Date

Library

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

Commercial property energy upgrades could cost over �30bn

Commercial property energy upgrades could cost over �30bn

News

The road to net zero is paved with additional costs for Britain, not least the amount of money it will take to upgrade commercial property, in the industrial alone. Achieving grade B� ratings under the 2030 Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) requirements for the UK

LATEST: Infamous rogue landlord and three associates are banned for five years

LATEST: Infamous rogue landlord and three associates are banned for five years

News

Camden Council has handed out banning orders to four rogue landlords for letting an unlicensed and unsafe home in Kilburn. All part of the same interconnected group of London-based family and business associates - Mohammed Ali Abbas Rasool, 30, of Manor House Drive, Daya Ahmed D

LATEST: Coventry to clamp down on HMOs with new planning powers

LATEST: Coventry to clamp down on HMOs with new planning powers

News

Coventry aims to come down hard on HMO expansion within the city by introducing an Article 4 Direction. Councillors have approved the plans which will now form part of a public consultation this summer. They hope to change the rules which currently allow landlords to

BREAKING: Landlords now covered by cladding fund - but NOT portfolio operators

BREAKING: Landlords now covered by cladding fund - but NOT portfolio operators

News

Landlords who own flats hit by the cladding scandal will be covered by the remediation fund, the government has announced. However, portfolio landlords have been left out, with property experts suggesting that this omission will mean work will be held up and their flats could be

OPINION: The consequences of abolishing Section 21

OPINION: The consequences of abolishing Section 21

Opinion

Drummed up by popular media horror stories, egged on by the homelessness charities, the ban Section 21� band waggon kept on rolling until eventually the politicians saw it would be politically advantageous to jump aboard. What is Section 21 <p id="

OPINION: Why the EPC rating system needs fixing

OPINION: Why the EPC rating system needs fixing

News

The governments controversial policy of phasing out natural gas boilers in favour of heat pumps, in its drive to meet internationally agreed energy efficiency targets, could be stymied because of an out of date EPC algorithm. Regardless of the fact that many older poorly insu

AIRBNB: Westminster to step-up war against 'nuisance' short-term lets landlords

AIRBNB: Westminster to step-up war against 'nuisance' short-term lets landlords

News

Westminster Council has launched a spirited campaign to stop central London being overrun by nuisance short-term lets booked chiefly through Airbnb. It is lobbying the government to follow Paris and Amsterdams lead whose authorities have clamped down on problem properties. </

Landlord insurance premiums driven up by inflation

Landlord insurance premiums driven up by inflation

News

After two decades of low property insurance premium rates, prices are being driven up by inflation. Steve Barnes, Associate Director at https://hamiltonfraser.co.uk/landlord-insurance/?utm_source=landlordzone&utm_medium=article&utm_id=lz+feb22+insurance+rising" target="_blank" id="

Japanese knotweed, danger is downgraded...

Japanese knotweed, danger is downgraded...

News

The large herbaceous perennial with its bamboo-like appearance became infamous in Britain for its threat to buildings. Its rapid growth, its size and most importantly the damage it can do, made it the villain of the horticultural world, and it became feared by property owners and mortgag

National rogue landlord database hits 'new high' of just 61 names

National rogue landlord database hits 'new high' of just 61 names

News

Four years after it was launched, the number on the Rogue Landlord database has only crept up to 61 out of the thousands claimed to be operating within the private rental sector, the latest government figures show. Asked by opposition MP Gill Furniss to provide an update, Housin

Coming changes to 'feudal'� leasehold laws to favour flat owners

Coming changes to 'feudal'� leasehold laws to favour flat owners

News

Flat owners (leaseholders) only own their leasehold property for a fixed period of time and during that period they pay ground rent and service charges to the freeholder (landlord). Theres always a long-lease agreement, a detailed legal tenancy agremeent between the leasehold

LATEST: Luton finally brings in blanket HMO licensing after years of problems

LATEST: Luton finally brings in blanket HMO licensing after years of problems

News

Luton Council has finally got its act together and revealed blanket HMO licensing for the town after a number of false starts over the last few years. HMOs of any size will now need a licence under its additional scheme which launches on 1st April, while all privately rented pro

Legal case: a question of leaseholders' rights to manage the full estate

Legal case: a question of leaseholders' rights to manage the full estate

News

The Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002 provides a right for leaseholders to acquire the freehold landlords management functions by transfer to a company set up by them the Right To Manage (RTM) company. The thinking behind the right was to empower leaseholders. The

BREAKING: Landlord wins key Court of Appeal eviction and deposits case

BREAKING: Landlord wins key Court of Appeal eviction and deposits case

News

Appeal Court judges have found in favour of the landlord in the landmark case of Northwood Solihull v Fearn &amp; Ors, preventing a potentially huge logistical headache for landlords and letting agents. The judges ruled that any authorised employee of a landlord or letting agent

BREAKING: wrong time to raise taxes, but I'm going after buy-to-let landlords anyway...

