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Eviction courts to close this week as strike action by security guards goes ahead

Eviction courts to close this week as strike action by security guards goes ahead

News

More evidence of trouble within the courts system and in particular for landlords seeking to evict tenants via possessin hearings has emerged, LandlordZONE can report.

NEW: Official 'How to Rent' guide out next Monday, confirms Government

NEW: Official 'How to Rent' guide out next Monday, confirms Government

News

The government has confirmed that the latest How to Rent guide will go live on Monday, 2nd October, including details on the new Housing Loss Prevention Service.

New landlords: are you properly prepared for letting a property for the first time?

New landlords: are you properly prepared for letting a property for the first time?

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Letting for the first time can be a daunting prospect. Here is a summary of the key points you should look out for...

UPDATED: The importance of the residential property Inventory

UPDATED: The importance of the residential property Inventory

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Ever since the launch of the Tenancy Deposit Scheme in April 2007, the lettings industry has recognised the importance of a professional standard inventory if deposit damage claims by landlords or their agents are to succeed.

80% of landlords ‘were ready for EPC changes’ scrapped by Rishi Sunak this week

80% of landlords ‘were ready for EPC changes’ scrapped by Rishi Sunak this week

News

Rishi Sunak’s decision to scrap tougher EPC rules for rented properties may spark anger among some landlords following new research that four in five of them had already made preparations to meet the former minimum ‘Band C’ requirement.

Short-let landlords in London ‘must be regulated and taxed more’ says Westminster

Short-let landlords in London ‘must be regulated and taxed more’ says Westminster

News

Westminster City Council has repeated its calls for a compulsory registration scheme for short-term lets, a tax on overnight stays and powers to issue penalties to unregistered hosts, saying Airbnb is now causing an ‘enforcement nightmare’.

Offering sex for rent should be ‘specific offence’ say tenant campaigners

Offering sex for rent should be ‘specific offence’ say tenant campaigners

News

The government is being urged to bring in a dedicated ‘sex for rent’ law to protect tenants after it promised to clamp down on predatory adverts.

Higher rents caused by more landlords than usual quitting says Bank of England

Higher rents caused by more landlords than usual quitting says Bank of England

News

The Bank of England has blamed higher rents on more landlords than usual quitting the private rental market within its detailed quarterly report on the economy.

REVEALED: What the boiler replacement scheme change means for landlords

REVEALED: What the boiler replacement scheme change means for landlords

News

Landlords have more of an incentive to make green improvements following PM Rishi Sunak’s announcement that they can now claim £7,500 for a heat pump installation.

Offering sex for rent should be 'specific offence' say tenant campaigners

Offering sex for rent should be 'specific offence' say tenant campaigners

News

The government is being urged to bring in a dedicated �sex for rent' law to protect tenants after it promised to clamp down on predatory adverts.

Short-let landlords in London 'must be regulated and taxed more' says Westminster

Short-let landlords in London 'must be regulated and taxed more' says Westminster

News

Westminster City Council has repeated its calls for a compulsory registration scheme for short-term lets, a tax on overnight stays and powers to issue penalties to unregistere

UPDATED:Brighton looks to licence 23,000 properties under massive new scheme

UPDATED:Brighton looks to licence 23,000 properties under massive new scheme

News

Brighton & Hove Council hopes to introduce a huge selective licensing scheme that would eventually cover 17 of the city’s 23 wards.

Unusual council deal agreed to help tenants claim cash off landlords

Unusual council deal agreed to help tenants claim cash off landlords

News

York Council has teamed up with Justice for Tenants (JFT) to help more residents claim rent repayment orders from errant landlords in what is claimed to be a ‘ground-breaking partnership’.

Council signs up campaign group to help tenants claim rent back from landlords

Council signs up campaign group to help tenants claim rent back from landlords

News

York Council has teamed up with Justice for Tenants (JFT) to help more residents claim rent repayment orders from errant landlords in what is claimed to be a 'ground-breaking

Big council to regulate more HMOs despite landlord criticism of inspection regime

Big council to regulate more HMOs despite landlord criticism of inspection regime

News

Haringey Council has given the green light to an additional HMO licencing scheme consultation.

Landlords to be stopped from renting out HMO rooms as holiday lets

Landlords to be stopped from renting out HMO rooms as holiday lets

News

North Devon Council could close a loophole that allows HMO landlords to rent out their rooms as holiday lets.

Brum council: ‘We’re bankrupt but still enforcing new selective licencing scheme’

Brum council: ‘We’re bankrupt but still enforcing new selective licencing scheme’

News

Birmingham Council has confirmed to LandlordZONE that its selective licensing scheme will continue to be enforced despite its dire financial situation.

