29th March 2019
From 1st April 2019, it has become mandatory that all property agents hold a registered membership with a certified money protection scheme. This is by way of insurance for landlords and tenants, to prevent rogue agents from keeping back money from deposits and rents if something goes wrong. Let’s look at what this means for landlords, and what you should be looking out for when you employ an agent to manage your properties.
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11th March 2019
In simple terms, Article 4’s were put in place a few years ago to manage the growth of HMO units in certain areas, and have been rolled out by councils across the country recently. If a proposed HMO is to be in an Article 4 designated area, then any would be HMO landlords would have to seek planning consent under Article 4 in order to be able to set up and operate a HMO in that area, but your HMO may also NOW need a license too...
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11th March 2019
2019 is proving to be an unpredictable market for properties in the UK. As with many other industries, people are hitting pause in anticipation of the outcome of the Brexit deal. Could this turn out to be a good thing for landlords?
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29th March 2017
After attending the annual ARLA Propertymark Conference and Exhibition yesterday, Concentric HQ are pleased to confirm to their clients that the government have accepted the Client Money Protection Review (CMP) and will be introducing mandatory CMP for all letting agents.
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20th February 2017
It’s a common phrase you see rounding off nearly every rental listing - “No DSS”. DSS – being the now-defunct Department of Social Security – refers to LHA tenants, the catch-all term for low-income tenants who claim Local Housing Allowance (LHA), named after the now-defunct Department of Social Security.
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9th December 2016
If you were to sum up 2016, in one word, what would you say? It’s certainly been full of surprises. Britain rocked the country by voting to leave the EU, David Bowie passed away and the world is still trying to get it’s head around the fact that Donald Trump was elected President of America.
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1st December 2015
Proposed changes for the housing sector through the Housing Bill 2015 The government is proposing quite a few changes to the housing sector at the moment and is currently in discussion with the industry as to how these will be implemented across the board which landlords may need to be aware of as it will affect both landlords and agents. The bill in fact covers many areas, not just the PRS (Private Rented Sector) but within this article I want to look at the items that directly affect us as residential property practitioners
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30th September 2015
David Cox, managing director, Association of Residential Letting Agents, comments on legislation coming into force affecting the Private Rental Sector: “As of Thursday 1st October, it will be compulsory for landlords to have fitted smoke alarms on every floor of their property where there is a room used wholly or partly as living accommodation. They will also be required to put a carbon monoxide alarm in any room where solid fuel is burnt.
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Licensing affects not just myself and landlords in Liverpool, but others across the country as more and more local authorities will adopt such schemes, once they realise how much money can be generated from it! Licensing was implemented in Liverpool on 1st April 2015. From the landlord’s perspective, that means every rental property within the boundaries of Liverpool City Council must have a licence, the cost of which is £400 per property, a big dent in cash flow even for someone with a small portfolio. If you have a block of, say, five flats, then you have to get a licence for each flat, amounting to £2,000 for a licence for one single building.
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