Written By Em

Em

Em Morley

Changes coming for ‘blanket licensing’

Published On: March 16, 2015 at 12:43 pm

Author:

Categories: Landlord News

Tags: ,,

The Government has confirmed that local councils will not be permitted to licence landlords over a large area without official approval. Housing and planning minister Brandon Lewis has decided to take action, in the face of complaints regarding councils making licensing for landlords mandatory. Compulsory licensing for landlords costs hundreds of pounds for each property.

 

Reforms

From April 1st, reforms to the Selective Licensing scheme will cap powers that local authorities currently hold. Under the changes, councils will have to gain government approval before pressing ahead with any licensing plans if they wish to licence a large proportion of the market. This area is likely be around 20% or more of the geographic landscape covered by the local council or local private rented sector.

 

The National Landlords Association (NLA) was one of a number of organisations who have constantly harried the government to make changes to existing reforms. A report from the NLA in 2010 revealed a rise in blanket licensing schemes, but a lack of enforcement methods being employed by councils.

 

Abusing Power

CEO of the NLA Richard Lambert said that his organisation had, ‘argued solidly since 2010 that councils have been abusing their power to push through blanket licensing schemes.’[1]

Changes coming for 'blanket licensing'

Changes coming for ‘blanket licensing’

 

Lambert believes that the announcement of changes will mean that councils intent on licensing substantial area will need to prove their case works under scrutiny. He said that he was, ‘delighted,’ that the government had listened to them as, ‘at present the driving force behind licensing landlords seems to be the political will of a given local council, regardless of the evidence.’[1]

 

He suggested that, ‘many local councils won’t like this decision one bit because until now they’ve been their own judge and the only way for landlords to challenge them has been through the difficult and complex route of judicial review.’ Going on, Lambert said that, ‘landlords are getting fed up with being unfairly targeted and made responsible for problems such as anti-social behavior when in reality they have little effective control over the issue, except by eviction.’[1]

 

Mr Lambert is hopeful that the changes will mean that, ‘councils who are serious about tackling poor property standards and anti-social behaviour will first look to the extensive existing legal powers they already have to combat the issues.’[1]

 

[1] http://www.propertywire.com/news/europe/landlords-licences-councils-change-2015031610264.html

 

 

Property Price Growth in Rural Areas

Published On: March 16, 2015 at 11:28 am

Author:

Categories: Property News

Tags: ,,

New research has indicated that property prices in rural areas are growing at almost the same rate as in large towns and cities.

According to the findings by property website Zoopla, home values in urban areas have risen by 5.7% during the past 12 months. Property values in rural areas have also seen a substantial rise of 5.1%.[1]

Values

Results from the Zoopla investigation show that the average property price of a house in a rural area in England is £264,338. This is around 24% more than a standard urban property outside of the capital.[1]

Rural properties in the East of the country have increased more in value during the past year. Prices have risen by 6.5%, or around £17,098. Houses in the South-East showed a similar rise in value, increasing by 6%, or £22,157.[1]

 

West-Midlands

Countryside properties in the West Midlands were found to be the most expensive in comparison to urban properties, with rural homes costing £73, 982 more than a home in a town or city. Gerrards Cross in rural Buckinghamshire was revealed to be the most costly countryside area in England. The average cost of a property here is around £817,376, up from £773,726 one year ago.[1]

 

Urban hotspots

Urban property prices in the East of England showed the highest growth of all city property areas, rising by 7.5%. Homes in the South East also showed a strong annual growth, rising by 6.7%.[1] However, the most expensive urban location in England is Kensington and Chelsea, where the average property price a huge £2,654,512.[1]

 

Property Price Growth in Rural Areas

Property Price Growth in Rural Areas

 

Lawrence Hall of Zoopla said that, ‘urban areas had a head start in the housing recovery, with demand propped up predominantly by employment opportunities.’ He notes that, ‘this drove price growth in these economic hubs and left countryside markets by the wayside.’[1]

Hall went on to state however that, ‘over the past year house price growth has spread and rural retreats which are commutable to the amenities and jobs or urban centres have become highly sought after.’ He warns that rural properties ‘come with a significant premium to have the best of both worlds.’[1]

Concluding, Hall suggests that, ‘those looking for the good life in the country might want to escape the rat race sooner rather than later.’[1]

 

 

[1]http://www.propertywire.com/news/europe/uk-property-prices-cities-rural-2015031610266.html

 

 

New Fire Regulations in the Private Rental Sector

Published On: March 11, 2015 at 2:36 pm

Author:

Categories: Landlord News,Law News

Tags: ,,

Yesterday, 10th March 2015, Penny Mordaunt MP spoke at the Local Government Association fire conference in Gateshead. The discussion came as part of the move to support fire and rescue authorities to reduce the number and impact of fires.

