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Home counties borough warns landlords over imminent HMO crackdown

Home counties borough warns landlords over imminent HMO crackdown

News

HMO owners in Gravesham are being given a last chance to get their house in order ahead of a crackdown on unlicensed properties.

40% of people worried about paying rent or mortgage

40% of people worried about paying rent or mortgage

News

Two in five (40%) of people who pay housing costs in England – equivalent to 12 million adults – are worried their housing pressures will get worse this year.

What's your opinion on being a landlord? Fill in this survey!

What's your opinion on being a landlord? Fill in this survey!

News

Landlords are being urged to fill in a survey on the state of the private rented housing market and some of the key topics likely to be affecting them in the coming months.

Martin Lewis urges London tenants to report non-compliant landlords

Martin Lewis urges London tenants to report non-compliant landlords

News

Money expert Martin Lewis has advised tenants in London to check if they are in line for a big pay-out when renting unlicensed properties.

Agents warn reforms driving landlords out the market

Agents warn reforms driving landlords out the market

News

Two-thirds of letting agents say more landlords are leaving the market due to ongoing reforms.

Is commercial property set for a rebound in 2024?

Is commercial property set for a rebound in 2024?

News

The commercial property sector has been particularly badly hit with reduced property values and rents, and increased lending costs, but it's not all doom and gloom

Be ready for new safety rules on March 1st, Scots landlords warned

Be ready for new safety rules on March 1st, Scots landlords warned

News

Landlords in Scotland will have to meet a raft of measures to keep their properties up to scratch when new rules come in on 1st March.

Minister reveals new green scheme and cash for landlords

Minister reveals new green scheme and cash for landlords

News

Landlords will be able to apply for bespoke green loans and cashback rewards to make their properties more energy efficient under a new government-backed scheme.

Looking to reduce your tax bill? Then you're in good 'company'

Looking to reduce your tax bill? Then you're in good 'company'

News

Mortgage brokers are bracing themselves for more landlords seeking to borrow via limited companies during 2024, it has been claimed.

Government becomes shareholder in PRS investment platform

Government becomes shareholder in PRS investment platform

News

The government has become an investor in PRS financing platform Shojin through the conversion of a pandemic-era loan facilitated by the Future Fund scheme.

Council proposes unusual property licencing REDUCTION!

Council proposes unusual property licencing REDUCTION!

News

Landlords are being urged by a London councl to take part in a consultation on plans for a new, slimmed down selective licensing scheme.

Bad plumbing not mould is top concern for private tenants

Bad plumbing not mould is top concern for private tenants

News

Two thirds of private renters had an issue with the quality or condition of their home during the past six months, according to new research, with plumbing problems top of the list.

Winchester council latest to become big private landlord

Winchester council latest to become big private landlord

News

Winchester City Council has set up its own housing company, Venta Living, one of a growing number of councils going down the private route to help meet the growing demand for rental properties.

Landlord fined £6,500 after member of public reports HMO

Landlord fined £6,500 after member of public reports HMO

News

A landlord in Norfolk has been fined £6,500 after a significant investigation by local housing officers.

Lawyer warns landlords NOT to blame tenants for mould

Lawyer warns landlords NOT to blame tenants for mould

News

A senior lawyer has told landlords that they cannot blame their tenants if mould appears within privately rented homes.

Letting agent avoids jail after defrauding seven landlords

Letting agent avoids jail after defrauding seven landlords

News

A fraudulent letting agent who ripped off landlords by failing to register their deposits has escaped a jail sentence.

Absentee landlord to pay tenants £10k over mouldy, unlicenced property

Absentee landlord to pay tenants £10k over mouldy, unlicenced property

News

Three tenants have pocketed £10,060 between them after winning a rent repayment order against their landlord for letting out a mouldy HMO with “lamentable” fire safety.

Tribunal orders big landlord to pay £16m toward cladding costs

Tribunal orders big landlord to pay £16m toward cladding costs

News

One of the UK’s largest private landlords has been ordered to pay £16 million towards the cost of fixing cladding-related fire safety problems at a group of five residential towers in London.

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

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

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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

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News
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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

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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

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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

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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

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News
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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?

