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
How can a tenant end a residential tenancy and stay within the law - usually with a Tenant's Notice to Quit?In practice most residential tenancies in England and Wales end (over 90 per cent of them) with tenants giving their landlord notice. These guidelines are based on English law and are not a
Farm and Land Tenancies Approximately one-third of all agricultural land in England and Wales is covered by agricultural tenancies. Tenancies allow people to farm without being landowners. As agricultural land is expensive, and the acreage now needed to make a viable operati
Landlords sometimes face a dilemma when they want to sell a rental property, or even a portfolio of their rental properties. Sometimes landlords have no choice but to sell as they are being forced to sell for financial reasons.Residential properties, unlike their commercial counterparts, always s
Assignment is when an existing and ongoing tenancy is transferred from one tenant to another. The person who transfers the tenancy is the assignor� and the person who the tenancy is transferred to is the assignee�.The outgoing tenant transfers his rights and obligations under the tenanc
Latest Research Suggests Basement Flats Are Safe As HousesBasement flats in West London have been found to be as secure from intruders as other types of apartments, according to research carried by Basement Flats, a newly-launched London publication.The magazine, which features news and informati
Section 26 Notice - My Commercial (Business Tenancy) Lease Agreement is coming to an end soon and my tenant has served on me a Section 26 Notice. What is this and what should I do?Commercial (Business) Tenancies in England & Wales are regulated by the Landlord & Tenant Act 1954 (Part 2).T
Uninhabitable Premises. My tenanted property is flooded. What are my legal obligations in this situation? Am I obliged to re-house my tenant? Must my tenant continue to pay rent?Landlords are under a general obligation to supply property in tenant able condition for the tenant to i
Question: Tenant Blacklists. I've had a very bad experience with a tenant and would like to put him on a black list so that other landlords don't have the same experience that I've had. How do I go about this?Answer: We often get asked this question.Although there have been several attempts by di
Sub-letting leasehold - I want to rent out my leasehold flat but the managing agent says the freeholder wont allow it. I know that other flats in the block are rented out, so what can I do? Landlords usually prohibit sub-letting to safeguard the interest.Landlords usually prohibit sub-letting
What are the implications of renting to a 17 year old or someone who is under the age of 18? We have an application from a 17-year old that is keen to rent but Im not sure this would be legal?</h2> Many landlords and housing providers would be concerned and therefore refuse to let to
Question - Rent Review - my landlord is asking for far more rent than I expected on review. Am I obliged to pay this?Answer - Commercial leases are contractual - the parties agree to and are bound by its clauses and that includes rent review provisions.The rent review process is a way of periodic
Re-selling Energy - As a landlord am I able to make a profit by re-selling electricity or gas?</h2>Resale of Gas and ElectricityThe maximum amount that Residential Landlords or resellers� are permitted to charge for gas or electricity is the amount they
The Government has revealed changes to planning regulations that will clamp down on short-lets in tourism hotspots such as the Lake District and seaside towns.
Housing secretary Michael Gove has announced restrictions on Airbnb style short-term lettings. He also wants to relax rules on permitted development rights for commercial to residential conversions, and he says he will abolish section 21 in this Parliament.
Landlords (and their agents) have a serious responsibility to undertake actions to protect tenants, visitors and passers-by, by preventing Legionella bacteria from causing a health hazard.
A consortium of London housing associations has warned the government that new affordable home-building is grinding to a halt.
The Covid years’ extreme effect on the capital’s lettings market appears to be significantly easing – although demand remains abnormally high.
A basic tenet of property rights that landlords should be able to reclaim their property after an agreed period from a tenant is being undermined by Michael Gove’s push to end Section 21 evictions, a leading free market thinktank has claimed.
The government is considering relaxing heat pump rules in England which manufacturers believe could result in a boost in sales.
New safety regulations due to impact private landlords in Scotland have been labelled a logistical nightmare by one Edinburgh letting agent.
Estate agents might have been deemed more untrustworthy than lawyers and traffic wardens in public polls, but the Royal Agricultural University aims to demonstrate the profession’s value by launching the UK’s first university course in residential estate agency.
