Following the publication of a white paper ‘A Fairer Private Rented Sector’ in 2022 the Renters (Reform) Bill was published this May. The government says that the Renters (Reform) Bill will support their manifesto commitment to deliver a better deal for renters and ensure tenants have access to a secure and decent home.

How to Rent is an official government guide. It calls itself the ‘checklist for renting in England’. How to Rent applies to assured shorthold tenancies (or ASTs) and only in England. The guide says it is for tenants and landlords in the private rented sector. It says it is designed to help them both understand their rights and responsibilities in law. It provides detailed information and checklists on key aspects of renting or letting a property and on tenancy law.

Recently the government has published Government Guidance: Understanding and Addressing the Health Risks of Damp and Mould in the Home. This has been accompanied by another guidance document on damp and mould specifically in the private rented sector. We will look at what this report finds here.

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities has recently issued a policy paper outlining the outcomes of a review into the operation of the HHSRS. The review of the HHSRS is part of a wider government move to reform the rental sector. The findings of the review are known as review outputs and cover four separate areas.

The new guidance addresses concerns that health information on the risks of damp and mould is not easily accessible to the housing sector. It outlines how the government expects landlords to deal with the problem of damp and mould under the rules and regulations that already exist. It also outlines a commitment to tighten up the law on how damp and mould in housing should be tackled.

RAAC or reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete is in the news a lot at the moment, mostly in connection with its use in schools. However, it could also possibly have been used in some homes. Here’s what landlords need to know about RAAC, and dealing with any possible problems going forward.

Council Powers Of Entry For Housing: What You Need To Know. What powers of entry do local councils have in relation to housing? We will look at who has the power to enter a property, for what reasons, and what they can do.

The Housing Act 2004 introduced a number of changes to housing legislation in England and Wales. However, Part 1 of this Act is concerned particularly with housing conditions in residential properties. The Act confirms the responsibility of local housing authorities to keep housing conditions in their area under review and their duty to inspect properties where necessary. It also specifies the powers they have to take enforcement action. A key measure introduced by Part 1 was the introduction of a risk assessment tool, the HHSRS.

These regulations are part of the Housing Act 2004. The Housing Act 2004 introduced, amongst other things, mandatory licensing of many HMOs. The regulations are what are known as statutory instruments – a type of legislation which brings the provisions of an Act into force. Known as the HMO Management Regulations for short there are two versions of this legislation in effect in England, for which the full titles are: The Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation (England) Regulations 2006 and The Licensing and Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation (Additional Provisions) (England) Regulations 2007.

Recent research from the Building Research Establishment or BRE has tried to accurately assess what the costs of failing to act on poor quality housing in England might be. The report says that, potentially, investing £9bn in improving housing could save £135.5bn over the next 30 years – as well as having many other benefits. In this article we will look at what this research has found and at what we can learn from it.

Landlords who operate HMOs may find they need to make use of Temporary Exemption Notices or TENs. The Housing Act 2004 Part 2 requires that all properties which meet the definition of a licensable HMO in England and Wales are licensed. However, Section 62 of this legislation allows for landlords to apply for and for local authorities to grant exemptions from HMO licensing for short periods.