to pay it. At the end of this period, if arrears have built up, landlords and tenants will be expected to work together to establish an affordable repayment plan, taking into account the tenants’ individual circumstances. For tenants in social housing, landlords will continue to work closely with residents to help them manage their rent and ensure they can access all benefits they are entitled to.

http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2020-03-23/33423

Jenrick Announces ‘Complete Moratorium On Evictions’ After Government Climbdown

Robert Jenrick has bowed to concerns from the sector to completely ban evictions due to the Coronavirus pandemic. After the previous announcement that vowed to do the same, it was highlighted that renters could still get evicted if their case was already in the system, meaning some 20,000 people could have been evicted during the Coronavirus outbreak. However, a new government document shows it has sought to go further. It says: “From 26th March 2020, landlords will have to give all renters three months’ notice if they intend to seek possession. Read more on 24housing.

https://www.24housing.co.uk/news/jenrick-announces-complete-moratorium-on-evictions-after-government-climbdown/

Council Housing Residents Blocked From Accessing Communal Play Area And Gardens

A group of residents living on an estate have expressed outrage at being padlocked out from a communal garden and playground while private owners continue to have access. The Pembury Estate in Hackney, London used to be council-controlled housing, but management was handed over to the Peabody housing association 20 years ago. As part of the deal, Peabody was given permission to build a new block of privately rented flats with a fenced off garden and playground attached to the back. There is an external gate making it accessible to other residents of the estate, but Peabody has kept the gate padlocked for months. Read more on the Left Foot Forward website.

https://leftfootforward.org/2019/08/council-housing-residents-blocked-from-accessing-communal-play-area-and-gardens/

Labour Plans To Ban Leaseholds On New-Build Homes

Labour has set out plans to ban the sale of new private leasehold houses and flats in an overhaul of property ownership rules that could slash the costs for homeowners of buying their freeholds. The shadow housing secretary, John Healey, said the proposals would end exploitative practices by freeholds, “from rip-off ground rents, to punitive fees to onerous contract conditions stating what they can and can’t do to their own homes”. The government has already announced it will axe leaseholds on all new-build houses, though it is not clear when the measures will formally take effect. Read more on the Guardian website.

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2019/jul/08/labour-plans-ban-leaseholds-new-build-homes

Landlords ‘Struggling’ To Keep Up With Reforms

New research shows many landlords are struggling to keep up with new legislative and regulatory reforms introduced over the past year. An independent survey of 400 landlords found 30% do not understand the changes to House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) licencing and 28% were unaware of the abolition of Section 21. 27% said they do not understand the tenant fees ban (June 2019) or how it may affect them. A quarter (25%) said they were not up to date with the latest changes to reduce tax relief on Buy To Let mortgage repayments. Read more on 24housing.

https://www.24housing.co.uk/news/survey-shows-landlords-struggling-to-keep-up-with-reforms/

Council Boards Up Area ‘To Keep Homeless People Away’

Westminster council has boarded up an area in the London borough to keep away rough sleepers, with campaigners warning that local authorities and police are pushing homeless people “out of sight and out of mind”. Large white hoarding has appeared outside McDonald’s in Victoria Street, which homeless people and campaigners say is part of a wider effort to remove rough sleepers from the borough with the largest street population in England. Rough sleeping in London reached an all-time high of 8,855 people for the 2018-19 calendar year, an 18% annual increase. Read more on the Guardian website.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/jun/19/westminster-council-boards-up-area-to-keep-homeless-people-away

Letting Fees Ban: Agents Urge Landlords To Increase Rents

The government has banned agencies from ripping off tenants – but there is evidence that rents are rising to offset the losses. Just two weeks after the ban came into force, a north London lettings agent has started telling its landlords to raise all future rents by £20 a month to offset the new costs they face. And it is unlikely to be alone in proposing such a measure. The move, which was this week branded by one landlord as “not in the spirit of the law”, had been predicted by some commentators, though few thought it would happen this quickly. Read more on the Guardian website.

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2019/jun/15/letting-fees-ban-agents-urge-landlords-to-increase-rents

Tenant Fees Ban Now In Force In England

The Tenant Fees Act came into force in England on Saturday 1st June 2019. The Act makes it illegal for landlords and agents to charge certain fees, for new tenancy agreements that are signed on or after 1st June 2019. The fees that landlords can still charge are rent, deposits, holding deposits and charges for defaulting on the contract. However, all four of these are subject to additional restrictions as part of the new legislation, and landlords and agents will need to be mindful of these changes. Other fees, such as those relating to inventories, admin charges and gardening services-are banned. Read more on the RLA website.

https://news.rla.org.uk/tenant-fees-ban-now-in-force-in-england-new-forms-for-landlords/