In the last couple of years Government Budgets and Annual Statements have introduced a series of legislation changes and issues that will affect our Landlord customers. We feel that there are several matters that will come into force in the next 12 to 24 months that we need you to be made aware of and this series of short emails are designed to make sure you a fully aware of how the industry and you as property owners will be affected.
A new Housing Complaints Resolution Service is announced for the entire housing market.
Dissatisfied homeowners and tenants will have simple and quick access to help when things go wrong, thanks to new plans announced last week by Communities Secretary Rt Hon James Brokenshire MP.
From broken boilers to cracks in the wall, the new Housing Complaints Resolution Service will potentially help millions by providing a straight-forward way of getting help when faced with unresolved disputes about problems with their home – such as repairs and maintenance. Unlike other sectors, such as financial services, the housing market has several different complaints bodies, with homeowners and tenants having to navigate their way through a complicated and bureaucratic system just to work out where to register a grievance. Establishing a single housing complaints service for all residents – no matter whether they rent or own their home – will prevent people from battling with their landlord or builder to resolve issues on their own and make it easier to claim compensation where it’s owed.
Communities Secretary Rt Hon James Brokenshire MP, said: Creating a housing market that works for everyone isn’t just about building homes – it’s about ensuring people can get the help they need when something goes wrong. But all too often the process can be confusing and overly bureaucratic, leaving many homeowners and tenants feeling like there is nowhere to go in the event of problems with their home. The proposals I have announced today will help ensure all residents are able to access help when they need it, so disputes can be resolved faster, and people can get compensation where it’s owed.
Currently, the housing complaints system is confusing – there are multiple complaint bodies covering the housing market, and membership of redress schemes is compulsory for some tenures but not others.
For example, in the private rented sector, there is currently no obligation for landlords, who rent out their own properties without the use of an Agent, to register with a complaints system – leaving thousands of renters without any course for redress. To combat this, the Communities Secretary has today announced that private landlords will be legally required to become members of a redress scheme – with a fine of up to £5,000 if they fail to do so.
And to protect the interests of home-owners who buy new build homes, government has also reiterated its commitment to establishing a New Homes Ombudsman which will champion home buyers, protect their interests and hold developers to account. Legislation will be brought forward at the earliest possible opportunity to require all new developers to belong to the Ombudsman – giving homebuyers the confidence that when they get the keys to a new home they are getting the quality of build they expect.
Developers will also have to belong to the new body by 2021 if they wish to participate in the government’s landmark Help to Buy scheme. The Housing Complaints Resolution Service will be developed with a new Redress Reform Working Group made up of representatives from across the sector, working with industry and consumers.
This is part of on-going work by the government to make the property market fairer and more transparent for everyone.
We Can Help
Private landlords, like yourself, play an important role in the rental market and it is important that we pay attention to the challenges they sometimes face. Although this legislation is aimed at Landlords that rent their own properties without the use of an Agent or those that use a Tenant Find Only arrangement, if any of the above have got you thinking, or if there were other unrelated questions you might have, then pop into our Charminster office or call us on 01202 565758 and we’d be pleased to help you to let and manage your properties.