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

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

News

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'

News

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

News

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

News

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

News

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

OFFICIAL: Poorest tenants paying 63% of income in rent

OFFICIAL: Poorest tenants paying 63% of income in rent

News

Poorer tenants within the private rented sector (PRS) are spending 63% of their income on rent, a shocking new report from the Government has revealed.

Tenant facing 20% rent rise starts popular petition urging controls

Tenant facing 20% rent rise starts popular petition urging controls

News

A petition calling for rent controls launched by a hard-up mum has garnered some 42,00 signatures and counting.

'Outdated' wear-and-tear rules costing landlords unfairly, says inventory boss

'Outdated' wear-and-tear rules costing landlords unfairly, says inventory boss

News

Outdated 'fair wear and tear' rules are forcing tenants to face unreasonable deductions and landlords to pay higher costs, a proptech firm boss has warned.

Welsh ministers says 'no' to landlords paying back rent after evictions

Welsh ministers says 'no' to landlords paying back rent after evictions

News

The Welsh government has rejected proposals to give tenants compensation if they are handed a no-fault eviction notice.

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Westminster green-lights huge selective licensing scheme for landlords

Westminster green-lights huge selective licensing scheme for landlords

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Westminster City Council has given the go-ahead to a huge new selective licensing scheme covering 15 of the London borough’s 18 wards.

EXPERTS: Inflation rise to delay interest rate cut until August

EXPERTS: Inflation rise to delay interest rate cut until August

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Landlords could face higher mortgage rates for longer after inflation jumped by more than expected last month to 3.5%.

OFFICIAL: 24% of landlords looking to sell up this year

OFFICIAL: 24% of landlords looking to sell up this year

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A data gathering exercise by the Government has highlighted new and sometimes surprising facts about the UK’s landlords and their properties, including why a quarter are plannig to sell of properties over the next 12 months.

Making commonhold default tenure will have 'unintended consquences'

Making commonhold default tenure will have 'unintended consquences'

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A leading leasehold expert has warned that commonhold reforms will hit property values and shift costs onto individual flat owners including those belonging to private landlords.

Landlord's electricity meter switch off 'nightmare' highlights big problems

Landlord's electricity meter switch off 'nightmare' highlights big problems

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News
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A Glasgow landlord fears his tenants could be left without heating or hot water after his energy supplier delayed replacing their Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS) meter.

'This is not 1915' - leading academic warns ministers over new rent controls

'This is not 1915' - leading academic warns ministers over new rent controls

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Duncan McLennan says harking back to previous rent control experiments isn't realistic, and that a 'revolution in home building' is needed instead.

Have you got houses for sale? We have 30,000 buyers ready right now

Have you got houses for sale? We have 30,000 buyers ready right now

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Landlord Sales Agency helps landlords sell quickly, often in under 28 days, at strong prices even with tenants. With market changes coming, now is the time to act.

Big midlands council says new £1,100 HMO licences 'justified'

Big midlands council says new £1,100 HMO licences 'justified'

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Peterborough defends decision to bring some 1,800 smaller HMOs into its licensing clutches.

'Historic shift' from residential to commercial property revealed

'Historic shift' from residential to commercial property revealed

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News
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Report from Handelbanken paints picture of regulation bearing down on investor sentiment with predictable results.

Should I set up a company to pay less tax?

Should I set up a company to pay less tax?

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According to research from the NLA, 4 in 10 landlords are either seriously considering forming a limited company or looking into the option in the coming months.Can you - and more importantly should you - set up a company to pay less tax? Heres my complete guide on becoming incorporated.<stron

What heating system for Rental Property?

What heating system for Rental Property?

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What heating system should you use in your rental property? Is there a heating system that could solve landlords condensation claims problems?Its one of the most important questions to ask when letting a property for the first time. Whatever system you choose carries implications for the ef

Warnings about Gumtree advertised letting scams

Warnings about Gumtree advertised letting scams

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News
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The Residential Landlords Association (RLA) and the National Landlords Association (NLA) have called on the classified online listings service Gumtree to issue clear guidance over possible scams involving bogus letting scams.The warning has been issued to Gumtree by the NLA and the RLA after f

Dispute Resolution Procedure at Rent Review

Dispute Resolution Procedure at Rent Review

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At rent review, the phrase 'going to arbitration' is often bandied about during negotiations as a means for one party to get its own way. Whether or not the parties can agree the rent without involving the dispute resolution procedure, it is common for a represented or experienced party to inv

Government releases 'How to Rent'� guide

Government releases 'How to Rent'� guide

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News
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From the 1st of October 2015 it became a statutory requirement that landlords issue all new tenants after that date with the latest edition of a Government publication The How to Rent Guide�, along with a current Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) and a current Gas Safety

Doing Right to Rent - Immigration Checks

Doing Right to Rent - Immigration Checks

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From 1st February 2016 all new tenants in England must be given Right-to-Rent (Immigration) Checks to determine their "right-to-rent" or "right-to-reside" in the country, BEFORE they can be given a tenancy. Landlords or letting agents must do the checks - letting agents where the

Tax Deductible Letting Expenses

Tax Deductible Letting Expenses

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This is a Guide to Tax Deductible Letting Expenses for Landlords under the new tax rules following the Summer Budget 2015. These may be subject to change and you are advised to consult a tax specialist before making any decisions.From April 2016 landlords will no longer be able to automatically d

Landlord uses hidden cameras to spy on tenants

Landlord uses hidden cameras to spy on tenants

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News
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An Edinburgh landlord set-up hidden cameras in the bedroom and bathroom of his flat, to film people in bed and in the shower.The cameras were discovered by a young couple, friends of the landlord who allowed them to use the accommodation. The couple found a box on the living room table with a cam

Comparable Evidence

Comparable Evidence

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Amongst the ways to agree or ascertain the (open) market rent at rent review or on renewal of a lease, (per s.34-s35 Landlord and Tenant Act 1954), is the use of comparable evidence.At rent review, the market rent for the premises is not what rent the actual tenant would agree or could afford, bu

What is a Section 20 Notice ?

