Category: Uncategorized

Far too often I hear of local authorities criticising letting agents or landlords and even prosecuting them so it was a pleasant surprise to hear of a council actually praising them. Burnley Council has been quick to laud the professional approach of some agents and landlords in their district when organising the letting and management of residential properties.  The council prides itself on actively working with private landlords and encouraging them to raise their standards. They have been running an accreditation scheme since the 1990s and drew up a new code of practice this summer to reflect the changes in legislation and best practice in…

As house buyers struggle to find affordable properties to buy, rentals look set to outstrip the sales market for the first time since before the Second World War. I read recently that the UK’s largest estate agency chain, Countrywide, has acknowledged that the sales market cooled dramatically at the end of 2016.  There was a boom in March as landlords attempted to snap up properties before the changes in Stamp Duty. Since then, though, the uncertainty caused by the Brexit vote, lack of properties coming onto the market for sale and general rising prices has led to a boom in lettings. Countrywide Research Director Johnny Morris…

Bristol Charity for Vulnerable Tenants tops list of UK’s Most Prosecuted Landlords! I spotted a recent article in The Guardian that reported a Bristol-based charity has topped a list of the most prosecuted landlords in the country. Alternative Housing was set up to provide accommodation for homeless people in Bristol and has received thousands of pounds in housing benefits.  It has been convicted of housing offences on six separate occasions in the past two years. The prosecutions have included providing bedsits with broken cookers and drains and having no supply of hot water or heating.  In 2015 housing officers raided a string…