Labour leader, Ed Miliband, has accused David Cameron of being out of touch over the impact of the “bedroom tax”.   Milliband claimed the cut in benefits for tenants with spare rooms in social housing would hit disabled people as well as military families. The prime minister said the change represented part of an effort to reduce the…

Julie Stoddern of Roskear Village, Camborne, has been fined and ordered to pay costs to Cornwall Council at Truro Magistrates’ Court for multiply safety hazards in her unlicensed house in multiple occupation (HMO) She had already been issued with a prohibition order which forbid her from using an attic room for any other purpose than…

The question of whether rent paid in advance is a tenant’s deposit is to be decided by the Court of Appeal. In the recent case of Johnson v Old, six months rent in advance was been paid by the tenant.  They also paid a separate amount which was taken as a deposit and duly protected….

Liberal Democrat Steve Webb, pensions minister, speaking in a debate in parliament on Wednesday, said that the controversial bedroom tax could be subject to change if there are impacts that the government has “not though of”.   He said: ‘I fully accept there will be disruption as a result of this measure, which is why…

Liverpool council are looking at ways to improve the quality of the rented accommodation in the city, and may ask landlords to sign up to a new licensing scheme, similar to that in the London Borough of Newham. There are over 50,000 rented properties in the city.  The scheme would see all landlords agreeing to comply with…

Vanessa Warwick’s (www.propertytribes.com) 6 cheap and quick “fixes” to improve your property’s rental prospects and profits. 1. Kerb appeal Yes, I know it’s a cliche, but it’s a cliche for a reason! Because first impressions really do count. Some “no shows” of viewings may be because the prospective tenant reached the outside of your property and…

Rents in Scotland have risen significantly following the ban on fees charged to tenants, according to the website, Citylets. The rise follows Shelter’s campaign to encourage tenants to reclaim their fees, and the implementation of tenancy deposit protection. Citylets has tracked rents for over five years and the latest rent rises it has reported are…

Rent costs are expected to rise to record highs in 2013, according to the Halifax, and increase by 18% over the next five years. The growth of the rental market, which has been driven by the phenomenon dubbed ‘generation rent’, shows no signs of stopping as more people turn towards renting properties rather than buying….

A house hunter who was recently looking for a room to rent was surprised when the landlord gave her a list of 31 house rules. The rules included a fine of £100 for using additional heaters in bedrooms, and £15 for leaving dirty dishes in the sink. The rules also stipulated that tenants were not…

A bill to criminalise the subletting of social housing in England and Wales has completed its latest stage in parliament. The Prevention of Social Housing Fraud Bill was passed by the House of Lords yesterday, and will now go back to the House of Commons before becoming law. The bill creates a new criminal offence…