Free advice for private landlords in Lewisham

Pic: Wiki Commons

The National Landlords Association (NLA) will host a free information evening for private landlords in south-east London.

The event aims to offer advice and support on property letting and changes in property legislation including the implementation of Lewisham Council’s proposal for borough-wide licensing.

Lewisham Council has proposed extending the existing selective and additional licensing schemes to cover 32,000 properties– which make up 26 per cent of homes in the borough. The scheme will affect 6,000 Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs).

Under UK housing law, councils have the power to introduce additional licensing under Part II of the Housing Act 2004.

Additional licensing applies to certain HMOs that fall outside the scope of the mandatory HMO licensing scheme.

According to Government legislation, a property is an HMO if both of the following apply:

  • at least three tenants live there, forming more than one household
  • toilet, bathroom or kitchen facilities are shared

An HMO must have a license if it is occupied by five or more people. A council can also include other types of HMOs for licensing.

The additional licensing fee scheme has already been rolled out across the capital, with Tower Hamlets and Hackney having begun operation earlier this year.

Recent proposed changes in legislation will see the abolition of Section 21 which allows landlords to repossess a property without needing to give a reason to the tenant or the courts,  known as a ‘no fault’ eviction. The proposal, announced in April, means that private landlords will have to provide reasons for requesting possession of their property.

Former Prime Minister Theresa May said:”Everyone renting in the private sector has the right to feel secure in their home, settled in their community and able to plan for the future with confidence. But millions of responsible tenants could still be uprooted by their landlord with little notice, and often little justification.

“This is wrong – and today we’re acting by preventing these unfair evictions. Landlords will still be able to end tenancies where they have legitimate reasons to do so, but they will no longer be able to unexpectedly evict families with only 8 weeks’ notice.”

NLA representative Karen Gregory said:“The NLA would like to help guide landlords on how to minimise the risks that threaten their business, and meetings such as this are an excellent resource to keep you updated and informed. These meetings are also opportunities for landlords to meet likeminded people and share their experiences.”

The meeting will take place on August 12 at St Dunstan’s Jubilee Ground & Hall, Canadian Avenue, SE6 4SW.  Attendees will need to book at: https://bit.ly/2Ze2RJgPriv

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