Raising the standards of rental accommodation

I was pleased to read that the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation and Liability for Housing Standards) Bill was passed by the House of Commons last week.

In a nutshell, this bill will give tenants more rights to demand changes and upgrades to their properties which should ultimately raise the standards of rental accommodation and reduce poor housing conditions.

Ultimately, I believe this to be positive, not just for tenants but for landlords too. There are many commercial benefits to landlords investing in their assets but in short, a well-maintained property is likely to attract a better quality of tenant, on a longer term, with less ‘noise’ and a higher rent.

However, for landlords it could mean that for any properties they’ve earmarked for refurbishment in the next few years, the timescale for action could be accelerated. This, coupled with the compulsory changes to the lower end of the EPC ratings coming into force in April, could lead to landlords selling up instead of footing huge repair bills.

It’s also likely that the Homes Bill could significantly impact local authorities who will clearly need to ensure any of their landlords are making the necessary changes to keep their properties up to scratch. I read in an article in the Independent this weekend which reported that local authorities had only taken action on 1.1% of the most dangerous rented homes in the past year.

At that rate of action, and with the level of properties requiring upgrading, it could take several decades to complete the work!

I speak to landlords on a daily basis who are faced with this dilemma. Many of them call me to discuss their options – do they refurbish or do they sell up? In those cases, I provide an idea of what price could be achieved in our auction room and quite often they opt for selling with us.

Despite the landlord benefits above, many simply don’t want to part with their cash or cannot afford to make such improvements. Fortunately, auction is a very successful route to selling tenanted properties and in fact we’ve often found that the most popular properties to go under the hammer are the ones that require some work.

For example, in our December auction we sold a property at 5 Broomfield Road in Deane, Bolton which was a two bedroomed mid-terrace property with gas central heating and part double glazing but requiring a full scheme of refurbishment. It had a guide price of £37,000+ and following some competitive bidding in the auction room, sold for £64,000.

Written by Andy Thompson of SDL Auctions.

EAN Content

Content shared by this account is either news shared free by third parties or sponsored (paid for) content from third parties. Please be advised that links to third party websites are not endorsed by Estate Agent Networking - Please do your own research before committing to any third party business promoted on our website. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

You May Also Enjoy

Breaking News

Rent and run? Agents warn of new ‘Stopover Tenant’ epidemic

Nearly 1 in 3 letting agents report tenants walking away from 6–12 month tenancies – some after just a few months Experts warn rental reforms are fueling relocation-style, short-term renting Almost half of agents now advising landlords on how to manage early exits A new trend is sweeping the rental market and it’s leaving landlords…
Read More
Breaking News

Breaking Property News 11/09/25

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X.   A ‘workplace companion that’s not just about managing buildings’ Smart Spaces has launched Space Agent, its new agentic AI-driven workplace concierge designed to transform how people manage and engage with buildings and their workplaces. Space Agent – introduced through its friendly persona, Max – is fully…
Read More
Breaking News

Where can you still buy a home for under £150k?

Zoopla reveals Great Britain’s property bargain hotspots Just 12 per cent of all homes for sale across Great Britain are priced under £150,000 making location key for home buyers looking for a bargain In the North East, a remarkable 41 per cent of all homes for sale fall within this price range, followed by Scotland…
Read More
Breaking News

Landlord repossessions soar as Renters’ Rights Bill looms

Landlord repossessions soar as Renters’ Rights Bill looms, with some areas seeing increase of over 2,500% The latest analysis from Dwelly, one of the UK’s leading lettings acquisition and success planning experts, shows that landlord repossessions have increased by 6.8% across England and Wales. However, in some areas of the country they have soared by…
Read More
Breaking News

These are Britain’s most active housing markets

New research from The Property DriveBuy reveals that the busiest homebuying postcodes in Britain right now are found in Croydon, Buckinghamshire and Waltham Forest, however, for those hopeful homebuyers facing tough competition, shifting to a neighbouring postcode could see them secure a property. The Property DriveBuy analysed latest housing market data to discover which of…
Read More
Breaking News

Downsizers can bag 2 for 1 on property purchases

The latest research from over-50s property specialists, Regency Living, reveals that downsizing retirees could own two homes for the price of one, combining a comfortable home in England with a sunny escape in Europe. According to Regency Living’s latest analysis, retirees who sell a traditional bricks and mortar house and purchase a park home can…
Read More