December 2017

A damning Government review carried out in the wake of the Grenfell Tower tragedy has found current building and fire safety regulation is not fit for purpose. DCLG has published the interim report of the Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety led by Dame Judith Hackitt. In her forward to the document Dame […]

The post Building and fire safety regulation “not fit for purpose” appeared first on RLA Campaigns and News Centre.

2017 has felt like a very busy year for local authorities and licensing. Perhaps it is because this was the year I was appointed the RLA’s first Local Government Officer? Or- maybe it is was the almost 30 local consultations I responded to? And while we are yet to finish our advent calendars, local authorities […]

The post Dates for 2018: Licensing Update appeared first on RLA Campaigns and News Centre.

At the very end of last week, the government snuck out yet another consultation, this time on licensing and taxation. ‘Tackling the Hidden Economy: Public Sector Licensing’ proposes to link tax compliance with public licences, including HMO and selective licences. So landlords applying for a licence would have to be registered for tax. While the […]

The post Round-up of this week in Westminster appeared first on RLA Campaigns and News Centre.

This article, by RLA Policy Director David Smith was first published on The Times’ Red Box site Getting on for half of landlords are now less likely to consider renting to someone without a British passport because of the Government’s Right to Rent policy. That’s according to a recent survey by the Residential Landlords Association (RLA) […]

The post Landlords ‘playing it safe’ on right to rent appeared first on RLA Campaigns and News Centre.

Right to Rent checks should be suspended by the Government, after new figures showed landlords are so afraid of criminal sanctions they are wary of letting to tenants without a British passport. New research shows more than 40% of landlords are now less likely to consider renting to someone without a British passport due to […]

The post Landlords want Right to Rent suspended appeared first on RLA Campaigns and News Centre.

In the weeks before Christmas, landlords shouldn’t be surprised when their tenants contact them about repairs or issues with the house. At this time of year many tenants will be rushing round, getting the house ready for a family visit, or preparing the perfect Instagram Christmas with their kids. This week’s call was about a […]

The post Call of the Week- Responsibility for clearing chimney in time for Santa appeared first on RLA Campaigns and News Centre.

Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, today painted an inaccurate picture of the private rented sector in the House of Commons. During Prime Minister’s Questions he referenced a woman who had lived in her private rented home for ten years who faced having to leave her property. He used it to call for three year tenancies […]

The post Corbyn wrong on rented homes appeared first on RLA Campaigns and News Centre.

The Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, today painted an inaccurate picture of the private rented sector. During Prime Minister’s Questions he referenced a woman who had lived in her private rented home for ten years who faced having to leave her property. He used it to call for three year tenancies and warned that tenants were […]

The post Corbyn wrong on private rented housing appeared first on RLA Campaigns and News Centre.

Christmas is less than two weeks away, and with temperatures already entering minus figures, the Residential Landlord’s Association is encouraging its members to check up on vulnerable tenants this winter, to ensure that they stay warm and well. What is a vulnerable tenant? The term ‘vulnerable tenant’ includes those who are elderly and disabled. It also […]

The post Check up on vulnerable tenants this winter appeared first on RLA Campaigns and News Centre.

The RLA policy team decamped to Cardiff last week, for the RLA Future Renting Wales conference, so we’ll be looking back a little further this week, to catch up with Westminster goings-on over the last fortnight. Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Sajid Javid, followed up his party conference announcement that all landlords […]

The post Westminster round-up – December 8th appeared first on RLA Campaigns and News Centre.