BREAKING: wrong time to raise taxes, but I'm going after buy-to-let landlords anyway...

News

In an apparent re-run of Harold Wilsons 1970s investment income tax surcharge, Labour plan to re-introduce such an additional layer of tax to what is termed unearned income�. The Wilson Labour government applied an investment income surcharge of 15% and kept the top rate

Surge in the number of landlords using limited companies

Surge in the number of landlords using limited companies

News

According to a recent report by estate agents Hamptons, over the last four years the number of landlords operating their buy to let business through a limited company has doubled. There were 47,400 new buy-to-let companies incorporated in 2021 right across the UK, the figures be

Right to rent checks go digital for British and Irish tenants

Right to rent checks go digital for British and Irish tenants

News

Landlords and letting agents will soon be able to carry out quicker https://www.landlordzone.co.uk/news/updated-advice-for-landlords-on-right-to-rent-checks-due-in-new-year/" right to rent checks on British and Irish citizens. From 6th April, Identification Do

'Think carefully' before going ahead with EPC upgrades, warns expert

'Think carefully' before going ahead with EPC upgrades, warns expert

News

An energy expert has sought to reassure landlords that they may not need to spend huge sums retrofitting their properties to raise EPC ratings at least not in the short term. <figure id="" class="w-richtext-figure-type- " data-rt-type="" data-rt-align=""><div><img src="https://upload

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

DIY lettings service for landlords launches with big promise

DIY lettings service for landlords launches with big promise

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

A new DIY lettings service for landlords should help Hello Neighbour fulfil its ambition of becoming the biggest letting agent in England, according to co-founder Richard Jenkins.

Council closes HMO after surprise visit reveals nightmare property

Council closes HMO after surprise visit reveals nightmare property

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

A landlord who rented out his unlicensed, seven-bedroom HMO to 13 tenants has been ordered to pay £3,000.

Rent rises reflect cost tracking, not profiteering

Rent rises reflect cost tracking, not profiteering

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Landlords' rent increases reflect rising mortgage rates and operational costs, not profiteering, amid a challenging property market.

MPs urge Ministers to 'sort out' Local Housing Allowance rises

MPs urge Ministers to 'sort out' Local Housing Allowance rises

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Landlord and tenant groups have welcomed proposals by MPs on the Work and Pensions Select Committee to introduce an annual ‘uprating guarantee’ to the Local Housing Allowance (LHA).

REFORMS: Many landlords have 'no idea what's about to hit them'

REFORMS: Many landlords have 'no idea what's about to hit them'

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Propertymark poll reveals only 18% of landlords understand the Renters (Reform) Bill; 52% find official guidance insufficient.

Landlord warns: "sell now” as Government urged to further reduce PRS

Landlord warns: "sell now” as Government urged to further reduce PRS

Sponsored
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

The Guardian suggests that Government may start to veer towards a “surprisingly simple solution to the UK housing crisis” which could see them squeeze landlords further, blaming them for the current housing crisis affecting home-buyers.

Report reveals £45 billion contribution landlords make to economy

Report reveals £45 billion contribution landlords make to economy

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

A new report published today claims that 390,000 jobs rely on the private rented sector as critics of the sector, including the Guardian newspaper, have called for it to be shrunk or abolished entirely.

UK's only city-wide licencing scheme 'gets tough' on landlords

UK's only city-wide licencing scheme 'gets tough' on landlords

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Landlords in Oxford who fail to sign up to the city’s licensing scheme are being threatened with fines and enforcement action after a year of relative ‘grace’.

REPORT: Will lower inflation lead to lower BTL mortgage rates?

REPORT: Will lower inflation lead to lower BTL mortgage rates?

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Falling UK inflation could herald some good news for BTL landlords over the coming months, according to mortgage experts.

