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Salford to begin huge new £1,085-per-property HMO licensing scheme

Salford to begin huge new £1,085-per-property HMO licensing scheme

News

Salford has given the go-ahead to a new licensing scheme for smaller HMOs in response to a rise in safety problems and resident complaints. The scheme covering the entire city - takes effect on 19th July and costs landlords �1,085 to licence shared homes where three or four

Suspended sentence for banned engineer who issued fake Gas Safe certificate

Suspended sentence for banned engineer who issued fake Gas Safe certificate

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A banned boiler engineer has narrowly avoided jail after producing a fake Gas Safe certificate for a landlord. Jeffrey Lewis, 74, of Ashbourne Road, Cheadle, was asked by a landlord to repair a tenants boiler but failed to tell him he had been banned from carrying out gas wor

Plans to outlaw landlords who refuse to rent to tenants with children

Plans to outlaw landlords who refuse to rent to tenants with children

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Jersey has launched a consultation over plans to outlaw landlords who refuse to rent to tenants with children. Social security minister deputy Judy Martin hopes to amend the Discrimination Law 2013 to protect families looking for homes on the island, which currently doesnt pr

LATEST: Liverpool begins huge HMO licensing push

LATEST: Liverpool begins huge HMO licensing push

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Liverpool City Council has clamped down on HMO conversions as it launches a new assault on the private rented sector. Under a new Article 4 direction, any size home in the city centre will need planning permission to be converted into an HMO from 17th</s

BREAKING: Treat Hong Kong arrivals with care when checking Right to Rent, Minister warns

BREAKING: Treat Hong Kong arrivals with care when checking Right to Rent, Minister warns

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The government appears to have admitted it has concerns about landlords discriminating against the potential influx of Hong Kong residents. Home Office Minister Baroness Williams of Trafford advised landlords to be careful when doing Right to Rent checks on inbound Hong Kong res

Forum Q&A: Early termination fees & invoices explained

Forum Q&A: Early termination fees & invoices explained

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Early termination fees and invoice questions answered—your top forum concerns, sorted.

REVEALED: Why not all EPCs are created equally

REVEALED: Why not all EPCs are created equally

News

Getting a good EPC rating is important for rentals to meet the MEES regulations, and in future even higher ratings will be demanded, but this can be a challenge for some landlords� Since October 2008, rental properties in England and Wales have been required to

How safe are classified sites? Another tenant scammed by fake landlord

How safe are classified sites? Another tenant scammed by fake landlord

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A tenant has been scammed by a Gumtree advertiser who stole more than �2,000, leaving her facing homelessness. Mum-of-four, Shirley Jones, from Coventry, fell for the flat rental scam after answering the advert for a three-bedroom home in Nuneaton that was available to rent on

LATEST: Government's annual housing benefit bill rises to �30 billion

LATEST: Government's annual housing benefit bill rises to �30 billion

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The government is expecting to spend and eye-watering �30 billion on housing benefit for tenants this year, DWP minister Will Quince has told parliament. This figure is �8-10 billion more than the Office for Budget Responsibility https://obr.uk/forecasts-in-depth/tax-

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Greens fail in bid to stop above-inflation rent increases

Greens fail in bid to stop above-inflation rent increases

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The Scottish government has rejected proposals to increase rents by no more than the cost-of-living or increase in wages, at the latest stage of the Housing (Scotland) Bill.

'Clean-up' of property deal sourcing sector begins with new initiative

'Clean-up' of property deal sourcing sector begins with new initiative

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A new initiative aims to clean up property sourcing’s reputation and help compliant agents get deals signed off by finance firms.

Landlords endure even longer wait to get properties back

Landlords endure even longer wait to get properties back

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The government has been warned that its failure to acknowledge the true state of the courts risks eroding landlord confidence.

Bungalow shortage hits older renters hard

Bungalow shortage hits older renters hard

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A fall in the number of bungalows to rent is impacting the growing number of older and disabled tenants.

Landlords' household definition confusion results in £11,250 fine

Landlords' household definition confusion results in £11,250 fine

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A landlord pair have failed to convince a tribunal judge that their tenants’ relationship excused them from getting an HMO licence.

'Build more affordable homes instead of hitting landlords'

'Build more affordable homes instead of hitting landlords'

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A Scottish parliamentary committee has called for an action plan to tackle the country’s “predictable and preventable” housing emergency, with the property industry also saying rent controls ‘are not the answer’.

Minister reveals plans to include evictions within landlord database

Minister reveals plans to include evictions within landlord database

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The government has revealed that it is looking into measures that will add landlords’ eviction activity to the looming PRS database.

Landlords in Essex to face big 'fine' for late licence applications

Landlords in Essex to face big 'fine' for late licence applications

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Landlords could face a £765 bill for delaying their selective licence application when Thurrock Council launches its proposed scheme.

Council reveals heavy landlord fines for low EPCs

Council reveals heavy landlord fines for low EPCs

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Tewkesbury Council is bucking the national trend by punishing landlords with failing EPCs.

