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Em Morley

Landlords Caught on Camera by BBC Offering Sex for Rent

Published On: September 12, 2018 at 9:00 am

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Two landlords have been caught on camera by the BBC offering sex for rent to prospective female tenants.

A BBC journalist, in an undercover sting, exposed the landlords, after they posted advertisements on Craigslist, seeking sexual favours in exchange for a free place to live.

The men, both from Bristol, offered to waive rent, cover bills and even pay expenses if they could sleep with a tenant half their age as often as once a week.

Shown on BBC Inside Out West, the investigation worked with the charity Safe Lives to expose the shocking way that sex for rent landlords are exploiting female tenants.

One landlord, called Mike, told the undercover reporter that she could have a designer two-bedroom flat with “everything provided”, as long as they were in a “friends with benefits relationship”.

He is recorded saying: “The room, the rent, all the bills, everything paid for. And I’ll even give you an allowance every week so that you feel that you’re looked after. The benefit is that you sleep with me once a week.”

After being exposed by the programme, Mike said that he was “pretending to be a landlord”, as part of research into the exploitation of women in the UK.

Another landlord, calling himself Tom, who is in his 60s, told reporter Rachel Stonehouse that she would receive free rent, gas, electric and wifi if she moved into his flat.

Landlords Caught on Camera by BBC Offering Sex for Rent

Landlords Caught on Camera by BBC Offering Sex for Rent

She then asked him if they had to have sex, to which he replied: “I’m getting embarrassed now. Do what you want, and if you want to make love, make love. Give it a week or two if you’re not ready straightaway. But, at the end of the day, yes [sex is required].”

Tom refused to respond when he was told that the BBC was filming him.

One woman from Bristol told the show that she had been asked to partake in group sex to get her rent for free.

‘Everyone I spoke to just seemed a bit dangerous,” she said. “One guy expected me to sleep with him, but also having group sex with a lot of his friends. It’s not worth it, doing it for a bit of money.”

The programme exposed the range of adverts that have appeared online demanding similar arrangements of tenants. Offering sex for rent is illegal, but, in one online advert, a 35-year-old man asked for a picture of the tenant and offered a room for £1 in return for “female services”.

The advert read: “Hi! I’m a 35-year-old male, fairly good looking. I have my own house with a spare room available. I am looking for a female lodger, possibly rent free, depending on services offered. Please reply with pic and a bit about yourself, thanks.

“I have a high sex drive, and am very adventurous and have no limits. Therefore (and this has worked over the last year), I am thinking of a couple of evenings a week where you surrender to me. Sometimes I will not want anything but will to play with you. Sometimes we will play online together. Sometimes we will role play. One thing I can guarantee is you will be satisfied and it won’t be boring.

“You must like sex, and be adventurous as well. On the other nights of the week, we would be like any other people sharing a house. Please let me know what you think and let me know your limits and experience as well.”

Nikki Watson, the Assistant Chief Constable for Avon and Somerset Police, responds to the findings: “It’s worrying that, in this day and age, anyone believes it to be appropriate to advertise accommodation in return for sex. This appears to be an emerging issue, with incidents not being reported to police locally or nationally. I’m very concerned that vulnerable people could be exploited in these circumstances.

“I welcome debate on this issue, and would call for national coordination between the Ministry of Justice, Crown Prosecution Service and police to find a way forward. I would also call on classified ad providers to step up their processes to identify and reject such adverts.”

She adds: “Sexual exploitation is wrong, and I’d encourage anyone who has been affected by it, or who suspects someone is being subjected to it, to report it to the police.”

The Inside Out West show was first shown on BBC One on Monday 10th September at 7.30pm. It is now available through the BBC iPlayer.

Are you Aware of your Current Fire Safety Responsibilities as a Landlord?

Published On: September 12, 2018 at 8:04 am

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With fire safe regulations in the private rental sector expected to change in due course, landlords are being reminded to ensure that they’re complying with their current fire safety responsibilities towards their tenants.

Following the recent Government-commissioned review into fire safety, Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety, which was conducted by Dame Judith Hackitt, it is predicted that the Government will introduce more stringent legislation to ensure that tenants have the highest level of protection possible in their homes.

Landlords may have to put more thorough safety measures in place and face harsher penalties if they fail to comply with the reforms.

Although the review concluded that the UK’s building regulations are not “fit for purpose” and leave room for fire safety “shortcuts”, we advise landlords to understand and comply with their current fire safety responsibilities, before any new rules are introduced.

Protect your tenants

All landlords should put their tenants’ health and safety first, which includes keeping the property protected against fire.

