Housing

Amendment to Renters Reform Bill requiring an assessment of the county court possession system before abolishing section 21 evictions passed in House of Commons

With approval of government amendment introduced by Housing Minister Jacob Young, Bill was read a third time and will now progress to the House of Lords

Scottish Parliamentary Committees launch joint consultation on Housing (Scotland) Bill

Views sought on measures designed to prevent homelessness and strengthen tenants' rights

Increase in registered rents in Northern Ireland 2024/2025

New statutory rule makes provision for a 7.7 per cent increase

Government’s ‘inaction’ in abolishing section 21 evictions has led to tens of thousands of households unnecessarily facing homelessness

Calling on the government to pass the Renters (Reform) Bill unamended, Homeless Link highlights that section 21 evictions are continuing at a rate equivalent to 52 households a day

Growing crisis of homelessness and destitution among newly recognised refugees results from a failing system that is ‘dysfunctional by design’ and ‘discriminatory in delivery’

New Refugee Council report highlights evidence including a more than 200 per cent increase in homelessness among asylum seekers evicted from Home Office asylum support accommodation in two years

Systemic failure is now impacting the delivery of homelessness services in some areas of Scotland

Scottish Housing Regulator reports situation requires it to have the highest level of engagement with local authorities about homelessness since it was set up in 2012

Crisis welcomes reports that MPs are seeking to remove clauses from Criminal Justice Bill that would criminalise rough sleeping

Chief Executive of homelessness charity urges Home Secretary to instead focus on 'real solutions' including increasing funding for support services and building more social homes

Housing Minister sets out ‘improvements’ being made to Renters Reform Bill following concerns raised by MPs

However, Renters Reform Coalition says that changes are hardly an improvement and may make things worse, and that the Bill is fast becoming a Landlord's Charter

Majority of Scotland’s local authorities are using new powers to double council tax rates on second homes from April 2024

Minister says changes demonstrate the value of the agreement between the Scottish Government and COSLA to put policies in place that better meet the needs of local communities

Round-up of recent decisions of the Housing Ombudsman

Commencement of Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023 provisions including in relation to Regulator’s new powers to authorise emergency repairs in specified cases of disrepair

New statutory instrument

Shared ownership model is ‘drastically failing’ as buyers face rising rents, uncapped service charges and disproportionate exposure to repair and maintenance costs

MPs call for government to take clear and urgent action to reform how schemes currently operate so they can deliver an affordable route to home ownership

Scottish Government introduces Bill to prevent homelessness and strengthen tenants’ rights

Housing (Scotland) Bill includes measures requiring social landlords and public bodies to 'ask and act' to prevent homelessness, the introduction of long-term private sector rent controls, and strengthened protections against eviction

Housing Ombudsman launches consultation for social landlords on its approach to developing new guidance on Good Practice in undertaking housing activities

Ombudsman confirms that proposed approach to good practice is to encourage all landlords to self-assess at the point they become aware of an issue rather than waiting for a complaint or escalation

Lords Select Committee criticises government for ‘sitting on its hands’, having failed to establish a property agent regulator on the recommendation of independent working group four years ago

Letter to Secretary of State warns that the delay is impacting tenants, leaseholders and others by exposing them to continued malpractice

Temporary modification of method used by rent officers or First-tier Tribunal for Scotland to determine rent increases in Scotland following expiry of emergency rent control measures

New statutory instruments amend existing processes to ensure that rent increases can be limited to a maximum of 12 per cent for a one-year period after expiry of rent cap provisions on 31 March 2024

Average Band D council tax bills in England to increase by just over 5 per cent in 2024/2025

New DLUHC figures also confirm that all local authorities with social care responsibilities have opted to use some or all of the social care precept flexibilities to increase bills by up to 2 per cent