Landlord Law Newsround has come round again, here is what we have found for our last Newsround for January.
New EPC targets will not increase rents – claim
The government has stated that their new EPC C target under their new Warm Homes Plan means that landlords will not have to increase rents. This is in contradiction to a government impact assessment consultation which states that landlords will either sell up or increase rents.
Martin McCluskey, Parliamentary Under Secretary said
Our proposed changes should not require landlords to increase rents. Instead, they will help tenants cut their energy bills by delivering more energy-efficient homes.
In contradiction to this, the government consultation documents says that if a property does not remain profitable along with the costs to improve energy efficiency then landlords would sell or offset this cost via higher rents. Whilst the consultation is now closed the government will review these factors and respond in due course.
Decent Homes Standard by 2035
The government announced this week that all private and social landlords will need to adhere to the Decent Homes Standard by 2035.
This means that all properties will need to meet minimum standards such as basic amenities of a kitchen and bathroom, adequate space and layout, free of damp and mould, they must meet the minimum energy efficiency standards and be in a reasonable condition. Currently 21% of homes in the PRS are of poor quality housing.
Matthew Pennycook, the Housing Minister said
Our expectations are clear: no tenant should have to live in unsafe conditions for any amount of time, and social and private landlords should act as quickly as possible to ensure their properties are decent.
He added that they are giving landlords plenty of time to get their properties up to a decent standard thus improving the quality of all rental homes.
New Anti Discrimination rules for Wales
From 1st June discrimination against renters with children or those on benefits will come info force in Wales. This means that landlords cannot refuse tenants on these basis alone, but can take into account their income and affordability. This will bring Wales in line with England when the Renters Right Act comes into force on the 1st May as anti-discrimination rules are the same for both.
Landlords in Wales will have to inform their tenants in writing by 14th June that there has been a variation to the terms of their occupations contract. Landlords and letting agents have also been advised to stop using blanket ban wordings in their adverts and to refrain from using screening questions unless they have a lawful reason for doing so.
‘Lets with pets’ take up still slow
A new survey out this week claims that only 8.2% of properties on the rental market are advertised as pet friendly. The North East has the highest proportion of pet friendly properties at 11.5% and the South West has 9.1% with the East Midlands is the least accommodating of pets with only 5.6% of advertised properties accepting pets.
Sian Hemming-Metcalfe of Inventory Base who carried out the research said
This data shows that landlords are yet to meaningfully adapt, with pet-friendly listings increasing only marginally. This suggests many are either taking a wait-and-see approach or haven’t fully prepared for the changes ahead.
She adds that landlords need to have an accurate inventory to prove pet damage and must carry out regular inspections.
Snippets
Landlord allegedly ignored warnings over HMOs
Renters’ Right Act depends on council enforcement claims tenant group
Blog: ‘Making Tax Digital’ cliff-edge is looming
Council’s citywide HMO licensing consultation to combat ‘public health crisis’
See also our Quick News Updates on Landlord Law
Newsround will be back again next week
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