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Average rental prices in London drop, but rise across the whole of Britain

Average rental prices in London drop, but rise across the whole of Britain

News

Rents in London have dropped compared to a year ago, while Britain as a whole has seen values rise.

As if landlords don’t have enough to worry about – here’s another risk...

As if landlords don’t have enough to worry about – here’s another risk...

Information

There’s an issue with the safe disposal of Vapes - disposal in normal household bins has been identified as a fire risk

Landlord fined £43K for renting rodent-infested flats and blaming tenants for disrepair

Landlord fined £43K for renting rodent-infested flats and blaming tenants for disrepair

News

A landlord has been fined more than £43,000 for renting unsafe and rodent-infested flats - but blamed tenants for the disrepair.

Growing appeal of commercial property among landlords

Growing appeal of commercial property among landlords

News

Growing numbers of landlords are moving into commercial property amid fears that the residential market is too challenging.

Landlords to be fined if their tenants don’t keep their rubbish under control, warns council

Landlords to be fined if their tenants don’t keep their rubbish under control, warns council

News

Sefton Council has threatened to get tough on private landlords if they don’t help tenants keep their rubbish under control.

Landlords less likely to win appeals again improvements notices after tribunal ruling

Landlords less likely to win appeals again improvements notices after tribunal ruling

News

Landlords are less likely to win their appeal against an improvement notice following an Upper Tribunal ruling.

Renters’ Rights bill “won’t impact landlords’ profits”, insists tenant referencing firm

Renters’ Rights bill “won’t impact landlords’ profits”, insists tenant referencing firm

News

The Renters’ Rights Bill won’t impact private landlords’ profits or slow rising rents, according to tenant referencing company FCC Paragon.

Landlord ordered to pay £11K in fines and costs after misleading tenants

Landlord ordered to pay £11K in fines and costs after misleading tenants

News

A landlord who hoodwinked her student tenants into paying higher deposits has been ordered to pay more than £11,000 in fines and costs.

Average monthly rents in Britain increase to £1,332, official figures reveal

Average monthly rents in Britain increase to £1,332, official figures reveal

News

The average rent in Britain increased by 7.7% to £1,332 in the 12 months to March this year, official figures have revealed.

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Landlord to pay £20,000 after converting house illegally

Landlord to pay £20,000 after converting house illegally

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A Dagenham landlord has been fined more than £20,000 after repeatedly ignoring a planning enforcement notice.

Weaker tenant demand cools off rental market, says Zoopla

Weaker tenant demand cools off rental market, says Zoopla

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News
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Weaker demand and growing affordability pressures have pushed rental growth to a four-year low.

'Fixed term contracts will soon be illegal - are you ready?'

'Fixed term contracts will soon be illegal - are you ready?'

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Landlords are facing one of the private rented sector biggest changes in years when it ends fixed-term tenancy agreements.

Rogue estate agents pay heavy price for ignoring redress scheme

Rogue estate agents pay heavy price for ignoring redress scheme

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Nearly 50 estate agencies were expelled from the Property Redress scheme during a six month period last year, the organisation has revealed

Law Commission rules out major change to security of tenure rules for commercial leases

Law Commission rules out major change to security of tenure rules for commercial leases

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The Law Commission has published an interim report on its initial conclusions about security of tenure for business leases

Why can't all licensing schemes cost just £230 - this NW one does

Why can't all licensing schemes cost just £230 - this NW one does

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Landlords in Wirral might not welcome yet another selective licensing scheme, but a reduced £fee will make it one of the cheapest in UK.

Landlord banned by Tribunal after 'outrageous' safety failings

Landlord banned by Tribunal after 'outrageous' safety failings

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News
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A landlord in Aberdeen has been banned for failing to repair dangerous electrics in his rental property.

BIG SHIFT: Many young landlords 'don't own their own homes'

BIG SHIFT: Many young landlords 'don't own their own homes'

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Growing numbers of young people in the UK now prefer to invest in rental properties than buy their own home, an estate agency has claimed.

Third of UK adults say BTL 'safest' way to build long-term wealth

Third of UK adults say BTL 'safest' way to build long-term wealth

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Despite the sometimes hostile environment endured by current landlords, a third of UK adults aspire to invest in buy-to-let to build their long-term prosperity.

Providing a Reference

Providing a Reference

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Providing a Reference - I have been asked to provide a reference for one of my tenants who is moving on. What is my legal position in this and am I putting myself at risk if I say he was a bad tenant?</h2> Referencing (seeking verification of a tenants past performance) is an increasi

Polystyrene Ceiling Tiles

Polystyrene Ceiling Tiles

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Polystyrene Ceiling Tiles - is it legal to have these tiles in the kitchen of a rental property?</h2> There are currently no regulations specifically banning the use of polystyrene ceiling tiles in existing rented property.However, it is unlikely that local authority fire officers and en

Misrepresentation

Misrepresentation

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Misrepresentation - We recently rented out our rural cottage to a couple. As they wanted to use their computers I said it was possible to get high-speed broad-band. I thought this would be possible but it seems it is not at this time. The couple are now claiming that I misled them and that

Mail for Previous Tenants

Mail for Previous Tenants

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I'm receiving mail for previous tenants and some of them are from debt collectors. Will this get my property black listed and cause problems for my current tenants and myself in the future?</h2> It's fairly common to have mail arriving for months and even years after residents have left,

Long Term AST

Long Term AST

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Long Term AST - My prospective tenant has asked for a tenancy term of 6 years. Can I use the usual Assured Shorthold Tenancy agreement for this?</h2> The Assured Shorthold Tenancy is the default tenancy for residential lettings and since October 2010 this applies to rents up to �100,000

