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There are many calls for greater legislation; whenever there is a complaint these days the answer is to increase the bulk of the Law. I believe that we should rip it up instead and let the market decide.

There were positive signs at the January Committee meeting. Two applications for new HMOs were granted permission without the usual hunt for excuses to refuse. Sadly, there is no change of heart, we do not know of any Councillors happy to see new HMOs being created. With so much anti HMO feeling amongst the electorate this is perhaps understandable though very frustrating for us, whilst leaving usable rooms empty and pushing up rents and property prices for all.  

As a local landlord association, our primary aim is to educate and inform local landlords to help them ensure they meet all of the necessary regulations and offer homes that are safe and comfortable for those who live in them.

However, many of us occasionally come across properties that we would be ashamed to let if they were ours.  If it were to belong to a fellow member, we would hope to be able to help them understand what they need to do - but typically it is not. What can you do about those landlords who have no regard for their tenants, spend no money on their properties and get us all a bad name and also, who would never consider joining a local or national association? We finally have an answer...

In their leaflet, "Renting and Universal Credit - A guide for landlords and letting agents" the DWP says "This outdated practice – known as 'No DSS…..'" Unfortunately, it is far from outdated, landlords are reluctant to take benefits claimants for perfectly logical reasons and the list is growing. 

Having missed the target to get new legislation passed by over a year, HMRC have had little choice but to delay 'Making Tax Digital' for landlords until 2024. Our message to landlords remains unchanged - do nothing until it is clear what is required and even then, do not change the way you do things just to comply with HMRC. 

  It is a widely held view that private landlords are responsible for most evictions, yet official statistics indicate this is not true. Action in other areas would have a greater impact on homelessness than penalising landlords and making it harder for them to repossess their property when tenants default on their obligations.

 Attendees at last weeks HMO Governance Board hosted by Portsmouth City Council have been asked to share an open letter with local landlords and agents asking them to reduce student rents as has been done in student halls.

Read on for details of their request, our response and some useful statistics collated by the NRLA

End of tenancy cleaning causes more disputes between landlords and tenants than any other issue.

So it pays to make sure everyone knows their rights. These include what the landlords responsibilities and obligations are, what level of cleaning is required, what constitutes fair wear and tear, and who should pay for what.

While landlords need to get their property spic and span for new tenants, those departing must leave the property as clean as they found it to avoid losing part of their deposit.

We reproduce this excellent guide published by Alan Boswell Group which covers end of tenancy cleaning, taking you through the process from start to finish, with everything both landlords and tenants need to know. 

We have no evidence of any similar landlords locally, but recent cases nationally serve as a reminder that fire safety is not something any landlord should be casual about - it would be nice if the rules were clear and up to date but there is no excuse for ignorance or lax interpretation of those rules as one Luton landlord found after a tenant died in a fire in his HMO.

Update from PDPLA AGM 

Latest government guidance for landlords & tenants (Covid-19)

Portsmouth Transport Strategy

Neil Hawkins Retires From Chandler Hawkins

Portsmouth Road Closures & Works

Right To Rent Legislative Changes

The BBC published research last month showing that although specifying 'No DSS' is illegal, landlords are still reluctant to take on tenants who are wholly supported by benefits. (See the report here). Unfortunately, like most commentators in this space – the BBC are asking the wrong question.

PDPLA Vice Chair, Alwin Oliver did try to balance the debate when interviewed on BBC South Today (broadcast 2nd Sept - members can see a summary of the discussion here) but as is always the case in these situations, the snippet that was broadcast largely missed the point and failed to ask why landlords often avoid those on benefits.

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.  

A year ago, there was very little activity on Facebook focused specifically on landlords and tenants - then 'Private Landlords - Portsmouth' popped up, it became very busy and then it appeared to have far more than its fair share of scammers - people pretending to be landlords who were not, offering properties that did not exist and illegally taking deposits. As a result, a whole slew of new Facebook sites for landlords locally have appeared with a range of different approaches to identifying and excluding scammers. 

What is the one thing you get from the PDPLA that you CANNOT get anywhere else?

We hope there are several answers to that one – but one answer that some may have overlooked is our ability to share information about which suppliers and tradespeople can be relied upon to do a good job for local landlords.

Yes, there are various ratings sites but can you rely on them? With questions@ and our Recommended Suppliers list you get current information from fellow landlords without the influence of the traders concerned – you don't get that anywhere else – and the good news, is it just got better. 

At our committee meeting this month (via Zoom) we agreed changes and updates to the Code of Practice which all members must abide by and the Association Rules which define how we operate. The key changes bring the documents up to date, as it is many years since the rules were reviewed and times have changed, consolidates the complaints procedure which was defined in both documents and positions us for the forthcoming affiliation with the NRLA. 

Thanks to Alwin Oliver and his team at Flats In Southsea for allowing us to share this advice which they produced for their own landlords, tenants and contractors