Councils are afraid of tackling shared housing problems because they fear landlords will sue them for loss of earnings, a senior planning councillor in a university town has revealed.
In an exclusive interview, the planner disclosed his council abandoned taking on powers to give them more control over houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) after taking legal advice. Continue reading Councils fear cash claims if they tackle HMO problems
Debt management firms can make financial problems worse for those that owe money by giving poor advice and misleading consumers by claiming to offer free services while taking hidden fees.
The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has warned 129 firms that their credit licences will be withdrawn if they do not show immediate action has been taken to relieve concerns about the way they work and to improve standards. Continue reading Many debt firms make financial problems worse, warns OFT
A landlord group has responded to the government’s challenge to identify changes to the law that would make running a business easier.
The Residential Landlords Association (RLA) has responded with suggestions that they say would revitalise the private rental sector.
Top of the list is carrying on with self-regulation rather than resurrecting the old government’s proposal to introduce a licensing and registration scheme in England and Wales. Continue reading Don’t regulate landlords any more, urges Residential Landlords Association (RLA).
