Legionella risk assessments increase in rented properties, says APHC Published: 24 June, 2016 The number of landlords arranging for essential legionella risk assessments and monitoring to be undertaken in their rented properties is on the increase, according to the Association of Plumbing and Heating Contractors (APHC). Commonly found in freshwater
Moda Living and Apache Capital Partners will build a £145m PRS development on Broad Street in Birmingham. Source link
The case of a Tyneside letting agent jailed after stealing almost half-a-million pounds from her employers proves the need for urgent change in the rental industry warns property boss. Rental manager Angela Clift was this week jailed for two years after pocketing £400,000 she was supposed to be collecting on
Lovell has broken ground on a £320m housing regeneration project in southeast London. Above: Left to right are Cllr Averil Lekau, Lovell regional director Michael O’Farrell, Cllr Danny Thorpe and Asra chief exec Matt Cooney Some 1,500 new flats are being built to transform three council estates in Woolwich. The
FTB DIY disasters can cost twice as much as stamp duty Undertaking ambitious projects with little to no formal training can leave new homeowners seriously out of pocket New research from specialist insurance broker, Towergate, has found that those who have taken their first step onto
Legionella risk assessments increase in rented properties, says APHC Published: 24 June, 2016 The number of landlords arranging for essential legionella risk assessments and monitoring to be undertaken in their rented properties is on the increase, according to the Association of Plumbing and Heating Contractors (APHC). Commonly found in freshwater areas, legionella is a bacteria which can sometimes enter into artificial water supplies. When people come into contact with the bacteria by inhaling water droplets, they can contract the often fatal lung infection Legionnaires’ disease. By law, all hot and cold water systems within any property that has a commercial use, or is open to public access, must be assessed for risk of legionella. This includes residential properties that are let by private and social landlords, care homes, schools, sports facilities and changing rooms, and APHC has observed a growth in the number of risk assessments undertaken on these types of buildings. One reason for this is an increased demand on landlords by estate agents to have risk assessments undertaken, in line with regulations in this area. APHC’s dedicated scheme, Legionella Risk Assessment and Disinfection, allows property owners to meet their obligations by sourcing and working with plumbing professionals who satisfy the scheme’s criteria. John Thompson, chief executive at APHC, said: “We’ve been pleased to observe a steady increase in the numbers of legionella risk assessments being undertaken on rented properties. Landlords have a responsibility to protect the welfare of their tenants and at APHC there has certainly been evidence to suggest that the legislation in this area is working to achieve this.” Source link
Moda Living and Apache Capital Partners will build a £145m PRS development on Broad Street in Birmingham. Source link
The case of a Tyneside letting agent jailed after stealing almost half-a-million pounds from her employers proves the need for urgent change in the rental industry warns property boss. Rental manager Angela Clift was this week jailed for two years after pocketing £400,000 she was supposed to be collecting on behalf of landlords for Newcastle property firm Keith Pattinson – in what the judge described as “breathtaking” offending. Police seized expensive handbags, clothing, footwear, jewellery and a sports car from her and her partner’s homes after colleagues became suspicious when Clift had a pair of £500 sunglasses delivered to work. Ajay Jagota, founder of sales and lettings firm KIS, believes the case shows the need for change in an industry where an estimated £500m of rental deposits are believed to be illegally held: “Although I wasn’t in court to hear the exact details of this case, incidents like these are the inevitable outcome of an industry where too much money is flowing around unnecessarily with inadequate oversight over where it ends up. You’ve got tenants handing over hundreds and thousands of pounds in deposits and rent, and landlords acting in good faith that it will be money will dealt with appropriately. Of course most agents do just that, but five minutes on Google will show you that that is not always the case. We’re not just talking about a few quid here and there. We’ve got £500m of rental deposits apparently held illegally and firms collapsing owing hundreds of thousands of pounds – sometimes having been given a clean bill of health by industry watchdogs. And those are just the cases were hear about. That can’t be right. The simplest solution is to stop taking deposits and move to an insurance-backed model. It’s not just that it works perfectly well in other industries, it’s that you’ think it was ludicrous if people did it any other way. If you rent a car, you don’t hand over hundreds of pounds before you’re given the keys on the understanding that you’re guaranteed to crash it! The overall value of UK rental deposits is estimate to be £3.2bn. Having people handing over so much cash to an under-regulated industry is something which can’t continue – not when there are simple and effective solutions under our noses.” Source link
Lovell has broken ground on a £320m housing regeneration project in southeast London. Above: Left to right are Cllr Averil Lekau, Lovell regional director Michael O’Farrell, Cllr Danny Thorpe and Asra chief exec Matt Cooney Some 1,500 new flats are being built to transform three council estates in Woolwich. The first 684 new homes at the renamed Trinity Walk (CGI below) are now under construction by the Lovell team. Representatives from the Royal Borough of Greenwich, Asra Housing Group and the contractor gathered at the former Connaught estate to mark the beginning of building work. The ground-breaking event followed the completion of demolition work which began at the estate last October. The first homes are due to be completed in late spring 2017. Cllr Danny Thorpe, cabinet member for regeneration and transport, said: “The Connaught estate regeneration project is bringing state-of-the-art, energy efficient homes to the borough while also sparking job creation and economic growth. Through a dedicated programme of investment, partnership working and house-building, we are truly changing the face of this borough for our residents.” Further Images This article was published on 23 Jun 2016 (last updated on 23 Jun 2016). Source link
FTB DIY disasters can cost twice as much as stamp duty Undertaking ambitious projects with little to no formal training can leave new homeowners seriously out of pocket New research from specialist insurance broker, Towergate, has found that those who have taken their first step onto the property ladder are paying twice as much fixing DIY mistakes than on stamp duty as they snap up cheaper properties that need renovating and end up doing the work themselves. With continually soaring house prices, over a fifth of first time buyers who are eager to get on the property ladder are turning to lower priced properties that need ‘doing up’ and cutting costs by carrying out the work themselves, spending £4,600 in the process. However on top of the initial cost of the work, more than a quarter (27%) of new homeowners have had to fork out extra cash for a professional contractor to fix their mistakes – costing an average £2,358. According to the Office of National Statistics (ONS) the average price paid by a first time buyer stands at £180,677 having risen 8.6% in the past year, with a typical new homeowner paying £1,114 on stamp duty – half as much as they are paying fixing DIY disasters. Separate research among members of electrical contracting industry body NICEIC has shown a summer spike in callouts to fix DIY mistakes, with nearly a fifth (17%) of contractors reporting an increase in requests during this time of year. First time buyers are also shunning relaxing summer breaks and taking nearly a week’s holiday allowance (4.8 days) to carry out DIY and home renovation work. Annie Plaskett, Towergate spokesperson said: “Given the cost to get on the housing ladder, it’s not surprising first time buyers are looking for cheaper properties which require work. It also means they are looking to save costs on employing contractors choosing to do it themselves or use family and friends. However, as our research shows, undertaking ambitious projects with little to no formal training can leave new homeowners seriously out of pocket. To make matters worse, often accidents and mistakes aren’t covered by standard home insurance policies, making it more important to speak with your insurer before putting hammer to nail.” Tony Cable, NICEIC spokesperson commented: “Have-a-go heroes tempted to undertake the work themselves should think twice and seek professional advice, as it could end in disaster. Most DIY jobs are not as simple as they may seem and mistakes with electrical wiring, for example, could be fatal. Not using properly qualified trades people is not only dangerous, it’s a false economy and could end up costing the homeowner thousands of pounds and a lot of hassle to put right.” Source link
