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
Renters can be evicted for arrears built up during pandemic under government legislation tweak
Nathaniel Barker Inside Housing (Paywall)In England ... On Friday, the government extended a ban on bailiffs enforcing evictions in England until at least 21 February following the reimposition of a national lockdown to bring COVID-19 cases under control. But later on the same day the ban extension was enacted, regulations were published removing a major protection for tenants falling behind on rent as a result of the crisis for the first time. Previous legislation tabled in November carried a provision that eviction notices could be served only for arrears where the amount owed to the landlord totalled “equivalent to nine months’ rent” and that “any unpaid rent arrears accrued after 23 March 2020 must be disregarded”. The updated legislation from Friday, which came into effect on Monday, lowers the arrears threshold to six months’ rent and removes any reference to disregarding debt built up during the pandemic. The London Renters Union (LRU), which spotted the change, called it “desperately cruel” ... Read more
https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/news/renters-can-be-evicted…
# Hot topic International, Eviction, Rent, Coronavirus COVID-19.Grenfell Tower: Survivors lodge multimillion-pound court claim
BBC (No paywall)From the United Kingdom ... A multimillion-pound personal injury claim has been lodged by survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire who were made homeless after the blaze. The complainants alleged that the defendants' failings "separately and cumulatively led to or contributed to the disaster, including the failings of their employees or agents, for which they are vicariously liable".
# Hot topic, Legal significance International, Public and community housing, Local Government.Biden outlines 10-day blitz of executive actions to nullify Trump era
Zeke Millere The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)From the United States ... In his first hours as president, Joe Biden plans to take executive action to roll back some of the most controversial decisions of his predecessor and to address the raging coronavirus pandemic, his incoming chief of staff said on Saturday. ... [including] actions meant to prevent evictions and foreclosures for those struggling during the pandemic. Read more ...
https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/biden-outlines-10-day…
# Hot topic International, Rent, Coronavirus COVID-19.RBA says low rates will push up house prices
Shane Wright The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)The Reserve Bank and the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority are prepared to tighten lending standards if record low interest rates result in a housing boom that could leave new home buyers in negative equity or risk them taking on too much debt.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/rba-says-low-rates-will-…
# Australia, Home ownership, Housing affordability, Housing market.'People are shocked': Sydney homeowners divided over rates plans
Megan Gorrey The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)Sydney neighbourhoods are being split over rates payments as the state government's controversial council mergers drive up costs by 40 per cent in some areas as other homeowners save several hundred dollars a year.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/people-are-shocked-sydney-ho…
# NSW, Housing market, Local Government, Tax.Tasmanians are turning to caravan parks in lieu of affordable rentals
Kate Ainsworth and Annah Fromberg ABC (No paywall)From Tasmania ... Before their move, [Tania Harwood and her] family had lived in a rental property through community housing but, when faced with a two-year wait for a public housing transfer and a tight rental market, they decided to move into the town's only caravan park. "It's very very hard [to find housing]," Ms Harwood said.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-01-17/people-turning-to-caravan…
# Australia, Land lease communities, Affordable housing.Sydney rents: Influx of short-stay accommodation puts downward pressure on longer-term rent prices
Tawar Razaghi and others Domain (Paywall)Landlords of short-stay rentals in the heart of Sydney that once fetched hundreds of dollars a night have been forced to return them to the long-term rental market amid the pandemic, with the supply glut slashing prices for locals.
https://www.domain.com.au/news/sydney-rents-influx-of-short-stay…
# NSW, Rent, Housing market, Short-term holiday letting.The UK has some of the least energy-efficient housing in Europe – here’s how to fix this
Sankar Sivarajah The Conversation (No paywall)From the United Kingdom ... Poorly constructed housing can seriously affect people’s health and wellbeing. And with the UK having some of the oldest buildings in Europe, that’s a lot of housing not fit for purpose. Almost 2.5 million families in the UK live in poor housing conditions and suffer from fuel poverty. This means they are unable to maintain a reasonable temperature in their homes due to low income. Most of the housing in the UK dates back to before the 1990s when energy efficiency design was not regulated. Read on ...
https://theconversation.com/the-uk-has-some-of-the-least-energy-…
# International, Utilities electricity water gas, Minimum habitability standards, Planning and development.