One In 10 Forced To Report Same Problem With Their Social Home More Than 10 Times

Tenants of social rented homes are being failed “by poor regulation”. A study by YouGov for Shelter found that one in 10 had reported an issue with their home more than 10 times within the past three years, including electrical hazards, gas leaks and faulty lifts. The poll did not state whether the issues were subsequently addressed. According to Shelter, which worked with Grenfell survivors’ group Grenfell United for the study, over the two years since Grenfell an estimated 400,000 people (5%) could have encountered issues with fire safety. Read more on the Shelter website.

https://england.shelter.org.uk/media/press_releases/articles/one_in_10_forced_to_report_same_problem_with_their_social_home_more_than_10_times

Fixed-Term Tenancies ‘Should Be Scrapped’, Says Thinktank

Fixed-term tenancies for private renters should be scrapped and replaced by mandatory open-ended agreements in order to end so-called “no-fault” evictions, a thinktank has said. The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) said the law should also be changed to stop landlords evicting tenants within the first three years of a tenancy because they want to sell their home. It made the calls in a report published today urging a major overhaul of the private rented sector. A poll conducted by Sky Data on behalf of the IPPR found that 72% of people believe the government should be doing more to regulate the private rented sector, while 53% feel the current system is unfair on tenants. Read more on the IPPR  website.

https://www.ippr.org/research/publications/sign-on-the-dotted-line

Social Rented Housing: Regulation – Parliamentary Written Answer

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to paragraph 94 of the Social Housing Green Paper and paragraph 19 of the Review of Social Housing Regulation call for evidence, whether the proposals for changes to the threshold of the serious detriment test used in the consumer home standard would require the introduction of new legislation.

Kit Malthouse: As part of the review of social housing regulation we will consider whether serious detriment remains the right threshold for intervention, and any change to this threshold will require amendment to primary legislation.

http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2018-10-12/178503

Key Proposals In The Social Housing Green Paper

·         New 'league tables' of housing providers based on key performance indicators, surrounding services such as repairs and neighbourhood management. This could be linked to housing grant.

·         Consideration to scrapping of the current 'serious detriment' test, to allow 'Ofsted-style' tougher consumer regulation

·         New home ownership options such as allowing tenants to buy as little as 1% of their property each year through shared ownership. This would only apply to new shared ownership purchases.

·         Ditching of plans to force social landlords to offer fixed term tenancies rather than lifetime tenancies in social housing

·         Ditching of plans to force councils to sell off their most valuable social housing when it becomes vacant

·         The potential introduction a new stock transfer programme from councils to 'community-led' housing associations

·         The return of guaranteed debt funding to help the development of affordable homes, and longer term 'strategic partnerships' for developing housing associations

Download the Green Paper from the GovUK website.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/733605/A_new_deal_for_social_housing_web_accessible.pdf

What The Green Paper Means For Social Housing

The Social Housing Green Paper may well mark a seminal moment in the English housing sector. However, this may perhaps be more for what it ushered out than what it ushered in. A number of notable policies introduced during the Cameron-Osborne years have been unceremoniously dumped or reversed:

– The High-value Assets Levy that was to be paid by councils to cover the cost of replacing homes sold by housing associations under the voluntary Right to Buy – gone

– The Housing and Planning Act 2016 contained powers to require councils to implement fixed-terms to new tenancies – this policy has been scrapped

– Consumer regulation was pared back in 2010 with the Tenant Services Authority infamously being made into ‘toast’ by then housing minister Grant Shapps. The Green Paper explores a number of options to beef up consumer regulation so it is on a par with economic regulation

– Performance league tables are being considered to allow meaningful comparison between social landlords. This was last possible when the Audit Commission and its KLOEs (key lines of enquiry) was in its pre-coalition government pomp, before being abolished.

Read more on the See Media website.

http://see-media.co.uk/what-the-green-paper-means-for-social-housing/

Regulator Strengthens Tenant Consultation Standard

The Homes and Communities Agency published the updated standard following the move to deregulate housing associations in April. The regulator requires housing providers to consult with tenants if they were considering changing their landlord or changing the management arrangements of their homes. Previously housing providers had to get the regulator’s consent before disposing of properties and as part of this process the regulator would check that an adequate tenant consultation had been carried out. However, this disposal consent was dropped in April as part of the government’s deregulatory package for the sector. Download the consultation outcome from the HCA website.

