News

• Apr 03

  Energy Efficiency Consultation

  The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy launched a consultation on the 19th December 2017 about modifying The Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property) (England and Wales) Regulations 2015.
  
  Current legislation, as confirmed in the recent 97 page guidance issued, requires that all energy improvements must be at no cost to the landlord. If improvements cannot be achieved at no cost to the landlord then the landlord can register the band F or G property on an exemptions register and for 5 years they are then OK to be letting the property. This will probably be the biggest single reason properties will be registered on the exemption register. However, it will also mean a lot of energy inefficient properties continue to be let and continue to be producing more carbon emissions than necessary. This consultation suggests that they may change the rules, possibly at some time during 2018, and require a landlord to spend an amount of money, up to a cap, in order to improve the energy efficiency. Only having spent this money would the property be allowed on the exemption register for further improvements not being available at no cost to the landlord.
  
  This is quite a significant change and could certainly costs landlords with a significant portfolio in bands F or G, a lot of money. Original proposals had been to cap the spend at £5,000 but this has now been reduced to £2,500, though the amount of the cap is one of the points in the consultation.
  
  Data from the 2014 English Housing Survey showed that here are an estimated 280,000 private rented properties in bands F or G. It should be remembers (and this is restated in the consultation) that the plan is to make all private rented properties a minimum of Band C by 2030.
  
  The consultation can be found https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/669198/PRS_Minimum_Standards_Consultation_2017.pdf.
  
  Responses have to be in by 13 March 2018 with any changes not expected to be in force till April 2019.

• Jan 02

  HMO Licensing

  On 28 December 2017 Alok Sharma, the Housing Minister, announced that the Government would make amendments to the houses in multiple occupation that need licensing. Currently set at HMOs that have 5 or more occupiers and are on three or more qualifying storeys, the new rules will require all HMOs with five or more occupiers,regardless of the number of floors, to get a licence. It is estimated that this will bring another 160,000 properties into mandatory HMO licensing.

  Other changes include introducing minimum space requirements for each room of 6.51 m² for a single person and 10.22 m² for a couple.

• Jan 02

  Phones

  Just to confirm that the phone issue appears to have been resolved so calls to the normal office number 01258 85 85 85 are now working.
  
  Thank you and apologies for any inconvenience.

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