15 Jun, 2025

Library

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EXPERT: Why are so many agents and landlords ignoring fees law?

EXPERT: Why are so many agents and landlords ignoring fees law?

News

The Tenant Fees Act has been in place for nearly four years but is it shocking how many property professionals, also known as letting agents, are either not aware of its existence, or believe they can charge a fee as long as they call it something else. I have looked at the 34 m

Planning permission for short-lets proposed in popular areas

Planning permission for short-lets proposed in popular areas

News

The Government has revealed plans to force those seeking to convert homes in short-let properties within Englands holiday hotspots to seek planning permission first. Such powers, which will see a new 'use class' and a 'permitted development right' introduced into planning law

OPINION: Yet another property training company bites the dust!

OPINION: Yet another property training company bites the dust!

Opinion

I have lost track of the number of firms offering property investment courses and investment vehicles that have gone bust in my own experience, some offering dodgy training courses or imaginative investment schemes of one sort or another, and right down to those plying outright scams. <p

TV: Shamplina defends landlords who conduct 'extreme tenant vetting'

TV: Shamplina defends landlords who conduct 'extreme tenant vetting'

News

TV star Paul Shamplina has defended landlords who ask tenants to provide additional referencing information such as copies of their CV or LinkedIn profiles. Appearing on TV this morning (watch below), he told presenters Eamon Holmes and Isabel Webster from GB News that in a high

Council warns of 'stiff HMO penalties' as it fines landlord �23,000

Council warns of 'stiff HMO penalties' as it fines landlord �23,000

News

A big council in the South East of England has warned landlords who dont licence their HMO properties that they face stiff fines for non-compliance. <figure id="" class="w-richtext-figure-type- " data-rt-type="" data-rt-align=""><div><img src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/63bef2f3c

COMMENT: Landlords have 'nothing to fear from looming Decent Homes Standard'

COMMENT: Landlords have 'nothing to fear from looming Decent Homes Standard'

News

Nearly two thirds of landlords support the Governments plans to introduce a set of minimum standards for the private rented sector, it has been claimed. BTL lender Paragon Bank says its polling among some 500 landlords reveals 62% either strongly or generally supported the De

Claiming EPCs will cost £1000s to upgrade from D to C 'inaccurate' says expert

Claiming EPCs will cost £1000s to upgrade from D to C 'inaccurate' says expert

News

There have been many articles in the media stating that it will cost £5,000 to £6,000 to improve a residential landlords EPC from D to C. James Tanner, whose family operates a London-based PRS portfolio,&nbsp;and&nbsp;who also runs a https://www.jtannerproperties.c

NEW: 36% of tenants would accept a rent increase from a good landlord

NEW: 36% of tenants would accept a rent increase from a good landlord

News

New research within the private rented sector has unearthed surprising attitudes to rent increases among tenants. Uswitch asked 2,000 renters whether they would accept an increase when renewing their rental contract and found that on average 36% would accept an increase while 50

BREAKING: £17.9 billion landlord bill for EPC upgrades revealed

BREAKING: £17.9 billion landlord bill for EPC upgrades revealed

News

Private landlords face a combined bill of �17.9 billion to upgrade their properties to a minimum EPC band C by 2025, with landlords in the capital facing the largest bill at �3.2 billion. Knight Franks figures highlight the looming crunch within the private rented sector pr

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10% of homes lacking carbon monoxide alarms

10% of homes lacking carbon monoxide alarms

News
News
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New research among tenants has found that nearly 10% of rented homes with gas appliances don’t have a carbon monoxide alarm fitted, leaving the landlords of these properties open to fines of up to £5,000.

HMO landlord loses fine appeal after blaming agent for rules breach

HMO landlord loses fine appeal after blaming agent for rules breach

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News
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An HMO landlord who blamed a guaranteed rent firm for breaching his licence has failed in his bid to overturn a £7,500 fine.

RICS member agents predict growing rental shortages

RICS member agents predict growing rental shortages

News
News
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RICS survey predicts growing shortage of rental properties. Demand is predicted to grow while supply declines.

HMO planning register rejected in East of England

HMO planning register rejected in East of England

News
News
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Councillors in Ipswich have rejected plans for a register of all HMO licensing applications in the town.

Renting reforms will pose 'serious risk' to self-managing landlords

Renting reforms will pose 'serious risk' to self-managing landlords

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News
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Landlords face considerable risks from self-managing their properties when the Renters’ Rights Bill goes live, according to a letting agent expert.

Rent controls will backfire, landlords warn Scots ministers

Rent controls will backfire, landlords warn Scots ministers

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News
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Scotland’s landlords and letting agents have warned that the country’s imminent rent controls will backfire.

Rent rewards app urges tenants to pay by card not BACS

Rent rewards app urges tenants to pay by card not BACS

News
News
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Landlords could soon be paid their rent via credit cards rather than bank transfer after a Spanish company said it plans to launch in the UK.

Renters' Rights Bill - a month on, what's happened?

Renters' Rights Bill - a month on, what's happened?

Opinion
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It's been just over a month since I last penned my thoughts for LandlordZONE, and in that brief period, the private rental sector has continued to evolve at rapid pace.

Landlord to pay £64,000 fine over 'hidden' HMO

Landlord to pay £64,000 fine over 'hidden' HMO

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News
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A rogue landlord has been handed a whopping £64,000 fine after he was found renting a five-bedroom house to 13 people.

Northern town to clamp down on landlords converting homes to HMOs

Northern town to clamp down on landlords converting homes to HMOs

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News
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Burnley Council has launched plans to clamp down on landlords converting homes into small HMOs.

