All posts by phil.turtle@landlordsdefence.co.uk
Council forgoes civil financial penalty in pursuit of Banning...
Despite announcing in 2018 that they were now pursuing landlords for failure to licence HMOs and breaches of HMO Management Regulations under the civil penalty regime, (see £16,000 fine given for non-licence...
Demonisation and Persecution of Landlords by Shelter, Councils...
Following on from the latest article, click here, and Propertymark’s survey of its members indicates the supply of property listed by agencies has halved since 2019
This is, as we have said on many...
Another Two-Faced Landlord-bashing Council outed for keeping...
The living conditions in a couple of council flats in a tower block off Regina Road in South Norwood, Croydon have been condemned as “dangerous squalor” and “appalling” in a devastating television...
Birmingham City Council renting out properties they would destroy...
Yet again two-faced Birmingham City Council has been found out for renting properties with deadly dampness and mould. If this were a private landlord they would issue them with Civil Penalty Fines...
Will helping mean prosecution by Councils?
Will helping Ukrainian refugees lead to thousands of homeowners and renters being prosecuted by councils for unlicensed HMOs (Like councils prosecuted those who housed the homeless during Covid)?
Thousands...
Local Authorities using Credit Checking to Trap You and Identify...
It has come across my desk from more than one local authority and in multiple cases that the Council is checking information with Consumer Credit Reference Companies as part of their enforcement, and they...
More Ways Councils Trick Landlords into being “Illegally Unlicensed”...
Have you ever wondered why a council has an Additional HMO Licensing or Selective Licensing Scheme that expires and there is a gap before the next one? The answer is timing and nothing more sinister, BUT...
Confessions of a Council HMO Enforcement Officer...
Today we had an unusual communication: This morning was one of those mornings where you receive a message and punch your fist in the air with delight – discovering that there are still some good, discipline-fashioned...
Kerching! Birmingham City Council Decides to Cash-in on Landlords...
Here we go again as yet another local authority, this time Birmingham City Council (BCC), decides to get on the gravy train which is selective licensing, with what is being touted as the largest selective...
Winter drawers on...
“Winter drawers on!” was the risqué chorus amongst the women on the shop-floor where I served my engineering apprenticeship, every year, as the weather started getting colder!
And that reminded me...
Advanced Vetting To Avoid Nightmare Tenants...
We all suffer from bad and nightmare tenants from time to time. They can be bad in many ways.
LEARN how to AVOID getting the wrong tenants in the first place.
AVOID rent arrears
AVOID anti-social behaviour...
District planning authorities in England issue fewest number...
Finally, some good news for landlords and property developers!
District planning authorities in England issue the fewest number of enforcement notices since records began September 1, 2021. District planning...
The council that flouted policies to fine more landlords...
London Borough of Redbridge Council “secretly and informally” flouted its own policy in order to fine over 100 landlords in just six months.
Testimony from a senior officer in a 2019 court case...
Nowhere for HMO landlords to hide as Councils turn to Artificial...
How long does it take for your Council to work out you’re running an unlicensed HMO? Less than one day! This was confirmed this week when a worried landlord got in touch with our landlords defence consultancy...
Fire Risk assessments should be performed forensically...
This is just one of many examples of the risks if a Fire Risk Assessment is not performed forensically. Many landlords consider themselves competent to do their own Fire Risk Assessments. 99% of landlords...
Regulatory issues the biggest reason for landlords wanting to...
Nearly a million landlords plan to review their buy to let portfolios over the next two years, with the number planning to sell outnumbering those planning to buy more properties. This is according to...
Judge tears into Northampton Council’s Samantha Ling and her...
In a shocking, and embarrassing for Northampton Borough Council (NBC), determination by Judge Wayte of the First Tier Tribunal property, he went so far as to suggest that the landlord should make a claim...
Council announces free property licensing!
Instead of charging landlords around £1,000 like most UK councils – for the dubious honour of going into a database – which the council will then use, so they can easily inspect properties...
Council declares war on Landlords while stealing housing from...
A council has explicitly announced it’s “on the side of tenants against landlords”. Totally ignoring the fact that landlords are its citizens too. And citizens they are legally required to serve!
Landlords threaten council with Judicial Review over HMO Licensing...
For once, well organised Landlords are threatening to take the council to the High Court over plans to expand a housing licensing scheme.
York Residential Landlords Association claim City of York Council’s...
Councils using ‘Intelligence’ to track down low EPC...
And so the EPC witch-hunt begins: Threatening fines of up to £5,000 for any rental property with an EPC lower than Band E, councils are now using artificial intelligence to pull together all manner of...