The activities of a huge HMO renting scam gang has been uncovered following a four-year investigation, with the five key individuals and three companies involved fined a total of �434,000. Following an investigation by West Northamptonshire Councils Private Sector Housing Te
Private renters who complained to their landlord, letting agent or local council in the last three years were two and a half times (159%) more likely to be handed an eviction notice than those who kept quiet. New research from Shelter compiled by YouGov using online survey r
A landlord and her letting agency have together been fined more than �45,000 for illegally running an HMO. Barking and Dagenham Councils private sector housing team first discovered that professional landlord Husna Patel had not applied for, or been gr
Property firms using their own inventory services are undermining the sectors integrity, according to the Association of Independent Inventory Clerks. It wants the government to include measures in the Renters Reform Bill to guarantee more transparency
The Government has made several changes to how income and profits are taxed in recent years and some of these will take effect from the new tax year on 6th April, with higher earners and those letting via a limited company most affected. Heres the six changes
More than a quarter of people in some local communities dont have a passport, raising questions about their ability to pass Right to Rent checks. Research by digital identity firm, https://www.idcrypt.global/" target="_blank" ID Crypt Global, reveals that 1
Government's Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan empowers landlords to evict unruly tenants in two weeks,enhancing eviction grounds and court processes.
How to evaluate real estate investment opportunities with key metrics, risk checks, and ROI strategies for property success.
Generation Rent has appointed charity boss Ben Twomey as its new director, replacing Baroness Alicia Kennedy. Twomey joins the campaigning group from his current role as director of policy and communications at the National Youth Advocacy Service and has p
Ministers are considering a punitive scheme to fine landlords up to �30,000 if they fail to upgrade their properties to a minimum band C by an extended deadline of 2028 instead of the current 2025. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero had previ
National video maintenance platform Help me Fix is extending its reach to more self-managing private landlords with the launch of a new service. The software virtually connects tenants to tradespeople who can resolve simple maintenance issues remotely and for more complicated on
Landlords in the South of England are being invited to attend a landlord show being held by one of the regions larger letting agencies. Charters, which is holding even at its large HQ in Southampton tomorrow, says the show will offer buy-to-let landlords advice on how to mana
Housing ministers contradict on Renters Reform Bill timing after mixed signals from Rachel Maclean over publication date.
Barnet Council has announced new housing strategies based partly on its experience of a shrinking private rented sector. The London boroughs new Housing, Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy proposes increasing the supply of affordable housing for rent and
A council and housing association attracted as much criticism as private landlords in a Panorama investigation on the topic, Whats gone wrong with our housing? Last nights BBC1 programme initially talked about greedy landlords cashing in� at the B
Property expert and TV presenter Phil Spencer believes landlords are being disadvantaged by tax rules that have made the profession less attractive to investors. He says landlords are being forced out of the sector, leaving both them and renters in a vicious circle. Speaking at
Hosts Eddie Hooker and Paul Shamplina of the HFIS group are joined by David Smith , Head of Property Litigation at JMW Solicitors , legal advisor to the NRLA and a regular face in national media trusted for advising the private rented sector. <
More than half the privately rented properties in England saw a rent rise in the last year, according to new figures from the Office for National Statistics. It reports that 50.6% of properties in England experienced a price increase in February compared to 36% in February 2022.
A landlord has been fined for dumping piles of construction waste from his rental property on the side of a road. Timber, mattresses, carpets, tiles, and other household waste was removed from the house in Huntingdon as part of renovation works between tenants. Evide
A mature international student has turned to a crowdfunding site to raise �12,000 after his landlord demanded a years rent upfront. Mohamed Elsawwah, who lives in Birmingham with his wife and three children, has been studying international business in the UK for the last eig
The Government is preparing to compromise over its plans to abolish Section 21 'no fault' evictions by beefing up landlords ability to eject unruly tenants including those involved in anti-social behaviour, the Prime Minister has revealed. The initiative is part of the
Smaller portfolio landlords quitting UK rental sector, says Bank of England: mounting costs & regulation driving exits, reducing rental supply.
Letting agents and their landlords who advertise properties as 'no children' face being accused of breaking discrimination rules, it has been claimed following a campaign by Shelter. The organisation says agents who advertise properties as no children are now breaking The
Eviction expert Paul Shamplina warns of a social housing crisis post-Section 21 abolition, citing court delays and landlord uncertainty.
Short-term holiday lets platform Your.Rentals is raising on the crowdfunding site Seedrs as it seeks to expand its reach in the UK, raising some £1.3 million so far. The Copenhagen-based company, which is headed up by founder Andrew Martyn (main picture),
