Housing and Planning Act published

The Housing and Planning Act 2016 has been published and is ready for your perusal.

The bill received Royal Assent last week, so print it out, make a cup of tea and go sit out in the garden... maybe have a little snooze.

Note, it only effects landlords in England.

In brief the Housing and Planning Act 2016 includes a number of strategies to deal with our 'rogue landlord' element.

• Introduction of banning orders for repeat offenders (14-27)
• A database of rogue landlords/property agents (28-39)
• Extension of Rent Repayment Orders (40-52)
• Civil penalties of up to £30,000
• A more extensive 'Fit and Proper Person' test (
• The sharing amongst Gov. agencies (including councils) of Tenancy Deposit Protection Scheme data.

Another key point ( 57-63) in the new bill is the proposed change in the law on tenant abandonment of a rental property. A new statutory code will give a landlord the power to recover a property if the tenant has abandoned it, (if let under an assured shorthand tenancy) without serving a Section 21 Notice or obtaining a possession order.

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