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In our response to the Portsmouth Local Plan, we highlighted the lack of a strategy to bring existing housing stock up to current standards and the high rents locally which can be attributed to local policies. We also worried that the support for co-living at the expense of HMOs was at best misguided and at worst, would have even more damaging effects on local rent levels. 

From time to time we are approached by the housing options team in many of our local authoritys, charities, parole groups and others seeking to house applicants who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.

Each approach varies, but the typical story will be that you are trying to build links with private landlords who are willing to consider referrals, from your charity or service. Normally from either single applicants or families struggling to find housing in the private rental sector (but seldom couples, by the way).  As we see this situation so often - we thought it appropriate to lay out some guidance for all parties.

Given that such tenants are 30x more likely to default, we argue for mandatory rent guarantee insurance paid for the duration of the tenancy by the local authority or introducing agency.

A national survey has placed Portsmouth as the 7^th cheapest place in the country for students and the most affordable in the South East – affordability is calculated by dividing living costs by average monthly income, and as Portsmouth rates highly for student earning potential in the local community, that does improve Portsmouth's affordability ranking significantly but, the very low private sector rents are also significant.

Labour has reinstated the minimum EPC targets for landlords – here's what you need to know and how to fund your property improvements.

A mortgage provider has finally stepped up and provided an incentive to property owners to retrofit their properties 

Members will know that the PDPLA and councillors on the Planning Committee have sometimes disagreed. Well, good news this month as the Planning Inspectorate highlight the fact that Southern Water have a responsibility to handle sewage and a 7-bed HMO in Copnor will not risk overloading the system.  

The Portsmouth Local Plan is the document which drives all planning and development decisions in the city – it defines what can be built where, which sites are earmarked for development and which green spaces are protected. This edition will be in force until 2040 and you have 1 final chance to share your view.   (Lots of updates including on student halls and HMOs plus the introduction of co-living).

Reproduced from the NRLA feed in case you missed it - you have until 2030 to get your properties to EPC grade C  (assuming we are still stuck with EPC's by then) 

We get fed-up of social housing providers being treated as saints and private sector landlords as demons when all of the evidence is to the contrary...

We have long counselled against 'rent-2-rent' relationships unless the legal relationship is clearly defined and the sub-landlord is known and reputable. A First Tier Tribunal recently awarded 70% of rent to be repaid to a nurse, illegally evicted by the sub-landlord from a property near Croydon.  

Jeni Browne of MFB (Mortgage Finance Brokers) has agreed to update us on the world of mortgages each month and this month, she starts with the question everyone seems to want to know the answer to – when will rates come down?

Portsmouth landlords are rallying to support Martin Silman, Chairman of the Portsmouth & District Private Landlord Association (PDPLA), after a councillor called for his resignation following his criticism of the conduct of councillors at a recent City Council planning meeting.  

Dear Councillors,

Having collaborated with many of you in various capacities and with different organizations around Portsmouth over the years, I wish to clarify my recent remarks regarding a potential HMO Kristallnacht. I understand that this comparison upset several of you, and I apologize for any offense caused but..

One of our Havant members "started to write to our new Labour MP in anticipation but sadly she was just pipped to the post by Alan Mak. A friend knows her personally and thinks she would have been good for our area." Rather than waste it - we include here for any new or returning MPs keen to understand the reality of the sector.

This month we learnt that a property converted into 2 flats which technically is a 257 (see definition below) does not need an HMO Licence if it is rented to 2 people or less. Unfortunately, a number of members had already spent many hours submitting HMO Licence Applications for such properties – the good news is that they will get their application fee refunded, the bad news is the time, stress and hassle of the past 9 months cannot be recompensed. We have always argued that no evidence of the need to improve 257's was included in the justification for Licensing and this is just one more example of the struggle even the Licensing team have in deciding what to include and how to handle it.