Barrister warns landlords over pitfalls of offering Ukrainian refugees whole properties

Barrister warns landlords over pitfalls of offering Ukrainian refugees whole properties

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Landlords have been warned about the legal pitfalls of offering a home to Ukrainians fleeing the war. The governments newly launched Homes for Ukraine scheme lets individuals and businesses �360 a month to provide a spare room or separate self-contained accommodation for ref

It's time to consider challenging your business rates calculation, says RVA Surveyors

It's time to consider challenging your business rates calculation, says RVA Surveyors

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Business rates or non-domestic rates are a variant of a 500-year-old tax, the current version of which was introduced in 1990 to fund local services based on property values, raising approximately �25 billion a year. RVA Surveyors are business rates reduction specialists who ha

LATEST: Arguments over social problems linked to HMOs hot up in Hartlepool

LATEST: Arguments over social problems linked to HMOs hot up in Hartlepool

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Labour councillors in Hartlepool campaigning to restrict HMOs in the town have been told to find evidence of problems caused by shared properties. <figure id="" class="w-richtext-figure-type- " data-rt-type="" data-rt-align=""><div><img src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/63bef2f3c329ef

High Street banks will be gone by 2025

High Street banks will be gone by 2025

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Thats the prediction made by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) and banking software company, Temenos. Temenos AG is a company specialising in enterprise software for banks and financial services headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. An overwhelming proportion of European

New TV series highlights property fraud

New TV series highlights property fraud

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A new four-part ITV drama series starting tonight is based around title fraud which can rob you of your property. Downton Abbey actress Tuppence Middleton and Line of Duty star actor Martin Compston portray a couple who become victims of the little-known crime of house hijacking

UNFAIR': Landlord faces �5,000 fine for deposit protected six months late by her lettings agency

UNFAIR': Landlord faces �5,000 fine for deposit protected six months late by her lettings agency

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A landlord with a property in West Essex has urged LandlordZONE readers to be more careful when trusting agents to protect their tenants deposits via one of the governments approved schemes after a vindictive renter took her to a property

LATEST: HMO landlords must not pocket tenant's �150 council tax rebate, warn MPs

LATEST: HMO landlords must not pocket tenant's �150 council tax rebate, warn MPs

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A cross-party group of MPs has urged the government to ensure HMO and other 'all inclusive' landlords dont pocket multiple council tax rebates under its new scheme https://www.gov.uk/government/news/households-urged-to-get-ready-for-150-council-tax-rebate" target="_blank"

Wales clamps down on holiday lets with draconian new council tax rules

Wales clamps down on holiday lets with draconian new council tax rules

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The Welsh Government is to bring in its https://www.landlordzone.co.uk/news/welsh-government-to-wage-new-war-on-holiday-lets/" promised local tax rules for holiday lets to address the problem of unaffordable housing. Self-catering accomm

LATEST: Landlord wins review of selective licensing scheme for 'value for money'

LATEST: Landlord wins review of selective licensing scheme for 'value for money'

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External auditors are to investigate selective licensing in Nottingham following a complaint about whether it provides value for money. One of the citys landlords has made a formal objection about the scheme which charges them up to �890 every five years for each rental prop

Wave of 'unfair' HMO council tax revaluations revealed that can QUADRUPLE bills

Wave of 'unfair' HMO council tax revaluations revealed that can QUADRUPLE bills

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Councils are seeking to reclassify HMO properties as multiple single dwellings for council tax purposes to raise additional revenue, it has been reported. <figure id="" class="w-richtext-figure-type- " data-rt-type="" data-rt-align=""><div><img src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/63bef2

EXCLUSIVE: Lettings firm goes bust leaving trail of 200 unprotected deposits

EXCLUSIVE: Lettings firm goes bust leaving trail of 200 unprotected deposits

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A long-established letting agent has gone bust, leaving more than 200 deposits unprotected and many landlords without tenancy agreements and gas and EPC certificates. Pendley Estates in Kings Langley, Hertfordshire, was a formerly reputable firm that had been trading since the 1

Are hydrogen boilers the future of heating in the UK?

Are hydrogen boilers the future of heating in the UK?

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The UK government has committed to meeting internationally agreed carbon neutral targets and as natural gas (used in domestic boilers) is a major contributor to carbon emissions, a low carbon alternative such as hydrogen, used in existing equipment, is a likely replacement in the future.</p

BBC joins in the 'endless grind' of media landlord bashing

BBC joins in the 'endless grind' of media landlord bashing

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The BBC has joined the ranks of landlord-bashing media by publishing a story that gives a distinctly one-sided view of an eviction, helping bolster Shelter and other organisations' campaigns to ban Section 21 notices. It quotes a tenant as saying she was in panic mode� when

Thousands of landlords affected by sale of struggling digital lettings agency

Thousands of landlords affected by sale of struggling digital lettings agency

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Thousands of landlords whose properties are managed by a leading online letting platform are to see their property management firm change hands after Howsy revealed it is to be acquired by a major high street lettings agency. Launched in 2016 originally as No Agent

Commercial property energy upgrades could cost over �30bn

Commercial property energy upgrades could cost over �30bn

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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...

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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

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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

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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