Housing News Digest
Housing News Digest
The Tenants' Union Housing News Digest compiles our pick of items from all the latest tenancy and housing media, sent once per week, on Thursdays.
Below is the Digest archive from November 2020 onwards. From time to time you will find additional items in the archive that did not make it into the weekly Digest email. Earlier archives are here, where you can also find additional digests by other organisations.
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Archive
Housing lawyers warn of ‘catastrophic’ impact of caps on recovery costs for tenants
Grainne Cuffe Inside Housing (Paywall)From the United Kingdom ... Housing lawyers have warned of the potentially “catastrophic” impact on their ability to provide legal aid if the government goes ahead with its plans of implementing fixed recoverable costs on housing cases. In a letter to justice minister James Cartlidge and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, a group of housing trade bodies and legal aid groups have said the plan to cap the amount of fees solicitors can recover from the losing parties in civil cases will cut their income by a quarter. ... The bodies also warned that the introduction of FRCs could lead to some legal aid providers “ceasing to practise altogether”. They are now calling for housing cases to be exempt from the plan and for further “detailed research to be carried out before costs reforms are considered in this area”.
https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/news/housing-lawyers-warn-o…
# International, Eviction, Repairs, Tribunal NCAT.Rent affordability biggest issue for the sector, says former Scottish regulator executive
Stephen Delahunty Inside Housing (Paywall)The biggest issue for the [social] housing sector in England is rent affordability as double-digit inflation leaves landlords facing some tough choices in the not too distant future, the former director of regulation at the Scottish Housing Regulator has said.
https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/news/rent-affordability-big…
# International, Public and community housing, Women.Independent review into Queensland Building and Construction Commission recommends overhaul of regulator's structure and culture
Ciara Jones and Alex Brewster ABC (No paywall)Just six months after moving in, cracks started to form in Jashneil Kumar's newly built home in Brisbane's north. After the builder denied responsibility to rectify the issue, Mr Kumar contacted the Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC), which claimed the cracking was within reason and he would have to cover the cost of repairs.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-06-30/queensland-building-and-c…
# Australia, Housing market, Minimum habitability standards.$275pw Bondi room slammed over 'joke' feature
Carly Bass (No paywall)Scoring a room to call your own just "moments" away from Sydney's iconic Bondi Beach might be what some consider the ideal living situation. But one "large room" being advertised for $275 a week might not be all it's talked up to be, despite its sought-after location. ... The Tenants’ Union of NSW CEO Leo Patterson Ross said these photos are "unclear and misleading" but unfortunately it's a sign of the times. "This is really a clear indication of just how chaotic our rental system is, and how disconnected it is from the expectations of the community," he told Yahoo News Australia. "Using perspective to give the impression of a larger room than it likely is." (yahoo!news)
https://au.news.yahoo.com/bondi-room-rent-slammed-joke-feature-0…
# TUNSW in the media NSW, Rent, Minimum habitability standards.Detail on Melbourne property listing called out - but can you spot why?
Tara Meakins (No paywall)An odd detail on a Melbourne real estate listing has set tongues wagging online. In a post shared on reddit, one user claims the real estate company “really tried their best” but followers have called out the “unrealistic edits" made to the backyard of the home. “Do they not want people to know that leaves fall off trees?” a person questioned. “Is it a secret?”
https://au.news.yahoo.com/melbourne-property-listing-called-out-…
# Australia, Rent, Landlords and agents.Airbnb has permanently banned parties at its listings. Here's what to know before you book
Dannielle Maguire ABC (No paywall)Airbnb has permanently banned all parties from its holiday rentals, extending a set of measures that were put in place to stop large gatherings during the COVID-19 pandemic. Here's what you need to know before making your next booking.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-07-01/airbnb-party-ban-booking-…
# Australia, Coronavirus COVID-19, Short-term holiday letting.‘The property market is disgraceful’: why bosses are renting homes to staff
Suzanne Bearne The Guardian (No paywall)From Scotland ... Some bosses are taking action amid claims sites such as Airbnb are pricing workers out of housing. Kevin McGhee doesn’t want to become a residential landlord but the publican feels he has been left with no choice. With his staff often struggling to find accommodation, the owner of three pubs in Edinburgh is hunting for a two-bedroom flat to buy to accommodate his employees. ... The House of Lords is currently running an inquiry into short-term lettings, weighing up whether to propose legislation for a licensing scheme in England. In Wales, the government is making it less attractive to own a second home with council tax premiums on such properties set to increase to 300% from April 2023, while the number of days holiday homes must be let before being liable for council tax will increase.
https://www.theguardian.com/money/2022/jul/02/property-market-bo…
# International, Rent, Housing affordability, Housing market, Landlords and agents, Short-term holiday letting, Work, employment.Ofsted-style inspections will not happen, says ITV journalist behind repairs investigation
Grainne Cuffe Inside Housing (Paywall)Ofsted-style inspections of social landlords will “not happen” and changes to the English regulator and sector’s culture are most important to implementing widespread improvements, the journalist who led ITV’s 18-month investigation into poor social housing conditions has said.
https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/home/home/ofsted-style-inspectio…
# International, Public and community housing, Repairs.