Landlord and Tenant Advice
We offer advice and assistance to landlords and tenants so that everybody understands the rules and regulations involved.
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We are sympathetic to the housing difficulties that can arise and are here to help and support you.
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We're here to help those whose landlords have allowed properties to fall into disrepair.
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Our Housing Solicitors have a wealth of knowledge and extensive experience in all manners of housing law matters.
Housing Articles
Banning orders to tackle rogue landlords planned (20 December 2016)
The government is to put in place new banning orders to curb rogue landlords and property agents. Read more...
Leeds Council tenant evicted for anti-social behaviour and “hate incidents” (19 December 2016)
Leeds City Council has evicted a council tenant as a result of anti-social behaviour. Read more...
Rushmoor Council appeals for more private landlords to house council’s tenants (19 December 2016)
Rushmoor Borough Council in Hampshire is encouraging more private sector landlords to offer properties for rent to local people who have lost their home. Read more...
New South Cambridgeshire town will include starter homes and affordable homes to rent (19 December 2016)
Agreement between South Cambridgeshire Council and the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) will see £73 million invested in community facilities at the new town of Northstowe. Read more...
Brent Council obtains confiscation order against offshore company which breached planning laws (19 December 2016)
Brent Council has obtained a £250, 000 confiscation order under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 against a company which rented out an illegally converted house. Read more...
Burst Pipe causes Havoc in London (16 December 2016)
More than 150 properties have been affected by a burst pipe, which sparked major flooding in north London. It has been reported that over 350 people were forced to flee their homes and business premises in the area. The roads were closed and streets in N1 were submerged. Hackney Council offered support for those affected by setting up rest centres, while Thames Water also offered stay in hotels for some people. Read more...
Brighton & Hove call on government to end cap on HRA borrowing (14 December 2016)
Brighton & Hove City Council is calling on the government to change the rules on councils building homes to help the worsening housing situation in the city and elsewhere. Read more...
High cost of living and low wages causes “in work poverty” as 1 in 8 workers are living below the poverty line (14 December 2016)
The volume of families who are living in temporary accommodation or considered homeless has continued to rise for five consecutive years with evictions by landlords reaching a ten-year high. In a seemingly contradictory statistic, however, the number of working-age adults in full-time employment is at an all-time high. So why is it that employment is at an all-time high, yet the housing crises is reaching tipping point? Read more...
Tendring Council to hearing planning appeal that would see more than 200 new homes built in Clacton (9 December 2016)
Tendring District Council’s (TDC) Planning Committee will hear an appeal starting on Monday 13 December, over the planning refusal of three schemes which would each provide more than 200 homes in Clacton, Essex. Read more...
Will the abolition of letting agent fee’s lead to an increase in rent? (6 December 2016)
Chancellor Philip Hammond has announced a ban on letting agent fees to tenants in his first Autumn Statement on 23 November 2016. Read more...
Federation of Master Builders welcomes Chancellor’s 2.3 billion GBP Housing Infrastructure Fund (24 November 2016)
The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) has responded to the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement by saying that doubling capital investment on house building and relaxing the timeline for deficit reduction is the right way to boost economic growth. Read more...
New housing zones announced by Sandwell Council “will drive 400million GBP development of new homes” (21 November 2016)
Sandwell Council in the West Midlands has announced new housing zones for Smethwick and Wednesbury Read more...
New housing zones announced by Sandwell Council “will drive 400million GBP development of new homes” (21 November 2016)
Sandwell Council in the West Midlands has announced new housing zones for Smethwick and Wednesbury Read more...
House price index shows average 7.7% increase in property prices (17 November 2016)
The UK House Price Index on house price changes for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland has revealed that September figures show an annual price increase of 7.7%, taking the average property value in the UK to £217,888. Read more...
House building rises to highest level in eight years (16 November 2016)
New figures show that the number of new homes in the UK has risen by its highest level in eight years, with the number of new homes built rising by 11% in the last year. Read more...
New 18million capacity fund will “turbo-charge” house building (16 November 2016)
The government has announced a new £18 million fund to accelerate house building on larger sites. Read more...
Fine and CBO after Kettering resident breaches Noise Abatement Notice for anti-social behaviour (11 November 2016)
Kettering Borough Council has successfully prosecuted a resident for noise disturbances, under new anti-social behaviour powers. Read more...
The London Assembly is pushing for greater devolved powers from government to improve the private rented sector in London (3 November 2016)
The Assembly agreed a motion calling for the same devolved powers for London, as was given to the Welsh and Scottish governments. Read more...
28th October 2016: The second reading of The Homelessness Reduction Bill (28 October 2016)
Homelessness is an issue that affects a large number of the UK’s population. The Homelessness Reduction Bill presents a historic opportunity to bring about a significant change in tackling homelessness around England. Read more...
City of York council finds nearly one-third of letting agents failing to comply with legislation (28 October 2016)
City of York Council has found that nearly one-third of letting and property agents are failing to comply with legislation, despite being advised of new laws. Read more...
Woking Borough Council closes dangerous rental property after Home Office immigration tip off (27 October 2016)
Woking Borough Council is considering taking legal action against a private landlord, after intelligence provided by Home Office Immigration Enforcement Officers resulted in the immediate closure of private rented accommodation. Read more...
Sandwell Council announces nearly 100 new council homes (26 October 2016)
Sandwell Council in the West Midlands has announced that nearly 100 new council homes are to be built in West Bromwich. Read more...
Bath and North Somerset hosts affordable housing event update (24 October 2016)
Bath & North East Somerset Council is holding an Affordable Homes Show on 26 October, with local housing associations and developers attending. Read more...
