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COMMENT: Government has got itself in a muddle over the rental market

COMMENT: Government has got itself in a muddle over the rental market

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Bidding wars, tenant CVs, queues outside properties � these phenomena have become common in the rental market across Britain.� So runs the editorial in this week's Su

Northern council prepares planning crackdown against HMO conversions

Northern council prepares planning crackdown against HMO conversions

News

Bolton council has revealed its intention to begin a coordinated campaign to rein-in the creation of more HMOs within its boundary including via planning and parking rules and

BREAKING: Fines for Right to Rent breaches to rise from £80 to £5,000 per tenant

BREAKING: Fines for Right to Rent breaches to rise from £80 to £5,000 per tenant

News

The Home Office has revealed plans to hugely increase the level of fines that landlords can face if they are found to have not checked tenants properly to see if they have the

Landlord fined £36,000 by court after fire reveals his property wasn't licenced

Landlord fined £36,000 by court after fire reveals his property wasn't licenced

News

A landlord in the North West has been handed a �36,000 fine after a fire at his property revealed it had not been licenced.

Warwick to charge landlords £1,116 as it doubles size of HMO licencing

Warwick to charge landlords £1,116 as it doubles size of HMO licencing

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Warwick is the latest local authority planning to more than double the size of its HMO licencing scheme, starting in January 2024. This follows a public consultation earlier t

Government tax 'windfall' revealed as more landlords sell their properties

Government tax 'windfall' revealed as more landlords sell their properties

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Official figures out today revealing a huge increase in capital gains tax paid on residential property sales can be explained by more landlords than usual selling rental homes

'Base rate rise will put landlords and tenants under even more financial strain'

'Base rate rise will put landlords and tenants under even more financial strain'

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Landlords have warned the Bank of England that its decision to raise the base rate by a quarter of a percent to 5.25% will only put more pressure on to renters and buy-to-let

ANALYSIS: Short term lets under threat...

ANALYSIS: Short term lets under threat...

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The rental market in the UK has undergone something of a revolution in recent years, with a significant shift away from permanent or long-term renting towards Airbnb style hol

Unusual legal win by landlord shows appealing council fines can be worth it

Unusual legal win by landlord shows appealing council fines can be worth it

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Landlords operating good-quality and well managed rented properties and who are of good character should fight unfair council fines for failing to licence properties, an unusu

Landlord company registrations rise as many seek to avoid higher tax bills

Landlord company registrations rise as many seek to avoid higher tax bills

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Higher taxes and the pandemic have significantly increased the number of landlords starting up limited companies rather than owning and operating properties personally, new re

Market rents hit £1,367 as void periods plunge

Market rents hit £1,367 as void periods plunge

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Market rents hit historic high of £1,367 PCM as void periods plunge—explore the market shift and what it means for landlords.

Is it fair that councils can fine landlords even though they too break the law?

Is it fair that councils can fine landlords even though they too break the law?

Opinion

There is a burning issue within the rented homes market that is grossly unfair on private landlords and that is never discussed by politicians or the trade associations that o

Landlord to pay tenants £12,500 because 'innocence of law is no defence'

Landlord to pay tenants £12,500 because 'innocence of law is no defence'

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Being ignorant of landlord law is no defence, a brutal legal point that has cost a landlord duo in London dearly after they were told by judges to repay their tenants �12,500

Looming EPC changes already skewing the buy-to-let market, claims finance boss

Looming EPC changes already skewing the buy-to-let market, claims finance boss

News

The Governments plans to force landlords to upgrade their properties to a minimum C energy efficiency standard is already affecting how rental properties are being purchased, the boss of a big money firm has claimed. Louisa Sedgwick, Commercial Director at Paragon Bank

City office space under threat as personified by Canary Wharf exodus

City office space under threat as personified by Canary Wharf exodus

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The pattern of office working is changing and nowhere is its effect on commercial property being felt more strongly than in Londons Docklands Canary Wharf. A once thriving financial centre The development of the wharf into a thriving financial centre just outsi

BREAKING: Gove green lights expensive new licencing scheme in Nottingham

BREAKING: Gove green lights expensive new licencing scheme in Nottingham

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Michael Gove has given Nottingham city council the green light to proceed with one of the UKs most expensive and controversial selective licensing schemes. Due to start on December 1st, it will require all rented properties within 20 of its wards to be licenc

Government is afraid EPC upgrades will be final straw for landlords, says big bank

Government is afraid EPC upgrades will be final straw for landlords, says big bank

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A leading lender believes the governments likely decision to row back on EPCs is linked to fears that it will hit an already struggling PRS. Earlier this week, Housing Secretary Michael Gove suggested a delay in bringing in energy efficiency plans for rental properties to

Property firm reports more landlords selling up as 'red tape' burden rises

Property firm reports more landlords selling up as 'red tape' burden rises

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Home buying company the Open Property Group (OPG) has reported a 56% jump in PRS property purchases during the past year, with landlords blaming red tape for their decision to sell up. It bought nearly �6 million worth of property from homeowners and landlords looking for a fas

