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Em

Em Morley

Surge of Enquiries for Property Portal Accommodation for Students

Published On: June 15, 2018 at 8:05 am

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Accommodation for Students (AFS), the student accommodation online property portal, has seen a boost in enquires for student property. They believe this is due to the recent complete revamp of their website.

AFS have stated that the upgrades, delivered by digital agency Code Computerlove, have made the newly re-launched website easier and faster for students and landlords to navigate, view properties and make enquiries.

Simon Thompson, Director of AFS, set up Accommodation for Students after personally experiencing how difficult it could be to find suitable student accommodation. Today, the site is visited by over three million students each year and advertises properties for 32,000 UK private landlords, 1,200 letting agents and over 500 private halls of residence.

Thompson comments: “This re-launch has been a long-time in planning. We have considered every aspect of the website and its functionality to make it as appealing for landlords and letting agents, and as simple for students, as possible.

“In terms of new features, students can now see blended search results. Previously students had to visit different areas of the website to see different types of properties. Now they can search and compare the options like for like.

“For landlords and agents, the key benefit is better visual representation of their properties leading to more enquiries, which is clearly working given the boost of activity. Coming soon will also be automated property feeds for letting agents and optional rent collection services for landlords.”

Rob Jones from Code Computerlove added: “The site has been transformed taking an iterative approach, focusing on key user journeys and interactions – areas delivering the most value and testing every release so that we were confident that the site was delivering exceptional results from the start of the roll out process. In addition to the hugely impressive increase in enquiries, bounce rate has also dropped by almost half and conversion is up.”

Welsh Tenant Fees Ban is Likely to Increase Pressure on Vulnerable

Published On: June 14, 2018 at 9:35 am

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Categories: Law News,Tenant Fees Ban

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Landlords and letting agents in Wales are also facing a ban on charging fees to tenants, under a new law that is currently in its first stage, much like that of the Tenant Fees Bill in England.

The Renting Homes (Fees Etc.) (Wales) Bill was introduced on 11th June this year. It shares a common goal with the Tenant Fees Bill to put an end to letting fees. Those who offend could end up with a £500 fixed penalty, unlimited fines, and face the possibility of losing their landlord licence.

Welsh Housing Minister Rebecca Evans has said that most tenants should only be asked to pay one months rent, as well as a security deposit. She commented: “Fees charged by letting agents often present a significant barrier to many tenants, especially those on lower incomes.”

The Residential Landlord Association (RLA), however, has warned that those on lower incomes are most likely to suffer as a result. Landlords may become reluctant to agree tenancies to those who they deem to be more of a risk.

Douglas Haig, RLA Director for Wales said: “Ultimately it will increase the pressure on the most vulnerable in Wales as they will no longer get the assistance from agents to obtain a tenancy.

“It will also shift costs onto long term tenants who have enjoyed incredibly low rent rises way below inflation for many years.

“We had hoped that the Welsh Government would look to work with the sector to create a solution that allowed it to continue to provide the improvements in service and quality that we have seen over the last decade instead of jumping on a Westminster Government policy.”

“We have concerns that with severe penalties in place for those charging prohibited payments that there is insufficient clarity regarding security deposits.

“There is no clarity in the proposed Bill as to what a ‘prescribed limit’ will be.

“The RLA believes that such an amount should be clarified within the Bill before enactment and not allowed to be determined by regulations brought in later.

“Further we are disappointed that the Welsh Government has not sought to take the opportunity to introduce provisions for passport deposits or to enable a portion of the deposit to be passported from the first tenancy to the next one.

“This would lessen the burden on tenants when the time comes to move to another rental home.”

New App to Make Landlord Inventories Quicker and Easier

Published On: June 14, 2018 at 8:37 am

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Landlords and letting agents will be rejoicing at the news that a new app has been developed to help shorten the time it takes to complete an inspection and the necessary report.

With it being the time of year when many students are moving from one accommodation to another, this new app will most likely be well received.

Inventories are a vital part of any tenancy, as it is imperative that you are aware of the condition and contents of the property before a tenant moves in. You do have the option of paying for a specialist, which would most likely be more time efficient if you are not too familiar with doing inventories. The option is to find a landlord inventory template and do it yourself, which is where this app may come in handy.