Research shows that those who live in rented or shared accommodation are seven times more likely to experience a fire in their homes than those who don’t. Landlords, therefore, must be aware of the dangers and be proactive in enforcing measures to prevent fires in their properties. This will also avoid you having to pay a hefty fine or face criminal proceedings.

Are you Aware of your Current Fire Safety Responsibilities as a Landlord?

Are you Aware of your Current Fire Safety Responsibilities as a Landlord?

Assess the risk

Understanding your fire safety responsibilities can be confusing, so it may be worth discussing your obligations with a professional and having a fire risk assessment carried out.

These reviews, which are conducted by experts, help you to put practical measures in place to reduce the risk of a fire and of a fire spreading if it does break out. Private rental sector regulations vary depending on the type of property you let, so an assessment will help to establish which laws are applicable to you.

Install alarms 

Following a consultation on property conditions in the private rental sector, legislation was introduced in 2015 that requires landlords to install working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms in their properties, or face fines of up to £5,000.

Smoke alarms must be installed on every storey of your rental property, while a carbon monoxide detector must be fitted in any room with a solid fuel burning appliance, such as a coal fire or wood-burning stove. Alarms must also be tested at the beginning of every tenancy.

We have a comprehensive guide to help you understand your responsibilities surrounding alarms: https://landlordnews.co.uk/guides/a-landlords-guide-to-smoke-and-carbon-monoxide-alarms/

Electrical safety

Faulty electrics can be a leading cause of fires in private rental properties, resulting in 16% of all accidental fires in the home. To help prevent these risks in the future, the Government has backed the idea to make electrical safety checks a mandatory requirement in the private rental sector.

However, did you know that you’re already responsible for the safety of the appliances that you supply? As a landlord, you must ensure that appliances such as microwaves, kettles and toasters are regularly PAT (Portable Appliance Testing) tested. In addition, you must ensure that all sockets and light fittings are safe, as well as all wiring, fuses and circuit breakers.

Furniture and furnishings 

Every item of furniture that you, as the landlord, provide in a rental property must be fire resistant. This includes: sofas, beds, headboards, cushions, seat pads and any garden furniture that is used indoors.

If the furniture was bought from a reputable trader after 1988, it should be fire safe. To check, you should look for the permanent label on the item, which is likely stitched somewhere out of sight. The exceptions are mattresses, divans and bed bases, which are covered by British safety standard BS 7177; look out for this number.

Before any changes to your fire safety responsibilities are introduced, we urge you to understand and comply with the current rules. For a thorough look at your obligations as a landlord, read through our helpful guide: https://landlordnews.co.uk/guides/a-landlords-guide-to-fire-safety/

Landlord Argues that Scotland’s Private Rental Sector is in Need of a “Massive Shake-Up”

Published On: September 11, 2018 at 9:59 am

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Following two reports that more must be done to improve the state of the private rental sector across the UK, Scotland’s largest independent residential landlord insists that the Scottish lettings market is in need of a “massive shake-up”.

Yesterday, a landmark report was published by academics at the University of York, alongside a study by Nationwide Building Society.

Now, serial entrepreneur Graeme Carling says that he is “not surprised” that more and more buy-to-let investors are leaving the sector, given the “minefield” that is being a landlord in Scotland.

Commenting on reports that there has been a decline in buy-to-let mortgage applications, Carling believes that it is not just tighter regulations and higher costs that are to blame. The problem, claims Carling, is “the minefield of actually being a landlord in Scotland”.

He explains: “What appears, on paper, to be a tidy little investment can turn into a major headache for those wanting to earn extra income, or use buy-to-lets to invest some spare cash. Operating a building full of rentals is one thing. Running a place which is part of a collection of private properties is a whole lot different.”

Things can get “messy”, he says, if there is no compulsory property manager to oversee common repairs. Chasing other landlords for money to pay for common maintenance issues can be a full-time job, he point out, and, if solicitors are used to chase payments, it can become costly, too.

“On a few occasions, I’ve opted to swallow the costs myself, simply because I couldn’t face the hassle,” he says. “And that’s not fair.”

Carling goes on to argue that perhaps landlords and property agents should be means-tested, so that they are in a position to pay towards common repairs, should they arise.

Carling is the Co-Founder of Carling Property Group – along with his wife, Leanne – and the Owner of the newly formed PRS Group. They own and manage 350+ rental properties across Scotland, making them the country’s largest independent residential landlords.

The PRS Group aims to expand rapidly, by owning 5,000 rental properties “as quickly as possible”. Perhaps things aren’t as bad as Carling makes them seem?

Less than 3 Weeks Remaining for Landlords to Apply for New HMO Licences

Published On: September 11, 2018 at 9:29 am

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There is now less than three weeks remaining for landlords with properties that fall under new HMO licences (House in Multiple Occupation) to apply.