MPs Call For Sweeping Changes To Housing Association Regulation

The regulation of housing associations needs sweeping changes, MPs have told the Guardian, after an investigation into troubled new-build developments that have benefited from more than £60m of public money. The investigation into properties across London found issues with five housing associations: Catalyst, Sanctuary, Notting Hill Housing, Wandle and the One Housing Group, who together control 175,000 homes. Problems experienced by tenants and homeowners have included structural defects, damp, mould, broken lifts, infestation by rats, and poor customer service. Read more on the Guardian website.

Calls For Minimum Standards For Private Rented Sector

New minimum standards should be introduced for the private rented sector and landlords should receive tax incentives for signing up to accreditation schemes. CIH made the calls in its budget submission to government. The submission said more needs to be done to improve the quality of private homes across the board, including a new set of minimum standards for landlords which cover property conditions and housing management. It also called for tax incentives for private landlords who sign up to an accreditation scheme and new measures to allow local authorities to enforce standards. And it calls for the regulation of letting agents to stamp out poor practice. Read more on 24housing.

Charity Calls For End To Letting Fees For Tenants

All UK letting agency fees should be paid by landlords who can shop around, rather than tenants - as is the case in Scotland, Citizens Advice has said. The charity said that renters in much of the UK faced rising fees as they had no choice over the agent they dealt with after finding a house or flat. Landlords, on the other hand, were able to choose between agencies to act for them when renting out their property. A landlords' trade body said better regulation was a greater priority. Read more on the BBC website.

Council Housing: Security of Tenure – Parliamentary Written Answer

Dr Roberta Blackman-Woods:   To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether it is his policy that his Department's changes to security of tenure for council tenants will apply to (a) the tenancies of existing tenants and (b) existing tenants when they transfer to a new local authority property; and when he plans that those changes will come into effect.

Brandon Lewis: The changes will not apply to existing lifetime tenants who remain in their own home. If tenants are required to move home by their landlord, for example to allow demolition and regeneration work to take place, they will be granted a tenancy with no less security in their new home. Where existing lifetime tenants seek to transfer, local authorities will retain a discretion to offer the tenant a further lifetime tenancy in their new home. We will set out the circumstances in which local authorities may exercise this discretion in regulations. We expect these will include where tenants downsize into a smaller home or move for work. We expect that the provisions will come into force early next year, subject to passage of the Bill and implementation of the regulations.

Landlords Bruised by U.K. Tax Rise Could Face New Loan Limits

The U.K.’s amateur landlords, already bruised by higher taxes when they buy rentals and lower rates of tax relief, could be facing a new blow. George Osborne told lawmakers in October that Bank of England will get powers to regulate the so-called buy-to-let market as soon as possible. The central bank may move as soon as Tuesday’s meeting of the Financial Policy Committee to curb lending for rentals. Governor Mark Carney moved to limit the riskiest loans to homeowners last year by setting loan-to-income limits for some mortgages. Lending to landlords soared afterward, leading Jon Cunliffe, the Bank of England’s deputy governor for financial stability, to warn that investors could amplify an adverse shock to the housing market because they might seek to sell their rentals. Read more on the Bloomberg Business website.

DWP Moves To End Bedroom Tax Dodge

Government officials have acted to stop social landlords using a Universal Credit regulation to protect their income from the impact of the bedroom tax. A number of landlords had spotted a little-known clause in complex benefit regulations that allows them to collect the rent shortfall resulting from the bedroom tax for tenants in arrears. The use of the regulation does not protect tenants from the bedroom tax, as the money is still deducted from their overall Universal Credit award. However, it means that landlords do not have to collect the shortfall in benefit from the affected tenants. Read more on Inside Housing.

HCA Investigates More Complaints in New Approach

The English social housing regulator has changed its procedures to ensure consumer complaints against landlords are not incorrectly dismissed. The HCA is investigating a greater proportion of complaints it receives following the change. The HCA’s consumer regulation review reveals it received 589 complaints in 2014/15, and judged 238 of these – 40% – to be worthy of referral to its specialist ‘consumer regulation panel’ for further investigation. This compares to 20% of 509 complaints it received in 2013/14 being referred. The regulator last year changed its practices to ensure that if there is any doubt at all about whether a complaint should be probed, it is referred to the panel. Read the review on the HCA website.

