What Are The New Rules For Help To Buy?

Rules have changed for the government-backed Help to Buy scheme and many buyers are confused about what the new rules mean. The new scheme came into effect this June, only first-time buyers are able to benefit from the scheme and the current plan is to end it completely by 2023. Crucially the other big change is new regional property price caps, which the government says will help them to focus on who needs the scheme the most. To benefit, the new build home being bought must be within the relevant regional property price-caps. Read what the price caps are and more on the Property Reporter website.

https://www.propertyreporter.co.uk/property/what-are-the-new-rules-for-help-to-buy.html 

Plan To Change Shared Ownership Equity Rules Described As 'Tinkering'

People seeking to get on the housing ladder through shared ownership may be allowed to increase the proportion of the home they own in smaller steps than currently allowed, the housing secretary, Robert Jenrick, has announced. Instead of increasing equity in 10% chunks, people who share the ownership of their home with a housing association could buy as little as 1% a time, in what the government described as an effort to make home ownership more accessible to low-income groups and to “level up” the country. Labour criticised it as “tinkering” and said it did not tackle the lack of new affordable housing. Read more on the Guardian website.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/aug/28/plan-to-change-shared-ownership-equity-rules-described-as-tinkering

New HMO Licensing Rules Expected In October

The Government is planning to introduce new rules on licensing Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) this October, the Housing Minister, Dominic Raab, has confirmed. The Government set out its proposals to extend HMO licensing last year, involving mandatory licensing for properties, regardless of height, that are occupied by five or more people from two or more households. Currently, mandatory HMO licensing only applies to properties with three or more storeys that are occupied by five or more people from two or more households. The new rules still have to be approved by Parliament. However, in response to a written question by Liberal Democrat MP Wera Hobhouse, Raab set out a timetable for their introduction. Read more on the Landlord News website.

https://landlordnews.co.uk/new-hmo-licensing-rules-october/

1 October – A Day Of Change For Landlords

As of 1 October 2015 new rules came into force which will change the responsibilities of landlords who let properties in England when it comes to three key issues:

1. Retaliatory evictions - A landlord will not be able to end a tenancy using the section 21 (s21)/ no fault procedure for 6 months if a tenant’s complaint about the state of repair of the property has been verified by a local authority inspection, and the local authority has served either an improvement notice or a notice of emergency remedial action.

2. Changes to Section 21 - New Section 21 form. This must be used in respect of all new tenancies from 1 October 2015. It will make it more straightforward for landlords to end a tenancy where they are allowed to do so.

3. Smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) alarm requirements - The Regulations now state that landlords in England will have to provide a smoke alarm on every storey of a rented property which includes living accommodation and a CO detector in any room with a solid fuel burning appliance.

Read more on the NLA website.

New Universal Credit Rules Will Hit 200,000 People

New universal credit rules which could leave 200,000 claimants waiting six months for their benefit have sparked fresh fears over increased tenant rent arrears. The new regulations have been described by social landlords as likely to lead to increased hardship and evictions. Currently, the DWP calculates a claimant’s universal credit monthly. If they earn above a certain threshold in that month, their entitlement is reduced or removed. Under the new rules, the DWP will take into account earnings the claimant has made in the six months previously. This means a person who earns a larger amount in one month, but nothing the following month, may find they are unable to claim universal credit for up to six months. Read more on Inside Housing.

New Tenant Rules for Universal Credit

The government is introducing new rules that would allow housing associations to help prevent tenants claiming universal credit from falling into arrears. The DWP will be rolling out a pilot undertaken by Golden Gates Housing Trust, in which job centres can seek permission from tenants to inform their social landlord if they make a new claim for universal credit, across England. Under the Golden Gates pilot, when someone makes a new claim for universal credit they are asked by the job centre to take a form to their landlord to verify their housing costs or to give consent for the job centre to contact the landlord. Read more on Inside Housing.