Selective Licensing: Which Areas Require a Licence?
Selective licensing allows local authorities to require all privately rented properties in designated areas to be licensed — not just HMOs. Conditions for selective licensing include: low housing demand, anti-social behaviour, poor property conditions, high migration, deprivation, or high crime. Schemes covering more than 20% of the area need Secretary of State approval. Licence conditions […]
HMO Licensing: Mandatory vs Additional Schemes Explained
A House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) is a property occupied by three or more people from two or more separate households who share facilities. HMOs are subject to specific licensing requirements. Mandatory licensing applies to HMOs occupied by five or more people from two or more households. Additional licensing schemes are discretionary and can be […]
Deposit Protection Schemes: A Landlord’s Complete Guide
Under the Housing Act 2004, landlords in England and Wales must protect any tenancy deposit received under an assured shorthold tenancy (AST) in a government-approved deposit protection scheme within 30 days of receiving it. There are three approved schemes: the Deposit Protection Service (DPS), MyDeposits, and the Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS). Failure to comply can […]
Compliance Obligations When Taking Over Right to Manage
RTM companies inherit all compliance obligations from the previous managing agent. Directors must understand these obligations from day one. Immediate priorities: obtain all current compliance certificates, review the fire risk assessment, check mandatory insurance, and verify contractor compliance documentation. Common pitfalls: assuming previous records are complete, underestimating compliance costs, failing to appoint competent persons, and […]
Section 20 Consultation: A Managing Agent’s Complete Guide
Section 20 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 requires landlords and managing agents to consult leaseholders before carrying out qualifying works costing more than £250 per leaseholder, or entering into qualifying long-term agreements costing more than £100 per leaseholder per year. The consultation process involves three stages: a Notice of Intention, a Statement of […]
Compliance Management Systems: What Property Managers Need
A compliance management system is the structured framework of policies, processes, and tools that organisations use to ensure they meet their legal and regulatory obligations. For property management companies, this means systematically tracking fire safety, electrical safety, gas safety, legionella, asbestos, energy performance, and building safety requirements across potentially hundreds or thousands of properties. Traditional […]
The Building Safety Act and the Golden Thread: A Practical Guide
The Building Safety Act 2022 is the most significant piece of building safety legislation in a generation. It creates a new regulatory framework for higher-risk buildings and introduces the concept of the Golden Thread of building information. The Golden Thread is a digital record of building information that allows someone to understand a building’s design, […]
EPC Rating C Target: What Landlords Need to Know About Future MEES Changes
The UK government has signalled its intention to raise the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES) for rented properties from the current EPC rating E to EPC rating C. While the specific timeline has been subject to delays and policy changes, the direction of travel is clear: landlords need to be preparing their properties for higher […]
Commercial EPC Requirements: A Guide for Building Owners
Commercial Energy Performance Certificates differ from residential EPCs in several important ways. A commercial EPC uses the Simplified Building Energy Model (SBEM) rather than SAP, and must be produced by a qualified Non-Domestic Energy Assessor. They’re required whenever a commercial property is constructed, sold, or let, and are valid for ten years. The Minimum Energy […]
What Is an EPC? Energy Performance Certificates Explained
An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) is a document that rates the energy efficiency of a property on a scale from A (most efficient) to G (least efficient). EPCs are required whenever a property is built, sold, or let, and they’re valid for ten years. The certificate includes the current EPC rating and a potential rating […]