Shelter Warns Blunt Rent Cap Could Harm Tenants

Capping rents could force landlords out of the market and make life harder for tenants if it is done too bluntly, the housing charity Shelter has warned. In a report commissioned by the charity and shared with the Guardian, researchers from the University of Cambridge said “hard rent controls” would remove landlords’ financial incentive to invest in their properties, and lead to poorer quality homes. A survey of landlords carried out for the report found 31% claiming they would sell all or some of their properties immediately if rents were frozen, meaning less choice for those in the private rented sector. Researchers also warned of a serious risk that a blunt cap on rents would encourage the growth of a black market not subject to rent regulation.  Read more on the Guardian website.

Trade Union Calls For Council Regulation of Private Landlords

A trade union is calling on councils across the sector to enforce standards in the private rented sector by regulating landlords. Spurred on by the growth of amateur landlords in the sector, courtesy of Buy-to-Let, the GMB union said councils must be required to set up systems of regulation of private landlords. The union said that councils should set up a register of private landlords, and the condition of registration should require minimum standards for length of tenure, terms of contract, safety, the condition and energy efficiency of rented accommodation. This should include “at least reserve powers to intervene to impose fair rent levels”.  Read more on the Housing Excellence website.

HCA Sets Out Delivery Priorities for Next Four Years

The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) has set out the ways in which it will use its land, investment and regulation to deliver new homes over the next four years.The agency's 2014 to 2018 plan details its core targets in 2014/15, including:

• Completion of 30,000 new affordable homes, with a further 22,500 affordable homes brought up to a decent standard.

• Development of the regulatory framework to "better protect social housing assets in a sector where risks are becoming more complex".

• Completion of over 9,500 new market sale homes, including over 5,500 through Get Britain Building, to increase private housing supply.

• Release of HCA land with housing capacity for over 6,000 new homes.

• Creation of over 315,000 sqm of new employment floor space to support local economies; and bringing nearly 230 hectares of previously developed land back into productive use.

Download the plan from the HCA website.

PRS Regulation Is Letting Tenants Down

Tenants and landlords are paying the price of the rising tide of regulation in the private rented sector while rogue landlords get away with poor practice, according to a new report. The study says "costly and complex regulatory systems" are pushing up rents and preventing more investment in the PRS at a time "when it needs to expand to help tackle the housing crisis".  Download a copy of the report from the RLA website.

Developing Effective Performance

17 May, HouseMark, Coventry

The regulator expects landlords to focus on economic regulation within a co-regulatory framework. Boards are expected to seek and provide assurance to the regulator that all the organisation’s resources are deployed to maximise a return on investment. This return can be financial, social or environmental.

The efficiency and effectiveness of performance management arrangements therefore play a central role in showing an organisation’s ability to demonstrate VFM and measure the things that matter to tenants and stakeholders. The organisation’s ability to measure, monitor and report performance against objectives helps the board to challenge and provide assurance in the annual regulatory VFM self-assessment that it is an effective business. This one day workshop will enable delegates to understand some of the key performance management issues in determining how well organisations deliver social value. Find more details on the HouseMark website.

Lords Vote In Favour Of Protecting Private Tenants Welcomed

A vote by the House of Lords in favour of protecting tenants in the private rented sector by regulating the lettings industry has been welcomed by housing and consumer organisations.  The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), The Property Ombudsman (TPO), Which? and ARLA all welcomed the decision by Peers to introduce an amendment in law aimed at giving private tenants much needed access to redress in the event of poor practice and help raise standards in the lettings market.  Read more on 24dash.

Government 'Must Change Housing Policy'

There must be a change in attitude and policy from the government to stop only lower income families living in social homes and the decline of availability of properties.  A new report from left-wing think tank the Centre for Labour and Social Studies (CLASS) has outlined a radical 11-point plan to address what it perceived as the failure of the UK’s housing market. This includes the ‘residualisation’ of social housing.  The report says the attitude of ‘scapegoating’ social housing tenants and ‘fetishising’ home ownership should end to help increase the supply, quality and price of genuinely affordable rented accommodation.  The report also calls on the regulation of the private rented sector as part of ‘a new approach’ to housing.  Download a copy of the paper from the CLASS website.