Date

Library

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

London landlords to repay tenants £45,000 after Tribunal decisions

London landlords to repay tenants £45,000 after Tribunal decisions

News

Three London landlords are to pay over £45,000 in rent back to their tenants following separate Tribunal decisions, highlighting the increasing risks of Rent Repayment Orders as renters become more aware of the huge sums that are often involved.

Council launches licencing despite 'NO' from 73% of landlords

Council launches licencing despite 'NO' from 73% of landlords

News

The London Borough of Lambeth is to launch a £923 per property selective licencing scheme in four wards this September after a lengthy consultation period that began in December last year.

EXCLUSIVE: Landlord reveals why his green upgrade cost £150,000

EXCLUSIVE: Landlord reveals why his green upgrade cost £150,000

News

A landlord who raised a rental property's EPC from a band F to an A has urged others to make energy efficiency improvements that benefit both their property and their tenants.

Controversial landlord given suspended sentence over harrassment

Controversial landlord given suspended sentence over harrassment

News

Controversial landlord Fergus Wilson has been handed a suspended prison sentence after being found in contempt of court for breaching an injunction preventing him from harassing staff and councillors at Ashford Borough Council.

Northern council green lights £653 selective licencing scheme

Northern council green lights £653 selective licencing scheme

News

Stockton on Tees councillors have given the green light to a new selective licensing scheme covering three areas of the borough.

Rising rents 'disincentivising tenants to move home'

Rising rents 'disincentivising tenants to move home'

News

Tenants are now facing bigger rent rises when they renew their contract than when they move into a new rental home.

Rent caps ARE a possibility in England reveals senior Labour figure

Rent caps ARE a possibility in England reveals senior Labour figure

News

Rent caps could be introduced in England by a Labour government, the party’s shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves said over the weekend.

Manchester mayor reveals £600,000 landlord crackdown

Manchester mayor reveals £600,000 landlord crackdown

News

Mayor Andy Burnham has announced plans including a new Property Check scheme for tenants whose landlords won’t work with the council voluntarily.

Landlord fined £14,000 over 'dangerous' property

Landlord fined £14,000 over 'dangerous' property

News

A landlord who let three of his properties fall into dangerous disrepair has been ordered to pay almost £14,000.

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

Renters (Reform) Bill - we take a first look at the radical new legislation

Renters (Reform) Bill - we take a first look at the radical new legislation

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

The Renters (Reform) Bill has finally had its first reading in Parliament, promising a fair deal to renters, faster redress for landlords and giving more details on how 'pets with lets' will work. Heralded as a once-in-a-generation overhaul of housing laws�, the government

Purplebricks sold to rival for �1 after senior team throw in the towel

Purplebricks sold to rival for �1 after senior team throw in the towel

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Purplebricks, which at one stage was used by thousands of landlords to manage their properties, has announced that its assets and business are to be sold to rival Strike for �1, pending approval by its shareholders. Any funds remaining in the firm some �5.5 million are

Gove to approve looser rules for HMO landlords housing asylum seekers

Gove to approve looser rules for HMO landlords housing asylum seekers

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Housing Secretary Michael Gove is set to push through new rules on HMO safety for housing asylum seekers with little fanfare on the same day that the Renters Reform Bill is published. The changes outlined in the proposed https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukdsi/2023/9780

BLOG: 'Reform bill will solve the problem of pet damage for landlords'

BLOG: 'Reform bill will solve the problem of pet damage for landlords'

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

The long-awaited Renters (Reform) Bill will finally be introduced in parliament after Prime Minister's Questions today. Setting out plans for 12 key reforms to the private rental sector, the 11th pledge - to give tenants the right in law to request a pet, which should not be unr

Agents who lack licencing law know-how 'putting landlords at risk'

Agents who lack licencing law know-how 'putting landlords at risk'

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Bungling letting agents with a lack of legal understanding are putting landlords at risk of prosecution, it has been claimed. One landlord expert has advised caution when signing up with a firm in the current climate of increasing legislation and falling profits, particularly fo

Opinion: does Michael Gove know something we don't?

Opinion: does Michael Gove know something we don't?

Opinion
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

It would seem that successive Tory governments have waged an ongoing and progressively more vicious war on buy-to-let landlords, but this latest layer of legislation goes much further. Yes, this latest iteration, and one thats https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/1768/s

EXTRA red tape, scams and repairs drive more landlords to use agencies

EXTRA red tape, scams and repairs drive more landlords to use agencies

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Almost two thirds (63%) of private landlords who manage their own properties are tired of sorting out repairs and dealing with red tape and considering using a letting agency or property manager instead.  A Uswitch poll of 2,000 landlords found that the most common reason t

Labour to 'go further than Tories' with harsher Decent Homes Standard

Labour to 'go further than Tories' with harsher Decent Homes Standard

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Labour has promised to ramp up the pressure on private landlords by introducing a legally binding Decent Homes Standard 2. Its latest draft policy programme a provisional blueprint likely to shape the next general election manifesto includes a proposal to take the

Starmer 'set to U-turn on rent controls' as London Mayor pleads for more powers

Starmer 'set to U-turn on rent controls' as London Mayor pleads for more powers

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Keir Starmer is set to rebuff previous calls by London mayor Sadiq Khan to bring in a rent freeze, it has been reported. Khan has been banging his rent freeze drum for months now as the cost-of-living crisis has hit many tenants personal finances, telling the BBC in Oct

Agents report unusually quiet rental property market

Agents report unusually quiet rental property market

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Fewer would-be tenants registered with letting agents in December, while rental stock levels also dipped during the typically quieter seasonal period.

