Posts with tag: camden council

RLA Warns Camden Council Against HMO Licensing

Published On: June 10, 2015 at 10:32 am

Author:

Categories: Landlord News

Tags: ,,,,

The Residential Landlords Association (RLA) has contacted Camden Council, warning them against a borough-wide additional licensing scheme for Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs).

RLA Warns Camden Council Against HMO Licensing

RLA Warns Camden Council Against HMO Licensing

The Council’s cabinet assigned the lead member for housing, just one councillor, the responsibility of determining the scheme. Patricia Callaghan has the final say on whether thousands of homes will need a license in order to be legally let.

The consultation was extended until 5th May, after Enfield Council’s decision to require councils to consult those affected in neighbouring authorities. Callaghan is expected to make her decision this week.

The RLA warns that Camden could be wasting money on a licensing scheme that could become invalid in a few months’ time due to the Government’s committal to consulting.

John Stewart, the RLA’s Policy Manager, says: “The Government has indicated its intention to extend the scope of mandatory licensing. It may be that any scheme introduced by Camden now will quickly be superseded by the Government’s new mandatory regime. Surely it would be better to delay a decision until the Government’s intentions are clearer?

“Licensing is expensive to establish and rarely achieves its stated objectives of raising standards and reducing anti-social behaviour. Good landlords will apply for licenses, often passing on the cost to tenants as increased rent, while criminal landlords continue to operate outside the system, unchecked.

“Effective enforcement is essential if the worst conditions in the PRS [private rental sector] are to be tackled. With diminishing resources, councils are cutting back on enforcement, meaning the criminals are rarely challenged.”1

1 http://www.landlordtoday.co.uk/breaking-news/2015/6/rla-urges-camden-to-reconsider-hmo-licensing

Camden Council Accuses Airbnb of Rising Rents and Reducing Supply

Published On: June 9, 2015 at 11:00 am

Author:

Categories: Landlord News

Tags: ,,,,

Camden Council has accused holiday lets websites, such as Airbnb, of driving up rents and making it harder for people in the area to find somewhere to live.

Camden Council Accuses Airbnb of Rising Rents and Reducing Supply

Camden Council Accuses Airbnb of Rising Rents and Reducing Supply

The Inside Airbnb website has previously criticised Airbnb for similar effects on the New York housing market. It has now reported that there were over 1,400 listings for Camden out of a total of 18,436 for London.

Leader of Camden Council, councillor Sarah Hayward, says: “With thousands of London families in need of a home, we need to strongly resist the growing market for short-stay lets of homes in areas like Camden, as we know these will reduce the options available for normal Londoners looking for somewhere affordable to live.

“Whilst in boroughs like Camden we’re doing what we can to alleviate the housing crisis, building 3,050 new homes over 15 years, more families than ever before are dependent on renting their home privately from a landlord.”

More than a third of people in Camden rely on the private rental sector for accommodation. Under the Government’s Deregulation Act, Londoners can use short-term lettings sites, like Airbnb, on their residential property with a limit of 90 days a year.

However, it is difficult for local authorities to prove that a property has been let out for over 90 days.

Hayward continues: “The Government’s 90-day rule solution is inadequate as it can’t be properly enforced. We need tougher measures to help stabilise this growing problem.

“Let me be clear: This is not about private tenants and homeowners who rent out their spare rooms to bring in some extra cash to pay the mortgage or rent, but we are seriously concerned at the expansion of this market through deregulation and the growth of sites such as Airbnb using London homes like hotels, which is reducing our badly-needed private rented sector supply.”1 

Local residents are increasingly complaining about noise and other anti-social behaviour in short-term lets, the Council also revealed.

1 http://www.24dash.com/news/housing/2015-06-04-Camden-Council-attacks-Airbnb-for-pushing-up-rents-reducing-supply

Two more councils to bring in licensing schemes

Published On: June 4, 2015 at 11:36 am

Author:

Categories: Landlord News

Tags: ,,

A further two London councils have indicated that they are to introduce additional licensing schemes in the coming weeks.

Redbridge council held discussions about their latest proposals just last night, while Camden is poised to propose a borough-wide scheme that would apply to all properties shared by three of more people.

Investigation

The changes proposed by Camden comes after a thorough investigation. Environmental health officers visited a total of 391 houses in multiple occupation (HMO’s) and alarmingly, branded 19% as poor or very poor. Additionally, the visited 28 flats situated above shops, and found that 4 had poor conditions.[1]

As part of their 22-week consultation scheme, the council received 1,4000 responses to its online survey. However, of the 171 landlords who replied, 71% were found to be opposed to the licensing proposals.[1]

Despite Camden Council hosting the London Landlord Accreditation Scheme, it argues that having accreditation does not help with poor standards in properties owned by landlords that are not members.

Two more councils to bring in licensing schemes

Two more councils to bring in licensing schemes

Complex

Richard Tacagni, managing director of consultancy firm London Property Licensing, commented that, ‘this move by Camden Council will bring another 8,000 HMO’s within the remit of property licensing in what is becoming an increasingly complex regulatory landscape.’[1]

He continued by saying that, ‘by December 2015, we will have almost 20 separate property licensing schemes operating in London, each with different terms and conditions-a situation that is being replicated in various parts of the country.’ Tacagni also warned that, ‘unsafe and badly managed properties will only be tackled by enforcement action and councils need to step up to the mark and make effective use of their existing enforcement powers.’[1]

 

[1] http://www.propertyindustryeye.com/two-more-authorities-poised-to-bring-in-licensing-schemes/

 

 

Councils Target Unoccupied Property Owners

Published On: December 12, 2012 at 11:24 am

Author:

Categories: Property News

Tags: ,,,

The Office of National Statistics recently released figures indicating that the population of England and Wales has shown an increase of 7% in the previous ten years.[1] This increase is the highest since records began.

Councils Target Unoccupied Property Owners

Councils Target Unoccupied Property Owners

 

As a result of this, it is expected that tenants or agents that own unoccupied properties can expect reductions to their Council Tax benefits.

Shortage of properties

With almost a quarter of the population of London living in rented accommodation, there are concerns that many more are struggling to find homes. Camden Council has become the first in the capital to announce their intention to cut benefits for those that own unoccupied homes. Moves from the Council are expected to include removing discount on empty properties and reducing the tax-free relaxation period on unoccupied homes.

Camden councillor Theo Blackwell said the moves were to address the number of empty properties in such a popular area. Blackwell said: “Camden has a sever shortage of housing, yet every year thousands of properties are left vacant by private landlords and second homes continue to enjoy a tax break.”[1]

A different tact

Torbay Council in Devon has decided to address the problem of empty properties in a different manner. The Council has created a half-million pound fund to offer money to landlords with empty houses. These properties will then be rented out as council houses in exchange for cash.

Torbay Council are offering landlords up to £10,000 for any repair work to be carried out, on the provision that their property is let as a council house for a period of five years.

Torbay’s deputy mayor, Dave Thomas said: “At the end of five years, the property goes back to the landlord and they can decide whether to continue renting or take it back.”[1]

 Welcome Relief

The scheme being forwarded in Torbay is seen to be welcome to accidental landlords,’= for example, those who have inherited property. In addition, the scheme will be of great assistance to those that have not taken out landlords insurance that covers them in the event of an unoccupied property.

 

[1] http://www.justlandlords.co.uk/news/unoccupied-property-owners-targeted-by-councils-1543.html