Providing a Reference - I have been asked to provide a reference for one of my tenants who is moving on. What is my legal position in this and am I putting myself at risk if I say he was a bad tenant?</h2> Referencing (seeking verification of a tenants past performance) is an increasi
Polystyrene Ceiling Tiles - is it legal to have these tiles in the kitchen of a rental property?</h2> There are currently no regulations specifically banning the use of polystyrene ceiling tiles in existing rented property.However, it is unlikely that local authority fire officers and en
Misrepresentation - We recently rented out our rural cottage to a couple. As they wanted to use their computers I said it was possible to get high-speed broad-band. I thought this would be possible but it seems it is not at this time. The couple are now claiming that I misled them and that
I'm receiving mail for previous tenants and some of them are from debt collectors. Will this get my property black listed and cause problems for my current tenants and myself in the future?</h2> It's fairly common to have mail arriving for months and even years after residents have left,
Long Term AST - My prospective tenant has asked for a tenancy term of 6 years. Can I use the usual Assured Shorthold Tenancy agreement for this?</h2> The Assured Shorthold Tenancy is the default tenancy for residential lettings and since October 2010 this applies to rents up to �100,000
Question: How long should accounts be kept to satisfy the authorities, things like accounting files, invoices and tax records, as a property landlord?Answer: You must keep your records for 6 years after the tax year to which they apply, whether or not you complete a tax return.It's a good idea, a
Expiry of Section 21 Notice - I have served a Section 21 (s21) Notice on my tenant but don't wish to start proceedings immediately. Can I wait without the notice expiring?Once a Section 21 notice has been served correctly it continues indefinitely, until such time as the tenancy is ended, either
Covenant and Covenant Strength - What is a legal covenant and what is the significance of the terms in relation to rental property and lettings ?</h2>The term covenant can have several meanings and has biblical origins but it is of particulalry significance
2 years ago I purchased a company with a 10 year lease from my ex boss, on a 10 year lease, the lease was set up by a solicitor. After 2 years the business is struggling and is not viable. I feel that my solicitor ill advised me as there was no break clause mentioned. Where do I stand on t
Good Left in the Premises or Uncollected GoodsFrequently, tenants leave goods after their tenancy has concluded or when they have abandon the premises during a tenancy. Uncollected goods and possessions left or abandoned in premises by tenants can pose a real problem for landlords.
<h1 Standing Order</h1>What are Bankers' Standing Orders?</h3><ul <li Standing Orders allow landlords to automate the process of collecting rents</li> <li They safeguard tenants in that the landlord cannot change the payment amount, as is the case with direct debit
The Possession Procedure - 1988 Housing ActThe possession procedure under Section 8 of the Housing Acts 1988 & 1996 is known as the Section 8 Route and is available to landlords where the tenant is in breach of one or more terms of
Renting or Leasing Commercial Property Renting commercial property usually represents a major part of the operating costs involved in running any business. If you include surveyor's and solicitor's fees, rent, business rates, insurance,
Types of Tenure: A tenancy gives the tenant a legal interest in the land and property - in effect, legal ownership for the period of the tenancy. Tenancies can take several forms: <ul <li Rent Act or Regulated Tenancies - pre </li> <li
<h1 Joint or Single Shared Tenancies</h1>Shared House (Joint Tenants) or Individual Rooms (Single Tenants)? Where a landlord lets to multiple and usually unrelated tenants there are two main ways of doing this:(1) As a Joint Tenancyng
These are tenancies that fall outside the scope of the Housing Acts (1988, 1996, 2004), including the Regulated Tenancies, Assured Tenancies (AT) and Assured Shorthold Tenancies ASTs.In the case of a common law residential tenancy , the tenant's rights and obligations are ma
What are Business Tenancies ?A tenancy is an "estate in land", granted for a determined period of time (term of years or fixed term - 6 months,1 year, 21 years, 99 years etc) or a specific period (a periodic tenancy - yearly, monthly, weekly, even daily).In return for the "time lim
Landlord's Duty to Ensure Installations are SafeAll Landlords have a common law duty to ensure that gas installations and appliances supplied with their properties are safe. Tenants also have certain legal obligations when it comes to gas safety - see below.I
London mayor Sadiq Khan has vowed to build 6,000 new ‘rent control’ homes across London if he’s elected for a third term in next month’s election.
Redbridge Council has gone live with its big new selective licencing scheme that applies to most private rented properties in 15 of the London borough’s wards.
