Finsa Home sponsored Thursday’s Landlords Forum organised by the Landlord Accreditation Scheme of Wirral Council.
The event, introduced by George Davies – Wirral’s Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods Housing and Engagement – ran a number of seminars to update local landlords on changes in legislation on Housing Standards and on dealings with difficult tenants.
Mr Davies highlighted the ongoing work of the council, monitoring housing standards when it comes to rented accommodation.
He shared his worry on recent survey figures showing that one third of tenant-occupied properties fail to meet the basic housing standards requirements as per The Housing Act 2004. That’s compared to one fifth of owner-occupied properties.
The accreditation scheme is an important tool to help landlords manage their property portfolio while raising the quality of accommodation provided in their rented properties.
Paul Jackson, Wirral Council housing standards leader brought the best news to all landlords attending the event when he confirmed the council can now award grants of up to £3,000 to landlords with empty properties.
But many landlords were keen to raise their concerns about the lack of support from the council when dealing with “bad tenants,” and the fact that current Government policy does not protect landlords by paying housing benefits directly to tenants, something which Wayne Tsoi from the Housing Options Team at Wirral Council was able to offer help and advice.
Mr Jackson also explained the council’s plans for a Selective Licensing Scheme to be introduced in 2015
It is expected to cover particular areas in Wirral with specific needs in terms of tougher control on housing standards. The scheme, which has already been tested in other parts of the country with mixed success, will implement a license requirement for all landlords wishing to rent properties in that area.
It is hoped that the licensing scheme will bring better control on rented accommodation in those particular areas within the borough where specific needs have been identified.
At the event Finsa Home introduced their much celebrated Excellence Kitchen Bundle to the landlords present; including an 8 unit kitchen bundle set from £399.99 specially designed for rented properties, as well as a top quality gloss kitchen at the most affordable price available to the trade and landlords.
The 17 New Kitchen Designs now available In-Store at Finsa Home also offer a wide choice of options for landlords, with trade prices starting from just £550 for 9 Unit Kitchens.
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See our range of kitchens and flooring online at https://www.finsahome.co.uk or visit our stores in Merseyside and the West Midlands for our special trade prices.
