The Independent Select Committee responsible for conducting the pre-legislative scrutiny of the Draft Tenant Fees Bill has published their report.  If the Committee’s recommendations are taken on board by the Government, it will mean that the maximum security deposit be capped at five weeks instead of six, and that landlords should not be entitled to keep a holding deposit ...

From October councils will be able to set minimum bedroom size standards for HMOs – and also introduce limits on how many people can live in each bedroom.  Rooms used for sleeping by one person over 10 years old will have to be no smaller than 6.51 square metres, and those slept in by two people over 10 years-old will have to be no smaller than 10.22 square metres. Rooms ...

The new rules concerning minimum energy efficiency standards come into force this month. Rental properties will need a minimum EPC rating of E.  The rules cover all new lets and renewals and will be extended to all existing tenancies in April 2020. The exemption register is currently open – and revised software to be used by assessors to calculate EPCs is now being used ...