Unite Students is poised to report rental income growth of at least 6% due to sustained demand, despite new visa rules affecting international students.
Landlords and property investors who buy privately-held multi-property portfolios in Wales are to lose another tax perk.
A leading landlord in the SW has slammed the Government’s ongoing assault on the private rented sector, saying the efforts of Michael Gove and his predecessors puzzle ‘honourable and decent’ operators like him.
Changes to income and Capital Gains Tax (CGT) that came in over the weekend could mean reduced investment in the PRS and insurance premiums, warns an insurance expert.
Paul Shamplina has assembled a panel of experts to run a training day this summer that will advise and coach landlords to navigate the tough economic and regulatory environment facing the privately rented sector.
Poorly insulated homes will be sent annual gas bills about £340 – around 50% - higher than those with a C-rated Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) under Ofgem’s latest price cap, new research has found.
Holiday let owners are facing a significant dip in bookings this year as the sector feels the effects of the cost-of-living crisis, poor weather and an increasingly saturated market.
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
The Making Tax Digital initiative (MTD) is a HMRC scheme that aims to modernise income tax accounting and reporting, making the process fully digital. The idea is to improve HMRCs efficiency and reduce costs to the taxpayer by processing business, property and individual tax affairs on-l
Successful landlord and property developer Kathy Miller has urged the government to rethink its plans to abolish Section 21 or face a big rise in court cases and spiralling bills for unpaid rent and property damage. <figure id="" class="w-richtext-figure-type- " data-rt-type="" data-rt-a
Landlords could be hit with a rise in capital gains tax (CGT) along with cuts in reliefs and allowances as part of the Chancellors autumn statement due on November 17th. According to a report inhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/" https://www.telegraph.c
A bankrupt landlord in the Midlands has been jailed for eight months after failing to tell the Official Receiver about an HMO property he owned in Coventry. The house at 35 Walsgrave Road, Coventry, which yielded a rent of �1,900 a month for Sukhi Sanghera, was not flagged up b
Landlords have been under a lot of pressure recently, with interest rates going up, house prices dropping, and changes in government, anxiety levels have been at an all-time high. But despite the current state of affairs, we still have options to help us get through this patch without panic
Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, and Minister for Intergovernmental Relations, Michael Gove, has reaffirmed his department's commitment to reforming the private rented sector (PRS). It will follow closely the recommendations in the Governments pol
Scots entrepreneurs Graeme and Leanne Carling were one of the most successful landlords of the late noughties, taking advantage of the weakness in the property market following the global financial crash to build a bricks-and-mortar empire worth �200 million. This made their co
Serco offers landlords guaranteed rent, free maintenance, and no void periods in five-year leases to house asylum seekers.
Landlords might have found themselves an ally in the newest minister at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. Lucy Frazer - the latest MP to join returning boss https://www.landlordzone.co.uk/tag/michael-gove/" target="_blank" Mic
A group of companies involved in substantial property investment scams has been wound up by the High Court and an official received appointed to liquidate the four firms involved. These are Sentor Solutions Commercial Ltd , Fabcourt Deve
The RICS global Commercial Real Estate Market Monitor (Q3 2022) is indicating that the sector is in the early stages of a downturn. Thats according to around 81% of the surveys respondents in Q3 2022. It marks a significant increase from the previous quarter sample when just 11% of th
A concerned landlord has shared his frustration at the way councils manage problem tenants facing eviction by telling them to stay put while they are found alternative accommodation, informing the tenants that they will be making themselves 'intentionally homeless' if they move out. <p i
Continued demand for detached properties and a post-Covid resurgence in rent for flats has pushed annual increases in London above inflation. Average rents have accelerated by 4% to �1,499 during Q3 more than double the previous quarters rise and up 11% (�160) highe
The Rishi effect has started to impact mortgage rates just a day after the new PM was announced. As former Chancellor Rishi Sunak moves into number 10, some lenders have announced plans to drop their rates from tomorrow; Coventry Building Society is reducing its new busine
Nottingham landlords could face a �5,000 fine if their property doesnt have an EPC E rating as the city council bids to crack down on cold homes. The authority has agreed to adopt financial penalties under the Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property in Engla
In this episode of The Property Cast, we discuss how landlords and agents can stay on top of their legal obligations. Landlords now have to meet 168 rules and regulations to let a property legally, but what are the latest legislative updates that landlords and agents need to kno
