RLA : RPI : In brief

News from the Residential Property Investor, the bi-monthly magazine for RLA members

other artilces from the February / March 2000 issue

In brief - February / March 2000

Requiring tenants on housing benefit to contribute up to a fifth to their own housing costs would provide an incentive for them to 'shop around' for the most affordable rents, according to a report published for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation by the Chartered Institute of Housing. 'Shopping incentives' and housing benefit reform suggests housing benefit should be paid to those entitled to it as a regionally variable flat rate added to social security benefits. That way those seeking out the most economic housing would contribute the least.

Corgi, the Confederation of Gas Installers, has welcomed a 'toughening up' of attitudes towards unregistered gas installers. Some 27 were last year convicted for carrying out gas work without registration, and 90 were served with prohibition or improvement notices, it has reported.

Landlords considering investing in properties built by Kiely Developments and Kiely Brothers, trading as Manor Homes, should proceed with caution. Claims topping £1m have been lodged against the National House Builders Confederation guarantee scheme as a result of defects in houses built in the Bury and Bacup areas by the two companies, both now out of business.

Additional powers are needed to allow local authorities to insist problem tenants move away from the immediate vicinity of property from which they have been evicted. The call came from Salford City Councillor John Warmisham after it was discovered a woman whom the council had evicted had moved to a privately rented property on the same Clifton estate. The eviction had come after a petition from neighbours who complained about abuse from a constant stream of visitors, uncleared rubbish and noise from barking dogs. An exclusion order rather than eviction would have been difficult to obtain since the nuisance concerned both the conduct of the woman and her visitors, said the councillor.

other artilces from the February / March 2000 issue