Top 10 Housing Articles 2013I have compiled a list of 2013′s ten most popular housing articles on theEHP. This list has been complied by analysing the most viewed articles on the site.

1. Housing: Leeds Landlord fined £9,000 for ignoring fire safety

A Leeds landlord has felt the heat after being fined over £9,000 for consistently ignoring fire safety warnings from the council on a privately rented property.

2. Housing: NLA Demands licence fee refunds

The National Landlords Association (NLA) has written to all local authorities in England after recent court judgements have clarified issues over the licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) and how local licensing fees should be determined.

3. Housing: Private housing sector efffective strategies & interventions published

The CIEH and the University of Greenwich have published a professional guidance document that draws together a range of methods and good practice in adding to the environmental health and housing evidence base.

4. Housing: Newham Mayor – Voluntary accreditation does not work

Newham’s Mayor told a Commons select committee that voluntary accreditation of private landlords does not work.

5. Housing: Landlord fined £35,000 for dangerous city centre HMO

Southampton City Council has brought a successful action against a rogue landlord who has been fined £35,000 for six offences relating to poor housing conditions and management of a house in multiple occupation (HMO) (Photos on Flickr).

6. Housing: The Mobile Homes Act 2013 comes into force

A new licensing regime for park home sites that comes into force this week. New rights will give park home residents the protection they need from unscrupulous site owners, says Communities Secretary Eric Pickles.

7. Housing: Slumlord hit with record fine sees shed with bed razed

A shed with bed – belonging to a slumlord hit with a record £27,700 in fines, costs and confiscation orders for illegal properties – has been razed.

8. Housing: HIMO prosecution at St Augustine’s Road – Case Summary

We recently reported that Camden Council had prosecuted a struck-off solicitor for failing to license a property let to 12 people (view article). We have been provided with a detailed case summary that shows just how complex housing prosecutions can be.

9. Housing: Error leads to lighter sentence for landlord

The Oxford Mail has reported that Oxford City Council enabled a slum landlord to be given a lighter sentence because it failed to inform magistrates he had previous convictions.

10. Housing: RPT ruling could cut heating costs

Liverpool City Council has won a landmark tribunal ruling which could see heating costs cut for private tenants.The decision by the President of the Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber) (UTLC) means that heating systems provided in private rented properties should be economical to run, if occupiers are to be adequately protected from the harmful effects of cold.