Implementation of new housing measures to stop overcrowding (20 October 2016)
Housing Minister Gavin Barwell has announced that minimum room sizes will apply to shared homes, to help to clamp down on rogue landlords cramming tenants into unsafe and overcrowded homes and improve housing for thousands of rental tenants. Read more...
Higher rate of tax for additional residential properties in Wales to continue after April 2018 (19 October 2016)
Welsh Assembly (WA) Finance Secretary Mark Drakeford has confirmed a higher rate of tax for additional residential properties will continue to be levied in Wales when stamp duty land tax is devolved in April 2018. Read more...
79% of social housing in Wales meets Welsh Housing Quality Standard (19 October 2016)
Welsh Assembly Communities and Children Secretary Carl Sargeant has welcomed figures which show 79% of all social housing homes met the Welsh Housing Quality Standard (WHQS) at 31 March 2016 – a rise of 8% on the previous year’s figures. Read more...
New survey for Parish and Town Councils to find out if community-led housing might make a difference (19 October 2016)
Selby Council has announced that Rural Action Yorkshire and the North and East Yorkshire Rural Housing Enabler Network (RHE Network) have launched a new survey for Parish and Town Councils to find out if community-led housing might make a difference in their village or town. Read more...
Kingston Council consults on AHMOL licensing (19 October 2016)
Kingston Council is reviewing a licensing scheme for shared rental properties, which comes to an end in 2017. Read more...
York Council update on new laws introduced to regulate the private rental sector (19 October 2016)
City of York Council Executive Member for Housing and Safer Neighbourhoods will be updated on Monday (17/01/16) on laws introduced in 2015, which aim to better regulate the private rented sector in York. Read more...
Bath & North East Somerset Council hosts Affordable Homes Show (17 October 2016)
Bath & North East Somerset Council is hosting an Affordable Homes Show on 26 October in Keynsham, to help local people find out more about the different affordable home ownership options available in the area. Read more...
Protestors occupy HQ of property guardian company Camelot (12 October 2016)
The headquarters of the property guardian company Camelot was ironically occupied on Tuesday 27 September making headlines in the UK. The company was targeted by activists to raise awareness of property guardians who are suffering due to slack tenancy rights and a lack of affordable social housing. Read more...
Fine for resident who breached enforcement notice banning unauthorised building (12 October 2016)
The Royal Borough of Maidenhead and Windsor has prosecuted a Wraysbury resident for unauthorised building. Read more...
Nottingham City Council warns landlords not to breach rules on display of letting boards (12 October 2016)
Nottingham City Council is warning landlords across the city to comply with an obligation to remove “to let” signs in certain parts of Nottingham – or face prosecution. Read more...
Harlow Council hosts housing event for tenants and leaseholders to explain government changes (11 October 2016)
Harlow Council in Essex is urging tenants and leaseholders to attend their annual housing conference event to find out more about changes which could affect them. Read more...
Rogue landlord hit with £108,000 in Manchester City Council prosecution (10 October 2016)
Manchester City Council has prosecuted a landlord for serious breaches of management regulations at five properties in the city. Read more...
Wolverhampton Council announces plans to increase supported living housing in the city (10 October 2016)
The City of Wolverhampton Council has announced that it is planning to increase the range of housing options available in the city for people with disabilities or mental health needs. Read more...
RICS supports new international measurement standard for domestic property (7 October 2016)
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has said that a new international measurement standard would offer “more clarity and consistency” to users of residential property services, whether they are buying, selling, renting or investing. Read more...
Gloucester Council approves City Plan and agrees to tackle barriers to housing (7 October 2016)
Gloucester City Council has approved The Gloucester City Plan at a full council meeting – and has noted the timetable for the Gloucester City Plan’s subsequent submission to the Planning Inspectorate, which will now progress. Read more...
Home Builders Federation welcomes government’s new measures to increase house building (6 October 2016)
The Home Builders Federation (HBF) has said that measures announced by Secretary of State Sajid Javid to increase house building are a welcome reaffirmation of the new government’s commitment to housing delivery – and also demonstrate that the government is listening to industry concerns. Read more...
Brent Council consults on extending selective licensing scheme for private rented properties (5 October 2016)
Brent Council is launching a consultation to find out whether residents want the council to extend a selective licensing scheme for all private rental properties, as well as licensing for all HMOs. Read more...
New Help to Buy figures show 81% of new homeowners are first-time buyers (3 October 2016)
Quarterly Help to Buy statistics released on Thursday (29/09/16) show that more than 185,000 people have been able to buy a new home as a result of the government’s package of Help to Buy products. Read more...
Welsh government reminds landlords to register with Rent Smart Wales (29 September 2016)
The Welsh government is warning landlords in Wales that they have just eight weeks left to register themselves and their properties with Rent Smart Wales. Read more...
56,000 house buyers have used Right to Buy scheme since 2012 (23 September 2016)
The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) has announced that more than 56,000 households have been helped to purchase a home through the government’s revitalised Right to Buy scheme since 2012. Read more...
Cambridge City Council to discuss £719,000-worth of grants to prevent homelessness (20 September 2016)
Cambridge City Council is proposing to spend £719,363 to prevent people becoming homeless – and will discuss the plan at the Council’s Housing Scrutiny Committee on Thursday, 22 September. Read more...
Essex County Council invests £85m in new special school places (19 September 2016)
Essex County Council is to invest a record £85 million in creating new special school places across Essex, with a proposed 400 new places being created. Read more...
Cambridge City Council publishes proposals to review housing services (19 September 2016)
Cambridge City Council has published proposals to review the city’s housing services, as part of a change programme to further improve efficiency and target resources at those in greatest need, as well as making provision for savings. Read more...
