A Notice of Intent starts a 28-day clock. The single most important stage in the civil penalty process. Our guide covers what the Notice must contain, what should happen in the first week, what representations should address, and the common mistakes that lead to penalties being confirmed at the original amount when they could have been withdrawn or reduced.

Reigate and Banstead Borough Council has announced a borough-wide Article 4 direction to remove permitted development rights for small HMO conversions. With a consultation running until 24 September and the scheme due to take effect from 30 July 2027, we take a closer look at the Council's proposals, evidence base, and the wider trend of localised PRS regulation.

Confused about whether your property needs an HMO licence? This plain-English guide explains the three licensing regimes (mandatory, additional, and selective), when each applies, and the significant consequences of getting it wrong.

Since June 2026, English landlords face two distinct civil penalty regimes, the existing £40,000 regime and a brand new £7,000 "on the spot" HHSRS penalty. Here's what both regimes involve, how they interact, and what to do if you receive a Notice of Intent.

Andy Burnham looks set for Number 10, but what would a Burnham government mean for housing and the private rented sector? We look at his record in Greater Manchester, from the Good Landlord Charter to tougher enforcement, and what it could signal for landlords nationally.

A recent Upper Tribunal decision limits how far councils can go when attaching standard conditions to HMO licences and gives landlords a new line of challenge. Here's what it means for landlords and local authorities.

On 23 June 2026 the HHSRS was overhauled for the first time since 2006. Here's a focused summary of exactly what changed and what stayed the same.

The HHSRS was significantly reformed in June 2026. Here's how assessments work now, the new hazard bands, what enforcement can follow, and what it means for property professionals and local authorities.

Over a million sub-standard rented homes. Two-thirds of councils prosecuting no landlords. A "postcode lottery" of enforcement that MPs first identified back in 2013. We look at what the Committee's new report actually says, what has genuinely changed this time, and the four decisions that will determine whether it makes any difference.

Can housing licensing actually deliver value, or is it just about making money? A new report from Nottingham City Council claims that every £1 invested in its licensing schemes returned £4.62 — but the headline figure isn't quite what it sounds like. In this latest article we take a closer look at what the study really says, what "social value" actually means, and the questions it raises for landlords, tenants and local authorities alike. Worth a read whether you support licensing or not

The Renters' Rights Act, in three days, set to reshape the private rented sector, but one knock-on effect that's flying under the radar is the scramble within some local authorities to update their housing enforcement policies.

The proposed new Decent Homes Standard (DHS) aims to modernise housing quality requirements and extend them across both the social housing sector and the private rented sector. However, recent scrutiny from the Regulatory Policy Committee (RPC) has raised concerns about the impact assessment underpinning the proposals, describing parts of it as “not fit for purpose.” In this article, we explore what the RPC’s findings mean, why the impact assessment has been criticised, and what the implications could be for landlords, local authorities and housing professionals. We also look at what might happen next as the government works towards implementing a revised DHS.