Southwark Council has been given the green light for one of the UKs largest selective licencing schemes. It got approval from Housing Secretary Michael Gove following the introduction last year of a borough-wide additional licensing scheme for HMOs and a small, selective lic
Landlords and holiday homeowners continue to be clobbered by a tax grab from the Welsh Revenue Authority. The latest figures show revenue from the higher rate of stamp duty - Land Transaction Tax (LTT) - increased by 50% from �61 million in 2020/21 to �92 million in 2022/23 -
Migrant communities face discrimination while navigating the private rental market, according to new research by Generation Rent and Migrant Organise. Their poll of 126 migrant private renters found that 42% had struggled to find a landlord or letting agent to rent to them as a
The FT reports a surge in property stocks as inflation falls, and bricks and mortar property values could soon follow stocks? The latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) measure of inflation and prices, which includes consumer price inflation, producer price i
A landlord who failed to licence her six properties has ended up with a criminal conviction and hefty fines totalling nearly �18,000. London Land Holdings Ltd, London Land Holdings 1 Ltd and sole director of both companies, Susannah Meisner , were charged
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has called on the government to bring in a licensing system for short-term lets in a bid to protect the capitals housing supply. More than 80,000 properties are listed on https://www.airbnb.co.uk/london-united-kingdom/stays" target="_blank"
<figure id="" class="w-richtext-figure-type- " data-rt-type="" data-rt-align=""><div><img src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/63bef2f3c329eff8e3a4af45/64cb9a643c7c4a123ad31709_image-5.png" alt="" id="" width="auto" height="auto" loading="auto"></div></figure>There has been much in the pres
Whilst were not currently seeing the soaring temperatures seen in Southern Europe right now, it always pays to be prepared when it comes to protecting your property. Our partner, https://www.totallandlordinsurance.co.uk/?utm_source=landlordzone&utm_medium=tli+article&utm_ca
Police forces across four UK counties urge landlords and agents to report signs of cannabis farms in rented properties as part of Operation Scorpion.
Northern Ireland landlord shifts from residential to commercial property, citing frustration with UK’s heavy tax burden on residential landlords.
Over recent years, governments have tightened lettings legislation and increased the tax burden on landlords. Add on the current cost-of-living crisis, high mortgage rates, and the Renters (Reform) Bill making its way through Parliament, some landlords are understandably beginning to wonder if it’s
Landlords and industry professionals have been invited to share their thoughts on a new professional standard aimed at helping surveyors provide useful retrofitting advice. The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has launched a consultation on its draft <strong id=""
A contrite landlord has apologised to the tenant he tried to illegally evict after being rapped on the knuckles by Coventry Council. The landlord sent text messages telling his tenant to leave when they told him the rent would be late. He then visited the property and took the t
Section 21 is the biggest headline grabbing element of the Renters Reform Bill but will be the least effective pieces of the legislation. Thats according to letting agent Kristjan Byfield (main picture), co-founder ofhttps://www.baseps.co.uk/"
Shelter has this morning launched a campaign in partnership with the Co-operative Bank to persuade the Government to press ahead with its proposal to abolish Section 21 evictions. The two organisations have launched a PR stunt on Parliament Square today covering it with 172 card
New data reveals the extent of the landlord exodus prompted by the current mortgage rate surge with 36% of landlords polled revealing they plan to sell a property over the next 12 months. The proportion intending to sell some properties was at 30%, up from 28% the last tim
Landlords are increasingly likely to be renting to older tenants in the coming decade with the proportion of renters in private rented accommodation over 65 years old doubling to 11.5%, it has been reported. Letting agency Hamptons says its research reveal
A council crackdown has uncovered four unlicensed HMOs and one being used as a cannabis factory in Kettering and Corby. North Northamptonshire Council joined forces with Northamptonshire Police in a week-long inspection of 76 HMOs, four of which are still being investigated.
More than 5,000 leaseholders including landlords could get refunds on their ground rent after the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) secured assurances from nine firms that bought freeholds from housing developer Taylor Wimpey. Those leaseholders who paid a doubled
More councils are set to introduce Article 4 directions in a bid to clamp down on HMO development, with six currently waiting for approval. There are already about 45 local authorities in England partly or entirely affected by Article 4 which means planning permission is nee
A new landlord survey has revealed the effects of the Government's proposals to ban Section 21 evictions already feeding into the private rented sector. Evictions specialist Landlord Action canvassed some 1,500 landlords and found that 26% of those who had evicted a tenant over
Its known as silly season when the media focuses on light-hearted stories, but news that Jacob Rees-Mogg (pictured) is being mooted as the new Levelling Up Secretary has been seen by some as no laughing matter. As the leadership contest draws to a close, preparations fo
Making tax digital (MTD) for income tax is part of the governments long-term strategy to digitalise tax and will have implications for how landlords pay tax on their income. For those used to self-assessment, it will represent a change, but providing digital records will give businesses
VAT on Commercial Property is a complex topic and anyone wishing to understand these complexities in relation to their own situation should seek specialist advice. This article should give a broad brush general overview but you really should seek advice because errors can be irredeemable an
A rogue portfolio landlord has been banned from letting properties for five years after she admitted multiple offences relating to fire safety issues. Naomi Knapp, a landlord with 34 properties in Bristol, was convicted of eight banning order offences and will now be added to th
Urgent regulation of the spray foam industry is needed to prevent making thousands of homes un-mortgagable, warn leading property groups. Sprayed polyurethane expanding foams are often used in lofts, either to stabilise a failing roof covering or to provide extra insulation. But
Portsmouths HMOs are in the firing line again as growing numbers are being referred to the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) to have their council tax bands reassessed. Rather than paying tax on the whole property, each room can be classified as a band A at a cost of �1,200, wit