Conditional discharge for landlord of overcrowded and unlicensed HMO in disrepair (19 September 2016)
Weymouth and Portsmouth Borough Council has prosecuted a landlord for managing a property found to be unsafe and in need of repair. Read more...
Estate agent prosecuted for false advertising (19 September 2016)
Islington Council in north London has prosecuted an estate agent for false advertising, after a Sold board was erected on a property one year after it was first sold. Read more...
Supported housing exempt from Local Housing Allowance cap until 2019 (16 September 2016)
The government has announced that supported housing will continue to be exempt from the Local Housing Allowance cap until 2019. Read more...
Sandwell Council completes 5,000th council home refurbishment under multimillion-pound investment programme (15 September 2016)
Sandwell Council in the West Midlands has refurbished its 5,000th council home as part of a multimillion-pound investment programme. Read more...
Tenant avoids possession order, after son is convicted of dealing drugs from council property (14 September 2016)
A tenant of Sheffield City Council has narrowly avoided eviction, after the council took action when her son was convicted of drug offences which took place at her home. Read more...
First tenants complete on housing association homes under Voluntary Right to Buy (13 September 2016)
The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) has announced that the first housing association tenants have become homeowners under the new Voluntary Right to Buy scheme. Read more...
Westminster launches levy to protect residents from nuisance of basement developments (12 September 2016)
Westminster City Council has introduced a new “subterranean squad” of basement “nuisance busters” to act as a contact point for residents suffering from noise intrusion caused by basement developments. Read more...
Nottingham Council prosecutes landlord for “verminous” HMO (12 September 2016)
A Nottingham landlord has been fined £29,000, after a rental property on the Alfreton Road was found to be in a filthy and verminous condition, with a rat infestation. Read more...
London Mayor approves plans for up to 10,000 new homes in Barking (12 September 2016)
The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has given the green light to up to 10,000 new homes in Barking – as many as 50% of which could be affordable. Read more...
£10,500 fine for joint landlords of unlicensed and unsafe HMO (12 September 2016)
Hounslow Council has prosecuted the two joint landlords of a bedsit property in Hounslow, Greater London for poor housing conditions and running an unlicensed house in multiple occupation (HMO). Read more...
Ministry of Defence releases more land for government’s housebuilding targets (8 September 2016)
Defence Secretary Michael Fallon has announced that the Ministry of Defence (MoD) is to sell off a further 13 sites to build thousands of new homes and create a more effective and efficient Defence estate. Read more...
Landowner and company taken to court for failing to comply with planning enforcement notice (7 September 2016)
Bath & North East Somerset Council has taken legal action against a landowner for failing to comply with a planning enforcement notice requiring the demolition of an unauthorised building on green belt land. Read more...
Sandwell Council saves millions by tackling housing and tenancy fraud (5 September 2016)
Sandwell Council in the West Midlands is stepping up its fight against tenancy and Right to Buy fraud, after it found that investigations by its counter-fraud team have saved the council millions of pounds. Read more...
Slough Council votes to launch private housing companies to meet demand (5 September 2016)
Slough Borough Council has announced plans to set up two private housing companies to help meet the growing demand for good quality rental homes in the borough. Read more...
West Lancashire Borough Council £1.7m fund for affordable housing schemes (5 September 2016)
West Lancashire Borough Council has allocated funding of around £1.7 million to provide much-needed affordable homes for local people. Read more...
£2,000 penalty for housing fraud (2 September 2016)
Kettering Borough Council has successfully prosecuted a tenant who falsely claimed to be homeless while owning two properties. Read more...
Fine for couple who failed to comply with Enforcement Notice (1 September 2016)
South Bucks District Council has successfully prosecuted a couple, who failed to comply with a planning Enforcement Notice requiring the demolition of an unauthorised two-storey outbuilding. Read more...
Landlord fined twice for serious disrepair at tenanted property (31 August 2016)
Sandwell Council in the West Midlands has prosecuted a landlord for the second time over disrepair. Read more...
New figures show increase in house building (30 August 2016)
Figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) show there are more first-time buyers than at any time since 2007, with 72,800 new homebuyers in England in the second quarter of 2016. Read more...
Social housing sector “in strong financial position” (30 August 2016)
The latest quarterly survey published by the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) shows that social housing sector remains in a strong financial position, with access to sufficient finance. Read more...
Cherwell Council increases legal costs to landlords for serving Improvement Notices and Prohibition Orders (30 August 2016)
Cherwell District Council in Oxfordshire is increasing the charges it makes to landlords for issuing notices regarding unsatisfactory housing. Read more...
People’s Plan launched to save West Kensington and Gibbs Green estates from demolition (30 August 2016)
Residents living on the West Kensington and Gibbs Green estates have launched a People’s Plan as a practical alternative to controversial demolition proposals. Read more...
New team at City Hall takes charge of house building in London (26 August 2016)
London Mayor Sadiq Khan has announced details of a new team at City Hall to oversee house building in the capital and boost the delivery of new and affordable homes. Read more...
Essex invests £2.7m in housing to enable elderly to live independently (25 August 2016)
Essex County Council has announced a £2.7 million investment in housing to enable older people to live independently. Read more...
£14,000 penalty for letting unlicensed flats in Islington (23 August 2016)
Islington Council in north London has prosecuted a landlord for letting unlicensed flats in the borough. Read more...
“Serial offender” landlord fined for breaching Prohibition Order (22 August 2016)
Woking Council has prosecuted a “serial offender” landlord for failing to comply with the requirements of a Prohibition Order under the Housing Act 2004. Read more...
£40,000 penalty for HMO landlord who allowed overcrowding in poor housing conditions (22 August 2016)
Brent Council has prosecuted a Wembley landlord for allowing 24 tenants to live in cramped housing conditions in a property licensed to house just seven people. Read more...
