Contentious logbook initiative kicks off, with pilot likely next April

Property MOTs took a huge step forward yesterday during the inaugural meeting of a group working towards the introduction of property logbooks, which would enable the Property MOTs landlords see as – although well intentioned – a form of snooping.

The freshly-minted Residential Logbook Association (RLBA) is leading the project, which will see every home in the UK given a digital ‘passport’ in which all its history, relevant documentation and a host of other information will be kept.

These would include details of the proposed ‘property MOTs’ that the recent Rugg & Rhodes report recommended government adopt, which will require landlords to prove that their property has passed an independent inspection.

Attended by the government’s housing market reform chief Matt Prior, the meeting discussed how the logbooks will work and when, how and why organisations will be allowed access.

Rental information

Rental information will not be directly part of the logbooks, but rental apps will be able to ‘see’ the data within them which could, among other uses, help prevent rental scams by confirming who a property’s landlord/owner is.

Not all landlrods are likely to welcome logbooks, which could make it easier for councils to check if a property being offered for rent has been licenced or has the correct certification including a Gas Safe certificate.

The first logbooks will be trialled in the second quarter of next year but there is plenty to do before then.

The key task is to define what information they will hold. At the moment this includes a property’s unique property reference number,

Title number, handover packs, legal documentation, records of work completed on a property plus internet links to utility companies, local authorities, government, the Land Registry and a range of certification bodies.

Any organisation that feels they might like to be a stakeholder is invited to contact Tim Main timmain@piphome.co.uk.

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