Industry news
News relating to the private rented sector from both England and Wales, affecting landlords.
Leasehold Bill: Reform plans reach the Lords
The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill finished its passage through the Commons this week, with yet more amendments tabled. Senior Campaigns and Public Affairs Officer, Eleanor Bateman, summarises the latest debate and outlines what may lie ahead.
NRLA supporting Ukrainian refugee charity
Two years on, the war in Ukraine still rages. As of January 2024, more than 141,000 Ukrainian refugees have been housed via the Homes for Ukraine resettlement scheme and the NRLA is now working with charity Reset UK to provide updated guidance for landlords that want to help.
Latest podcast: Landlord taxation and holiday lets
Landlord taxation comes under the microscope in the latest episode of NRLA podcast Listen Up Landlords. Presenters NRLA CEO Ben Beadle and Richard Blanco are joined by Stuart Adam, a senior economist at the Institute for Fiscal Studies, who believes that measures introduced by former Chancellor George Osborne are harming tenants by forcing rents up and should be reversed.
Government needs to get on with rental reform changes
Further to the publication of a BBC News report suggesting that the Government plans to amend the Renters (Reform) Bill shortly, the NRLA has issued a statement calling for greater clarity on any proposed changes to the legislation.
Think tank backs NRLA calls for direct payments to landlords
A centre-left think tank has backed NRLA calls that tenants be allowed to ask for the housing element of benefits to be paid directly to their landlords.
New guidance for landlords: Understanding Disabled Facilities Grants
To help ensure that tenants with accessibility needs get the adaptations they require, the NRLA has produced a factfinder for landlords on Disabled Facilities Grants. Samuel Leeson, Campaigns and Public Affairs Executive, elaborates further on the funding mechanism and the details covered in our guidance.
Councils to get new planning powers to control growth of holiday lets
New planning rules are being introduced to help local authorities control numbers of new holiday lets in their area. Announcing the plans the Government said the changes will help protect local communities and the supply of homes to rent and buy.
A view from the courts: how are possession claims working in practice?
As part of our campaigns and policy work, the NRLA has been attending a number of housing listings at civil courts to see how they are managing with the current possession workload. Policy Officer Dan Cumming reports on his findings.
Are rent-to-rent's days numbered?
The Renters (Reform) Bill is likely to change how rent-to-rent schemes function and will make landlords liable for the behaviour of rent-to-rent operators. The NRLA has been invited to feed-in to a consultation that seeks to better understand the business practices of rent-to-rent operators, as well as their impact on tenants and landlords.
Leasehold reform gathers pace
Committee stage scrutiny of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill finished last week, with several amendments to the legislation agreed. Senior Campaigns and Public Affairs Officer, Eleanor Bateman, outlines the key changes and what they are likely to mean for leaseholders and freeholders.