Brent Council obtains court order to prevent drug use and sex workers at property (22 August 2016)
Brent Council has taken action to stop anti-social behaviour, after a property in the borough was found to be a base for drug use and sex workers. Read more...
New government report says welfare changes and lack of social housing have fuelled homelessness (19 August 2016)
A new Select Committee inquiry into homelessness has found that tenancies in the private rented sector, the availability of social housing and changes to the welfare system have all played a part in rates of homelessness across the country. Read more...
Supreme Court decision results in changes to business rate valuations for non-domestic properties (15 August 2016)
A Supreme Court decision about how the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) values non-domestic buildings which are occupied by more than one person or a business could mean a change in business rates for some ratepayers. Read more...
“Millionaire landlord” forced to demolish illegal outbuilding or face prosecution (15 August 2016)
Hounslow Council’s Housing Enforcement team has forced a millionaire landlord who built an illegal outbuilding at his Feltham home to demolish it. Read more...
Greater Manchester sees sharpest decline in home ownership in England (15 August 2016)
The leader of Rochdale Borough Council, Councillor Richard Farnell – also the new Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) planning and housing portfolio holder – is calling for more to be done to enable extra house building in the region. Read more...
£6,000 penalty for housing fraud (15 August 2016)
Crawley Borough Council has prosecuted a man who falsely claimed he was to become homeless. Read more...
West Berkshire Council Enforcement Notice dismissed at appeal (12 August 2016)
A Planning Enforcement Notice issued by West Berkshire Council has been dismissed at appeal. Read more...
Islington Council develops rundown sites to provide new housing (11 August 2016)
Islington Council has created 13 new council homes on the site of rundown garages and former bedsits in the borough. Read more...
Landlord in disrepair appeals prosecution and £17,693 penalty (10 August 2016)
Brent Council in northwest London has prosecuted a Cricklewood landlord who allegedly ignored his tenant’s requests for repairs to be carried out at the property they rented from him. Read more...
LGA to investigate housing law change to prevent councils leasing properties outside their areas (8 August 2016)
The Local Government Association (LGA) is to investigate how changes in the law could prevent councils from moving their homeless families to other areas. Read more...
Westminster City Council introduces new restrictions on “iceberg” basement developments (8 August 2016)
Westminster City Council has responded to the increasing number of planning applications for residents to build subterranean developments by introducing new resident basement rules, which came into effect in August. Read more...
Suspended sentence for housing fraud (8 August 2016)
Cambridge City Council has prosecuted a woman who wrongly claimed she was homeless in order to obtain a council home. Read more...
£6,000 penalty for landlord who allowed property to fall into disrepair (1 August 2016)
Sandwell Council in the West Midlands has prosecuted a landlord for allowing a house in Oldbury to fall into disrepair. Read more...
Mortgage repossession advice firm wound up after Insolvency Service investigation (1 August 2016)
A company which offered advice to homeowners on mortgage repossession and eviction has been wound up after an investigation by the Insolvency Service. Read more...
Haringey Council takes action over nuisance neighbour (29 July 2016)
Haringey Council in north London has taken legal action against a nuisance neighbour who kept a farmyard cockerel in their back garden, which kept residents awake at night when it crowed. Read more...
More people owning their own home – and private rental tenants are increasingly satisfied with accommodation (27 July 2016)
The latest English Housing survey released in July shows that more people than ever own their own home since 2003 – with a total of 14 million owner- occupiers across the country in 2015. Read more...
Sheffield City Council prosecutes three council tenants for noise nuisance (25 July 2016)
Sheffield City Council’s Environmental Protection Service has prosecuted three council tenants who caused a noise nuisance to their neighbours. Read more...
Herefordshire Council completes first CPO of derelict property (25 July 2016)
Herefordshire Council has completed its first compulsory purchase of a property left in a derelict state for nearly 20 years. Read more...
Gateshead Council starts work on £1m affordable housing development (25 July 2016)
Gateshead Council has commenced work on a new £1 million development of affordable homes, comprising ten new homes. Read more...
Welsh Government helps support Wales’ first Passivhaus “eco-home” manufacturing facility (18 July 2016)
The Welsh Assembly has announced that Wales’ first eco-home manufacturing facility is underway at Welshpool. Read more...
Hounslow Council demolishes illegal extension, after property owners fail to act following enforcement notice (18 July 2016)
Hounslow Council in Greater London has taken action against a property owner for an illegal extension and front canopy at a property in Feltham. Read more...
Welsh Assembly Communities Secretary calls on housing sector to tackle anti-social behaviour (14 July 2016)
Welsh Assembly Communities and Children’s Secretary Carl Sargeant has called on social landlords, housing associations and local authorities to help tackle the causes of anti-social behaviour. Read more...
Landlords in Wales reminded to register for Rent Smart Wales (13 July 2016)
The Welsh Assembly Communities and Children’s Secretary Carl Sargeant has reminded landlords in Wales of the need to register for Rent Smart Wales. Read more...
200 communities approve Neighbourhood Plans for house building and infrastructure projects (12 July 2016)
The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) has announced that 200 communities have now approved Neighbourhood Plans – many of which are becoming “more ambitious in nature” with planning for housing beyond and in advance of the local planning authority’s local plan for an area. Read more...
Barnet Council launches additional licensing for HMOs (11 July 2016)
Barnet Council has introduced Additional Licensing requirements for Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) from July 5, as part of the council’s drive to improve standards in the private rented sector and clamp down on rogue landlords. Read more...
Hartlepool Council launches own letting agency for the private sector (11 July 2016)
Hartlepool Council has launched a brand new letting agency to increase the availability of quality homes in the town’s private rented sector. Read more...