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Enforcement – a thankless task

Enforcement – a thankless task

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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

Exclusive: landlords warned over new WhatsApp business usage rules

Exclusive: landlords warned over new WhatsApp business usage rules

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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

RENT TO RENT: '�Why landlords should read my horror story, so they don't get ripped off like me'

RENT TO RENT: '�Why landlords should read my horror story, so they don't get ripped off like me'

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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

LATEST: Landlords do not have to return deposits for ongoing tenancies signed BEFORE June 1st last year

LATEST: Landlords do not have to return deposits for ongoing tenancies signed BEFORE June 1st last year

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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=

Break Clauses in Residential & Commercial Leases

Break Clauses in Residential & Commercial Leases

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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

Exclusive: Rob Moore of Progressive Property reveals views on property academy regulation

Exclusive: Rob Moore of Progressive Property reveals views on property academy regulation

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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

LandlordZONE investigates: the unregulated world of rent-free 'in exchange for' tenancies

LandlordZONE investigates: the unregulated world of rent-free 'in exchange for' tenancies

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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

Flooding '� both a landlord's and a tenant's nightmare...

Flooding '� both a landlord's and a tenant's nightmare...

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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

Possession Claims Online

Possession Claims Online

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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

TAX: Raise stamp duty for landlords urges leading Tory MP

TAX: Raise stamp duty for landlords urges leading Tory MP

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Leading Tory MP Anthony Browne (main pic) has urged the government to ditch stamp duty for home buyers but increase the tax rate for investors. The chair of the 1922 Backbench Treasury Committee says people buying homes to live in are over-taxed while those buying properties for

RENT RISE: Landlord pushes back against tenant's public complaint

RENT RISE: Landlord pushes back against tenant's public complaint

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A landlord has spoken out to defend a substantial rent increase after its tenant complained about his eviction to the local newspaper. Richard Symonds told https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/" target="_blank" Sussex World tha

Opinion: dealing with the thorny issue of damp and mould

Opinion: dealing with the thorny issue of damp and mould

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Damp and mould has always been a very difficult issue to deal with for landlords, but the recent case of Awaab Ishak and the rapid and direct involvement of Government has really brought matters to a head. The death of a Rochdale social housing tenants son, Awaab Ishak, has l

NEW: Shelter says landlords 'still rejecting tenants based on race'

NEW: Shelter says landlords 'still rejecting tenants based on race'

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The boss of housing charity Shelter has repeated the organisations previous assertion that tenants seeking properties in the private rented sector (PRS) too often face racism from both landlords and letting agents. Polly Neates comments have been published by the BBC withi

MOULD: Minister vows to speed up 'Awaab's Law' as thousands sign petition

MOULD: Minister vows to speed up 'Awaab's Law' as thousands sign petition

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The government has vowed to expedite a proposed law forcing landlords to respond quickly to complaints about damp and mould. Housing minister Felicity Buchan (pictured) told MPs that proposals were being worked through, after it announced plans last week t

Birmingham proceeds with HMO licensing expansion despite opposition

Birmingham proceeds with HMO licensing expansion despite opposition

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Birmingham council has concluded its consultation into an additional licensing scheme across the city that would include 9,500 properties in all 69 wards. Following a full cabinet meeting report on the scheme's consultation which included several landlords sessions organised by

Heartless' landlord fined �175,000 over dilapidated and unlicensed HMO

Heartless' landlord fined �175,000 over dilapidated and unlicensed HMO

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A rogue landlord who let out an unlicensed HMO with no working kitchen, unusable toilets, blocked drains and rats, has been fined a whopping �175,000. Adam Ali had turned the former Anchor Hotel in Cobham Road, Westcliff-on-Sea (pictured), into an HMO whe

Former Tory housing ministers call for radical shake-up of policy

Former Tory housing ministers call for radical shake-up of policy

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Four former housing ministers have backed a Tory thinktank policy paper that urges a radical rethink of government housebuilding policies. The Centre for Policy Studies report, The Case for Housebuilding , explains how the UKs massive shortfall in homes

Big Issue founder: Ministers must help landlords to prevent evictions

Big Issue founder: Ministers must help landlords to prevent evictions

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Big Issue founder John Bird has called on the government to help landlords prevent rent rises. The magazines editor-in-chief - a crossbench peer in the House of Lords - says it needs to stop households who cannot pay their rent from being evicted, warning of a surge in homele

Scotland replaces rent freeze with rent cap

Scotland replaces rent freeze with rent cap

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Scottish government replaces controversial rent freeze with 3–6% cap from April, after landlord backlash.