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News
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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

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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

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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

Bristol significantly expands HMO and selective licensing schemes

Bristol significantly expands HMO and selective licensing schemes

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Bristol has approved plans to extend landlord licensing in Brislington West, Bedminster and Horfield wards in a bid to raise PRS standards. The scheme includes additional licensing - HMOs with three or more unrelated people sharing facilities and selective licensing - privat

Durham’s new licensing scheme for 29,000 homes: What you need

Durham’s new licensing scheme for 29,000 homes: What you need

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Durham County Council's selective licensing scheme covers 29,000 homes, requiring landlords to apply by 31 July for a £350–£500 licence fee.

Test Case: Council advising tenants to stay put after valid s21 notice served

Test Case: Council advising tenants to stay put after valid s21 notice served

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This is a Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman case involving an unnamed landlord (LandlordX or MrX) and Brentwood Borough Council. The case revolves around a common situation where the landlord required possession of the property after serving a valid section 21 notice un

'Let’s not forget property remains the best performing investment'

'Let’s not forget property remains the best performing investment'

Opinion
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I've been in the property investment business for almost 30 years and during this period opportunities have come and gone but I've yet to discover an asset class that perf

OPINION: The EPC ratings system is 'not fit for purpose'

OPINION: The EPC ratings system is 'not fit for purpose'

Opinion
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Ever since I started to market one of my commercial buildings around 10 years ago now, I began to doubt the efficacy of the EPC rating system. The guy that came along to do the inspection told me himself he had just completed a 6 week course, or whatever it was, to train to be a

BREAKING: Government toughens up smoke and C0 alarm regulations

BREAKING: Government toughens up smoke and C0 alarm regulations

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Social and private landlords are to face tougher new rules which make it mandatory to fit smoke alarms in all rented accommodation regardless of tenure, and widen the conditions under which they must be fitted. Revisions to the smoke and carbon monoxide detector regulations also

ANALYSIS: Does buy-to-let still beat the stock market?

ANALYSIS: Does buy-to-let still beat the stock market?

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News
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If you had �50k to invest right now, where would you put it, buy-to-let property or stocks and shares? Certainly leaving it in a traditional savings account, with interest rates as they are at rock bottom, thats out of the question. And with the threat of rising inflation ea

EXCLUSIVE: Costliest and most common landlord insurance claims

EXCLUSIVE: Costliest and most common landlord insurance claims

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Research carried out by LandlordZONEs insurance partner, Hamilton Fraser Total Landlord Insurance, revealed that the vast majority of landlords, https://hamiltonfraser.co.uk/knowledge/good-landlord-quiz-results/?utm_source=landlordzone&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=lz_november

Opinion: Should landlords dive into heat pumps?

Opinion: Should landlords dive into heat pumps?

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The move to provide home heating and hot water by this method is part of a Government strategy aimed at making deep cuts to greenhouse gas emissions and decarbonizing the UK's power sector by 2035. Prime Minister Boris Johnson says the scheme was designed to bring low-carbon hea

UPDATED: Bailiff evictions to be suspended over Xmas and New Year for a month

UPDATED: Bailiff evictions to be suspended over Xmas and New Year for a month

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Tenants facing eviction in England are to be protected from losing their homes during the Christmas and New Year period, HM Courts and Tribunal has confirmed. Between 13th December and 10th January no evictions should be s

Tax changes for Airbnb landlords 'in the pipeline' to stop gaming of the rates system

Tax changes for Airbnb landlords 'in the pipeline' to stop gaming of the rates system

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Some holiday lets owners are gaming the system to claim business rate relief, comments made by the Housing Minister Lord Greenhalgh suggest, who has promised action to clamp down on the practice. In a Lords debate on second homes, peers voiced concerns that second homeo

Asylum seeker HMO operator fined �60,000 for running house without licence

Asylum seeker HMO operator fined �60,000 for running house without licence

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A company that houses asylum seekers has been fined more than �60,000 for HMO offences in Newport. Clearsprings Ready Homes, which has the contract for operating accommodation for asylum seekers in Wales, was found guilty of letting an HMO in Redland Street (pictured), in the B

Bill to make EPC rules mandatory early 'unlikely to become law' after stabbing

Bill to make EPC rules mandatory early 'unlikely to become law' after stabbing

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The Minimum Energy Performance of Buildings Bill, which aimed to advance the governments energy efficiency commitments, is in doubt following the tragic death of David Amess MP. He was the presentation bills main sponsor in the Commons, launching it at the same time as Lor

Should holiday-let owners be paying council tax?