Prison sentence for letting agent who defrauded landlords and tenants of £220,000 (11 July 2016)
Barnet Council in Greater London has prosecuted a letting agent who defrauded dozens of tenants and landlords out of more than £220,000 in rents and deposits. Read more...
Selby District Council to pilot government’s brownfield register (11 July 2016)
Selby District Council in North Yorkshire has been chosen to pilot the government^s brownfield land register, which provides housebuilders with up-to-date and publicly available information on all brownfield sites available for development in the area. Read more...
Brent Council makes housing a key priority (11 July 2016)
Brent Council in Greater London has reaffirmed its commitment to make housing in the borough a key priority – including working closely with landlords in the borough to deliver the council’s housing strategy. Read more...
Manchester Residential Quality Guidance sets design standard for 25,000 homes planned in next ten years (8 July 2016)
Manchester City Council has said that the Manchester Residential Quality Guidance will ensure design standards for all new residential property in the city. Read more...
Record fine for Wirral landlord who rented out unsafe bedsits to vulnerable tenants (5 July 2016)
Wirral Council has prosecuted a landlord who rented out a house in multiple occupation (HMO) on Borough Road in Seacombe, after a council inspection uncovered a number of health and safety issues. Read more...
Tackling homelessness and adverse child experiences “top of agenda” for Welsh Assembly Communities Secretary (4 July 2016)
Welsh Assembly Communities and Children Secretary Carl Sargeant has told Shelter Cymru’s annual conference that he is determined to do everything in his power to address the problem of homelessness and adverse childhood experiences as a result of homelessness. Read more...
Minister for Welfare Reform says supported housing sector “vital” to delivering many government policy objectives (4 July 2016)
Minister of State for Welfare Reform at the Department for Work and Pensions, Lord Freud, has told the Chartered Institute of Housing conference in Manchester that the institute’s ambition to improve people’s lives and situations is fundamental to welfare reform. Read more...
London Assembly considers how London Plan on housing can be amended to reflect capital’s population growth (29 June 2016)
The London Assembly (LA) Planning Committee is meeting on Wednesday (29/06/16) to consider a review of the current London Plan on housing in the capital. Read more...
London Mayor to take action to prevent London property being sold off as “golden bricks” to overseas investors (28 June 2016)
London Mayor Sadiq Khan has criticised a scheme by his predecessor to prevent London homes being sold as “golden bricks” to overseas investors. Read more...
Thanet Council urges private sector landlords to attend landlords’ event (27 June 2016)
Thanet Council in Kent is hosting its annual landlords’ event on 29 June, which it says is an opportunity for the council and landlords to work together with the aim of improving the management and standards of homes in the private rented sector. Read more...
660 new homes planned for Kent’s former Powergen site at Ashford (27 June 2016)
Ashford Council in Kent has announced that planning permission has been granted to property regeneration company U+I, to redevelop the former Powergen site at Victoria Way in Ashford. Read more...
Liverpool City Council planning to set up its own housing company (23 June 2016)
Liverpool City Council is planning to set up a new housing company which could help thousands of people on to the property ladder. Read more...
Shared ownership homes underway in North Yorkshire as a result of Homes & Communities Agency grant (23 June 2016)
Craven District Council in North Yorkshire is preparing to start work on shared ownership housing schemes, after receiving £72,000 from the government^s Homes & Communities Agency, which was approved by the council^s policy committee in June. Read more...
£16,000 fine for planning breach involving tenanted property (21 June 2016)
Hounslow Council in west London has prosecuted a homeowner for failing to comply with a planning enforcement notice. Read more...
Letting agent prosecuted for ghost-listing properties (20 June 2016)
Islington Council in north London has prosecuted a letting agent who advertised rental flats that were not on the market – a practice sometimes known as “ghost-listing”. Read more...
Craven District Council buys first shared ownership property to sell on (20 June 2016)
Craven District Council in the Yorkshire Dales has announced that it has bought its first newly constructed, two-bedroom house, to sell on a shared ownership basis. Read more...
Community service and fine for gas engineer who put tenants’ lives at risk (16 June 2016)
Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court has sentenced a gas engineer to 120 hours of community service for putting tenants at risk in rented homes at Chelmsford in Essex. Read more...
New Act will see house building process streamlined (16 May 2016)
The Housing and Planning Act has received Royal Assent, paving the way for more people buy their own home and get houses built faster. Read more...
Selby District Council prosecutes former resident for Housing Benefit fraud (16 May 2016)
Selby District Council has prosecuted a former Selby resident for benefit fraud, after an application for Housing Benefit was found to contain a false statement. Read more...
Court of Appeal judgment removes bureaucracy from small house building projects (12 May 2016)
Housing Minister Brandon Lewis MP has welcomed a Court of Appeal judgment, which restores a government policy to build more homes on small sites. Read more...
District council issues landlords with reminder about new legislation to protect tenants (9 May 2016)
Purbeck District Council in Dorset has issued a reminder to landlords about new legislation which came into force in October 2015. Read more...
Ealing Council demolishes unauthorised building after Enforcement Notice is ignored (9 May 2016)
Ealing Council has take enforcement action to demolish a large, unauthorised building constructed at the rear of a proposed care home facility in Southall, west London. Read more...
Kettering Council consults on its homelessness strategy (6 May 2016)
Kettering Council in Northamptonshire has announced a consultation on its Homelessness Strategy 2016-19, which will last until Friday, 3 June 2016. Read more...
Waverley Borough Council in line for award for new social housing development (5 May 2016)
Waverley Borough Council in Surrey has been named as a finalist in the South East Regional LABC Building Excellence Awards for its social housing development, Whitbourn Mews at Badgers Close in Farncombe. Read more...
