January 2016

Plans to introduce a controversial landlord licensing scheme in London are now under discussion.
Ealing Council is consulting on a proposal to bring in licences for all Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMOs) and selective licensing for privately rented homes in certain areas of the borough – a move the RLA has dismissed as unnecessary.

If you are letting out a property from 1st February 2016 you will need to ensure that your tenant(s) have the Right to Rent in England.
The right to rent checks apply to all residential tenancies, not only Assured Short hold tenancies, but lodger’s agreements or company lets.

Welsh landlords will now have to pay for planning permission to convert properties into Houses of Multiple Occupation – without assurances that permission will be granted.
New rules coming into effect from the end of February will mean landlords will require planning permission to convert a house from use as a single household to a shared rental property of three to six unrelated people.

The way in which energy efficiency ratings are determined is changing, following a campaign spearheaded by the Residential Landlords Association.

NEW funds to tackle criminal landlords are not enough, argues a leading landlord body. 65 councils will share in the Government’s £5 million fund. Whilst the RLA welcomes efforts to root out criminal landlords it is arguing that the money announced is not sufficient to tackle the minority of landlords who cause misery for their tenants.

Government policies are discriminating against UK based investment in the housing market by making it easier for foreign investors to purchase properties.
This allegation has been made by the Residential Landlords Association (RLA) in its submission to the Treasury ahead of the Budget in March.

Last week it was announced the Residential Landlords Association has signed a historic new co-regulation deal, offering our landlords a 50% discount on licences.
The co-regulation agreement with Liverpool City Council will see landlords in the city who are members of the RLA have their licence fees reduced by half – saving up to £200 a property.
We have now put together a list of Frequently Asked Questions to explain the new legislation and associated fees to our members.

The Residential Landlord Association’s Landlord Advice Team is on hand to offer free unlimited advice and every week we are featuring a call from one of members outlining their problems and how the team helped them.
This year will be the 9th anniversary of deposit protection and the 9th year as one of the Landlord Advice Team’s most popular topics. As the legislation is constantly changing, many landlords and agents are often bewildered by exactly what they need to do.

The Supreme Court has granted the Residential Landlords Association permission to intervene in a high profile repossession case that could have far-reaching implications for private sector landlords.
The McDonald v McDonald case concerns receivers acting for a bank which wants to repossess a property from a defaulting private sector landlord under section 21 of the Housing Act 1988.

The Residential Landlords Association has announced the date for its first Rent Smart Wales course for landlords, which will be held in Cardiff on February 10.
The association is one of the first providers to be given approval to provide mandatory Rent Smart Wales Landlord Licensing Training for landlords in Wales.