Crackdown On Private Landlords Renting Overcrowded And Dangerous Homes

Measures to improve overcrowded and dangerous living conditions of private tenants in shared homes were laid before Parliament. Councils are being given tough new powers to tackle the small minority of rogue landlords who rent out overcrowded properties and impose fines of up to £30,000 for those landlords who do not comply. From October councils will be able to set minimum bedroom size standards and also introduce limits on how many people can live in each bedroom of a licenced multiple occupancy home. Councils will be able to use national minimum standards or apply even tougher requirements in order to address specific local needs. Read more on GovUK.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/crackdown-on-private-landlords-renting-overcrowded-and-dangerous-homes

Cost Of Renting One-Bed Property Soars In UK

The cost of renting a one-bedroom property in the UK has risen to swallow almost half of the average young worker’s take-home pay, according to figures. The average cost of a new tenancy on a one-bedroom home hit £746 a month in May, taking up 48% of the take-home pay of a worker aged under 30, data from property firm Countrywide showed. Rising rents had outstripped growth in earnings to such an extent in the capital that since 2007 the proportion of take-home pay used to meet the cost had increased from 41% to 57%. The firm said tenants were responding to the higher costs by moving into house shares. Read more on the Guardian website.

Housing Benefit: Shared Housing – Parliamentary Written Answer

Neil Coyle:  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will review the way in which the shared accommodation rate is calculated to mitigate the effect of the housing benefit cap in the social sector.

Justin Tomlinson: There are no current plans to review how the shared accommodation rate is calculated within the Local Housing Allowance scheme. For those under 35, not in supported housing, the existing exemptions that already apply to the shared accommodation rate for private rented sector tenants will be applied to the social sector as a minimum.

40% Of Homeless Young People Could Be Hit By Removal Of Housing Support

Housing Benefit provides a safety net to young people, without which they would not be able to access accommodation. For those at a point of crisis, removal of housing support could also push vital homelessness services out of reach. Young and Homeless 2015, a survey of homelessness service providers and local authority housing departments, indicates that the problem is compounded by wider welfare reforms and lack of affordable and shared housing:

·         95% of homelessness services reported that benefit sanctions have affected young people’s ability to access accommodation.

·         73% reported that the extension of the Shared Accommodation Rate has greatly affected young people’s ability to access accommodation.

·         On average, the time spent in homelessness services was 16 months, almost twice as long as in last year’s survey (8.5 months).

Read more on the Homeless Link website.

Landlord Licensing 'A Complete Failure'

A scheme to crack down on rogue landlords in Oxford has been branded a "complete failure" as half the city's shared houses have not been registered. Oxford City Council began licensing houses of multiple occupation (HMOs) in 2011 to raise the quality of housing. It said the scheme had resulted in £3.5m being invested in housing stock. The National Landlords Association (NLA) said the scheme was not properly enforced and it was driving up rents, forcing people out of the city. Read more on the BBC website.

MPs and Peers to Consider Access to Rented Homes for under-35s

The All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for the Private Rented Sector (PRS) has launched an inquiry into access to rented housing for the under 35s. Following changes to housing benefit rules for the under 35s and the use by some local authorities of planning rules requiring planning permission for homes to be converted to shared housing for rent, the Group will consider the pressures faced by young people seeking rented accommodation and what can be done to support them. All interested organisations are invited to submit evidence and a report will be produced with recommendations being made to Ministers. As well as written submissions, members will take oral evidence from experts on the 17th June and 8th July.  Read more on the RLA website.