I am prompted by the ever excellent Garden Court Chambers Housing Law Bulletin to let you know a few things that are going on. (Apologies if you know them already …)
The Housing (Wales) Bill
This has been introduced to the Welsh Assembly and aims to radically change things in Wales. Planned are mandatory licensing for landlords and increased powers for Local Authorities.
You can read an explanatory memorandum here. The NLA by the way, consider it to be a ‘bureaucratic mess’
The Housing (Scotland) Bill
This also deals with licensing as well as transferring the jurisdiction for civil cases and abolishing the Right to Buy.
You can read an explanatory memorandum here.
In England we have proposals for
Redress Schemes for Private Tenants
Which beside the Welsh and Scottish plans look like a bit of a damp squib. Will England become a Mecca for dodgy agents and landlords? Time will tell.
You can read about them (the proposals that is, not the dodgy agents and landlords) here.
Finally
The Energy Bill
An amendment made on 19 November 2013 will let the Government require carbon and/or smoke alarms in private rented homes (but only if this is given the green light by a review).
You can read the government announcement here.
Its all going on isn’t it?