The Government has given buy-to-let landlords two compelling reason to sell-up, and fast: first is the overhaul of the rental rules coming next year, with indefinite tenancies and the end of section 21 evictions, and second comes the eroding of capital gains tax, tax free allowances. <p
New government funding to explore how technology can help dispute resolution could reduce the backlog of court cases, including possession hearings. The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has been awarded �119,691 from the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial St
Investigations have thrown new light on a series of solar energy investments which failed to switch the lights on for Thurrock Council. Conservative led Thurrock Council has saddled itself with an almost �500 million debt when it tried to bridge a funding gap by taking on risky
In this episode of the property cast, Eddie and Paul are joined by Nigel Lewis - award-winning property journalist and Editor in Chief at LandlordZONE, the most visited landlord news website in the UK. Nigel Lewis is a property writer and editor with a 27-year track record working for nation
In this episode of The Property Cast, Eddie and Paul are joined by Maxine Fothergill, President of the leading membership body for property agents, ARLA Propertymark. The trio discuss the topical issue of rental reform and ROPA, delving into the detail of what lies ahead for age
In this episode of The Property Cast, we discuss the myriad of issues surrounding damp, mould and condensation a common problem for landlords and letting agents alike. To explore this topic, Sean Hooker, Head of Redress at the Property Redress Scheme, steps into Eddies sh
Portsmouth is to go ahead with its contested additional licensing scheme but has promised to reward good landlords by charging them a lower licence fee and doing fewer inspections. Landlords had urged their council not to go ahead with plans to extend licensing to about 4,000 th
The long awaited renting reforms first muted in 2019 will be implemented next year, promises Housing Secretary, Michael Gove MP. Admitting that the Government should have moved more quickly� on these reforms to protect tenants following the Grenfell Tower tragedy, Mr Gove
A landlord battling to evict his nightmare tenants using a Section 8 order is exasperated that county court bailiffs encouraged them to stay put. The Cumbrian-based landlord had been granted a possession order, but his tenants - on bail for alleged drug offences and owing �3,00
The Government has averted a looming crisis in the HMO sector that would have seen many tenants charged individually for council tax, rather than paying a share of the propertys annual bill. As LandlordZONEhttps://www.landlordzone.co.uk/news/exclusive-official-counci
London Renters Union will picket successful estate agents across the capital next week who it blames for pushing up rents to unaffordable levels. Protests are planned in Tower Hamlets, Hackney and Crystal Palace on 3rd December by activists who have taken partic
The Welsh government has given a strong indication that landlords and property owners operating Airbnb holiday homes within its borders are to face a compulsory licensing scheme similar to the Rent Smart Wales scheme for the traditional private rental sector. This follows a parl
Landlords long-standing criticisms of health and safety regulation that tenants are often the cause of problems such as mould or water leaks look set to be addressed in new government guidance. Councils inspecting rented properties will be formally instructed to exami
Housing Secretary Michael Gove has ordered council bosses to prove they are assessing and improving damp and mould problems in the PRS. Following the death of toddler Awaab Ishak as a direct result of mould in his family home, Gove says theres an urgent need to ensure a decen
The tragedy of the death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak in a Rochdale social housing flat rests heavily on the minds of landlords across the country: could this happen in one of my own properties they might well ask? The answer is probably, yes it easily could. In a winter with ris
A Japanese knotweed infestation caused homeowner Charron Ishmael to take her neighbour, retired NHS consultant Dr Sheila Clark, to court over a dispute about the plant. Charron Ishmael was selling her property but because of the presence of the invasive plant in her neighbour
HMO landlords have again been warned that they must pass on the Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBSS) rebate to tenants as the first payments are made, this time by business secretary Grant Shapps (pictured). https://www.landlordzone.co.uk/news/latest-official-plans-to-for
Merton Council, which includes the famous Wimbledon lawn tennis centre, is embarking on a big push to license all rented properties and HMOs in the borough as well as limiting the growth of small HMOs. It wants landlords to take part in its new consultation on plans for <strong
Complaints from landlords and letting agents have been passed to LandlordZONE about a rent-to-rent provider whose founder is lauded online for raking in up to �12,000 a month. <figure id="" class="w-richtext-figure-type- " data-rt-type="" data-rt-align=""><div><img src="https://uploads-
Landlords face higher bills from next year after Chancellor Jeremy Hunt slashed the annual threshold for Capital Gains Tax from �12,300 to �6,000 next year and �3,000 from April 2024. Although a rise in CGT didnt materialise, he followed the Office of Tax Simplification
Landlords have accused the Government of "breaking the private rented sector" with its relentless regulatory and tax policies. The comments have been made by the NRLA, which says that while demand for rented homes is rising as home ownership becomes less affordable, the number o
Brighton & Hove Council is squeezing its HMO sector even harder by introducing a tough new set of policies designed to reduce their impact on local communities. Its City Plan Part 2 includes new guidance for those applying for planning permission as well as rules covering bu
The way that private rented sector (PRS) landlords operate their properties in Wales is going through one of the biggest changes in decades as the Welsh Government, under its devolved powers, pass and implement the https://www.legislation.gov.uk/anaw/2016/1/contents" target="_blank
Leicester city council councillors are to vote next week on plans to significantly widen local planning laws to clamp down on the spread of HMOs. The measures are to be brought in following a public consultation that finished in January this year. Leicester has had a
The mention of Japanses knoweed has the effect of putting the fear of God in property owners, but the bamboo plant, which is lesser known, can be even more devastating. Homeowners have been planting bamboo for years in Britain to create an exotic oriental ornamental feature or a
