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Summer is ending and whilst Covid may still be with us, any suggestion of sitting idly at home waiting for it to end has long since gone. Trades people have never been busier or harder to get hold of (do update our recommended suppliers when you use one), evidence of 'sofa surfing' is increasing – so if you have an uninvited tenant do make sure you are on the right side of the rules (though as a couple of members found this month, at present, eviction is not an option). And if you have experienced abuse of the 'no evictions' government policy, like the landlord with a property in Telephone Rd who has 5 students waiting to move in on 8th Sept, but he cannot get rid of last years students as they have concluded that 'no evictions' gives them carte blanche to stay rent free, then do let us know.
If you sold a property in the area in the last decade, do remember to claim a rebate from Southern Water and, on a more positive note, this month sees the 1st in a series of features on how to get your properties 'carbon neutral'- do read it and let us know what you need to help you become 'greener'. And finally, do please tell us what national issue is of greatest importance to you as a landlord – where should the NRLA be focusing. No need for a postcard, just click here and let us know info@pdpla.com
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FORTHCOMING EVENTS
Annual General Meeting 2020This month we will be holding our Annual General Meeting. Its aims to confirm that committee members continue to have the support of members and also, to update the basic rules under which we operate to remove some historic references, and to discuss a number of other topics that are important to the smooth running of the association. It's therefore particularly important that as many members as possible attend.
We do aim to have other speakers, updating members on important issues in the news at the moment, from the stay on repossessions to the Green Grant scheme, so do make the time - it should be of interest to all local landlords.
Find out more here
Event Date: Mon 14 Sep '20 : 19:30 Location: ZOOM AGM 2020
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Landlords Breakfast - On The RoadJoin us at our monthly Landlords Breakfast - we are trying a range of different venues and times for our meeting, in the hope of getting to more and more of our members over the winter months.
This month we hope to have 2 meetings, one in the city and one outside so do look out for them and do come if there is one near you. We will start with a proper 'sit down' breakfast at the Queens Hotel in Southsea - do come along and spoil yourself and catchup on local matters while you are at it.
Whether you just want a nice cup of coffee with like minded people or you have a specific problem with local regulations, a tenant issue or a quandary on whether to buy a particular property or not, do drop in - you will be most welcome, we cannot guarantee to solve all of your problems but we always try to help and it is rare that your problem is unique or has not been experienced by one of our other members.
Event Date: Wed 16 Sep '20 : 09:00 Location: Queens Hotel
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NEWS ITEMS
If you are wondering what the NRLA are doing to encourage the Government to treat landlords fairly as tenants hit hard times as a result of Covid 19 see https://www.nrla.org.uk/campaigns/coronavirus We are meeting with the NRLA and other regional associations on Tuesday to discuss what more we can do
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We saw this on Facebook and had to share, it is a brilliant tip on how to get an expensive (say a quarter of a million pound) property for possibly just £1,400.
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Members will have seen the news last year of Southern Water being found in breach of its obligations and ordered to pay fines plus a rebate of £123M to its customers. Since April, existing customers have seen some of that rebate showing on their bill, but if you have sold a property in the area since 2015 you will need to claim a rebate to get your share.
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A family let with a new born baby is normally cause for celebration - it is a poor landlord who does not send chocolates/flowers for the new mum, a cuddly toy for the little ones and perhaps some rubber gloves or something equally suitable for dad. But what do you do if it is an HMO and it was already full before 'new mum-to-be' was unexpectedly invited in.....
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Members need to be cognisant of the fact that most landlord insurance policies now include a clause which basically excludes damage caused by faulty flat roof surfaces unless it can be confirmed that the fault was not due to normal 'wear and tear'.
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Apart from the fact that they are universally despised, the trouble with HMO's is that there are all sorts of HMOs yet everyone assumes they are all the worst sort of HMO. There are a range of different overlapping definitions before you even consider the important point, which is who lives there.
As landlords, we frequently suffer as properties are lumped together under the heading and we are treated as if we are running a tenement block of slum bedsits when usually, this is far from the truth.
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University Sets Up Covid Test Centre
PCC Tenders For Sprinklers
Hope Into Action Success In Portsmouth
'No DSS' May Be Illegal But...
Imagine Portsmouth's Future
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Fed up of paying a fortune for 10-year guaranteed 'mould free' bathroom mastic only to find 2-3 years later when the tenants move out, it is so mouldy that at the very least you need to replace it. Ever tried those special mould remover sprays specially designed for this problem only to find they did not work? Join the club.
Now try this from IoW expert, Laura, "Clean the area, leave it wet, then put baking power over wherever needs doing, rub it in, then spray bleach on top (Flash is good), it foams up, leave it about 15 minutes then scrub with a toothbrush and it comes off easily. Depending how bad it is you may need to do it again."
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ENVIRONMENTAL TOPICS
Preparing for 2050 – Carbon Neutral Homes
2050 may seem a long way away, but if you don’t start investing in the necessary changes you may get left behind. By 2025 it is likely that you will not be able to let a property which does not have an EPC rating of D or better and in 2030, this is proposed to be increased to at least a C.
And as the change starts to occur, it will speed up – usable electric cars were 20 years away 5 years ago, now we are expecting non-electric cars to be banned from sale completely by 2035 – so don’t get left behind.
This series of articles looks at some of the things you can do, some things you should do and also, looks at the help available as well as guidance on how to sell these improvements to your tenants.
The latest government green housing initiative starts this month – whilst other landlord groups have hailed it positively, we see it as an opportunity missed and confirmation that central government really do not understand landlords or our business.
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IT'S NO HOLIDAY - CHARLOTTE'S BLOG
By Charlotte Walker
How do you get your kicks in lockdown? My rebellious younger self wouldn't recognise me.
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Portsmouth and District Private Landlords' Association
A private company limited by guarantee number 4444664.
Registered in England at 214 Chichester Road, Portsmouth PO2 0AX.
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