Amongst the ways to agree or ascertain the (open) market rent at rent review or on renewal of a lease, (per s.34-s35 Landlord and Tenant Act 1954), is the use of comparable evidence.At rent review, the market rent for the premises is not what rent the actual tenant would agree or could afford, bu
There are two instances of section 20 notices in property in England:(1) is the notice served in relation to early shorthold tenancies under the Housing Act 1988, and the other,(2) refers to section 20 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, as amended by the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act (CLR
Who pays for maintenance and repairs in a residential letting, landlord or tenant?Is it, for example, a tenants responsibility once they occupy my building to look after most of the regular house maintenance items? If the fridge stops working does the tenant or the landlord need to repair it?Y
With commercial property, rent reviews are generally to the open market rent, but sometimes the rent would be adjusted to the Retail Price Index (RPI). RPI is generally considered more favourable to landlords than CPI or other methodologies.There is no link between open market rent and inflatio
Amongst the thorny issues in the relationship between landlord and tenant is the building insurance premium. Unlike residential property where the landlord has a vested interest in making sure the premium is competitive, because more than likely the premium would not be recoverable from the tenan
Theres recently been a spate of press reports and political wrangling about the existence of Zero-Hour Contracts. This has become something of a hot political issue as we approach a general election, and one surprising development is recent attempts to embroil landlords in the issue, as if the
Traditionally, with commercial (business) leases, a contractual provision within the lease specifies the use, or uses to which a property may be put and the uses which are prohibited.The formal classification of Uses� are set out in the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987 as a
As most Assured Shorthold Tenancies (AST) are by definition, short, there is usually no need for landlords to get involved in processing a rent increase.However, some ASTs run for long periods after the fixed term has ended, i.e., when the tenancy becomes a statutory periodic tenancy, hence there
The ideal for any landlord is for the tenant to have a guarantor and provide a rent deposit. But which is better when the landlord has to choose?The starting point is the status of the tenant. With a tenant that is one person (an individual) the likelihood of that person being of independent fina
When you rent out a property two vital stages in the process are when you check-in your tenants at the start of the tenancy and check-out at the end.Preparation is the key to a trouble free let. When you prepare properly you are carrying out management processes so that nothing is left to chance
Elsewhere on LandlordZONE (at https://www.landlordzone.co.uk/information/what-is-a-section-25-notice" https://www.landlordzone.co.uk/information/what-is-a-section-25-notice and https://www.landlordzone.co.uk/information/what-is-a-section-26-notice-2 ) you can find out about sec
Contrary to popular belief, 'upward-only' rent review does not mean the rent must increase.An 'upward-only' review means that the rent payable after the review to open market rental is agreed or ascertained would not be less than the rent payable before the rent review, even if the open market re
There are dangers with using the Section 8 possession claims process under the Housing Act 1988 which are not always apparent to landlords and agents.There is always a temptation to use section 8 because the shorter notice period (usually 2 weeks) is much quicker to court than the alternative - s
What is a Section 25 Notice? My business lease is coming to an end and my landlord has served on me a Section 25 Notice.Commercial (Business) Tenancies in England & Wales are regulated by the Landlord & Tenant Act 1954 (Part 2).This means that when the fixed term ends (end of lease) the b
Section 48 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1987 states that landlords of residential tenancies in England and Wales must furnish their tenants with an address in England & Wales at which notices can be served. Failure to do so will mean that any claim for rent, rent arrears or service charges
Should landlord insist on renewing fixed term tenancies or allow them to lapse into periodic tenancies?In essence a tenancy is the right to possess and occupy land belonging to another. A tenancy gives the occupier a legal interest in the land for a defined period of time.A relationship of landlo
A section 213 notice is a prescribed form notice which must be served on your tenant, or another person, if they provided a deposit for a rental.If you have taken a deposit for an Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST) in England & Wales (the rules in Scotland & Northern Ireland are similar but
This is a handy check list for use to help you ensure you are serving a valid section 21 notice. Section 21 of the Housing Act 1988 (as amended 1996 & 2004) provides a means of re-gaining possession of a residential property in England & Wales. Other UK jurisdictions are similar but there
