Another week and another Newsround let’s see what has caught our eye this week.
Landlords prepare now for new waste and recycling rules
New recycling legislation is due to come into effect in March 2026 for food waste. The Simpler Recycling Legislation will bring in separate weekly food waste collections for every household in England. Food waste will not longer be accepted in the general rubbish collection and so landlords need to start preparing for this now, especially HMO landlords.
Landlords can start engaging with their tenants to prepare for the change, work out where best to keep the food waste bins, prepare signage and contact their local council to see how the new collection will work in their area.
You can read more about this change on the Government webpage here.
Retirees struggling to pay rent
A new survey out has claimed that 17% of older renters are unable to stop working and retire due to their housing costs, whilst 8% of retired renters are planning on working again. The number of older people facing homelessness is now above 50% and 35% over 55 are in temporary accommodation.
Rising rents are bringing insecurity for older renters, with 17% claiming that homelessness is a strong possibility in their retirement.
Crisis Chief Executive Matt Downie said
Britain’s housing crisis is an intergenerational one, with a growing number of older people facing homelessness. Many people who have spent their lives working are left hanging by a thread because of a lack of social homes, leaving charities to fill the gap
He called on the government to deliver more social housing as soon as possible and strengthen support systems for those at risk.
Damp & Mould Awareness campaign
Damp & Mould Action & Awareness Week is back for its second year on 20th to 26th October, and MP’s are being asked to raise awareness and help landlords get more involved. Its timing falls at the same time that Awaabs Law comes into effect on the 27th October, which will force social landlords to act on any damp or mould issues within regulated timescales.
It is estimated that 6.5 million households in England are affected by this issue, and it costs the NHS £1.4 billion with impacting health concerns. Many supporters are involved this year, such as The Property Ombudsman, Healthy Homes and Sureserve, to name a few.
Dr Sam Collier of Aico, a home safety specialist who is heading up this year’s campaign, says
By supporting this campaign, they can help bring landlords, local authorities, health services and tenants together to tackle it head-on.
You can read more of the campaign here, where there is a lot of information and help.
Council stands up for its own HMO schemes
Portsmouth council says it is ‘proud to have taken decisive action’ in managing its growth of HMO’s through rigorous legal licensing schemes and planning policies, and kicks back at any criticism.
It says that whilst it is not a legal requirement to have planning permission in order to convert to an HMO, they have enforced this within their council so that HMO’s do not exceed 10% of residential properties within a 360 degree 50 metre radius and goes on to state that
The Council also has an online register of licensed HMOs and those with planning permission to address unlicensed HMOs. This is one of the strictest HMO control regimes in the country and has been consistently upheld.
Snippets
One rule for Landlords, Another for Councils
Landlord launches petition over ‘unfair and ineffective’ EPC upgrade rules
Tenant evictions now taking nearly seven months, latest stats show
Rents drop for the first time since 2020 – Hamptons
From shutters to reflective paint: how to prevent UK homes overheating
Majority of tenants get most or all of their deposit back
See also our Quick News Updates on Landlord Law
Newsround will be back again next week