NEW: Serial NW rogue landlord banned from PRS for three years

NEW: Serial NW rogue landlord banned from PRS for three years

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A serial rogue landlord has become the first in the North West region to be served with a banning order after he failed to improve poor housing conditions in his unlicensed properties. Wirral Council had previously prosecuted Frank Morrow from New Brighton

Landlords and agents seek judicial review of Scots rent controls

Landlords and agents seek judicial review of Scots rent controls

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A coalition of landlords and letting groups is seeking a judicial review of the Scottish governments rent control and eviction ban legislation.&nbsp; The Scottish Association of Landlords , Scottish Land and Estates and <strong id=

Deadline looms for overseas landlords to register homes or face jail

Deadline looms for overseas landlords to register homes or face jail

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Overseas entities that bought UK property before 1st August 2022 must register with Companies House by 31st January or risk a fine and jail time. Thehttps://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3120" https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3120" target="_blank" id=""

HMRC defends mortgage tax relief cuts as 'fair' in petition response

HMRC defends mortgage tax relief cuts as 'fair' in petition response

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A petition urging the reversal of the controversial Section 24 https://www.landlordzone.co.uk/news/autumn-statement-chancellor-reveals-tax-rises/" tax changes for landlords has received a written response from the government after reaching some 28,000 signatures. <p id

NEW: Landlords turning to north for better deals and yields, reveals report

NEW: Landlords turning to north for better deals and yields, reveals report

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Buy-to-let investors are increasingly turning their sights on the north of England in the quest for better deals and yields. In 2015, just four of the 10 top local authorities for landlord purchases were in the north, but by last year, all ten were, according to data from <a hre

Letting agents report 'perfect storm' facing them and their landlords

Letting agents report 'perfect storm' facing them and their landlords

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Letting agents are worried about landlords selling up, new legislation, rising costs and an upsurge of abuse across the sector. A https://www.propertymark.co.uk/" target="_blank" Properymark survey found that most feared landlords quitti

LAW: Landlord escapes �15,000 bill after tribunal's 'surprising' decision

LAW: Landlord escapes �15,000 bill after tribunal's 'surprising' decision

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Three tenants have only been awarded 20% of a rent repayment order application after a tribunal went easy on their forgetful landlord. Lawrence Hoo admitted he had not renewed an additional HMO licence for the property in St Marks Grove, Easton, Bristol, but had applied as soon

House prices to fall by 10 per cent this year says bank boss...

House prices to fall by 10 per cent this year says bank boss...

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Speaking at Davos, the Swiss ski resort where the World Economic Forum holds its annual meeting, Lloyds bank CEO Charlie Nunn said that the UK house price fall will be limited. His views are bolstered by recent numbers on the progress of the UK economy which managed a second

Scots 'flippant disregard' of PRS will make housing shortage worse

Scots 'flippant disregard' of PRS will make housing shortage worse

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The Scottish governments flippant disregard for the private rental sector will only exacerbate the housing crisis, warns industry group Propertymark, which wants an urgent review of landlord taxation. <figure id="" class="w-richtext-figure-type- " data-rt-type="" data-rt-align="

London rents jump 20% as listings hit four-year low

London rents jump 20% as listings hit four-year low

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London rents surged 20% in 2022; December's average weekly rent hit £551, with 18 renters competing per property, reports Foxtons.

Legal notes: serving notice when there is no current gas safety certificate

Legal notes: serving notice when there is no current gas safety certificate

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When a tenant refuses the Gas Safe engineer access to a property to carry out gas safety checks the landlord is presented with a really difficult problem. Tenants denying access for things like safety checks, repairs and maintenance or regular inspections is not unheard off, in

LATEST: Big city to go live with controversial selective licensing plan

LATEST: Big city to go live with controversial selective licensing plan

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Nottingham councillors have agreed to ask the government to approve the citys new selective licensing scheme. Proposals for its second scheme will cover a slightly smaller area in the city than the current scheme, but would include some new areas such as parts of Broxtowe and

LICENSING: Landlord fails to appeal �2,500 fine for unlicenced HMO

LICENSING: Landlord fails to appeal �2,500 fine for unlicenced HMO

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A Haringey landlord has failed in his attempt to have a �2,500 fine thrown out by a First Tier Property Tribunal . The landlord, who the council won't name, was fined by Haringey private sector housing team for letting an unlicensed three-storey HMO in Hor

Think British evictions are a pain? Then try it in Germany warn landlord duo

Think British evictions are a pain? Then try it in Germany warn landlord duo

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German landlords have plenty in common with their British counterparts but must also contend with even longer legal battles, according to one young couple whove had to evict problem tenants. Sascha and Angelika Rothe live in southern Germany where an eviction action can take

Tenants' bad habits must be challenged over mould, says landlord

Tenants' bad habits must be challenged over mould, says landlord

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Landlords should challenge tenants about their bad habits which lead to condensation mould or risk resulting health problems and higher maintenance bills, it has been claimed. One large-scale portfolio landlord with properties nationwide - known as the Secret Landlord - says tha