Uk & International

Selective licensing schemes in England are helping to tackle poor standards in the private rented sector but could be even more effective with more government support, the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) has found. A new joint report from the housing body and the Chartered Institute of Environm

An SNP MP has urged the UK Government to accept amendments to its Domestic Abuse Bill to tackle the increased risk of financial abuse under the current Universal Credit system. Dr Philippa Whitford MP, who has led the campaign to introduce separate payments as the default for Universal Credit, said

New legislation to bring an end to costly fees imposed by landlords or letting agents in England is to come into force this summer. Speaking at the third reading of the Tenant Fees Bill in the House of Lords, Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth outlined that following royal assent, the provisions of the Tena

L&Q has become the first UK housing association to publish a report into both its gender pay gap and the difference in pay between its black and minority ethnic (BME) and white members of staff. In a move which aims to reduce inequalities in the sector, L&Q said its inaugural Fair Pay report

Councillors at a North Yorkshire local authority have given plans to establish a new wholly owned commercial housing company the green light. Harrogate Borough Council said the council-owned housing company, which will build properties available to buy and rent, will allow the council to manoeuvre w

Housing charity Shelter has said it will take an investment of £214 billion into the delivery of three million new homes to solve the social housing crisis in England. A new report from the charity has urged minister to invest in a 20-year building programme and extend the criteria for who is

Energy supplier E.ON launched an innovative pilot project to help tackle the blight of long-term empty homes and the current housing shortage that persists across the UK. The firm will work with North East Derbyshire District Council to bring empty homes back into use by offering effective solutions

The Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) has repeated its call for the UK Government to suspend its Right to Buy policy after new figures revealed less than a third of homes sold since 2012 have been replaced. Figures released yesterday by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government sh

As the High Court today begins a judicial review of the UK Government’s flagship Right to Rent scheme, new research from the Residential Landlords Association (RLA) has found an increasing number of private landlords are less likely to rent to those without a British passport. Right to Rent began

Martin Partington CBE QC The number of tenancy deposit cases now being heard by the Scottish First-tier Tribunal could mean that a similar specialist court in England would have to deal with up to 1,200 deposit protection cases each year, according to the chair of the Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS).

Housing association Thirteen Homes has acquired a construction company to bolster its commitment to delivering high quality housing throughout the North of England. Employing around 50 people, Hartlepool-based Gus Robinson Developments Limited delivers a wide range of construction and building servi

James Brokenshire The UK Government is banning combustible materials on new high-rise homes and giving support to local authorities to carry out emergency remediation work.

A new report published by the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) has found that homeowners get a much bigger slice of UK Government help than social or private renters. Contrary to expectations, an exhaustive analysis of government spending, taxation and regulation of the housing market reaches th

Landlords and tenants in England are to receive faster and more effective justice in the event of property disputes, under proposals unveiled by communities secretary James Brokenshire MP. The UK Government will seek views on a specialist Housing Court which, if created, would provide a single path

A more supportive policy environment as well as effective management and strong governance have resulted in a “stable” outlook for the creditworthiness of English housing associations, Moody's Public Sector Europe said in a report today. The 1% annual social housing rent cut is entering its fina