Guildford presses ahead with plans for more affordable homes (5 May 2016)
Guildford Council is to issue a Consultation Statement in May, highlighting the changes made to its revised Local Plan to avert a potential housing crisis. Read more...
West Lancashire Borough Council completes second batch of new homes for 20 years (4 May 2016)
West Lancashire Borough Council has announced that an £8 million scheme to revive a housing estate in Skelmersdale has entered its final stages – and the first batch of new homes will soon be available to rent. Read more...
Islington Council crackdown on letting agencies which flout the law (4 May 2016)
Islington Council’s Trading Standards team is checking that letting agencies inthe borough meet legal requirements – and has warned that agencies which breach the Consumer Rights Act 2015 may face fines. Read more...
Number of homes left empty “at all time low” (3 May 2016)
Housing Minister Brandon Lewis has announced that the number of empty homes across the country is now at its lowest level since records began. Read more...
Man prosecuted for fraudulent gas safety checks, after landlord becomes suspicious (28 April 2016)
A man who fraudulently filled out a landlord’s gas safety document using another company’s Gas Safe Register number has been prosecuted for putting tenants’ lives at risk. Read more...
Guildford develops Local Plan to tackle potential housing crisis (25 April 2016)
Guildford Borough Council has devised a Local Plan to tackle borough^s potential housing crisis. Read more...
Government’s Forces Help to Buy lends £100m in two years (25 April 2016)
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has announced that the Government’s Forces Help to Buy scheme has celebrated its two-year anniversary, with loans to service personnel reaching £100 million. Read more...
Funding pressures mean five Buckinghamshire gypsy and traveller sites will be sold (25 April 2016)
Buckinghamshire County Council is to sell five of its gypsy and traveller sites as going concerns, as a result of budget pressures and lack of funding to invest in the sites. Read more...
Brent Council stages early morning raids on unlicensed rental properties (22 April 2016)
Brent Council in north London has staged two early morning raids on rental properties in the borough, which were found to be overcrowded and in a state of disrepair. Read more...
Birmingham City Council streamlines housing services to provide centre of excellence for homeless and housing advice (18 April 2016)
Birmingham City Council is expected to approve changes in the city’s housing advice service at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday (19/04/16), which will build on the success of the city’s Youth Hub. Read more...
£3,500 fine for Barnet landlord without HMO licence (18 April 2016)
Barnet Council has prosecuted a landlord for failing to have a licence for a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO). Read more...
Tribunal upholds Barnet Council’s decision to prevent storage unit being used as housing (15 April 2016)
Barnet Council has had its decision to prevent a “cramped conversion” behind shops in Cricklewood Broadway from being used as housing upheld, after the landlord of the property appealed against the council’s decision. Read more...
Dilapidated rented home shut down by Newham Council (7 April 2016)
Newham Council in east London has closed a dangerous and dilapidated privately rented three-bedroom family house, which was rented to a family with two young children. Read more...
Council steps up measures to address homelessness in Aldershot town centre (4 April 2016)
Rushmoor Borough Council in Hampshire has agreed a number of new measures to tackle the growing number of rough sleepers and anti-social behaviour linked to some rough sleepers in Aldershot town centre. Read more...
Rotherham Council prosecutes first landlord under selective licensing scheme (4 April 2016)
Rotherham County Council has prosecuted the first landlord under its selective licensing scheme, after a house in the Masbrough Selective Licensing Area was identified as being unlicensed in October 2015. Read more...
£4,800 fine for neighbour who littered shared passageway (4 April 2016)
Solihull Council in the West Midlands has prosecuted a woman from Shirley under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, after she failed to comply with an abatement notice requiring her to keep a shared passageway clear of obstruction. Read more...
Reading Council proposes setting up of new housing company to buy housing stock for the homeless (1 April 2016)
Reading Borough Council has discussed plans for a new company to help homeless people find housing. Read more...
Basingstoke Council launches register for self-builders looking for plots (31 March 2016)
Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council are launching a new register for self-builders looking for a plot of land. Read more...
Restaurant director disqualified for 11 years for suppression of cash takings (30 March 2016)
A Hertfordshire-based restaurateur has been disqualified for a period of 11 years, for deliberately failing to ensure that the company had properly and accurately accounted for VAT and corporation tax. Read more...
Landlord prosecuted for failing to deal with anti-social behaviour of tenant (30 March 2016)
A landlord who failed to tackle anti-social behaviour at properties he owned and rented out has been prosecuted by Gateshead Council. Read more...
New figures show homebuyers “still keen” on Right to Buy (30 March 2016)
Housing Minister Brandon Lewis has said recent increases in the number of people taking up the government’s Right to Buy option show that potential homeowners are “still very keen” to use Right to Buy to acquire a home. Read more...
Islington landlords pay £98,000 under POCA, after illegally converting house into studios (30 March 2016)
Islington Council in north London has prosecuted two landlords who breached planning regulations by converting a house into seven studio flats. Read more...
Government consultation on moving Land Registry operations to private sector (29 March 2016)
The Business Secretary Sajid Javid MP has announced the launch of a consultation document setting out the options on moving Land Registry operations into the private sector. Read more...
Housing Minister says government aims to double the number of first-time buyers (29 March 2016)
Housing Minister Brandon Lewis has outlined the government^s housing aims – including its aim to deliver one million new homes by 2021. Read more...
MoD releases more land for new homes (29 March 2016)
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has released further land, which will provide thousands of new homes and generate around £140 million. Read more...
Injunction obtained against Wirral man for harassment of neighbour (23 March 2016)
A man who made his neighbour’s life a misery through anti-social behaviour has been made subject to an Injunction, after Wirral Council’s Anti-Social Behaviour Team took action against him. Read more...
