The Environment Agency has updated guidance on appealing where a water company refuses a public sewer connection or disputes the timing of provision. The process involves first applying to the relevant sewerage undertaker, with appeals to the Environment Agency taking at least 12 months and sometimes longer in complex cases.
Updated government guidance under the Tenant Fees Act, issued after the Renters’ Rights Act came into force, has raised questions about whether some professional rent guarantor contracts entered into before 1 May may still be valid. The guidance also indicates that tenants must be given genuine choice over guarantor services, and that requiring a specific provider could amount to a prohibited payment.
Blackburn with Darwen Council has prosecuted three landlords after they ignored an Improvement Notice relating to serious hazards in a rented home, including damp and mould, lack of heating, electrical and fire risks, and structural concerns. The landlords were fined and ordered to complete the required remedial works, and the case will be reported to the Rogue Landlord Database.
Slough Council has proposed introducing additional HMO and selective licensing schemes that could bring around 17,000 rental properties under new regulation for five years. The plans would extend licensing to smaller HMOs and other private rented homes, with a consultation running for 10 weeks and closing on 23 September.
The article warns that AI-enabled onboarding and marketing language can blur the distinction between Source of Funds and Source of Wealth checks in conveyancing. It explains that while AI can improve the presentation and review of financial evidence, it does not change the scope of the underlying AML check or remove the need for professional judgement.
The Environment Agency has issued a regulatory position statement on temporary storage of waste temperature exchange equipment (WTEE) where national treatment capacity constraints may prevent sites from operating within normal storage limits. It states that enforcement action will not normally be taken if the specified conditions in the RPS are met, but the underlying legal requirements remain unchanged.
The article outlines a proposed shift of AML and counter-terrorist financing supervision from the SRA and other professional body supervisors to the FCA. It says firms should prepare for a more data-led supervisory approach that focuses on whether controls are operating effectively, not just whether policies exist on paper.
Police are investigating alleged fraud, money laundering and missing client funds at PS&B Estate Management Limited, formerly Parsons, Son & Bailey, following the arrest of a staff member. The firm, which specialises in block management, has also faced bank account freezes, unpaid staff, Trading Standards scrutiny and repeated Companies House filing issues.
Research cited by the NRLA suggests that English councils have increased property inspections under the Housing, Health and Safety Rating System, but are collecting only a small proportion of fines issued to landlords for housing offences. The article argues that weak fine recovery and limited transparency in enforcement are undermining confidence in the private rented sector.
LRG has partnered with Nexus to provide Making Tax Digital support across its UK lettings network, covering agent-managed landlords using rent collection or fully managed services. The rollout is positioned as one of the largest MTD implementations in the lettings sector, with the software designed to streamline record-keeping and reporting for landlords.
New data from the NRLA indicates that councils in England have increased property inspections under the Housing, Health and Safety Rating System, but are collecting only around a quarter of the fines issued to landlords for housing offences. The article also notes calls for greater transparency, including annual council reporting on private rented sector enforcement activity.
The Environment Agency has issued Regulatory Position Statement RPS 336 on accepting non-hazardous filter cake waste from soil and aggregate washing facilities at landfill and deposit for recovery sites. It clarifies that the statement does not remove the need for an environmental permit, but sets out circumstances where enforcement action would not normally be taken if the stated requirements are met.
