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
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
A raft of mortgage brokers and financial experts have criticised the Government's focus on the build-to-rent (BTR) sector and its policies which sezek to side-line traditional
The Met Police has issued new guidance for frontline officers around <a href="https://newsarchive.landlordzone.co.uk/news/illegal-evictions-increasing-dramatically-says-leadin
Renters looking to live in the capital can sign up for a new alternative renting concept that blurs the lines between traditional hotels, serviced apartments and private
Serviced offices one would surmise, offer the ideal solution in a post-Covid world. Mainstream office investments are struggling in a world where a good proportion of most com
<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/cma-update-on-work-in-housing-sector">The Competition and Markets Authority</a> (CMA) is to dig deeper into zero deposit schemes an
Read the UK property market recap with expert forecasts for 2023 and 2024, from price trends to investor insights.
In an almost unanimous decision, landlords are throwing in the towel, opting to take the cash and sell their property portfolios. It seems that the gravy train for buy-to-lets
Northern Ireland officials have refused to get tougher on HMO landlords despite pleas from Belfast councillors that parts of the city are becoming over-run and affected by ant
Growing numbers of tenants are turning to deposit alternative products as inflation, high rents and interest rate rises make it more attractive to hold on to their money to sp
A rogue landlady has been convicted of illegally evicting tenants during a decade-long campaign of violence, theft and vandalism. Sohila Tamiz , of Flint Lane, Lenham, even helped organise a gang of 10 to douse one man in petrol and smash his teeth, the tri
A mortgage expert has urged landlords not to panic as buy-to-let mortgage rates continue to rise. <figure id="" class="w-richtext-figure-type- " data-rt-type="" data-rt-align=""><div><img src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/63bef2f3c329eff8e3a4af45/64cb992aa1ba8a68d7aa0638_dan-lee.jpeg"
A proptech firm is to spend �1 billion buying up 3,000 private rented properties with low EPC ratings around the UK, which it plans to retrofit and rent out on behalf of its backers. With many individual landlords threatening to quit the sector - faced with licensing schemes an
Forty per cent of privately rented homes in England are unlikely to achieve the energy efficiency rating target that is due to come into force in 2028. Trade organisation Propertymark says its analysis of the latest English Housing Survey shows that 60 per cent of the rental sec
A staggering one-third of landlords plan to quit the sector or do nothing to address energy efficiency failings if and when new EPC regulations kick in. Research carried out on behalf of Paragon Bank reveals that 21% of landlords would not carry out any necessary works to bring
The NRLA has played down landlords fears about new Government proposals to give tenants the right to request a pet. Speaking on the Radio 4 You and Yours programme, director of policy Chris Norris said many landlords werent too worried about the government
An official briefing document for MPs has underlined the contradictory position the government has manoeuvred itself into over landlords and letting agents who advertise properties as No DSS. The House of Commons Library document makes for interesting reading because, base
A landlord who defrauded HMRC out of almost �500,000 by keeping deductions from his employees wages has been jailed for three years. Michael Stainer, 74, (inset, main picture) was found guilty of two counts of cheating the public revenue and one of fraud by false representat
As temperatures in England and Wales soar this week, many office buildings will become unusable says real estate sustainability expert Chris Bennett of consultancy https://evoraglobal.com/" target="_blank" Evora Global - it should act as a powerful warning for real estate
An estate agency has claimed that the governments war on landlords will cost the private rented market some 46,000 this year, or some 3,800 every month. Hamptons , which has branches all over the UK, says its research confirms that, as LandlordZONE
With the cost of living crisis being the political issue of the day, and a political leadership contest underway, theres something of a hiatus in the way its being dealt with. But the situation is now quite urgent. Financial distress is now higher than during the pandemic.
After 20 years, landlord Sue quits the sector, citing frustration with anti-landlord sentiment and increasing regulatory burdens.
Minister defends exempting student housing from new tenancy rules to keep in step with academic year agreements/
Landlords with empty properties are being urged to take advantage of council cash to help fight the housing shortage. About 300 councils currently offer a scheme mainly loans to carry out repairs - although some provide grants, usually ranging from �5,000 to more than �25,
Letting out property abroad can be a great way of generating extra income. The property might have been bought primarily as an investment but for others or it could be second or holiday home let out when not in use. There are plenty of things to think about, though.
Leicester is going ahead with its selective licensing extension in three areas of the city, charging landlords �1,090 per property - the highest fee in the Midlands. The council is introducing the scheme in parts of Westcotes, Fosse, Braunstone Park and Rowley Fields wards, whi
Durham Council has warned landlords covered by its new selective licensing scheme to brace themselves for inspections next month. At least 29,000 properties, 42% of the countys PRS, are covered by the scheme which launched in April after winning government approval. <p id
Nearly one-fifth of private rented homes would need work costing more than �10,000 to bring them up to an EPC Band C, according to the latest PRS figures. The English Housing Survey Private Rented Sector report for 2020-21 found that these were more likely to need larger sums o
The latest figures available from Rightmove show that London rents jumped by around 14 per cent in the last year, with some property experts calling it the most competitive market on record Matt Hutchinson, a director at SpareRoom, the flat sharing website, has said: <p
The pandemic has had a devastating impact on commercial property, with lockdowns, social distancing, working from home (WFH), all accelerating the move to online and home deliveries. The likes of Tesco, Ocado and the other big supermarket deliveries were the saviour of the public during the
Welsh politicians have reaffirmed their desire to consider rent controls in the PRS while announcing plans to crack down on the holiday let sector. Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price (main pic, right) suggested rent controls could be on the table when the long-awaited but now <a href
Michael Gove, arguable the best housing secretary for some years, has been sacked from his job after joining a chorus of Tory cabinet ministers calling on the PM to resign. During a fast-moving day in politics which has seen over 40 MPs quit the government or withdraw their supp
Welsh government leaders have revealed radical plans to licence holiday lets in a bid to get tough on the causes of long-term rental shortages. The region is to introduce a cap on the number of second and holiday homes while bringing in measures to put more homes into common own
HMO landlords face paying thousands of pounds for https://www.landlordzone.co.uk/news/safety-peer-asks-why-private-landlords-must-do-electrical-checks-when-social-ones-are-exempt/" electrical equipment when new regulations kick in later this year. An amendment
Manchester aims to double the size of its selective licensing scheme by adding another 1,884 properties in eight areas. The council has given it the go-ahead to the https://www.landlordzone.co.uk/news/manchester-mayor-vows-to-launch-1-5m-landlord-licensing-across-city/"