Lodgers Limits

Lodgers Limits

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Lodgers Limits - Is there any limit to the number of rooms I can rent out to lodgers, and are there any planning implications ?</h2> There are several parts of legislation in England and Wales that affect this question. Perhaps four main ones apply: Health &amp; Safety (HHSRS), HMO, Over

How long should accounts be kept

How long should accounts be kept

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Question: How long should accounts be kept to satisfy the authorities, things like accounting files, invoices and tax records, as a property landlord?Answer: You must keep your records for 6 years after the tax year to which they apply, whether or not you complete a tax return.It's a good idea, a

Expiry of Section 21 Notice

Expiry of Section 21 Notice

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Expiry of Section 21 Notice - I have served a Section 21 (s21) Notice on my tenant but don't wish to start proceedings immediately. Can I wait without the notice expiring?Once a Section 21 notice has been served correctly it continues indefinitely, until such time as the tenancy is ended, either

Covenant and Covenant Strength

Covenant and Covenant Strength

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Covenant and Covenant Strength - What is a legal covenant and what is the significance of the terms in relation to rental property and lettings ?</h2>The term covenant can have several meanings and has biblical origins but it is of particulalry significance

10 year lease

10 year lease

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2 years ago I purchased a company with a 10 year lease from my ex boss, on a 10 year lease, the lease was set up by a solicitor. After 2 years the business is struggling and is not viable. I feel that my solicitor ill advised me as there was no break clause mentioned. Where do I stand on t

Uncollected Goods

Uncollected Goods

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Good Left in the Premises or Uncollected GoodsFrequently, tenants leave goods after their tenancy has concluded or when they have abandon the premises during a tenancy. Uncollected goods and possessions left or abandoned in premises by tenants can pose a real problem for landlords.

Standing Order

Standing Order

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<h1 Standing Order</h1>What are Bankers' Standing Orders?</h3><ul <li Standing Orders allow landlords to automate the process of collecting rents</li> <li They safeguard tenants in that the landlord cannot change the payment amount, as is the case with direct debit

Section 8 Procedure

Section 8 Procedure

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The Possession Procedure - 1988 Housing ActThe possession procedure under Section 8 of the Housing Acts 1988 &amp; 1996 is known as the Section 8 Route and is available to landlords where the tenant is in breach of one or more terms of

Renting Business Premises

Renting Business Premises

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Renting or Leasing Commercial Property Renting commercial property usually represents a major part of the operating costs involved in running any business. If you include surveyor's and solicitor's fees, rent, business rates, insurance,

License Agreement

License Agreement

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Types of Tenure: A tenancy gives the tenant a legal interest in the land and property - in effect, legal ownership for the period of the tenancy. Tenancies can take several forms: <ul <li Rent Act or Regulated Tenancies - pre </li> <li

Joint or Single Tenancies

Joint or Single Tenancies

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<h1 Joint or Single Shared Tenancies</h1>Shared House (Joint Tenants) or Individual Rooms (Single Tenants)? Where a landlord lets to multiple and usually unrelated tenants there are two main ways of doing this:(1) As a Joint Tenancyng

Common Law Tenancies

Common Law Tenancies

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These are tenancies that fall outside the scope of the Housing Acts (1988, 1996, 2004), including the Regulated Tenancies, Assured Tenancies (AT) and Assured Shorthold Tenancies ASTs.In the case of a common law residential tenancy , the tenant's rights and obligations are ma

Business Tenancies

Business Tenancies

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What are Business Tenancies ?A tenancy is an "estate in land", granted for a determined period of time (term of years or fixed term - 6 months,1 year, 21 years, 99 years etc) or a specific period (a periodic tenancy - yearly, monthly, weekly, even daily).In return for the "time lim

Gas Safety

Gas Safety

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Landlord's Duty to Ensure Installations are SafeAll Landlords have a common law duty to ensure that gas installations and appliances supplied with their properties are safe. Tenants also have certain legal obligations when it comes to gas safety - see below.I

Gas & Electrical Certificates

Gas & Electrical Certificates

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Landlords' Gas and Electrical Safety Certificates:As a landlord, or as a letting agent acting on the landlord's behalf, you have a legal obligation to ensure that your accommodation is completely safe for your tenants.Several statutory regulations and general common law requirement

Furnished or Unfurnished

Furnished or Unfurnished

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Letting and residential property fully furnished, part-furnished or unfurnished in England &amp; Wales no longer has any implications regarding security of tenure for the tenant or for taxation. However, Council Tax and the 10% Depreciation Allowance may be affected - you don't pay Council Tax du

Fire Certificate

Fire Certificate

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What was the Fire Certificate is no longer required as it was previously under the Fire Precautions Act 1971 for hotels, boarding houses, factories, offices, shops and railway premises. All these premises must comply with Fire Regulations, now covered by t

False Statements By Tenants

False Statements By Tenants

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Ending a residential tenancy on the ground of "false statement by the tenant "The Housing Act 1988 as amended by the Housing Act 1996 makes provision for the possession of residential properties let under Assured and Assured Shorthold Tenancies.However

Bed & Breakfast Business

Bed & Breakfast Business

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Running a Successful Bed &amp; Breakfast Guest HouseRunning a successful Bed &amp; Breakfast Business from the comfort of your own home has many advantages and rewards as far as being self employed is concerned:</

Taking in a Lodger

Taking in a Lodger

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Taking in a LodgerIf you're considering taking a lodger there are some important things to think about first. Most of its common sense, but its a good idea plan carefully and get things right.[list type='3'] <ul <li Taking in Lodgers is a good way to earn extr