A planning application (24/01089) has been submitted to convert Venture Tower to a 97 room student hall.   We see this as a speculative application as Savills seek a buyer for the derelict property.

There have been a couple of questions from members this month about our relationship with Alan Boswell Insurance Brokers – how much is the discount, why should we use, etc.The short answer is because the PDPLA depends on you doing so and, if you don't, we will need to charge membership fees but for the full detail, read on…  

Labour promised change - and the proposed Renters Rights bill will certainly change the private rental sector.

In 1989, the 'Buy to Let' market was created with the introduction of the AST (Assured Shorthold Tenancy) which gave mortgage companies the confidence to lend as possession could be easily regained and properties valued and sold empty. This was driven by the need to create a private rental sector to balance the falling investment in social housing alongside loss of stock.

The 2025 Renters, Rights Bill will have a similar and equally drastic impact as it seeks to swing the balance back toward the pre-1989 era where a rented property was a tenant's home for as long as the tenant wanted it to be. As a landlord, you will have to adapt or, if you choose not to – you need to sell before the Bill becomes law next summer.

Sarah Goodwin, property professional and PDPLA committee member has been through the small print of the bill and explains what it all means… 

Given that the University of Portsmouth is almost wholly reliant on the local private rental sector for student accommodation in years 2 and beyond and knowing that Scots Universities were turning people away last year due to lack of accommodation after rental regulation changes, the introduction of the Renters' Rights Bill in the UK has sparked concerns, particularly for student landlords. This is highlighted in the discussion between 2 landlords and 2 letting agents summarised here. Their dialogue reflects the uncertainty and potential disruption that the bill might bring to the student housing market, especially concerning the removal of Section 21, Ground 4A provisions, and issues around fixed-term tenancies. This article examines several of these issues and proposes potential solutions to address them, focusing on how the bill might affect landlords and students in the private rented sector (PRS).

 Labour plans to better protect tenants with its new Renters' Rights Bill, which includes key provisions like abolishing Section 21 evictions and extending the Decent Homes Standard to the PRS. A summary from Jeni at MFB..

We do love an abbreviation in the property world don't we, the most common ones I see on Socials are BRR, ROI, BMV and so on. Cool if you know what they mean, right? But what is the HHSRS? It's something I very rarely see mentioned on socials yet if you own or manage a licensable House in Multiple Occupation (that's an HMO of course), it is highly likely that the HMO has been subject to an HHSRS inspection at some point (or will be), and it's really important that anyone letting ANY type of property in the UK and Wales is aware of the 'system' and its purpose.