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August 31, 2021Several new housing regulations have recently come into play in the UK. However, even with all the new regulations, the moving house process remains largely the same.
You still might need conveyancing solicitors and self-storage to assist with the move or help from removal companies, like a man and a van service. Here are five of the new housing regulations you need to know about in the UK.
Covid bailiff band to end.
In the coronavirus pandemic, the government introduced an emergency ban on bailiffs. Under the band, bailiffs could not carry out an eviction on anyone living in a property with covid-19 symptoms or someone self-isolating. The ban was lifted on the 31st of May 2021. Bailiffs can now use enforcement action to evict tenants when required.
More rights to pet owners
Landlords can no longer automatically ban tenants from having pets in their property. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government introduced the new guidelines under the Model Tenancy Agreement. Usually, landlords issue a blanket ban on pets across the properties they own. If you have lived in a rental property, you will be all too familiar with pet bans.
Fortunately, consent for pets will now be the default position, and landlords will have to object in writing with 28 days of a pet request from a tenant. The landlord will have to provide a good reason, such as property size or surrounding tissues. For example, the property may be in a block where owning an active animal is impractical.
Landlords can charge higher deposits for tenants with pets so long as they fit within the cap of five weeks’ rent.
Eviction notice periods reduced to 4 months.
Notice periods were extended to six months in the pandemic as an emergency measure. They were decreased to four months at the start of June. Nearly half of landlords in the UK own one property and are vulnerable to rent arrears. The new measures will allow them to evict non-paying tenants and access justice.
Lifetime deposit
A lifetime deposit allows tenants to transfer their deposits between landlords when they move to a new property. Renters can move their deposits electronically instead of paying a deposit to their new landlord while waiting for a refund from the former landlord. Hopefully, the scheme will ease the pressure on renters to fund a second deposit while money is tied up elsewhere. Especially, as the average rental deposit in England is £1040 and around £1,750 for London – according to the Deposition Protection Service.
Help to Buy
The Help to Buy ran from 2013 to 2021, and many applications were extended until the 31st of May due to covid. Only first-time buyers can be involved in the new scheme, and loans are capped at 1.5 times the average first-time buyer home in that area.
Stay updated on housing regulations in the UK if you are moving house or renting.
