Property Industry Eye

Steve Reed has replaced Angela Rayner as housing secretary.

Reed, the MP for Streatham and Croydon North and former leader of Lambeth Council, was previously environment secretary – a post he held for 14 months.

Reed’s appointment comes following Angela Rayner’s resignation as deputy prime minister and housing secretary earlier today after she admitted not paying enough tax on her second home.

Rayner’s resignation means Sir Keir is now carrying out a major reshuffle of his cabinet.

Landlords will be required to buy a £923 licence to rent out properties in certain areas of Lambeth under a new property licensing scheme that has been rolled out across most of the borough after a successful launch in four wards earlier this year.

Councillors gave the go-ahead for the extension of the “selective licensing scheme”, designed to tackle rogue landlords and improve conditions for people living in private rented accommodation, at a meeting last week.

Private landlords in parts of south London will now need a licence to legally let any property to a single-family household or no more than two unrelated sharers.

The selective licensing scheme was approved by Lambeth’s cabinet in May, in a bid to improve property conditions and management, and tackle problems including anti-social behaviour (ASB) and deprivation.

It means landlords will need a licence and meet the conditions associated to legally let qualifying properties in four specific wards in Lambeth.