New Fire Regulations in the Private Rental Sector

New Fire Regulations in the Private Rental Sector

During the speech, Ms Mordaunt announced that the private rental sector will be subject to new regulations regarding alarms.

Ms Mordaunt became Minister for Fire Resilience and Emergencies last year, and has since been given the challenge of stressing the importance of the fire service to the Government, promoting the prevention of fires, and providing a clear plan for the future.

During this, Ms Mordaunt has effectively influenced the Government, as she revealed that they will be regulating this area.

Ms Mordaunt said that she was “pleased” to announce an introduction of regulations on the sector, after “the consideration of responses to the public discussion paper on Property Conditions in the Private Rented Sector.”

Ms Mordaunt went on to explain that these regulations will require “private sector landlords to install smoke alarms on each storey of their property.”

They will also need to install “carbon monoxide alarms in the rooms considered most at risk from high levels of carbon monoxide and to check the alarms are in working order at the start of any new tenancy.”

Ms Mordaunt explains how this will work: “To aid this, we will be providing additional one-off funding to fire and rescue authorities this financial year to enable them to support landlords in the transition to complying with these new regulations.”

She also stressed the importance these regulations can bring: “We estimate the regulations will result in up to 36 fewer fatalities and 1,529 fewer injuries over a ten year period.”1

The Government will also try to encourage the installation of carbon monoxide alarms in all private rental properties, using non-regulatory techniques.

1 https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/local-government-association-fire-conference-2015

The Best and Worst Broadband in Britain

Published On: March 11, 2015 at 9:11 am

Author:

Categories: Property News

Tags: ,,,

In some parts of the UK, households suffer broadband speeds that can be as much as 135 times slower than the fastest speeds in the country, according to uSwitch.

The average broadband speed on Williamson Road, Romney Marsh, Kent is a terrible 0.535Mbps. This means that it would take about 19 hours to download a two-hour HD film, and 49 minutes for a 20-song music album, uSwitch’s research found.

The complete opposite is found on Sandy Lane, Cannock, Staffordshire, where speeds are 135 times faster, and are an average of 72.86Mbps. Downloading the same film here would take just eight minutes, and only 22 seconds for the same album.

The study revealed a wide gap between broadband speeds around the UK. A third of the country still struggles with speeds less than 5Mbps, and 23% are even on less than 3Mbps.

Broadband speed can be affected by: The user’s distance from the nearest exchange; the broadband provider; and sometimes the property itself, such as thick walls.

The fastest and slowest speeds are spread all around the UK, however, the north of England sees twice as many quick streets as the south, found the survey of the 30 fastest and slowest streets.

Speeds can often vary massively within the same county. Three of the fastest streets are in Staffordshire, but as are two of the slowest. In another county, the average download speed on Cheadle Road, Alton, Stoke-on-Trent is 54 times slower than on Werrington Road, Bucknall.

The findings are based on over one million speed tests run by broadband users in the last six months.

Some households may be able to put up with slow speeds, but it can be a huge problem for small businesses. Broadband issues affect half of all small businesses in rural areas, another study found.

The Federation of Small Business revealed that 49% of rural small firms are not satisfied with the quality of their broadband, compared with 28% in cities.1

However, the number of people experiencing superfast broadband is growing. Over a fifth of broadband users now get average speeds of over 30Mbps, a rise from 15% only a year ago.

