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Grenfell landlord criticised at inquiry for slow response times and failure to address safety issues

Friday, 18th June 2021

The landlord of Grenfell Tower took five years to replace a smoke ventilation system that had suffered “catastrophic failure” in a fire in 2010 that spread smoke across 11 storeys and injured three people. The inquiry heard the Kensington and... View Article

Grenfell expert witness claims the fire risks of cladding used on the tower were well known

Friday, 18th June 2021

An expert witness to the Grenfell Tower inquiry has said the combustible nature of the panels used on the high rise block’s façade should have been well known to contractors working on the refurbishment. An experienced facade engineer, Jonathan Sakula... View Article

400,000 private sector tenants in danger of being evicted

Friday, 18th June 2021

Over 400,000 private tenants may be in significant rent arrears by the end of 2021 and facing the threat of losing their homes when the suspension of eviction proceedings is lifted according to a report by the London School of... View Article

Allowing more pets in lets

Friday, 18th June 2021

Less than one in ten of private rentals are pet-friendly properties but a new survey from Direct Line has shown that nearly half of landlords back the Government changes to allow ‘well-behaved’ pets in rental flats and houses. A new... View Article

40 per cent of leaseholders unclear what their service charge pays for

Friday, 18th June 2021

Research has found the majority of leasehold homeowners consider service charges unfair, with a lack of transparency around how they are spent also a prominent issue. Along with ground rents, service charges will be paid by most leaseholders to cover... View Article

Housing Review for 2021 highlights huge fall in number of social rented homes

Friday, 18th June 2021

The supply of social rented homes – council housing and housing association homes let at genuinely affordable ‘social’ rents – has fallen by almost 210,000 in England between 2012 and 2020, according to the Chartered Institute of Housing’s annual UK... View Article

Lukewarm response given to Queens Speech by CIH

Friday, 18th June 2021

The main professional body for those working in the social housing sector has given a mixed response to the Government’s planned legislation programme for the next Parliamentary session. In a briefing to its members the Chartered Institute of Housing said:... View Article

Number of second homes in UK rises to almost half a million

Friday, 18th June 2021

The number of second homes in the UK has risen by 30 per cent over the last five years, to a record high of 495,000 according to an analysis of official data by Houst, a leading flexible lettings service. The... View Article

Number of overseas landlords reaches a five-year high

Friday, 18th June 2021

The number of overseas landlords owning property in the UK has hit a five-year high of 184,000 – marking an increase of 19 per cent over the last five years according to residential property market experts Ludlowthompson. The rise in... View Article

About 700,000 tenants served with ‘no-fault’ eviction notices

Friday, 18th June 2021

An estimated 700,000 private tenants have been served with “no-fault” eviction notices since the start of the pandemic, despite a Government promise to scrap them. Section 21 eviction notices are still in use and ministers are facing calls to deliver... View Article

Support for tenants extended but with reduced notice periods

Friday, 18th June 2021

The Government has extended the protection from eviction to October, but has reduced the notice periods which renters must be given to end their tenancies from six to four months. The current ban on bailiff-enforced evictions, introduced as an emergency... View Article

Tenants invited to play lead role in council’s drive to improve its housing services

Friday, 18th June 2021

Croydon Council in south London has pledged to deliver major improvements to its housing services including giving council tenants a much greater say in how services are run, after a highly critical report on appalling living conditions within a high-rise... View Article

Don’t discover the hard way that a smoke test is not a smoke control service. Choose Colt

Thursday, 17th June 2021

Poorly maintained smoke control systems can be deadly. Whilst fire grabs more headlines, smoke is the real killer. More than twice as many people die from smoke inhalation than from burns. Often, smoke incapacitates so rapidly that victims are able... View Article

SterlingOSB Zero makes walls strong and sustainable

Thursday, 17th June 2021

Many materials can be used to form walls and partitions but, when it comes to choosing a versatile, cost-effective and sustainable option, West Fraser’s SterlingOSB Zero is a winner. Ubiquitous on many construction sites and used in agricultural and portable buildings, the... View Article

The benefits and drawbacks of investing in HMOs

Wednesday, 16th June 2021

Over the last 10-15 years, the UK private rental and HMO (houses in multiple occupation) sectors have grown strongly. From student accommodation to shared housing, HMOs are an attractive option for investors and landlords, but they don’t come without some... View Article

Permanence and sustainability

Wednesday, 16th June 2021

Among the many benefits aluminium has to offer, Andrew Cross of Kestrel Aluminium discusses its ability to forecast the cost of maintenance over a system’s design life. With increasing pressure to specify building systems offering clearly defined sustainability, the use... View Article

Take the lead on lead

Wednesday, 16th June 2021

Steve Leigh of Groundbreaker asks housing providers, is your property’s drinking water harming your tenants? Awareness of the potential health problems caused by lead in the water supply, particularly in infants and children, is growing. Houses built before 1970 would... View Article

The capability of IoT

Wednesday, 16th June 2021

MRI Software explores how the Internet of Things (IoT) can improve safety in social housing. For some time, anticipation has been building for the capability of the IoT to transform social housing. The path to mainstream adoption has been slow,... View Article