Why Town Hall “Not for Profit” Letting Agencies Fail

Local authority schemes to attract private landlords to let to people with few housing options often fail. Here at LettingFocus, we explain why. I was invited to speak at the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) Homelessness conference in Nottingham last week. This is a big national event to which around 140 local authority and housing association staff from all around […]

Read more

Council Schemes for Landlords and the Private Rented Sector are not making an Impact

Councils’ failure to engage with private landlords means families could be needlessly placed in emergency temporary accommodation or out of their local borough. Back in July, the Guardian newspaper published a piece of research I had just completed which showed how councils and housing associations are failing to engage private landlords with their various schemes. I thought it worthwhile to […]

Read more

Single Room Rate Changes and HMOs Houses in Multiple Occupation

The thirst from “property investors” for supposedly great returns from houses in multi occupation will make for a harder job for town halls housing departments. Often the returns from HMOs are illusory says David Lawrenson of www.LettingFocus.com Every day at the town halls, junior front-line housing staffers spend a lot of their time dealing with single adults who “present” as […]

Read more

The Private Rented Sector Will Not Entertain Void Periods and Local Authorities and Housing Associations Need to Understand This

Letting agents, local authorities and housing associations must start to understand that private landlords want to let fast and won’t entertain void periods. Many council and housing association schemes with private landlords fail to meet this need. All smart landlords (and smart letting agents who know their business) know that minimisation of the “void period” is critical to success in […]

Read more