Another week and another Newsround where we bring you all the all the latest housing news and a little bit more.
We heard this week that Parliament have announced that the Renters’ Rights Bill Committee Stage will be on April 22nd and 24th.
This is expected to be agreed and be committed to The House. This being the case, we can expect the new legislation to be enacted and come into force around October 2025.
Although that is by no means certain, so don’t count on it!
Licensing council charging twice for a licence
Following a consultation, Mansfield Council are commencing a selective licensing scheme in June, where they are charging landlords a £500 application fee as well as a £300 issuing fee per property, with the full cost of the licence being £800. They are offering £50 discount for those that apply early.
A council spokesperson said
This scheme will help us tackle these problems head-on – as well as crack down on rogue landlords, making sure that all privately rented properties meet the standards we demand.
With many more councils now introducing licensing, landlords need to check regularly with their councils. Here at Landlord Law we have a comprehensive Local Authority Directory to help you keep informed.
Tenants on benefits will face greater poverty
48% of renters who rely on housing benefit will be pushed into poverty and face a shortfall in what they owe in rent following the benefit freeze due in April, according to a new analysis out by the National Residential Landlords Association.
According to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, this will drag 50,000 renters into poverty, and 80,000 renters into very severe poverty. The NRLA states that this will make their ability to sustain a tenancy almost impossible, and they are calling for the benefit rates to be pegged to at least the lowest 30% of rents for the rest of this Parliament.
Ben Beadle chief exec of the NRLA says
Tenants shouldn’t be expected to endure the uncertainty of not knowing what support they can access from one year to the next. It is time to end the insecurity they face and unfreeze housing benefit rates.
MP vows to fix ‘broken’ rented sector
An MP in Crawley has launched an online ‘Fair Renting Survey’ for tenants and landlords to complete in a bid to try and combat the rogue landlords within his constituency.
Tom Hayes said
Rogue landlords are forcing families to sleep together in the dining room because their flat is cramped. Rogue landlords are forcing parents to fight mould that triggers chronic asthma…and also make renters live under the shadow of no-fault evictions.
He added that tenants are anxious about higher rents in places that they cannot call their home, it’s just a roof over their heads. He did acknowledge that most landlords do not fall into this category and do offer proper accommodation and stability for their tenants and it is these landlords that are being undermined.
He hopes the survey will help him understand renting better to be able to better represent them and call for better legislation.
Landlords can complete the survey here.
EPC uncertainty causing landlord inaction
A leading bank director, Daryl Norkett has warned landlords to act now in improving their properties EPC ratings or the could risk a shortage of tradespeople further down the line with more landlords leaving things as they are until there is more certainty on dates.
Currently the government has stated that regulations will be confirmed in 2026 with the expectation that a new tenancy will have to be an EPC C by 2028, then all existing tenancies by 2030, with a maximum spend cap of £15,000 per property. However Norkett warns that landlords do not want to spend money on upgrade work now in case it is not counted towards the £15,000 yet.
He also predicts that letting agents will not want to engage with landlords who are not compliant further down the line.
Snippets
Nearly 19,000 people demand pets in council & social homes
The Renters’ Rights Bill is not anti-landlord says KC
Murderer banned from renting out flat while in prison
Massive spike in demand for rent guarantors as reforms loom
See also our Quick News Updates on Landlord Law
Newsround will be back again next week