The other week, I had the opportunity to shadow the Harrow Council Housing Enforcement Officers, who feature with me on for Channel 5's Nightmare Tenants Slum
Landlords who use WhatsApp to communicate with tenants are exposing themselves to legal action from the global communications giant, which is owned by Facebook and in the UK is the most popular way to text friends and family. The free-to-use service has quietly ushered in new te
Read our interview with a London landlord who is significantly out of pocket after signing up to a three-year guaranteed rent scheme recommended to her by a reputable letting agent. A landlord is urging othersto be wary of letting their pro
The tenant fees ban and its five-week cap on deposits does not come in fully for all tenancies until later this year, landlords should note. Government authorised tenancy deposit protectionprovider https://www.mydeposits.co.uk" id=
Tenant & Landlord Breaks: A break clause is common in both private residential tenancy agreements and commercial leases, therefore it is highly advisable that both landlords and tenants are familiar with the nature of break clauses in their lease and understand their rig
Following our recent article on property investment academies and the questionable activities of some operators, we asked the leading player in the market what should happen next. Last monthLandlordZONE shone a light into the famously Wild W
Thousands of people in the UK live rent free in return for providing services and sometimes, just companionship. But the sector is unregulated and such tenancies are a huge risk for both tenant and landlord alike. An investigation by Landlo
Storms & Floods : Given the severityof the bad weather and floods in some areas of the country recently,the past weeks have been an extremely anxious time for some tenantsand landlords. Unfortunately itappears that these worries are not goi
Section 21 : Not every landlordor agent would consider handling a possession claim themselves, butthe good news is, it can be done the system is designed for LIGs litigants in person. Everyone has theright to speak for themselves in co
Thinking of growing a buy-to-let portfolio? Start smart, reinvest profits, diversify, stay compliant, and think long-term for lasting success and inco
While tenant numbers are steadily growing, the number of private rented properties has been shrinking
Specialist lender OSB Group has launched Rely, a dedicated buy-to-let lending brand to support landlords.
Average end-of-tenancy charges for students including arrears, cleaning, and damages were significantly lower last year than rest of PRS.
Smart landlords are selling now, making more upfront than years of rent - 85–90% of market value, fast and hassle-free.
Sutton wants to widen its licensing activities to include smaller HMOs, which number nearlyh 1,000 within the borough.
Three key rental sector organisations have joined to warn the Government that its rental reforms are causing significant concerns.
Changes to EPC assessments mean higher energy assessment costs for landlord, that's on top of what it will cost many landlords to upgrade properties
Council has hatched plans to start charging Airbnb users for parking and is also considering a ban on full-time Airbnbs in new builds and designating
Paul Shamplina headlined NRLA On Tour London, delivering key insights on legal changes for landlords at a sold-out, sector-shaping event.
A high-profile tax expert has labelled HMRC’s Making Tax Digital (MTD) regime – set to hit landlords next year - as ‘pointless and costly’.
Peterborough Council boasts that its aggressive approach to selective licensing has driven significant improvements in the town’s private rental secto
The Mortgage Works has reduced its 'stress test' rate which is used to assess whether a landlord can afford loan payments.
London’s rental sector is full of opportunity for both landlords and tenants, says Foxtons, which reports an explosion in tenancy applications.
A former estate agent who posed as a landlord to con would-be tenants out of more than £200,000 has been jailed.
Hackney plans to launch selective licensing in 17 of its 21 wards as well as a borough-wide additional licensing scheme.
Landlords currently seeking a five-year fixed rate BTL mortgage on a property with an EPC rating below band C could be turned down before net
Great Yarmouth council has revealed more details of its proposed selective licensing scheme for landlords.
Landlord Action founder also says landlords have been unfairly cast as villains in recent years.
Scottish landlords have urged their government to pause Additional Dwelling Supplement (ADS) for landlords to help ease the 'housing crisis'.
Just 44% of landlords agree with Southampton Council’s plans to introduce additional licensing.
Bolton Council has agreed tough new rules to control HMO conversions – two years after first coming up with the idea.
This Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act has important implications for private landlords when letting their properties
Lawyer David Smith looks at several clauses within the Act which appear to mandate local authorities to bring all errant landlords to book.