UK Streets with the Fastest Broadband Speeds1

Position

 Street Name & Location

Average Download Speed (Mbps)
1 Sandy Lane, Hatherton, Cannock, Staffordshire 72.86
2 Stockfield Road, Yardley, Birmingham, West Midlands 71.37
3 Aigburth Drive, Liverpool, Merseyside 71.2
4 Southhouse Broadway, Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh 68.53
5 Winchcombe Close, Swindon, Wiltshire 68.41
6 Alexandra Court, East Lindsey, Skegness, Lincolnshire 68.19
7 The Close, Conway Avenue, Thorton-Cleveleys, Blackpool 65.29
8 University Terrace, Pittenweem, Anstruther, Fife 64.62
9 Bulwer Gardens, Barnet, Greater London 64.56
10 New Church Road, Hove, The City of Brighton & Hove 61.03
11 Rowantree Crescent, Dundee, Dundee City 60.91
12 Barnacre Road, Longridge, Preston, Lancashire 60.78
13 Byron Road, South Croydon, Greater London 60.23
14 King Street, Market Rason, Lincolnshire 59.45
15 Camarthen Way, Rushden, Northamptonshire 58.27
16 Birkrig, Skelmersdale, Lancashire 58.11
17 Becket Mews, Canterbury, Kent 57.33
18 Friars Street, Hereford, Herefordshire 57.16
19 Luss Avenue, Greenock, Inverclyde 56.12
20 Castle Lea, Caldicot, Monmouthshire 53.11
21 St John’s View, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire 52.93
22 Caiesdykes Road, Aberdeen, Aberdeen City 52.75
23 Tuesley Lane, Godalming, Surrey 52.6
24 Longacres, Cannock, Staffordshire 52.38
25 Harcourt Road, Aberdeen, Aberdeen City 49.69
26 Monza Close, Buckley, Flintshire 49.49
27 Werrington Road, Bucknall, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire 49.01
28 Dalrymple Road, Brockley, Greater London 48.96
29 Brinkworth Close, Chippenham, Wiltshire 48.88
30 Highwood Drive, Nailsworth, Stroud, Gloucestershire 48.74
The Best and Worst Broadband in Britain

The Best and Worst Broadband in Britain

Broadband Expert at uSwitch, Ewan Taylor-Gibson, comments: “The UK’s slowest street broadband speeds are so sluggish you could fly to the Bahamas and back again in the time it takes to download a film.

“Likely causes include the user’s distance from the nearest exchange or issues within the properties themselves. Wireless connections can be affected by the thickness of walls, for example, but your broadband provider can usually offer a solution if that’s the case.”

He says that bad speeds can make people feel isolated, have an affect on businesses and schools, and even affect house prices.

He adds: “A nationwide rollout of fibre broadband to the furthest and most remote corners of the UK has never been more urgent.”1

UK Streets with the Slowest Broadband Speeds1

Position

 Street Name & Location

Average Download Speed (Mbps)
1 Williamson Road, Lydd-on-Sea, Romney Marsh, Kent 0.535
2 Great Fen Road, Soham, Ely, Cambridgeshire 0.547
3 Styles Court, Luton, Bedfordshire 0.8
4 Mardy Lane, Clun, Craven Arms, Shropshire 0.884
5 Weston Beggard Lane, Weston Beggard, Hereford, Herefordshire 0.914
6 Cheadle Road, Alton, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire 0.916
7 Mill Lane, Horndon on the Hill, Stanford-le-Hope, Essex 0.928
8 Llansadwrn, Menai Bridge, Isle of Anglesey 0.948
9 Solway Road, Moresby Parks, Whitehaven, Cumbria 0.963
10 Shorthorn Road, Stratton Strawless, Norwich, Norfolk 0.964
11 Foxbury Road, St Leonards, Ringwood, Dorset 0.976
12 Corrie Road, Kinlochleven, Highland, Scotland 0.985
13 The Crescent, Allington, Allington Gardens, Grantham, Lincolnshire 1.01
14 The Line, Linton, Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire 1.025
15 Uxbridge Road, Feltham, Greater London 1.03
16 North Lopham Road, Kenninghall, Norfolk 1.037
17 Coningsby Gardens East, Woodthorpe, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire 1.039
18 Kingfisher Drive, Birmingham, West Midlands 1.105
19 Sovereign Fold Road, Leigh, Wigan, Greater Manchester 1.116
20 McKinnon Drive, Mayfield, Dalkeith, Midlothian 1.122
21 Brampton Road, Hereford, Herefordshire 1.153
22 Marlingford Road, Easton, Norwich, Norfolk 1.174
23 Tarr Steps, Thornaby, Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham 1.226
24 Thornham Lane, Middleton, Manchester 1.236
25 Axial Drive, Colchester, Essex 1.244
26 Balmoral Drive, Willenhall, West Midlands 1.249
27 Grange Terrace, Pelton Fell, Chester le Street, County Durham 1.258
28 Bitham Lane, Stretton, Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire 1.267
29 Stubb Road, Hickling, Norwich, Norfolk 1.314
30 Manor Close, Denton, Manchester 1.32