Should holiday-let owners be paying council tax?

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However, Carol Lewis writing for the Sunday Times newspaper thinks that holiday let owners should be paying council tax. Given that levelling up is the government's buzzword du jour, it is time to level the playing field and bring holiday-home owners in line wi

Landlords left struggling to claw back deposits owed after property firm ceases trading

Landlords left struggling to claw back deposits owed after property firm ceases trading

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Landlords and letting agents hit by the collapse of Ash Residential Property Management Limited (ARPM) have been left struggling to claw back deposits and fees after it ceased trading last month with debts of almost �1.5m. At least 8,000 properties and their landlords are affec

HMRC warns holiday let owners about their tax obligations

HMRC warns holiday let owners about their tax obligations

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HMRC warns that owners must accurately declare these earnings on their self assessment tax returns or face criminal charges if in default. A boom in bookings The Covid pandemic has stored up excess demand for stay at home Britains under the foreign holiday restrictio

LATEST: Scots landlords face new EPC rules but up to �15,000 to pay for upgrades

LATEST: Scots landlords face new EPC rules but up to �15,000 to pay for upgrades

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Scottish landlords have until 2028 to meet energy efficiency standards but can access interest-free loans of up to �15,000 to help them spread the cost. The Scottish government has published its Heat In Building Strategy setting out that, by 2030, greenhouse gas emissions from

Sir Philip Green and his wife bought-up high-end London property as their retail empire was collapsing

Sir Philip Green and his wife bought-up high-end London property as their retail empire was collapsing

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The so called Pandora Papers is a financial services leak of nearly 12 million documents that reveal an international treasure trove of hidden wealth, tax avoidance and money laundering, by some of the world's richest individuals. The secret files were unearthed by a Washington

Nationwide launches platform to help landlords manage their properties and finances

Nationwide launches platform to help landlords manage their properties and finances

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High Street lender the Nationwide has launched a platform that will be first of its kind created for landlords by a major financial institution. Called The Landlord Works, it has been developed by a team headed up by Paul Wooton (main picture) who, after leaving its mortgage bro

UK's most expensive HMO licensing scheme to launch in London

UK's most expensive HMO licensing scheme to launch in London

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Lambeth to launch UK's most expensive HMO scheme, charging landlords £289 per bedroom under new five-year additional licensing rules.

Test case: Servicing a section 21 notice and prescribed information

Test case: Servicing a section 21 notice and prescribed information

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The Section 21 possession procedure (currently under threat of being removed) is a no fault eviction process where the landlord can serve notice on a tenant to regain possession once the initial minimum 6 months or contracted fixed term has ended. A section 21 notice is for 2

LATEST: Pet-owning resident in legal clash with freeholder over 'permission'

LATEST: Pet-owning resident in legal clash with freeholder over 'permission'

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A dog-owning tenant has launched a legal challenge against her freeholder which could result in parting with her pets or the leasehold. The womans partner moved into her property five years ago with three small dogs and admitted this to the freeholder. It then sent her a

PetScore referencing service for landlords officially launches

PetScore referencing service for landlords officially launches

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A tech professional who is also a landlord has launched what she believes to be the ideal solution to the impasse between landlords who won’t take tenants with pets, and the estimated 7.6 million tenants in the UK who want to live with their cats or dogs.

Throuple trouble? Modern relationships making HMO compliance tricky, warns top lawyer

Throuple trouble? Modern relationships making HMO compliance tricky, warns top lawyer

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Landlords and agents must make sure they dont come a cropper deciding what constitutes a single household when vetting HMO tenants in an age of polyamorous relationships, warns a top property lawyer. While the legal definition of a household can be explained quickly, re

HMRC claws back �254 MILLION from landlords via Let Property campaign

HMRC claws back �254 MILLION from landlords via Let Property campaign

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Just over a quarter of a billion pounds has been clawed back from landlords since HMRC's Let Property campaign began eight years ago, it has been revealed. The latest figure for the campaign were revealed by Financial Secretary to the Treasury Jesse Norman in response to a writt