Devastating report on Nottingham City Council financial management published
Nottingham City Council (NCC) has been embroiled in a controversy surrounding the publication of an audit on their financial controls completed in April 2023. NCC resisted publishing the report until instructed to do so by a decision notice from the Information Commissioner’s Office in January of 2024. The council commissioned Ernst and Young (EY) to […]
Jeremy Hunt: Any house to be split into two flats within permitted development
In the Autumn Statement 2023 today (Wed 22nd November), the Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced that the Government “…will consult on a new permitted development right to allow any house to be converted into two flats provided the exterior remains unaffected.” At the time of writing there has been no further information published by the Government […]
Renters Reform Bill: 2nd Reading
The Renters Reform Bill, post its second reading on 23rd October in the House of Commons, has brought forth significant amendments proposed by the government. The progress of the bill can be tracked here. During the second reading, it became evident that MPs and the government are cognizant of the challenges that the proposed legislation […]
Birmingham City Council Licensing: Do you know what a section 257 HMO is?
We’re always at the forefront in making sure our properties and clients are compliant which is why we’ve been in contact with Birmingham City Council recently about Section 257 HMOs, which were included in the Additional Licensing scheme, but until today (12 Sept 23), there was no information about how to obtain a licence for […]
Michael Gove on Minimum Energy Performance Standards: “My strong view is that we’re asking too much too quickly.
In a recent interview with Michael Gove, the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities expressed his desire to ease the proposed regulations that would require rental properties to have a minimum EPC rating of C by 2028. We’ve previously published details of this proposed legislation here. Gove conveyed his perspective to the […]
Renters Reform Bill Delayed
The Renters (Reform) Bill is, yet again, caught in the legislative waiting room. With the House of Commons entering its summer recess period, the bill won’t be considered until at least September. This delay presents a silver lining: it gives the landlords and agents ample time to influence future decisions. The Legislative Hold-Up MPs have […]
Nottingham City Council Labour Party wants to displace students from HMOs to PBSA
In a recent Nottingham City Council planning committee meeting, councilors were advised that the requirement for additional student accommodation bed spaces will rise by between 4,000 and 5,000 between 2023 and 2026. Within the meeting it was made clear that NCC have three priorities when it comes to student accommodation in the city, one of […]
Department for Levelling Up Housing & Communities responds
Back in September, we wrote a response to the governments Renters’ Reform white paper, to which we have now received a generic reply. The full response is below, however, this is the highlight concerning student accommodation: “We understand that you are concerned about the impact these reforms will have on the student accommodation market. However, […]