1 http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/bills/article-2989700/Britain-s-best-worst-streets-broadband-speed-revealed.html?ITO=1490&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

 

Landlord Prosecuted for Illegal Eviction

Published On: March 10, 2015 at 11:47 am

Author:

Categories: Landlord News

Tags: ,,

Hammersmith & Fulham Council has successfully prosecuted a landlord, after she illegally evicted tenants when they complained about a foul smell and fire hazard at their flat.

Kathryn Dow, 56, of Novello Street in Fulham was given a suspended prison term at the City of London Magistrates’ Court, on 13th February 2015.

In January 2013, Dow rented out the top floor of her home to two tenants who paid a high deposit for a 19-month tenancy, the court heard.

Dow then refused to investigate when the tenants went to her complaining of a horrible smell in the hallway and one bedroom in April. The tenants suspected a dead animal under the floorboards, the court was told.

Additionally, Dow refused to move a large cabinet that was blocking the hallway entrance when the tenants believed it to be a fire hazard.

Landlord Prosecuted for Illegal Eviction

Landlord Prosecuted for Illegal Eviction

Officers from the Council were called to the three-storey property, where they could smell the odour. They sent Dow a letter giving her seven days to take action, however, by August, she had cancelled two other meetings with officers.

The court heard that in September, the tenants returned home one day to find that Dow had taken away their belongings and changed the locks. She said that there had been a carbon monoxide leak and that she had booked the tenants into a hotel. No leak was found and it emerged later that the tenants’ belongings were booked into a self-storage facility, before the date of the supposed leak.

The tenants went to the Council, where housing officers investigated the claim of an unfair eviction, which led to prosecution.

Only two days after the locks were changed, new tenants moved in. However, within two weeks they had moved out again, claiming there was a strong smell of mould and unsanitary conditions in the property.

The tenants were advised by the Council on how they could get their deposits back.

Dow denied illegally evicting the tenants, but was found guilty at the court hearing, where she was given a six-month prison sentence and two-year suspension. Furthermore, she was ordered to pay £10,794 in costs and compensation.

In another civil claim against Dow, at West London County Court, one of the original tenants was awarded £13,970 in damages towards their lost deposit, interest, and court costs.

The Council’s cabinet member for housing, Lisa Homan, says: “Rogue landlords cannot mistreat residents in this manner, and this prosecution shows the Council’s determination to ensure that private tenants in the borough are treated fairly.”1

1 http://www.landlordtoday.co.uk/news_features/Illegal-eviction-landlord-ordered-to-pay-£10-000-costs-and-compensation

 

Top Ten Sacrifices of Aspiring Homeowners

Published On: March 6, 2015 at 2:12 pm

Author:

Categories: Landlord News

Tags: ,,

Although the Help to Buy scheme has been fairly successful, owning a home is still far out of reach for many 18-34 year olds.

One of the hardest things to conquer is raising the substantial deposits required for purchasing a property. What House? has revealed some of the most common steps taken by aspiring buyers to save the thousands of pounds that they need to get onto the housing ladder.

Top Ten Sacrifices of Aspiring Homeowners

Top Ten Sacrifices of Aspiring Homeowners

The Top Ten Sacrifices of Prospective Homeowners1

  1. Cutting down on socialising and meeting friends – 47%
  1. Going without a holiday – 44%
  1. Not eating out – 42%
  1. Taking on another job or extra shifts – 34%
  1. Cutting back on essentials – 29%
  1. Giving up expensive hobbies – 21%
  1. Walking instead of using the car or public transport – 21%
  1. Moving back in with parents – 19%
  1. Selling possessions – 14%
  1. Putting a wedding on hold – 7%

1http://www.whathouse.com/news/article/54ec80684031b93e49ec2d18/What+are+the+top+10+sacrifices+prospective+homeowners+make+to+save+a+deposit%253F