Created by Suki Tiwana, owner of West Midlands Property Inventories, it aims to speed up the lengthy process. Whereas before it would take Tiwana, an experienced landlord, around three and a half hours to complete an inventory for a furnished three-bedroom house with the assistance of existing apps, she has now developed a more direct method.

Having the task of 100 inventories from multiple clients within a 2-week period during last year was clearly a major motivation for this property professional.

Suki Tiwana said: “The main issue was the app. Existing apps had been designed to ensure the user captured some of the required details by giving them many time-consuming, drop-down menus. These menus are completely unnecessary if the user knows what they are doing.

“We launched the app at an event in Birmingham. We had excellent feedback from the launch with letting agents seeing this as a good way to make £100 profit per inventory while improving the service to their landlords.”

For more information on the importance of inventories and how they can help to avoid disputes, you can check out our free guide. Simply sign up on the Landlord News website to access this and more.

Greater Manchester Landlord Fined for Failing to Fix Heating in Rental Property

Published On: June 13, 2018 at 9:39 am

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Greater Manchester landlord Massud Yaqub has been fined £2,179 for letting out a home during winter without heating and a faulty hot water cylinder.

The property, located on Bridge Street in Brindley Ford, was discovered to be let out in such a state, resulting in a notice being issued by Stoke-on-Trent City Council. The notice informed Mr Yaqub of the need to improve the living conditions in the property, following a complaint that was made in January last year. After failing to comply, the case was taken to court.

Prosecutor Kirsty Messenger said: “The property in Brindley Ford was in disrepair and an improvement notice was served in May 2017 following an inspection.

“The lack of effective heating and a faulty hot water cylinder was a category one hazard. Damp and mould was seen around the leaking hot water cylinder.

“Despite the improvement notice the heating cylinder has not been repaired and the heating has not been reinstated.”

The fine came to £1,320 for the offence and Yaqub was ordered to pay an additional £793.73 for costs and a £66 surcharge.

It is a landlord’s responsibility to make such repairs, and tenancy agreement should be referred to for clarity. In particular, landlords are responsible for repairs to:

  • Heating and hot water
  • Gas appliances, pipes, flues and ventilation
  • Electrical wiring
  • Basins, sinks, baths and other sanitary fittings including pipes and drains
  • The structure and exterior of a property
  • Any damage caused by themselves when making repairs

If the necessary repairs are not made, then tenants can go to the local council and the issue will escalate from there, so it is imperative that landlords act accordingly and as promptly as possible.

Following the prosecution, Councillor Randy Conteh, cabinet member for housing, said: “We take a proactive approach towards tackling irresponsible landlords and improving private rented sector conditions for our residents.

“In this case, the property has been left with no heating and a faulty hot water cylinder since January 2017. An improvement notice was served on Mr Yaqub by the private-sector housing enforcement team in May 2017 after several informal attempts to work with him to improve the conditions at this property failed.

“We aim to work with private landlords to resolve any issues in the first instance. But on this occasion we were left with no option but to prosecute Mr Yaqub. This successful prosecution shows the zero-tolerance approach the council takes in tackling rogue landlords and improving the private rented sector for residents.”

Limited Companies Increasingly Favoured by Landlords

Published On: June 13, 2018 at 9:00 am

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The option of limited companies is becoming an increasingly popular choice for landlords, according to a report for specialist lender Precise Mortgages. The research was compiled from the BDRC’s Q1 2018 Landlords Panel, looking at a sample of 1,043 National Landlords Association members.

Nearly 2 out of 5 (38%) landlords plan to use a limited company over the next 12 months to purchase properties. This is in comparison to 28% continuing as individuals.

This research also shows that landlords with more than four properties are specifically showing an interest in the usage of limited companies, seeing a rise to 42%, whereas those with up to three properties have dropped to 31%. Precise Mortgages have stated that landlords operating in London are most likely to be those considering the purchase of a property through a limited company.

According to the results of a recent study (conducted by Pure Profile), 89% of brokers expect an increase in the number of landlords setting themselves up as a limited company. The option to continue to claim tax relief on mortgage interest is seen as the main motivation. The research involved 104 mortgage brokers specialising in buy-to-let products.

In response to the BDRC study, around 15% of landlords answered that they had plans to expand their portfolios in the next year, within an average investment of two new properties. Around 23% of those planning to buy responded that they plan to add three or more properties to their portfolio.

