Another week and another Landlord Law Newsround, let’s see what the team has found in the news this week.
Government questioned over data integrity
The government was questioned over how they intend to share landlords information between the new PRS Database and the Landlord Ombudsman. Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook admitted that it is not yet known how this will work.
The Ombudsman will be sharing information of non-compliant landlords with local authorities, the new database will hold information on landlords but have not detailed yet how much of that a tenant will be able see. There is concern that as many landlords are private individuals they may not want all their information public but will be compelled to register.
Sean Hooker, Head of Property Redress Scheme said
Neither property agents nor private landlords have a regulator yet and without this safeguard the government is wise to tread carefully and not rush through a scheme without considering these challenges.
The new database will not be a regulatory or enforcement agent.
Landlords tenant selection process becomes more vigorous
Stats out this week show that more and more landlords are taking extra steps and being more careful when taking on new tenants which is being driven by the lack of confidence they have in the eviction process post Renters’ Rights Act.
The survey carried out by The Lettings Hub claim that 95% of letting agents have no confidence in the court system especially in the time it now takes to evict a tenant through the court system. However, Beth Richardson Head of Operations at The Lettings Hub claims that ‘excessive caution risks shrinking the supply of houses’.
She goes on to say that landlords should ‘reference tenants thoroughly and use professional guarantors’, further adding that landlords should have ‘practical guidance on the new possession process’.
EPC’s to be sympathetic to a property’s characterisitics
Martin McCluskey the Energy Minister has stated that the new EPC reforms will take into account ‘the characteristics of each property’ and that an ‘enhanced exemption regime’ has been drafted.
He added that any energy improvements undertaken prior to 2030 to achieving an EPC C before 1 October 2029 will be ‘recognised as compliant until the EPC expires or is replaced’. He added that
The government has also announced the maximum expenditure required and is designing an enhanced exemptions regime, recognising that efficiency improvements need to be sensitive to the characteristics of each property. We will set out more detail in guidance and regulations.
Industry leaders have previously raised their concerns that ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach will not work, where in some properties improvements for energy are not practical or even possible due to the fabric of the building.
Snippets
Rising rents are contributing to rough sleeping claims government
Rogue agent used landlords’ properties to run drugs empire
Lower proportion of complaints upheld by Housing Ombudsman in 2025/26
Shrinking PRS claims exaggerated, report finds
Updated health and safety guide published by government
Newsround will be back again next week
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