Ardmore Construction Group Ltd has entered administration following a court ruling linked to a £14.9m liability to Crest Nicholson over cladding defects at a Portsmouth residential development. Administrators say unsecured creditors, including subcontractors, are unlikely to recover any funds, while further building liability order claims could expose the group to substantially more liabilities.
A BBC investigation alleges serious misconduct by a letting agent and his agency, including failure to return tenant deposits, unpaid rent owed to landlords, and concerns that deposits may not have been placed in a regulated scheme. The report also references staff departures and an alleged cannabis farm tenancy at one of the managed properties.
Green Steel & Cladding Ltd has appeared in court facing a corporate manslaughter charge following the death of a worker in April 2021, alongside related Health and Safety at Work Act offences. A company officer, Paul Gaines, is separately charged with gross negligence manslaughter and related health and safety offences, with the case now moving to Leicester Crown Court.
The HSE has issued Morris & Spottiswood with an immediate prohibition notice after it said the contractor failed to carry out suitable and sufficient asbestos surveys before intrusive works at a Northampton site. The company later stated that further intrusive checks found no asbestos present and that it had provided additional assurance to the regulator.
The article argues that lettings businesses may be focusing too narrowly on the Renters Rights Act, while overlooking the compliance risk posed by the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024. It highlights that the DMCCA gives the Competition and Markets Authority direct enforcement powers, including significant financial penalties, which may create broader exposure for operators than tenant-by-tenant disputes under rental reform.
Landlords with rented properties in the designated Selective Licensing area of Grimsby are being warned to apply for licences by 8 October 2026 or face a £200 late fee. The article also notes that operating without a licence may trigger enforcement action and significant financial penalties.
Haringey Council publicised a Rent Repayment Order after a First-tier Tribunal found a landlord had operated an unlicensed HMO and ordered repayment of £7,884.84 plus fees. The case arose from reports of mould, fire hazards and a collapsed ceiling, and the Tribunal noted a previous RRO involving another property, suggesting repeated non-compliance.
Haringey Council has highlighted a successful Rent Repayment Order after a tenant recovered nearly £8,000 from a landlord who operated an unlicensed HMO in Muswell Hill. The case involved reported mould, disrepair, and fire safety failings, and the tribunal found the property required a licence throughout the tenancy.
A Goodlord snap poll suggests landlords are experiencing greater difficulty regaining possession since the abolition of Section 21 evictions under the Renters’ Rights Act. The report also indicates landlords are responding with tighter tenant vetting, while many are facing higher compliance, insurance and letting costs.
A poll reported by Goodlord suggests many letting agents are increasing fees to landlords and facing higher compliance workloads following the Renters Rights Act. The article also says possession is becoming more difficult after the abolition of Section 21, with longer Section 8 processes and court delays adding to landlord and agent pressures.
A Goodlord snap poll suggests landlords are finding it harder to regain possession since Section 21 evictions were abolished under the Renters Rights Act in May. The article says Section 8 is now the only route to possession, with longer notice periods and court delays adding to the time and administrative burden, alongside rising compliance costs and more cautious tenant vetting.
Recent analysis of residential property tribunal decisions suggests that most rent dispute outcomes have favoured tenants, with many landlord-proposed increases reduced or left unchanged. The article also highlights that rent increase challenges can take several months to resolve, increasing the financial risk for landlords where evidence for the proposed rent is weak.