BLOG: Are the Tories still game for renting reform?

BLOG: Are the Tories still game for renting reform?

Opinion
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PRS chief Sean Hooker relects on the bumpy ride landlords face in the coming months, and how they can get prepared for the changes.

Landlord mortgage costs leap to nearly 40% of rental income

Landlord mortgage costs leap to nearly 40% of rental income

News
News
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The average mortgaged landlord paid 37% of their rent on mortgage interest in August, up from a low of 24% in November 2021, according to Hamptons.

30 campaigning groups write to Rishi urging landlord reforms

30 campaigning groups write to Rishi urging landlord reforms

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News
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Thirty charities and non-profit organisations have written to the Prime Minister urging him to ensure the Renters Reform Bill is passed during this Parliament.

Property 'dating service' for landlords and tenants launches

Property 'dating service' for landlords and tenants launches

News
News
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Opinion
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A WhatsApp-style ‘dating service’ designed to marry up landlords and tenants has launched seeking to simplify London’s ‘chaotic’ private rented sector and rival established portals such as Rightmove and Zoopla.

40 per cent of tenants are struggling with rent payments

40 per cent of tenants are struggling with rent payments

News
News
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There’s now a significant proportion of adults in the UK struggling to meet their rent or mortgage payments

Buy-to-let profits nosedive for new buyers

Buy-to-let profits nosedive for new buyers

News
News
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Landlords who took out a new mortgage between April and June this year made an annual cash loss for the first time since 2007.

Absentee landlord handed fine for ignoring tenants

Absentee landlord handed fine for ignoring tenants

News
News
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A landlord who ignored improvement notices on his two unlicensed properties has been handed a £15,000 fine by magistrates.

Can tenancy contracts be signed electronically?

Can tenancy contracts be signed electronically?

Information
News
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It is very convenient and timely to accept documents relating to tenancies signed electronically and transmitted electronically - are they legal valid?

Agency pays high price for harassing tenants

Agency pays high price for harassing tenants

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News
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A letting agency in Hove has been ordered to pay nearly £69,000 for “abhorrent and vile” behaviour towards its tenants.

Kids and pets raise the cost of renting

Kids and pets raise the cost of renting

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News
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Renters with pets or children are paying as much as £460 more during their tenancy compared to other renters.

Private buying companies rush to snap up buy-to-let portfolios in bulk

Private buying companies rush to snap up buy-to-let portfolios in bulk

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News
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After a tough week, starting with reports from the Telegraph urging banks to “stop treating landlords like cash cows”.

Fewer landlords offering homes to rent reports RICS

Fewer landlords offering homes to rent reports RICS

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News
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A buoyant private rented market continues to outshine the struggling sales sector, although there is cause for optimism long-term, reports The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).

Two landlords 'banned' for not providing safety documents

Two landlords 'banned' for not providing safety documents

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Landlords wondering how the planned register for landlords in England may operate have been given a taste of what’s to come following a case in Glasgow.

Barclays ordered to pay leading landlord compensation

Barclays ordered to pay leading landlord compensation

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News
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Barclays has been ordered to pay benefits landlord Mick Roberts compensation over a long-running saga which saw him wrongly given a bad credit rating.

Landlords to face 52% higher costs when remortgaging BTL loans

Landlords to face 52% higher costs when remortgaging BTL loans

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News
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Landlords looking to re-mortgage until December 2024 at a typical 6.5% rate face an alarming 52% jump in their monthly mortgage payments, according to credit ratings agency DBRS Morningstar.

Landlords could put new life into UK high streets

Landlords could put new life into UK high streets

News
News
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Investing in commercial property can be an attractive alternative to buy-to-let

Landlords and tenants warned over shocking Facebook scams

Landlords and tenants warned over shocking Facebook scams

News
News
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An investigation has revealed that nearly all the flat listings on Facebook Marketplace in central Glasgow were potential scams.

Landlords tell Labour it must unfreeze 'unjust' LHA rates

Landlords tell Labour it must unfreeze 'unjust' LHA rates

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News
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Landlords have called on a future Labour government to scrap the ‘unjust’ Local Housing Allowance (LHA) freeze which has seen many tenants on benefits struggling to make up the gap between their rent and their housing payments.

Occupiers' Liability: What happens when a tenant is injured?

Occupiers' Liability: What happens when a tenant is injured?

Information
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Liability for personal injury. What is the landlord's position on liability for injuries to persons on or near his premises?

Bizarre link made between ageing and renting a home

Bizarre link made between ageing and renting a home

News
News
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Tenants in the private rented sector age biologically faster than homeowners, according to new research, which believes scrapping Section 21 will help reverse the process.

Deposits scheme removes fee to make renting cheaper

Deposits scheme removes fee to make renting cheaper

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News
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Tenants using Jersey’s tenancy deposit scheme will no longer have to pay a protection fee from next month.

Beware: Self-employed sex workers targeting rentals

Beware: Self-employed sex workers targeting rentals

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Landlords and letting agents should be aware that a new breed of online self-employed sex worker is targeting privately rentedproperties as ideal premises for their businesses, which two recent caseshandled by my team have highlighted.

Banned landlord takes on critics, claiming tenants 'love him'

Banned landlord takes on critics, claiming tenants 'love him'

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News
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A slum landlord who received the longest ever banning order has insisted that his tenants love him.

'Labour must help landlords if they want to solve housing crisis'

'Labour must help landlords if they want to solve housing crisis'

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News
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The NRLA has told the Labour party leadership to follow its own MPs advice and encourage landlords to provide more privately rented properties if it wants to solve the housing crisis.