The Dept' for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) has announced that changes to the Social Housing Regulation Bill whilst on its journey through the parliamentary process will mean that all social landlords will have to ensure that all staff, from neighbourhood housing officers to senior managers, "have the right skills, experience and knowledge to deliver a high quality service for residents."

“Private renters stuck in dangerous homes ‘failed’ by councils” is certainly a catchy headline and it was followed by the equally eye-catching “Tenants who complain of dangerous or potentially deadly faults in privately rented homes are being let down by councils, a BBC investigation suggests.”

Changes to the former Housing Possession Court Duty Scheme came into force this week. The reforms mean that people facing eviction or repossession proceedings can get free early housing legal advice before going to court.

Ashfield District Council has warned that the deadline for landlords to submit applications for selective licences to operate properties in 2 areas of the district is 25th October.

Following complaints from the public, West Northamptonshire Council's (WNC) Private Rented Sector team used a Housing Warrant in order to visit and inspect a 3 bedroom property and found that it was occupied by 4 people from 4 different households. This made it licensable under the council's additional licensing scheme.

Commenting on current Local Authority cost pressures as well as those coming down the pipeline, Cllr. James Jamieson says that "the dramatic increase in inflation has undermined council's budgets."

The CIH, in its consultation submission on Government plans to extend the Decent Homes Standard to include the private rented sector, has said that the proposal to set up a national property portal to underpin private landlords' compliance.

Ahead of new Chancellor Jeremy Hunt's Medium Term Fiscal Statement, scheduled to be made public today, the Local Government Association has made a stark case for the sound funding of Local Government service provision.

With very significant public sector financial and thus also capacity constraints in the short to medium term and no let up (thus far) in Government approvals of larger selective licensing schemes, Local Authorities need to box clever to achieve their strategic housing goals in the face of the choppy waters they are currently experiencing.

In July we reported on a case before Canterbury Crown Court that was described by Thanet District Council (the prosecuting Local Authority) as a "landmark prosecution" and which was believed to have been the largest ever prosecution of its type (a number of offences under the Protection from Eviction Act 1977).