Scotland to legislate for sprinklers in all new social homes

The Scottish Government is to pass new laws forcing developers to include sprinklers in all new social homes, during the lifetime of the current parliament. Housing minister Kevin Stewart made the pledge after an opposition backbencher, David Stewart, Labour MSP... View Article

Wales looks to ban letting fees

The Welsh Government has introduced a bill to ban the charging of fees for many standard tenancy transactions in the private rented sector. This has the potential to save tenants many hundreds of pounds and follows similar steps taken in... View Article

Council raid finds 16 living in a two-bedroom flat

A dawn raid by enforcement officers from Brent Council found sixteen people squeezed into a two bedroom flat above a shop in north west London, in conditions described as “Dickensian” by a local councillor. Council staff were supported by police... View Article

Anchor and Hanover in merger talks

Two large landlords who provide care services and homes to the elderly are in merger talks over forming a 53,000-home organisation and the biggest specialist housing association in the country. If the merger goes ahead, the new Anchor Hanover Group... View Article

BUPA fined £3m after death of elderly resident

A national care provider has been hit with a huge £3m fine following the death of a resident at an Essex nursing home after he contracted Legionnaires’ disease. Kenneth Ibbetson, 86, died three months after moving into Hutton Village Nursing... View Article

Second developer to pay for removing cladding on highrises

Taylor Wimpey is to pay the costs of replacing flammable cladding from a private highrise housing development in Glasgow, following the example of Barratt Homes. It is understood leaseholders at the Glasgow Harbour development were facing a bill of £10m... View Article

Long awaited Green Paper expected soon

The Government has announced that its overdue Social Housing Green Paper is finally due to be published on 24 July, ending months of speculation over its non-appearance. In the immediate aftermath of the Grenfell Tower fire, the former Housing Secretary... View Article

Consultation on banning Grenfell type cladding is launched

The Government has finally launched its consultation on banning the use of combustible materials in the external walls of tower blocks more than four weeks after initially announcing its intention to do so. The commitment to consult on banning combustible... View Article

Over 1m families on waiting lists for social housing

More than 1 million families are reportedly stuck on local authority waiting lists for social housing in England as the number of council homes has slumped to a record low. Analysis done by the housing charity Shelter shows that a... View Article

Landlord fined for failing to licence a Bath HMO

A Bath landlord has been fined £24,000 after failing to licence and manage a House in Multiple Occupation, which council investigators found to be in poor condition and had fire hazards. Allan Green, of Credenhill Road, London, was charged with... View Article