What is a Section 20 Notice ?

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There are two instances of section 20 notices in property in England:(1) is the notice served in relation to early shorthold tenancies under the Housing Act 1988, and the other,(2) refers to section 20 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, as amended by the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act (CLR

Who Pays for Maintenance and Repairs

Who Pays for Maintenance and Repairs

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Who pays for maintenance and repairs in a residential letting, landlord or tenant?Is it, for example, a tenants responsibility once they occupy my building to look after most of the regular house maintenance items? If the fridge stops working does the tenant or the landlord need to repair it?Y

Inflation (RPI) and Rent

Inflation (RPI) and Rent

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With commercial property, rent reviews are generally to the open market rent, but sometimes the rent would be adjusted to the Retail Price Index (RPI). RPI is generally considered more favourable to landlords than CPI or other methodologies.There is no link between open market rent and inflatio

Commercial Property Insurance - part 1

Commercial Property Insurance - part 1

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Amongst the thorny issues in the relationship between landlord and tenant is the building insurance premium. Unlike residential property where the landlord has a vested interest in making sure the premium is competitive, because more than likely the premium would not be recoverable from the tenan

Can Landlords Discriminate when Selecting Tenants?

Can Landlords Discriminate when Selecting Tenants?

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Theres recently been a spate of press reports and political wrangling about the existence of Zero-Hour Contracts. This has become something of a hot political issue as we approach a general election, and one surprising development is recent attempts to embroil landlords in the issue, as if the

User Clauses - in Commercial (Business) Leases

User Clauses - in Commercial (Business) Leases

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Traditionally, with commercial (business) leases, a contractual provision within the lease specifies the use, or uses to which a property may be put and the uses which are prohibited.The formal classification of Uses� are set out in the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987 as a

Rent Increases with Assured Shorthold Tenancies

Rent Increases with Assured Shorthold Tenancies

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As most Assured Shorthold Tenancies (AST) are by definition, short, there is usually no need for landlords to get involved in processing a rent increase.However, some ASTs run for long periods after the fixed term has ended, i.e., when the tenancy becomes a statutory periodic tenancy, hence there

Guarantor or Rent Deposit

Guarantor or Rent Deposit

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The ideal for any landlord is for the tenant to have a guarantor and provide a rent deposit. But which is better when the landlord has to choose?The starting point is the status of the tenant. With a tenant that is one person (an individual) the likelihood of that person being of independent fina

Checking Tenants In and Out

Checking Tenants In and Out

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When you rent out a property two vital stages in the process are when you check-in your tenants at the start of the tenancy and check-out at the end.Preparation is the key to a trouble free let. When you prepare properly you are carrying out management processes so that nothing is left to chance

s.25 and s.26 notices - the landlord's perspective

s.25 and s.26 notices - the landlord's perspective

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Elsewhere on LandlordZONE (at https://www.landlordzone.co.uk/information/what-is-a-section-25-notice" https://www.landlordzone.co.uk/information/what-is-a-section-25-notice and https://www.landlordzone.co.uk/information/what-is-a-section-26-notice-2 ) you can find out about sec

"Upward-only" rent review

"Upward-only" rent review

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Contrary to popular belief, 'upward-only' rent review does not mean the rent must increase.An 'upward-only' review means that the rent payable after the review to open market rental is agreed or ascertained would not be less than the rent payable before the rent review, even if the open market re

The Dangers with Section 8 Possession Claims

The Dangers with Section 8 Possession Claims

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There are dangers with using the Section 8 possession claims process under the Housing Act 1988 which are not always apparent to landlords and agents.There is always a temptation to use section 8 because the shorter notice period (usually 2 weeks) is much quicker to court than the alternative - s

What is a Section 25 Notice

What is a Section 25 Notice

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What is a Section 25 Notice? My business lease is coming to an end and my landlord has served on me a Section 25 Notice.Commercial (Business) Tenancies in England &amp; Wales are regulated by the Landlord &amp; Tenant Act 1954 (Part 2).This means that when the fixed term ends (end of lease) the b

What is a Section 48 Notice?

What is a Section 48 Notice?

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Section 48 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1987 states that landlords of residential tenancies in England and Wales must furnish their tenants with an address in England &amp; Wales at which notices can be served. Failure to do so will mean that any claim for rent, rent arrears or service charges

Fixed-Term or Periodic Tenancy?

Fixed-Term or Periodic Tenancy?

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Should landlord insist on renewing fixed term tenancies or allow them to lapse into periodic tenancies?In essence a tenancy is the right to possess and occupy land belonging to another. A tenancy gives the occupier a legal interest in the land for a defined period of time.A relationship of landlo

What is a Section 213 Notice?

What is a Section 213 Notice?

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A section 213 notice is a prescribed form notice which must be served on your tenant, or another person, if they provided a deposit for a rental.If you have taken a deposit for an Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST) in England &amp; Wales (the rules in Scotland &amp; Northern Ireland are similar but