A few simple tricks can prevent your property being sold off under your nose

A few simple tricks can prevent your property being sold off under your nose

Opinion

So called title fraud is on the rise, where someone steals your identity, transfers your property title and either mortgages it or sells it off

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Tenant's Liability to Pay Council Tax

Tenant's Liability to Pay Council Tax

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Test Case: Leeds City Council v Broadley [2016]This case and the subsequent High Court ruling has brought some clarification about who is liable to pay council tax, tenant or landlord, when a rental property is vacant due to a tenant vacating early, that is, before the tena

Tenant's Notice-to-Quit ' Periodic Tenancies

Tenant's Notice-to-Quit ' Periodic Tenancies

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Ending a Tenancy: What are the rules governing the ending of a statutory periodic tenancy (SPT) by the tenant, especially when the periods of the tenancy are not the standard 1 month?The answer to this question is not easily defined as it is not covered by one rule or a sing

mydeposits Issues Deposit Scam Warning

mydeposits Issues Deposit Scam Warning

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Deposit Scheme Scam: Mydeposits says it is aware of a new scam being used by a fraudulent company imitating mydeposits and targeting landlords and letting agent members of the mydeposits Custodial scheme in England & Wales.The scam uses an email which imitates one from m

Landlords and Agents Reminded about Burst Pipes

Landlords and Agents Reminded about Burst Pipes

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Freezing Pipes: This time of year, as we head towards colder weather and freezing conditions, buy-to-let properties and indeed all rental properties are vulnerable to potentially expensive winter water damageIn this article digital inventory app developer Imfuna Le

Rent-free period

Rent-free period

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Guide to commercial tenancy rent-free periods and full repairing leases, explaining tenant obligations on lease expiry or termination.

Safety Standards for Blinds and Curtains

Safety Standards for Blinds and Curtains

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Landlords and letting agents should by now be conversant with the 2014 regulations on blinds and curtains and the measures necessary to prevent accidents with children. It is particularly important to ensure that blinds and curtains supplied in rental properties meet these regulations, otherwise,

Repair Reporting Issues and Section 21

Repair Reporting Issues and Section 21

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Changes to the law on Section 21 and in particular how landlords deal with reported repair issues is now of crucial importance if section 21 claims for possession are to be successful. Careful pre-planning is now essential at the time of setting-up Assured Shorthold Tenancies (AST).The Section 21

Assessing Covenant Strength

Assessing Covenant Strength

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Understand how to assess tenant covenant strength and why it’s key to commercial property investment decisions.

Holding or Pre-Contract Deposits

Holding or Pre-Contract Deposits

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I have always found the holding deposit (an initial retainer paid to the landlord or agent to reserve a tenancy) is a very useful device to commit the tenant to your letting. But is it legal to withhold the advance deposit you take from a prospective tenant if they back out?In my experience a pro

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

UK landlords could reap rich rewards from Afghan crisis

UK landlords could reap rich rewards from Afghan crisis

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With private rentals and holiday homes in high demand, many due to Covid and holiday staycations, some councils are offering landlords some very attractive incentives, dubbed golden hellos� of up to �3,500. Some councils have been offering private landlords and second home

HMO landlord hit hard by Scotland's tough licensing regulations

HMO landlord hit hard by Scotland's tough licensing regulations

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A landlord who was hauled up on minor maintenance issues has been refused an HMO licence by Glasgow City Council. Khurshid Begum told its licensing and regulatory committee that he had sorted all the problems at his property in Grant Street, Hillhead, but councillors would still

Explained: Major upcoming EPC Regulation changes for Buy-To-Let landlords

Explained: Major upcoming EPC Regulation changes for Buy-To-Let landlords

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The UK Government has identified that homes across the UK contribute about 1/5 of all carbon emissions from the country. In order for the UK to reach its ambitious carbon neut

Why technology can give your business a big break

Why technology can give your business a big break

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As a landlord, your life is far from idle as you work hard to find new tenants, manage your current ones, do the admin, find reliable tradespeople and much more.<br>Faced with

SNEAK PEEK: Barratt reveals micro flat concept being built in London

SNEAK PEEK: Barratt reveals micro flat concept being built in London

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House building giant Barratt has revealed what it claims to be the future of UK housing a 37 sq metre one-bedroom apartment for sale at �285,000. The 160 initial Smrt homes are within the companys huge Eastman Village development in Harrow, North London where event

A national rogue tenant database would be 'open to abuse' says industry expert

A national rogue tenant database would be 'open to abuse' says industry expert

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A national rogue tenant register to combat the issue of renters trashing properties and leaving landlords out of pocket could be open to abuse, a leading expert has warned. Sean Hooker, head of redress at the https://www.theprs.co.uk/" target="_blank" <strong id="

As the weather warms up, the risk of subsidence rises '� are you covered?

As the weather warms up, the risk of subsidence rises '� are you covered?

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August got off to an unsettled and changeable start this year, with heavy rain and flooding in many parts of the UK. But the long-range weather forecast is now predicting warmer than usual conditions in late August, and potentially even a heat wave, with temperatures set to soar across some

Summer retainer fees charged to students by landlords are 'unlawful'

Summer retainer fees charged to students by landlords are 'unlawful'

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Rent Smart Wales is challenging letting agents and landlords over the widespread practice of charging student tenants summer retainer fees which it claims are unlawful under Welsh legislation. It says a retainer is an additional fee which is unlawful under the Renting Home

What is the difference: Lease, Licence or Tenancy-at-Will?

What is the difference: Lease, Licence or Tenancy-at-Will?

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Owners (landlords) of commercial (business) premises and sometimes residential premises want to let to a tenant on a short term basis, but are fearful of creating a long-term arrangement such that the tenant cannot be removed if the landlord wants it.Basically, there are three ways to do that whi