Supply shortage could push rents up 15 per cent

Private sector rents could rise 15 per cent by 2023 as the supply of new rental properties dries up, according to a survey by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. It said small-scale landlords are pulling out of the market,... View Article

Fitter sent to prison for unsafe gas work

A self-employed gas fitter has been sentenced to 16 months in prison after he carried out unsafe gas work while falsely pretending to be Gas Safe Registered. Nottingham Crown Court heard that Richard Trezise was prosecuted following investigations by Health... View Article

Scottish regulator acts over governance failures

The Scottish housing regulator has intervened in the running of two housing associations after its investigations found serious governance failures. The regulator has told Wishaw & District Housing Association it needs to find another landlord prepared to merge with it.... View Article

Voluntary Right to Buy pilot for HAs launched

A pilot of the controversial scheme to extend the Right to Buy to housing association tenants was launched in the Midlands but residents were only given one month to register their interest. Tenants were given until 16 September to apply... View Article

High Court Right to Rent challenge set for year end

A date has been set in December for the hearing of a High Court challenge to the Government’s Right to Rent scheme on the basis it discriminates against foreign nationals. The challenge has been launched by the Joint Council for... View Article

Grenfell Tower style safety worries continue to emerge

Over the Summer months the Grenfell Tower public inquiry took a break after hearing harrowing evidence from firefighters involved in tackling the fire, but disquieting news continued to emerge about safety failings potentially affecting millions of residents. Concerns about the... View Article

Regulator finds just five breaches of tenants’ rights

The social housing regulator undertook 77 investigations into tenant-related issues last year, but found just five instances of the consumer standard being broken by social landlords. Figures published by the Regulator of Social Housing in its review of consumer regulation... View Article

HAs downgraded over risk management and safety issues

The social housing regulator has shown its intent to improve risk management and tenant safety across the rental sector, by downgrading three housing associations. North Somerset based Alliance Homes, with 6,300 homes under management was downgraded to a G2 rating... View Article

HA surpluses – winners and losers

A busy season of reporting financial results saw many large housing associations disclose varying fortunes due to investment in building new homes, refinancing of loans, operational efficiencies and spending more money on safety work to existing homes. Among the big... View Article

Merger deal for troubled HA

A year of uncertainty rooted in a poor regulatory assessment came to an end for a Cumbrian social landlord when it completed its merger with a large association celebrating 90 years in existence. Workington based Impact has 2,770-homes. It was... View Article