Hounslow Council’s policing team obtain Dispersal Order to prevent anti-social behaviour on estate (21 March 2016)
Officers from Hounslow Council’s policing team have taken action against gangs involved in anti-social behaviour (ASB) at blocks of flats in Feltham, Middlesex. Read more...
Increase in Penalty Charge Notices in Cardiff as moving traffic offences rise (21 March 2016)
Cardiff City Council is warning motorists that if they break the law, they can expect to be fined. Read more...
Harrow Council starts work on first new council homes for 25 years (21 March 2016)
Work has started on the first council homes to be built in Harrow, north London for 25 years. Read more...
Basingstoke Council and Sovereign HA join forces to build affordable new homes (14 March 2016)
Basingstoke Council and local housing association (HA) Sovereign have joined forces in a venture which could see 12 new affordable homes built close to Basingstoke town centre. Read more...
Public consultation on draft plan to address housing shortfall in North Somerset (14 March 2016)
Somerset Council has launched a seven-week public consultation period on a draft plan identifying the sites needed to meet North Somerset’s housing requirement. Read more...
Planning permissions reach eight-year peak as house building starts to boom (14 March 2016)
New figures published in March show that the number of planning permissions for homes has risen by 6% compared with last year’s figure. Read more...
Manchester announces ten-year plan to build 25,000 affordable homes (7 March 2016)
Manchester City Council is set to approve an ambitious strategy to ensure Manchester can build a minimum of 25,000 homes over the next decade. Read more...
Cambridge City Council to discuss more freedom from government to tackle lack of affordable housing (7 March 2016)
Cambridge City Council is considering proposals to press for more freedoms and flexibilities from central government to tackle the housing affordability crisis in the Greater Cambridge area. Read more...
£40,000 fine for Newham landlord who failed to licence rental property as HMO (7 March 2016)
Newham Council in East London has prosecuted an HMO landlord for having the wrong licence. Read more...
London greengrocer fined for breaches of EU produce marketing standards (2 March 2016)
A London greengrocer has been prosecuted after an investigation by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate (HMI) found the business failed to meet fresh produce marketing standards. Read more...
Changes to Stamp Duty “save homebuyers millions” (2 March 2016)
The Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne has announced that more than 780,000 homebuyers have saved an estimated £657 million in Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) in the year since the tax was reformed. Read more...
Reading Borough Council takes action against HMO landlord in disrepair (29 February 2016)
Reading Borough Council has prosecuted a landlord for neglecting to maintain a house in multiple occupation (HMO) on the London Road in Reading. Read more...
Homeowner prosecuted for allowing property to fall into disrepair and cause nuisance (29 February 2016)
Sandwell Council in the West Midlands has taken legal action against a homeowner who left a property empty and in disrepair. Read more...
Cambridge City Council donates equipment seized as a result of noise intrusion to BHF (29 February 2016)
Cambridge City Council is to donate equipment seized as a result breaches of noise abatement notices to the British Heart Foundation (BHF) to raise money for the charity. Read more...
Hounslow Council wins funding to help tackle rogue landlords (26 February 2016)
Hounslow Council in Greater London has received grant funding of £67,500 to help tackle rogue landlords. Read more...
Council evicts tenant convicted of stealing neighbour’s furniture (22 February 2016)
West Lancashire Borough Council has successfully evicted a 22-year-old council tenant, after he was convicted of burglary and stealing furniture from his neighbour’s flat, which he then used to furnish his own home. Read more...
Suspended sentence for unregistered gas engineer who put lives at risk (22 February 2016)
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has prosecuted an unregistered plumber who left a gas meter and gas pipe in a dangerous state in a customer’s home. Read more...
Kettering Borough Council seeks repossession after firearms incident at council property (22 February 2016)
Kettering Borough Council (KBC) in Northamptonshire has obtained a Closure Order and has applied to the court to repossess a council property, following an incident involving firearms. Read more...
Government launches consultation into speeding up planning applications (19 February 2016)
The government has announced fast track planning applications to speed up the planning process and boost housebuilding across the country. Read more...
Council tenant whose partner stored drug and stolen goods at her home narrowly evades eviction (17 February 2016)
A council tenant in Sheffield has narrowly avoided eviction from her home, after her partner stored drugs and stolen goods at the property. Read more...
Council refurbishes 4,000th home in £50m spending programme (16 February 2016)
Sandwell Council in the West Midlands has completed the refurbishment of a landmark 4,000th home, as part of a £50 million package of repairs and improvements to 6,000 council properties. Read more...
Welsh Government announces £20m boost for new social housing (15 February 2016)
Welsh Assembly Minister for Finance and Government Business Jane Hutt has announced an immediate £43 million capital investment boost for schools and social housing in Wales. Read more...
New government panel launched to oversee regeneration of estates (15 February 2016)
The government has launched an expert panel co-chaired by Lord Heseltine and Housing Minister Brandon Lewis, to kick start estates regeneration. Read more...
Birmingham City Council set to invest £59m in upgrading social housing (15 February 2016)
Birmingham City Council is set to approve a £59 million programme of investment in its stock of council properties at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday 16 February. Read more...
London businessman fined £1,200 for noise nuisance (15 February 2016)
A Harlesden businessman whose business kept neighbours awake at night has been prosecuted for noise nuisance. Read more...
Suffolk council commits £1.68m to building affordable homes (10 February 2016)
Suffolk Coastal Council has announced a £1.68 million boost in funding for affordable homes in the area. Read more...
Hounslow family evicted for antisocial behaviour (9 February 2016)
Hounslow Council has evicted a family after anti-social behaviour made the lives of their neighbours “unbearable”. Read more...
