Blogs

Landlords, beware the Green Grant scammers

The Green Homes Grant launches next week – and already the scams promising access to funding have started. Consumer watchdog Which? and the BBC both report that homeowners have received scam calls, emails and texts telling them that they are eligible for the Governme...

Why court reform is needed as well as possession hearings

The rental sector is holding its breath as the deadline for re-opening the courts to start possession hearings draws perilously close. We have seen two extensions to the evictions ban since the courts closed in March and the huge backlog of cases waiting to be heard ...

Don’t forget care homes, urges new report on dangerous cladding

The Public Accounts Committee has slammed the Government today in a damning report that looks at the progress made to-date on remediating dangerous cladding.Committee chair Meg Hillier describes the MHCLG’s promise to ensure all high rise buildings are safe for resid...

Better gas safe than sorry!

In case you didn't know, this week is Gas Safety Week. So we thought a timely reminder of landlords’ responsibilities for gas safety in rented properties might be useful for anyone who’s not sure of their obligations.The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations ...

Could you get on the property ladder for less?

The housing market is booming. A combination of pent-up demand from lockdown, the Chancellor’s stamp duty holiday and increased interest in out-of-town properties has pushed prices up to a four-year high according to the latest figures from the RICS. This is great ne...

Government announces a 'winter truce' for renters

Unless the Government is persuaded to make another extension to the evictions ban, the courts will start to deal with possession hearings again from 21 September. But to make life easier for tenants who find themselves with financial problems as a second wave of Covi...

CMA shows it's teeth to housebuilders

There was good news for anyone who is in dispute with their developer over ground rents last week, as the Competition and Markets Authority showed its teeth by launching enforcement action against four well-known housebuilders.The scandal around leasehold homes has h...

Building safety - what do you think?

The Draft Building Safety Bill was published on 20 July. The government aims to “deliver the biggest changes to building safety for nearly 40 years and make residents safer in their homes.” But what do you think? Will the proposals work in practice or are there areas...

Planning reform - how will I benefit?

A couple of weeks ago we blogged about the government’s proposed changes to the planning system. The aim is to streamline housing delivery, making it quicker and easier to bring forward new developments in the places where demand for new homes is highest. Much of the...

Fully-connected homes are now a step closer

A quiet revolution is taking place on the nation’s airwaves. But you could be forgiven for not noticing the change. You may remember that your TV set, along with nearly 20 million others in households around the country, has been re-tuned. This is to give Britain new...