Clearview National February 2018 - Issue 195 | Page 8

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Renters in the dark over rights
Research among more than 2,000 UK adults by LetBritain has
revealed that millions of tenants and landlords across the country
are unaware of the laws governing the rental sector.
» » IT FOUND:
• 37% of UK tenants and 16% of landlords
do not know that renters must be given
at least two months’ notice if a landlord
wishes to evict them.
• A third of all people in rented
accommodation – 34%, or 5.8 million
people – do not realise they have the
right for their deposits to be placed in a
Tenancy Deposit Protection scheme
• 12% of UK landlords were also unaware
of this rule.
• Even more renters (43%, or 7.4 million)
and landlords (19%) have no idea that
tenants can challenge any excessive
charges made by a landlord via an
ombudsman.
• More than a quarter (28%) of tenants
did not know a landlord should provide
24 hours’ notice before entering their
property.
• 34% were unaware that a landlord
must provide an Energy Performance
Certificate.
• Exactly half of renters (8.6 million
people) are uninformed that the
rent charged by a landlord should be
comparable to similar properties in the
area or can be challenged.
• 27% of landlords are also clueless about
this fact.
A huge number of tenants and landlords
across the UK are in the dark when it comes
to the rules and regulations governing the
country’s rental market, new research by virtual
online letting agent LetBritain has found.
The research comes as figures show that
29% of UK renters lose their deposits
every year, at an average of £825 each.
Furthermore, the number of privately
rented households is due to grow from
the current 5.4 million to 7.2 million by
2021.
Fareed Nabir, CEO of LetBritain, said:
“It is clear that a huge proportion of UK
renters – a population growing in size –
do not truly understand the legislation
and regulation in place to protect them.
Likewise, a concerning number of landlords
are also in the dark about their rights and
responsibilities. Such a lack of awareness
means the risk of renters and landlords
being exploited. It must be addressed, and
lettings agents certainly have a duty to
better inform all their customers about the
vital legislative framework governing the
rental sector.”
HOMEBUILDING SHOW PLANS EXPANSION
» » THE NATIONAL HOMEBUILDING &
Renovating Show returns to the NEC,
Birmingham, from 22-25 March, 2018. Over
four packed days, visitors will benefit from more
than 500 exhibitors and 16 free daily seminars
and masterclasses in the extended venue.
The show comes after the National Custom
& Self Build Association revealed that 33,000
people have signed up to the Right to Build
register since October 2017.
The NEC event is a marketplace for all the
latest products and services provided by specialist
companies in industries ranging from kitchens,
bathrooms, doors and windows, heating,
energy efficiency, architecture, design, financial
services, planning permission and more. Real
case studies will be at the show to discuss the
dilemmas they faced during their self-build/
renovation experience, helping visitors with
similar problems.
On site, visitors will be able to book bespoke
consultations with celebrity experts who present
their favourite TV property programmes. These
include Charlie Luxton, sustainable architectural
designer and presenter of Channel 4’s ‘Best Laid
8 » F EB 2018 » CL EARVI E W- UK . C O M
Plans’, and Julia Kendell, interior
design expert for BBC’s ‘DIY SOS
The Build’ and ITV’s ’60 Minute
Makeover.’
There will also be an Advice
Centre, the return of the Ask the
Builder zone, where visitors will be
given tips on locating approved construction
workers from members of the Federation of
Master Builders, and an Ask the Architect area.
For objective tailored advice, the Ask
the Expert zone will provide 15-minute
consultations via interactive sessions with some
of the UK’s leading property specialists.
Oakwrights Design Consultation and
The Potton Lounge will also be offering free
consultations. They will help visitors envisage,
create and deliver their own tailored new home
from scratch. Attendees who are interested
in these consultations can pre-book an
appointment on the event’s website.
The show app is also available for download
on Android and iPhone.
At the last count in January, the National
Homebuilding & Renovating Show had
witnessed 85 per cent of its stand
capacity being snapped up by
exhibitors.
According to a consumer
survey, 87 per cent of visitors
made purchases or were
considering doing so following their
attendance at the event, while 80 per cent
of people had or were likely to request a quote
from an exhibitor.
The event delivered a total of over 102,000
visitors in 2017, marking a nine per cent
year on year increase for the exhibitions.
The Homebuilding & Renovating Show’s
portfolio consists of seven shows this year,
covering key venues including Birmingham,
London, Harrogate, Glasgow, Surrey,
Somerset, Edinburgh, and their nearby
affluent areas. In addition to these locations,
the event organisers are planning the brand’s
expansion by launching another exhibition
at Farnborough International Exhibition &
Conference Centre in January 2019.
Visit www.homebuildingshow.co.uk