BBC probes complaint against infamous Scots landlord

BBC probes complaint against infamous Scots landlord

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

A tenant has told of how a man – who he believes is landlord and controversial businessman Mark Fortune – threatened him over a rent row.

'Scrap extra Stamp Duty for landlords to solve rental crisis'

'Scrap extra Stamp Duty for landlords to solve rental crisis'

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

The Chancellor has been urged to scrap the extra Stamp Duty paid by landlords when buying properties after new research shows the extra activity within the PRS - if it was scrapped - would generate an extra £10 billion in tax revenue for the Government.

Airbnb warns landlords over new HMRC reporting rules

Airbnb warns landlords over new HMRC reporting rules

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

The tax net is closing in on property owners who use short-let platforms to earn rental income from their portfolios but not pay tax on it, Airbnb has warned.

Landlords slam Scotland's latest rent controls measures

Landlords slam Scotland's latest rent controls measures

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Scottish landlords say the country’s new 'rent arbitration scheme' which for most people is rent controls by the back door, will only exacerbate existing problems and worsen access to housing.

Landlords: it's time to get 2024 off to a flying start

Landlords: it's time to get 2024 off to a flying start

Sponsored
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

You’re a landlord looking to sell, but last year was a challenge. In 2024, it’s time to get your portfolios and properties sold and get you moving on to your next projects.

Home counties borough warns landlords over imminent HMO crackdown

Home counties borough warns landlords over imminent HMO crackdown

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

HMO owners in Gravesham are being given a last chance to get their house in order ahead of a crackdown on unlicensed properties.

40% of people worried about paying rent or mortgage

40% of people worried about paying rent or mortgage

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Two in five (40%) of people who pay housing costs in England – equivalent to 12 million adults – are worried their housing pressures will get worse this year.

What's your opinion on being a landlord? Fill in this survey!

What's your opinion on being a landlord? Fill in this survey!

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Landlords are being urged to fill in a survey on the state of the private rented housing market and some of the key topics likely to be affecting them in the coming months.

Martin Lewis urges London tenants to report non-compliant landlords

Martin Lewis urges London tenants to report non-compliant landlords

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Money expert Martin Lewis has advised tenants in London to check if they are in line for a big pay-out when renting unlicensed properties.

Landlords ARE exiting the market and reforms will make it worse, say agents

Landlords ARE exiting the market and reforms will make it worse, say agents

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

A survey of the nation’s letting agents has revealed that two thirds of them have seen a significant increase in the number of landlords either exiting the private rented sector (PRS) or reducing the size of their portfolio.

Is commercial property set for a rebound in 2024?

Is commercial property set for a rebound in 2024?

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

The commercial property sector has been particularly badly hit with reduced property values and rents, and increased lending costs, but it's not all doom and gloom

Be ready for new safety rules on March 1st, Scots landlords warned

Be ready for new safety rules on March 1st, Scots landlords warned

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Landlords in Scotland will have to meet a raft of measures to keep their properties up to scratch when new rules come in on 1st March.

Minister reveals new green scheme and cash for landlords

Minister reveals new green scheme and cash for landlords

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Landlords will be able to apply for bespoke green loans and cashback rewards to make their properties more energy efficient under a new government-backed scheme.

Looking to reduce your tax bill? Then you're in good 'company'

Looking to reduce your tax bill? Then you're in good 'company'

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Mortgage brokers are bracing themselves for more landlords seeking to borrow via limited companies during 2024, it has been claimed.

Government becomes shareholder in PRS investment platform

Government becomes shareholder in PRS investment platform

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

The government has become an investor in PRS financing platform Shojin through the conversion of a pandemic-era loan facilitated by the Future Fund scheme.

Council proposes unusual property licencing REDUCTION!

Council proposes unusual property licencing REDUCTION!

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Landlords are being urged by a London councl to take part in a consultation on plans for a new, slimmed down selective licensing scheme.

Bad plumbing not mould is top concern for private tenants

Bad plumbing not mould is top concern for private tenants

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Two thirds of private renters had an issue with the quality or condition of their home during the past six months, according to new research, with plumbing problems top of the list.

Winchester council latest to become big private landlord

Winchester council latest to become big private landlord

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Winchester City Council has set up its own housing company, Venta Living, one of a growing number of councils going down the private route to help meet the growing demand for rental properties.

Landlord fined £6,500 after member of public reports HMO

Landlord fined £6,500 after member of public reports HMO

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

A landlord in Norfolk has been fined £6,500 after a significant investigation by local housing officers.

Mental health – are we doing enough in the HMO sector?

Mental health – are we doing enough in the HMO sector?

Opinion
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

One might immediately answer 'no' to this question, but does the HMO property industry possess adequate understanding of this delicate subject to address it effectively?

Lawyer warns landlords NOT to blame tenants for mould

Lawyer warns landlords NOT to blame tenants for mould

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

A senior lawyer has told landlords that they cannot blame their tenants if mould appears within privately rented homes.

Letting agent avoids jail after defrauding seven landlords

Letting agent avoids jail after defrauding seven landlords

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

A fraudulent letting agent who ripped off landlords by failing to register their deposits has escaped a jail sentence.

Absentee landlord to pay tenants £10k over mouldy, unlicenced property

Absentee landlord to pay tenants £10k over mouldy, unlicenced property

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Three tenants have pocketed £10,060 between them after winning a rent repayment order against their landlord for letting out a mouldy HMO with “lamentable” fire safety.

Tribunal orders big landlord to pay £16m toward cladding costs

Tribunal orders big landlord to pay £16m toward cladding costs

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

One of the UK’s largest private landlords has been ordered to pay £16 million towards the cost of fixing cladding-related fire safety problems at a group of five residential towers in London.