Two associations regain their governance compliance ratings

A Liverpool based social landlord has regained its compliance rating from the regulator two years after being down-graded over widespread health and safety failings. The Livv Housing Group, formerly known as Knowsley Housing Trust, was found to be non-compliant in... View Article

Large Yorkshire landlord handed governance downgrade

A 22,000-home landlord had its governance rating downgraded by the Regulator of Social Housing after owning up to not correctly implementing rule changes within its group structure. Yorkshire-based Incommunities Group was downgraded from ‘G1’ to ‘G2’, meaning it is still... View Article

Allocations made for 3,300 homes for rough sleepers

The Government has allocated more than £150m to pay for more than 3,000 permanent homes aimed specifically at getting rough sleepers off the streets and provided with specialist support. In all some 276 schemes have been approved across England, including... View Article

Claims of professional negligence made at Grenfell inquiry

The Grenfell inquiry’s fire safety expert has said the advice given by specialist fire engineers during the design stage of the tower block’s refurbishment, amounted to professional negligence. Exova was employed to put together the fire strategy for the refurbishment... View Article

Grenfell inquiry hears of questionable behaviours

The public inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire has continued to reveal a series of questionable behaviours by key participants in the refurbishment project which ultimately resulted in 72 people losing their lives. Actions by a number of staff at... View Article

Cladding removal work could take until 2029

Dangerous combustible cladding panels which exposes residents to unacceptable fire risks is being replaced so slowly that it could take until 2029 before all affected buildings are fixed. The claim is being made by the Labour Party. According to official... View Article

Bill for homeless accommodation soars to £1.2 billion

The Government has released figures showing that local councils in England spent £1.2 billion on temporary accommodation for homeless households in 2019/20, with most of the money going to private landlords. According to analysis carried out by the campaigning charity... View Article

Bailiffs ordered to halt evictions in lockdown areas

Court approved evictions will not be taking place in large parts of England after bailiffs were told to not enter residential properties in areas covered by COVID-19 restrictions. Lord Chancellor Robert Buckland has written to the High Court Enforcement Officers... View Article

Court reform is vital before Section 21 is axed

One of the most controversial grounds for private landlords to recover possession of their rental properties is under threat from planned Government reforms, but landlords are demanding compensatory safeguards. The Lettings Industry Council is saying that Section 21 should not... View Article

Landlords confidence levels falling during Covid pandemic

Almost two thirds of private landlords in England and Wales expect their rental business to be negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic according to new research. The latest survey of just over 2,000 members of the National Residential Landlords Association... View Article

Clarion reports flat operating surplus in spite of pandemic

Britain’s largest housing association has reported a marginal increase in its operating surplus during the first six months of 2020/21 despite the disruption caused by the coronavirus health crisis. Clarion Housing Group has 350,000 tenants living in its 125,000 homes.... View Article