Birmingham City Council streamlines maintenance services for tenants to save £13m (8 February 2016)
Council tenants in Birmingham will soon benefit from an improved repairs and maintenance service, following an intensive evaluation process that also sees substantial savings estimated at around £13 million over the next four years. Read more...
Right to Buy landlord who sat on board of TMO fined £13,000 for housing offences (8 February 2016)
A landlord who sat on the board of a tenant management organisation (TMO) has been found guilty of housing offences. Read more...
Government announces launch of new registers to help builders find plots (8 February 2016)
Housing and Planning Minister Brandon Lewis has announced that self-builders will find it easier to kickstart building a home, with the launch of new registers to support builders find plots. Read more...
Manchester City Council has prosecuted a landlord for breaching management regulations. (8 February 2016)
Under Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) legislation, Beckhall Properties Ltd was required to meet management regulations for a building converted into self-contained flats. Read more...
Welsh Government push to exempt supported housing from Housing Benefit cap (4 February 2016)
Welsh Assembly (WA) Communities Minister Lesley Griffiths has called on the UK Government to protect vulnerable tenants in supported housing from planned changes to Housing Benefit. Read more...
London Help to Buy launches (2 February 2016)
The government has launched the new London Help to Buy scheme, enabling first-time buyers in the capital to buy a home with a 5% deposit and a mortgage as low as 55%. Read more...
Bromley Council prosecutes noisy neighbour for breaching Abatement Notice on three occasions (2 February 2016)
Bromley Council has prosecuted a local man on three occasions for breaking an Abatement Notice. Read more...
Housing Minister joins dawn raid to tackle rogue landlords in Brent (1 February 2016)
Housing Minister Brandon Lewis has attended a dawn raid with Brent councillor, Margaret McLennan to help identify and take enforcement action against rogue landlords. Read more...
Peterborough Council awarded £112,500 to tackle rogue landlords (1 February 2016)
The Department for Communities and Local Government has awarded Peterborough Council £112,500 in funding to tackle rogue landlords. Read more...
Government releases details of 600 acres of public sector land for new homes (27 January 2016)
The government is to make available for purchase 600 acres of surplus public sector land for new homes. Read more...
Ealing Council prosecutes landlords over illegal and dangerous housing (26 January 2016)
Ealing Council has prosecuted two landlords for ailing to comply with notices and orders to make safe illegal private rented properties which were dangerous. Read more...
North Lincolnshire Council supports project to house homeless young adults in Scunthorpe (25 January 2016)
North Lincolnshire Council is contributing £175,000 towards a project to provide accommodation for vulnerable and young people through the Scunthorpe town centre housing project. Read more...
New Act will improve lives of one million tenants, says Welsh Government (25 January 2016)
The Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 has received Royal Assent – and as a result, the legislation will improve the lives of the one million people in Wales who rent their home, says the Welsh Government. Read more...
Wiltshire Council launches amnesty for tenants who are illegally subletting (18 January 2016)
Wiltshire Council is currently holding an amnesty for tenants who are subletting their homes illegally. Read more...
Wigan’s “Empty to Plenty” housing scheme offers lifeline to those needing affordable housing (18 January 2016)
Wigan Council is taking steps to solve the housing crisis with a scheme called Empty to Plenty, under which empty properties across Wigan Borough have been brought back to life – and have given a vital lifeline to many residents in need of affordable housing. Read more...
Housing shortage “fuelled by lack of construction workers” and unimplemented planning permissions (18 January 2016)
A new study commissioned by the Local Government Association (LGA) and carried out by industry experts Glenigan shows there are a record 475,647 homes in England which have been given planning permission, but have yet to be built. Read more...
South London boroughs appoint new housing and employment “tsar” (18 January 2016)
The South London Partnership (SLP) has appointed a new housing and employment tsar to represent five London boroughs in lobbying the government on transport and infrastructure, people and skills and business and enterprise. Read more...
Southwark Council finds poor maintenance and bungled building works in programme to check every rented property in borough (11 January 2016)
Southwark Council in southeast London says it has uncovered a catalogue of planning breaches and poor building and maintenance work during a three-year programme of checking rented property in the borough. Read more...
Immigration Minister warns landlords to get ready for right to rent (11 January 2016)
Immigration Minister James Brokenshire has warned landlords to prepare for the new right to rent check due to come into force from 1 February. Read more...
Community order for Middlesbrough landlord who illegally evicted family (11 January 2016)
A Middlesbrough landlord has narrowly avoided jail, after admitting illegally evicting a family. Read more...
Guildford Lettings Accreditation scheme expands to cover more than 650 properties (11 January 2016)
Guildford Borough Council says that the number of local landlords gaining the seal of approval in the Guildford Lettings Accreditation scheme is increasing, with a total of 56 landlords and letting agents accredited in the voluntary scheme, covering around 660 properties. Read more...
Home Secretary says police and security services must have the resources they need to prevent terrorism (6 January 2016)
Home Secretary Theresa May has told the House of Commons that it is imperative that the police and security services have the resources and the powers they need to keep the UK safe from terrorist attacks. Read more...
Local authorities share £6.3m fund to kick start house building (6 January 2016)
The government has announced that Housing Zones around the country are to receive funding to kick-start work on building up to 34,000 new homes. Read more...
Government announces £1.2bn fund to build 30,000 affordable Starter Homes (5 January 2016)
The Prime Minister has announced that the government is to directly commission thousands of new affordable homes, beginning with 13,000 Starter Homes on underused brownfield sites. Read more...
Home Office publishes guidance on right to rent checks (4 January 2016)
The Home Office has published guidance for landlords on Right to rent immigration checks: landlords^ code of practice. Read more...