Ben and I are alternating the Newsround now so you are going to get me every 2 weeks.
Ming you, this morning I am recovering after 11 hours travelling yesterday after my usual Property Redress Scheme quarterly Council meeting.
It took 3 hours to get down there (Norwich to Borehamwood) but, thanks to Hurricane Doris, eight hours to get back!
I’m taking it easy today.
Let’s see what housing news items we have had this week.
Here to stay
A survey discussed on Landlord Today shows that the private rented sector is not going to go away. Apparently, one on four renters expect to be renting for up to a decade.
The report also states that according to English Housing Survey, PRS has been growing at the rate of 17,500 per month on average between 2010 and 2014. Presumably, later figures are not known but I bet it hasn’t gone down.
On the vexed question of longer fixed terms, we all know that the two things preventing this are mortgage company prohibitions and the problems landlords have in evicting non-paying tenants. Even after all the recent changes, section 21 is still the most effective way to evict a tenant – and it is not available during a long fixed term.
The private rental market is also growing of course because key workers are priced out of buying their own home in most places.
Agents still in breach over fee transparency
A Property Industry Eye report shows that in Milton Keynes over 1/3 of agents were fined for failing to display their fees properly. And that was after they had been warned about it!
What is it with agents? Why are so many of them incapable of complying with the law?
The sooner proper regulation comes in the better I say. A view echoed by the Chartered Institute of Housing who, according to Letting Agent today, are calling for stricter regulation.
The CIH wants the development of a single, easily understood set of minimum standards covering both property conditions and property management in the rental sector.
They are also calling for increased funding for Councils to allow them to police the existing rules. However, this may be less of a problem once the Housing & Planning Act 2016 comes into force and Local Authorities are allowed to keep fines paid by landlords for housing breaches. This should help fund further enforcement action.
Assuming they pay them of course.
A good place to work
A report on Property Industry Eye names our Conference sponsors TDS as one of the best not-for-profit places to work I’m not surprised, I have always found them really nice to work with.
Mind you I was at My Deposits yesterday (they share offices with the Property Redress Scheme) and was struck by what a good atmosphere there was there and how happy everyone seemed, so maybe its deposit schemes generally.
Universal Credit
The Guardian reports that MPs are launching an inquiry into Universal Credit which is spreading debt and despair in its wake as claimants are unable to manage during the huge delays in payment.
If you have any stories to tell – find out how to tell them to the inquiry here. This is your chance. Something should be done about it.
Beware Hackers
Finally, there seems to be an upturn in fraudsters hacking into emails and sending false information so money is paid to the fraudsters rather than the landlord or vendor (in property sales).
The report here discusses a property purchase and a tenancy deposit which were intercepted.
There is a safe buyers scheme you can use for purchases here – maybe they could extend their help to rented property payments?
What made me smile this week
The sight of my husband meeting me at the station last night.