From 1st October 2018, all HMOs with five or more occupants comprising of two or more family units will require a licence to operate. Under existing rules, HMO licences are only required if the property is over three storeys.

The main change under the new rules is the removal of the minimum storey requirement from the HMO definition.

The changes are contained in the Licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation (Prescribed Description) (England) Order 2018. The Government estimates that an extra 160,000 rental properties will require HMO licences under the new rules.

The new legislation will also introduce minimum space standards for bedrooms in HMOs. Rooms sleeping one adult must be no smaller than 6.51m2, while rooms sleeping two adults must be at least 10.22m2. Bedrooms for children aged 10-years-old or younger must be no smaller than 4.64m2.

Where minimum bedroom size standards are not met, councils will be able to grant a period not exceeding 18 months for landlords to rectify the situation.

Landlords must also provide adequate receptacles for the storage and disposal of household waste produced at their properties.

Landlords must apply for HMO licences, if required, before 1st October and comply with any changes that need to be made to their properties. If, after this period, you have not complied with the new rules, you could face serious penalties, including hefty fines and criminal prosecution.

Remember to contact the local council in your properties’ areas for details on how to apply for HMO licences, if you will need them.

We will continue to keep you up to date with changes to lettings law through our daily news updates and monthly newsletter – check out our site here: https://landlordnews.co.uk

The Most Vegetarian-Friendly Cities for Tenants in the UK

Published On: September 11, 2018 at 8:57 am

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Over the past few years, there has been a sharp rise in the number of vegans and vegetarians in the UK. Subsequently, there has been an increase in the amount of tenants searching for vegetarian-friendly properties. So, where can they find them?

More people than ever before are choosing to enjoy a meat-free diet, with many vegans and vegetarians preferring to live with other non-meat eaters. This is causing a growing number of tenants to seek out vegetarian-friendly rental properties.

According to a recent study by Fasthomes.org, 67% of respondents said that they had problems finding a vegetarian-friendly home, giving reasons such as a lack of properties available (51%) and other tenants not respecting their dietary requirements (35%).

Consequently, the online housing agent investigated the rental market for individuals who are vegetarian and perhaps looking for a home/room that accommodates their dietary requirements, by analysing data from Spareroom.co.uk at the start of last month.

Fasthomes.org assessed just how many properties are available to rent per London borough and the 20 most populated towns and cities in the UK that are vegetarian-friendly.

The research found that, in London, Harrow (55 properties advertised) has the highest number of vegetarian-friendly homes to rent, while, outside of the capital, Manchester (31 properties) is by far the best place to live if you want to rent a home with other vegetarians.

Birmingham and Bristol were also good bets, at 20 properties each.

Following Harrow, the top London boroughs for vegetarian-friendly households were: Waltham Forest (26), Newham (19), Hackney (18) and Redbridge (14).

In the following boroughs, just one property was listed to let as vegetarian-friendly: Bexley, Havering, Islington, Tower Hamlets and Wandsworth.

The worst places to rent a veggie-friendly home outside of the capital were: Birkenhead, Newport, Bradford and Belfast.

Landlords, have you seen a rise in the number of tenants seeking vegetarian-friendly homes to rent?

Which Part of Prime Central London is Performing Best for Rent Prices?

Published On: September 11, 2018 at 8:03 am

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Many investors will know that rental yields in prime central London are typically among the lowest in the UK. However, a new report from Knight Frank reveals the part of prime central London that is performing the best for rent price growth…

It’s true; while rental yields are generally quite low in prime central London, there are still attractive returns to be achieved in the heart of the capital.

New data from Knight Frank reveals that rent prices in Mayfair have increased by an average of 5% over the past 12 months. This is more than anywhere else in prime central London.

Public realm improvements and a series of high quality, new build developments have led to increased demand for homes in the area, the property firm reports.

The new research also reveals that the average length of a tenancy in prime central London has risen to more than 16 months over the past two years, owed in part to the fact that continuing uncertainty in the property sales market, around the trajectory for house price growth, means that tenants are more prepared to commit to longer tenancy periods.

The number of tenancies agreed per Knight Frank office in prime outer London rose to a three-year high in July, thanks partly to strengthening demand among corporate tenants.

Knight Frank’s report supports a separate study from Strutt & Parker, which found that take-up of new tenancies in prime central London in the second quarter (Q2) of the year rose significantly compared with the same period of last year.

If you own rental properties in prime central London, how have you seen the market shift in the past year?

For those of you thinking about investing in the heart of the capital, look at studies such as this one to determine the hotspots that you should be targeting.