Give tenants 'right to buy' their rented homes, says poverty organisation

Give tenants 'right to buy' their rented homes, says poverty organisation

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

A leading poverty organisation has called for a radical overhaul of the private rented sector including a government-backed right to buy scheme for private renters. The Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF), which was founded by a Quaker philanthropist and sweets manufacturer i

LATEST: UK's first rent-to-own property scheme launches, backed by Nationwide

LATEST: UK's first rent-to-own property scheme launches, backed by Nationwide

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Kettel Homes has launched the UKs first open market rent-to-own programme for first-time buyers who cant access traditional home financing. Under the scheme, Kettel buys existing freehold single-family homes between �125,000 and �400,000 outside London, charging first-ti

'Government's plans to ban Section 21 evictions will lengthen evictions' - claim

'Government's plans to ban Section 21 evictions will lengthen evictions' - claim

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Landlords seeking to evict tenants face more delays when Section 21 notices are abolished, warns the boss of an insurance and referencing firm. Clogged courts and a shortage of judges and county-court bailiffs mean that cases are taking months to be heard, it is claimed. <p i

Rogue landlady faces jail over long-running campaign of violence against tenants

Rogue landlady faces jail over long-running campaign of violence against tenants

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

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

'Don't panic' as BTL mortgage rates rise, urges financial expert

'Don't panic' as BTL mortgage rates rise, urges financial expert

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

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"

City-backed firm to spend �1bn buying thousands of PRS properties with low EPCs

City-backed firm to spend �1bn buying thousands of PRS properties with low EPCs

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

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

40% of privately rented homes won't make 2028 deadline - agents claim

40% of privately rented homes won't make 2028 deadline - agents claim

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

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

Looming EPC rules to cause mayhem in the rental market, warns senior figure

Looming EPC rules to cause mayhem in the rental market, warns senior figure

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

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

'Landlords NOT worried over proposals to give tenants more pet rights' says NRLA

'Landlords NOT worried over proposals to give tenants more pet rights' says NRLA

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

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

OPINION: Why do landlords get the blame for rejecting tenants on Universal Credit?

OPINION: Why do landlords get the blame for rejecting tenants on Universal Credit?

Opinion
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

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

Well-known landlord jailed after defrauding HMRC out of £500,000

Well-known landlord jailed after defrauding HMRC out of £500,000

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

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

Many UK buildings are in danger of becoming unusable in heatwaves

Many UK buildings are in danger of becoming unusable in heatwaves

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

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

'War on landlords' latest - 46,000 rental properties to disappear this year

'War on landlords' latest - 46,000 rental properties to disappear this year

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

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

The cost of living crisis affects landlords as well as tenants

The cost of living crisis affects landlords as well as tenants

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

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.

Frustrated landlord quits after 20 years in the sector

Frustrated landlord quits after 20 years in the sector

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

After 20 years, landlord Sue quits the sector, citing frustration with anti-landlord sentiment and increasing regulatory burdens.

Minister defends excluding PBSA from tenancy changes

Minister defends excluding PBSA from tenancy changes

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Minister defends exempting student housing from new tenancy rules to keep in step with academic year agreements/

EXCLUSIVE: Can landlords still access councils' empty homes funding?

EXCLUSIVE: Can landlords still access councils' empty homes funding?

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

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,

What landlords letting abroad need to know about Making Tax Digital

What landlords letting abroad need to know about Making Tax Digital

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

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.

LATEST: Leicester ploughs on with selective licensing despite landlord criticism

LATEST: Leicester ploughs on with selective licensing despite landlord criticism

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

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

Landlords told to 'brace themselves' for inspections at 29,000 properties

Landlords told to 'brace themselves' for inspections at 29,000 properties

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

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

LATEST: 18% of rented homes will need �10,000 spent on them to achieve EPC band C

LATEST: 18% of rented homes will need �10,000 spent on them to achieve EPC band C

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

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

London rents have seen record rises in a very hot spring market

London rents have seen record rises in a very hot spring market

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

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

What's the outlook for UK commercial property, post pandemic & Brexit?

What's the outlook for UK commercial property, post pandemic & Brexit?

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

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

LATEST: Rent controls take another step towards reality in Wales

LATEST: Rent controls take another step towards reality in Wales

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

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 sacked after joining his housing ministers in calls for Boris to resign

Michael Gove sacked after joining his housing ministers in calls for Boris to resign

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

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