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Grenfell expert witness claims the fire risks of cladding used on the tower were well known

Friday, 18th June 2021

An expert witness to the Grenfell Tower inquiry has said the combustible nature of the panels used on the high rise block’s façade should have been well known to contractors working on the refurbishment. An experienced facade engineer, Jonathan Sakula... View Article

400,000 private sector tenants in danger of being evicted

Friday, 18th June 2021

Over 400,000 private tenants may be in significant rent arrears by the end of 2021 and facing the threat of losing their homes when the suspension of eviction proceedings is lifted according to a report by the London School of... View Article

Allowing more pets in lets

Friday, 18th June 2021

Less than one in ten of private rentals are pet-friendly properties but a new survey from Direct Line has shown that nearly half of landlords back the Government changes to allow ‘well-behaved’ pets in rental flats and houses. A new... View Article

40 per cent of leaseholders unclear what their service charge pays for

Friday, 18th June 2021

Research has found the majority of leasehold homeowners consider service charges unfair, with a lack of transparency around how they are spent also a prominent issue. Along with ground rents, service charges will be paid by most leaseholders to cover... View Article

Housing Review for 2021 highlights huge fall in number of social rented homes

Friday, 18th June 2021

The supply of social rented homes – council housing and housing association homes let at genuinely affordable ‘social’ rents – has fallen by almost 210,000 in England between 2012 and 2020, according to the Chartered Institute of Housing’s annual UK... View Article

Lukewarm response given to Queens Speech by CIH

Friday, 18th June 2021

The main professional body for those working in the social housing sector has given a mixed response to the Government’s planned legislation programme for the next Parliamentary session. In a briefing to its members the Chartered Institute of Housing said:... View Article

Number of second homes in UK rises to almost half a million

Friday, 18th June 2021

The number of second homes in the UK has risen by 30 per cent over the last five years, to a record high of 495,000 according to an analysis of official data by Houst, a leading flexible lettings service. The... View Article

Number of overseas landlords reaches a five-year high

Friday, 18th June 2021

The number of overseas landlords owning property in the UK has hit a five-year high of 184,000 – marking an increase of 19 per cent over the last five years according to residential property market experts Ludlowthompson. The rise in... View Article

About 700,000 tenants served with ‘no-fault’ eviction notices

Friday, 18th June 2021

An estimated 700,000 private tenants have been served with “no-fault” eviction notices since the start of the pandemic, despite a Government promise to scrap them. Section 21 eviction notices are still in use and ministers are facing calls to deliver... View Article

Support for tenants extended but with reduced notice periods

Friday, 18th June 2021

The Government has extended the protection from eviction to October, but has reduced the notice periods which renters must be given to end their tenancies from six to four months. The current ban on bailiff-enforced evictions, introduced as an emergency... View Article

Tenants invited to play lead role in council’s drive to improve its housing services

Friday, 18th June 2021

Croydon Council in south London has pledged to deliver major improvements to its housing services including giving council tenants a much greater say in how services are run, after a highly critical report on appalling living conditions within a high-rise... View Article

The benefits and drawbacks of investing in HMOs

Wednesday, 16th June 2021

Over the last 10-15 years, the UK private rental and HMO (houses in multiple occupation) sectors have grown strongly. From student accommodation to shared housing, HMOs are an attractive option for investors and landlords, but they don’t come without some... View Article

Nearly 100 affordable homes built in St Helens as part of local housing association’s regeneration plan

Wednesday, 16th June 2021

One Vision Housing (OVH), part of The Sovini Group, is delighted to announce the completion of their latest developments in St Helens, bringing nearly 100 new homes to the area. Forming part of their ambitious development plan to build nearly... View Article

Landlords are putting investments at risk by blindly following building regulations

Wednesday, 16th June 2021

A new report launched today by leading property consultancy, TFT, shows occupier expectations are not being met by landlords and developers, which could harm long-term value Buildings are at risk. Property, by its very nature, is relatively permanent, often difficult... View Article

Rula Homes secures consent to deliver affordable housing scheme in Wakefield

Wednesday, 9th June 2021

Rula Homes, the newly established housing division of Rula Developments, has secured planning consent from Wakefield Council to deliver 77 affordable new homes on a 5.76-acre site at City Fields, Wakefield East, located alongside the River Calder and the Aire... View Article

Construction activity data records fastest rise in orders since 1997

Monday, 7th June 2021

Construction data for May showed that new orders across the industry increased at the fastest pace since the PMI (Purchasing Managers’ Index) first began collecting data in 1997, with the majority of firms surveyed predicting a continued rise in business... View Article

Connected and fair: Ethical IoT for social housing

Monday, 7th June 2021

Internet of Things (IoT) technology can reduce energy bills and carbon emissions, lessen the impact of fuel poverty, and fundamentally improve living conditions to create healthier and more liveable homes. Despite this, a whopping 84% of social housing residents are... View Article

Manchester’s £400m ‘Gasworks New Town’ scheme gets green light for 1,200 homes

Friday, 4th June 2021

Plans for a £400m city centre regeneration scheme that will create more than 1,200 homes has been approved by Manchester City Council’s planning committee. MCR Property Group’s bold Gasworks New Town project will create 1,202 homes on the site of the... View Article

The Journey to EPC C – how landlords can upgrade their properties to meet sustainability standards

Thursday, 3rd June 2021

By Oliver Baker, CEO at Ambion Heating In the Energy White Paper, published at the end of 2020, the government reiterated its commitment that all UK houses should be EPC Band C by 2035 and 2030 for social housing and... View Article

Urgent action demanded to boost delivery of new homes

Wednesday, 2nd June 2021

The Government needs to take urgent action to significantly increase the number of housing developments being granted planning permission if it wants to hit its target of 300,000 new homes a year, new research by leading planning consultancy Lichfields highlights... View Article