General Articles

Tenants in both private and social housing are to get more powers to challenge their landlords over homes that are “unfit for human habitation” after a Private Member’s Bill won Government support. From next year tenants in England will be... View Article

Concerns over the safety of hundreds of tower blocks housing an estimated 100,000 people have been raised by residents and construction experts, with warnings that the properties are at risk of collapse. In a report run by The Independent newspaper... View Article

The Welsh Government is intervening at a medium sized housing association after it found evidence of “serious failures of governance.” Hendre requires regulatory intervention because a “significant risk has not been effectively managed”. It has also failed across a number... View Article

An investigation has found the Government’s much vaunted rogue landlord database has not got a single name on it and it is not available for public scrutiny. The database went live over six months ago and it was intended to... View Article

Hundreds of high-rise homes are to be demolished in Birmingham and Rugby as a result of decisions to knock down seven tower blocks. In Birmingham the council is demolishing five large panel system tower blocks as part of a £43.3m... View Article

An influential private landlords’ group is demanding urgent Government action to tackle discrimination against benefit claimants by buy-to-let mortgage providers. It follows news that a landlord had her mortgage revoked because she is renting to a benefit claimant. The Residential... View Article

A major social landlord is using £100,000 from the Apprenticeship Levy to fund a new bespoke qualification in housing, helping experienced staff to back up their on-the-ground experience with a nationally recognised certificate. The first cohort of students at Sovereign... View Article

An investigation has found at least 440 homeless people have died on the streets or in temporary accommodation in the UK in the past year – more than one per day. The figures were produced by the Bureau of Investigative... View Article

Companies in Bristol and Manchester have been prosecuted for failing to follow safe working working practices on the removal of asbestos from buildings. A Bristol-based construction company was sentenced for carrying out unlicensed asbestos work. Bristol Magistrates’ Court heard how,... View Article

The banning of Grenfell style combustible cladding from all new buildings over 18 metres high has failed to damp down protests from those wanting to see a complete ban on the use of such materials. Former residents of the Grenfell... View Article

Plans to build thousands of new homes on a former Ford factory site in London have been given permission by the mayor’s office despite being rejected by one of the two host councils. Plans initially submitted by L&Q and house... View Article

A new scheme to improve the standard of social housing, reduce repair costs and provide a better service for residents is being launched by Enfield Council in north London. Dedicated ‘Property MOT’ teams will visit social housing properties in the... View Article

Almost two-thirds of private landlords with tenants receiving Universal Credit have experienced them falling into rent arrears. Based on responses from more than 2,200 landlords, the Residential Landlords Association found that 61 per cent of landlords with tenants on UC... View Article