Stay put policy being reviewed after heavy criticism

One of the most significant outcomes of the Grenfell Tower inquiry phase one report has been the chairman’s demand to end the automatic ‘stay put’ policy for all high-rise blocks. Sir Martin Moore-Bick told Ministers to develop national guidelines for... View Article

Government adviser to new Building Safety Regulator named

Dame Judith Hackitt will provide independent advice to the Government on how best to establish the powerful new Building Safety Regulator and avoid a similar disaster as the Grenfell Tower fire. The appointment follows Dame Judith’s Independent Review of Building... View Article

Biggest council landlord warns of possible repair cutbacks

The country’s biggest local authority landlord has warned that an estimated £93 million bill for fire safety works will force it to cut spending on repairs and maintenance work to its housing stock. Birmingham City Council owns around 62,000 homes,... View Article

Lead by the landscape

Over 100 new apartments are in the works in the Surrey town of Oxted, offering countryside living within commuting distance of the capital. Alison Dowsett, managing director of St William Homes, explains how the team utilised a design concept that... View Article

Regulations affecting private landlords up by a third

The number of laws creating an obligation on private landlords has increased by 32 per cent since 2010 according to new analysis undertaken by a leading landlords organisation. The Residential Landlords Association claims the total number of regulations affecting landlords... View Article

Extra funds to help councils crack down on criminal landlords

The Government has made an additional £3.8 million available for councils to tackle criminal landlords in the remainder of the current financial year. The money is to support projects which take effective and targeted action against criminal landlords, support good... View Article

New homes plan to replace derelict garages

Derelict garage sites across Walsall in the West Midlands could soon be transformed into new and energy efficient housing developments, after whg revealed its modular homes vision. Social landlord whg currently houses over 40,000 people in 21,000 properties, across 18... View Article

South London council breaches the Home Standard

Lambeth Council has been found to have breached the Home Standard over a series of longstanding failings with regard to asbestos, fire and gas safety which potentially exposed a significant number of tenants to the risk of serious harm. The... View Article

Homelessness cost councils over £1bn last year

Analysis of Government figures by the housing charity Shelter has revealed the amount being spent by councils on temporary accommodation for homeless households in England rose to over £1billion last year. Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, said: “These figures are... View Article

Fire at student block raises further cladding safety fears

Concerns about the safety of high-pressure laminate cladding have intensified after fire ravaged a six-storey block of student accommodation in Bolton town centre. HPL cladding is believed to be used on thousands of homes and it has already been the... View Article

Hot under the collar: What rights do landlords have?

The recent news story about a London landlord who boxed off a thermostat in one of their residential rental properties has raised questions surrounding what landlords are entitled to do when it comes to utilities. Actions such as blocking off... View Article