BDRC’s research also revealed that landlords in possession of a larger portfolio are more aware of the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA)’s lending criteria and portfolio application changes. 45% of the landlords involved are aware of these changes, and of those with four or more Buy-to-Let Mortgages, 67% are aware. The results do show, however, that 74% of those with larger portfolios feel that the changes have made it more difficult to secure BTL finance.

Alan Cleary, Managing Director of Precise Mortgages, said: “Buying property within a limited company structure has become increasingly popular, particularly among larger professional landlords. Given the predicted rise in landlords switching to limited company status this year, we can expect this trend to continue.”

“The contrasting levels of awareness of the PRA’s recent changes to lending criteria and the application process between small and larger portfolio landlords points to the growing professionalisation of the latter group who stand to be the most affected.”

The option of limited companies is becoming an increasingly popular choice for landlords, according to a report for specialist lender Precise Mortgages. The research was compiled from the BDRC’s Q1 2018 Landlords Panel, looking at a sample of 1,043 National Landlords Association members.

Nearly 2 out of 5 (38%) landlords plan to use a limited company over the next twelve months to purchase properties. This is in comparison to 28% continuing as individuals.

This research also shows that landlords with more than four properties are specifically showing an interest in the usage of limited companies, seeing a rise to 42%, whereas those with up to three properties have dropped to 31%. Precise Mortgages have stated that landlords operating in London are most likely to be those considering the purchase of a property through a limited company.

According to the results of a recent study (conducted by Pure Profile), 89% of brokers expect an increase in the number of landlords setting themselves up as a limited company. The option to continue to claim tax relief on mortgage interest is seen as the main motivation. The research involved 104 mortgage brokers specialising in buy-to-let products.

In response to the BDRC study, around 15% of landlords answered that they had plans to expand their portfolios in the next year, within an average investment of two new properties. Around 23% of those planning to buy responded that they plan to add three or more properties to their portfolio.

BDRC’s research also revealed that landlords in possession of a larger portfolio are more aware of the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA)’s lending criteria and portfolio application changes. 45% of the landlords involved are aware of these changes, and of those with four or more Buy-to-Let Mortgages, 67% are aware. The results do show, however, that 74% of those with larger portfolios feel that the changes have made it more difficult to secure BTL finance.

Alan Cleary also commented: “Buying property within a limited company structure has become increasingly popular, particularly among larger professional landlords. Given the predicted rise in landlords switching to limited company status this year, we can expect this trend to continue.”

“The contrasting levels of awareness of the PRA’s recent changes to lending criteria and the application process between small and larger portfolio landlords points to the growing professionalisation of the latter group who stand to be the most affected.”

Brent Council adds Five Wards to new Licensing Scheme for Private Rented Houses

Published On: June 13, 2018 at 8:09 am

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The council of the London borough of Brent has made the decision to extend its selective licensing scheme to include five additional wards and up to 100,000 households. It now includes Dudeen Hill, Kensal Green, Kilburn, Mapesbury and Queen’s Park.

This scheme came into effect 1st June, requiring all private rented houses in multi-occupation (HMOs) within Brent and the included wards to apply for the relevant license. The Brent.Gov website clarifies that there are three types of schemes:

  • Mandatory Licensing – for HMOs of three or more storeys occupied by five or more people, making up two or more households
  • Additional Licensing – for all privately rented properties occupied by three or more people making up two or more households, regardless of the number of storeys
  • Selective Licensing – for all privately rented properties, in selective council wards

Fees do apply for the scheme, but the council has stated that they are not permitted to make a profit, and that the scheme has to be of neutral cost.

The council has won over 140 prosecution cases against rogue landlords, agents and sub-letters since 2016, bringing about fines totalling over £800,000. It also estimates that around 5,000 properties in the five wards will require a selective licence.

Councillor Eleanor Southwood, cabinet member for housing and welfare reform, said: “This is good news for everyone who rents their home. Obviously most landlords provide a decent service.

“Unfortunately, too many think they can take advantage of their tenants. Selective licensing is a big step in the right direction towards a properly regulated rental market – something that’s long overdue across the capital.”

Other measures have also been made to improve the Private Rented Sector (PRS) within London.  A new database has recently been set up by Mayor Sadiq Khan, allowing councils to report the successful prosecution and fines of rogue landlords and letting agents, as a way of naming and shaming them. All 33 London boroughs have now signed up for this database.