Beds in sheds landlords are the target of a new government campaign to crack down on shoddy housing.
Housing minister Grant Shapps is spearheading the battle against the spread of ‘suburban shanty towns’ by injecting £1.8 million into a fighting fund for nine councils. Continue reading Task force targets criminal ‘beds in sheds’ landlords
Beds in sheds landlords face a crackdown by a special government taskforce aimed at closing down criminal landlords and tracking down illegal immigrants.
Housing minister Grant Shapps and immigration minister Damian Green have held the first in a series of cross-Whitehall summits with police, the UK Border Agency and local councils to set up the task force. Continue reading Taskforce set to tackle beds in sheds scandal
Housing minister Grant Shapps has accused Newham Council, East London, of ‘playing politics with peoples’ lives’ over a radical plan to shunt homeless families out of the capital because benefit caps do not allow them to move in to local buy to let properties.
The council has a housing waiting list of 32,000 people and claims cuts to housing benefits mean tenants can claim a monthly allowance of between £250 for a one-bedroom flat and £400 for a four-bedroom property. Continue reading Newham council wants to traffic tenants out of London
*Property118 is not in any way aligned with Kazuri nor Farah Damji, but we believe questions should be raised about the funding being poured into Shelter and Crisis to work with private landlords when they have done and continue to do so much to damage the reputation of the Private Rented Sector. We believe this matter is of interest to all landlords and we thought it was worth bringing to your attention the actions which Ms. Damji is taking to block this allocation of public funds.*
*A response from Crisis to the content of this open letter has been published in full in the comments below.*
Dear Mr Shapps,
I write in dismay about the additional funding being given to charities such as Crisis and Shelter next month to “help end homelessness” in the private rented sector (PRS). This is referred hereto on the Crisis PRS website:
The Crisis PRS Access Development Programme funds new community based services that help single homeless people find and sustain good quality accommodation in the private rented sector (PRS). It builds on Crisis’ history and expertise in PRS solutions to homelessness and represents an investment of over £10m of DCLG funding over a three year period. Continue reading Open Letter to Grant Shapps from Farah Damji
Local councils have lost their fight in the courts to overturn the government’s house in multiple occupation planning laws.
After a bitter and long-running dispute, the Court of Appeal has rejected their challenge and ruled housing minister Grant Shapps made a considered and fair decision to reverse planning laws rushed in by the outgoing Labour Government in April 2010. Continue reading Appeal Court Rejects HMO Legal Challenge
As I read my way through developments in the housing world on a daily basis I see increasing reference to perceptions about social housing tenants which seems to be becoming a source of more concern for many landlords.
People have often had negative opinions about that world, but not as serious as the direction it seems to be going. I thought it might follow on from last summer’s riots, I don’t know, but 3 things happened on the same day last week to make me ponder on this more seriously Continue reading Why are Social Housing Tenants Seen As Second Class Citizens?
Letting agents have turned up the heat on the government to regulate the private rental sector another notch.
The spat is over who controls letting agents by managing accreditation. Continue reading Government Undermines Our Work, Claims ARLA
Government set to "not have time" for Landlord regulations
A proposal urging MPs to vote for tighter regulation of private landlords is likely to be booted out of Parliament due to lack of time.
The private member’s bill, promoted by the Labour MP for Sedgefield Phillip Wilson won 10 minutes of time, but is unlikely to win any further support. Continue reading MPs urged to vote for measures to curb landlords
Housing Minister Grant Shapps has today launched plans to give tenants greater support to hold their landlords to account.
The Housing Minister argued that new locally-run tenant panels will put power back into the hands of residents, helping them to build the Big Society in their neighbourhoods. Continue reading Tenant panels to hold landlords to account
The British Property Federation has issued a word of caution over the distribution of the land set to be sold off by the Government.
Housing minister Grant Shapps announced yesterday that thousands of acres of land will be sold off to create 100,000 new houses by 2015.
Liz Peace, BPF’s chief executive backs the plans but said “Government must give consideration to who has the resources available to get on and build these homes, particularly while banks are still nervous about lending.” Continue reading The BPF calls for land to be sold to the right people
