0:01 AM, 21st March 2023, About 2 years ago 72
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One council has revealed that it’s going to buy 300 homes, worth up to £600,000 each, in a bid to provide emergency accommodation for those being made homeless.
Councillors at Lewisham Council have been alarmed by the rapid rise in the number of families who are reporting as being homeless – or say they are at immediate risk of losing their home.
The council says that the most common reason given by people for becoming homeless was relatives or friends asking them to leave.
However, a council report also highlights that landlord evictions in the borough are also on the rise.
The report states: “There continues to be an increasing percentage of private landlords choosing to increase their rent in line with market prices or choosing to no longer rent out their properties resulting in them disposing of the properties altogether.”
The report goes on: “In 2019/20, this accounted for 19% of all [homelessness] acceptances which has increased to 26% in 2022/23 (year to date).”
Lewisham is also building 2,000 new homes from 2026 to help reduce waiting lists but now needs specific homeless accommodation.
By purchasing the properties outright, the council says it is hoping to reduce its emergency accommodation bill and deliver ‘consistent living standards’.
The council has not yet revealed how much it is setting aside to pay for the property purchases and last year spent more than £143,962 on hotels for homeless families – that was four times higher than was spent on homeless accommodation in 2020/21.
The council says that the number of people approaching it saying they have lost their home has rocketed in two years by 31% to 3,723 – up from 2,833.
In January, Lewisham says it was housing 2,780 families in temporary accommodation – a rise of 60% in seven years.
The council’s report also warns: “Many landlords report that they intend to sell their properties due to reduced cash flow caused by higher interest rates.
“Additionally, many landlords took the opportunity of the strong sales market during 2021, supported by the Stamp Duty holidays, to sell their properties.”
The report also highlights that all of London’s boroughs have average rents that are now higher than their pre-pandemic levels – with fewer landlords willing to rent properties at LHA rates.
And it adds: “This creates a funding gap that will only increase the limitation recharge unless new ways of funding and delivering services are put in place.”
Meanwhile, Lewisham Council has also decided to push ahead with its new landlord licensing scheme.
If approved by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, it will cover an extra 20,000 households in the borough.
Lewisham says the scheme will improve the management and quality of privately rented accommodation in an area where one in four households are renting privately.
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Mick Roberts
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Sign Up14:19 PM, 27th March 2023, About 2 years ago
Reply to the comment left by Seething Landlord at 27/03/2023 - 10:18
Yes, Covid.
Landlords for not sending stuff in correctly on the worst website on the planet. Which my call to to the National Audit Office, his report said the same, Website was the cause of many initial problems. Now 4+ years later, the Council admit website could have been better. Din't listen to us at the time though. As with everything else.
Mick Roberts
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Sign Up14:20 PM, 27th March 2023, About 2 years ago
Reply to the comment left by NewYorkie at 27/03/2023 - 10:40
No, but my mate got a New Build, had an inspection, the couple had no kids, Licensing asked him to do window restrictor in bedroom. That goes down as an improvement, found a fault in a Landlords house.
I've had DASH accreditation inspections on my houses, found faults, not solid doors (I kid u not normal residential house) which tenant did a video saying she don't want 'em.
One improvement is this reason:
Some of the Category one hazards was a Carpet tack loose on the stairs. EVEN IF it's the tenants carpet, but because in Housing law/rules (someone correct me), Landlord is responsible for stair coverings (And bathroom & kitchen coverings), it goes down as the Landlords fault. So Mr Govt, give the Council permission to introduce Licensing to increase rents to extortionate levels & make thousands homeless-All for tenants Carpet tacks.
Rod
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Sign Up14:43 PM, 27th March 2023, About 2 years ago
Turn over your council tax demand that's just arrived and is sitting on the corner of your desk and you'll find the UPN in the section where it tells you that you can contact the Valuation Office if you think your property is in the wrong band
alfo72
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Sign Up23:54 PM, 27th March 2023, About 2 years ago
Judith...did you read what you wrote before you posted?
If I pay out GBP1000 more cash in 2023 but get back GBP200 in tax, I am still worse as a Landlord by GBP800 Cash. So, the rent on that property is going up by at least GBP66 per month.
LaLo
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Sign Up11:53 AM, 28th March 2023, About 2 years ago
My council introduced licensing plus up to £30,000 to unlimited fine for naughty L.L.s if they found something wrong! I sold - it’s not worth it!
JB
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Sign Up17:08 PM, 28th March 2023, About 2 years ago
Reply to the comment left by LaLo at 28/03/2023 - 11:53
Another reason why rents are high - to build up a war chest in case you get fined
Mick Roberts
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Sign Up17:24 PM, 28th March 2023, About 2 years ago
Reply to the comment left by JB at 28/03/2023 - 17:08
Exactly, I've been saying that so much last few years. Existing tenants I will look after. New tenants I don't know & have no loyalty to, I have to get as much in as I can cause we never know what attack is coming next.
Who could have foreseen Selective Licensing tax at £890 for NOTHING. We & 19800 tenants in Nottingham got NOTHING in return for this.
I had gal with me 15 years, 10 years in last house. Paying £565. Had Inheritance, bought a house. New gal (existing one of mine) I had to charge her £850 (same as all surrounding rents) as I said u now new again, we signing up to all the latest new laws/regs & got to charge these rents. She said No problem, I want to stop with u, they all £850+ anyway & other Landlords sell on u.
dolly day dream
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Sign Up12:58 PM, 14th April 2023, About 2 years ago
Reply to the comment left by Timmo at 21/03/2023 - 11:50
hear hear, the blind leading the blind,
dolly day dream
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Sign Up13:02 PM, 14th April 2023, About 2 years ago
Reply to the comment left by Grumpy Doug at 21/03/2023 - 15:09
Lets not forget the EPC changes coming. This window is not good enough. these doors arent either. and as for the insulation. The kitchen is dated, so put a new one in. And btw you cant increase the rent, they have the audacity to wonder why landlords are selling up
Gary Dully
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Sign Up9:21 AM, 15th April 2023, About 2 years ago
Reply to the comment left by Judith Wordsworth at 21/03/2023 - 12:43Breathtaking logic, may I suggest you consider this?
Landlords money is not provided by a genie in a bottle… the ONLY source of ANY money taken from a landlord is RENT!
Nowhere else, not a solar energy panel, a pie in the sky or government building.
Every single penny raised from a landlord, comes straight from a tenants bank account.
Landlords are the middleman for taxes on tenants.
If you have a different theory YOUR WRONG!