The Government has given buy-to-let landlords two compelling reason to sell-up, and fast: first is the overhaul of the rental rules coming next year, with indefinite tenancies and the end of section 21 evictions, and second comes the eroding of capital gains tax, tax free allowances. <p
New government funding to explore how technology can help dispute resolution could reduce the backlog of court cases, including possession hearings. The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has been awarded �119,691 from the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial St
Investigations have thrown new light on a series of solar energy investments which failed to switch the lights on for Thurrock Council. Conservative led Thurrock Council has saddled itself with an almost �500 million debt when it tried to bridge a funding gap by taking on risky
In this episode of the property cast, Eddie and Paul are joined by Nigel Lewis - award-winning property journalist and Editor in Chief at LandlordZONE, the most visited landlord news website in the UK. Nigel Lewis is a property writer and editor with a 27-year track record working for nation
In this episode of The Property Cast, we discuss the myriad of issues surrounding damp, mould and condensation a common problem for landlords and letting agents alike. To explore this topic, Sean Hooker, Head of Redress at the Property Redress Scheme, steps into Eddies sh
In this episode of The Property Cast, Eddie and Paul are joined by Maxine Fothergill, President of the leading membership body for property agents, ARLA Propertymark. The trio discuss the topical issue of rental reform and ROPA, delving into the detail of what lies ahead for age
Middle-income households are to be eligible for grants worth up to �15,000 to make their homes more energy efficient says Grant Shapps, the business secretary. Grant Shapps is to announce the plans for insulation grants to help households fund loft insulation, cavity wall insul
Portsmouth is to go ahead with its contested additional licensing scheme but has promised to reward good landlords by charging them a lower licence fee and doing fewer inspections. Landlords had urged their council not to go ahead with plans to extend licensing to about 4,000 th
The long awaited renting reforms first muted in 2019 will be implemented next year, promises Housing Secretary, Michael Gove MP. Admitting that the Government should have moved more quickly� on these reforms to protect tenants following the Grenfell Tower tragedy, Mr Gove
Benefit claimants must get the Government help they need once its welfare reforms take effect, an industry body has warned.
A reduced supply of luxury rental homes in London is feeding into higher rents, which are now a third higher than before the pandemic, new research has revealed.
Labour MP Tom Hayes has launched a survey to quiz tenants and landlords in his Bournemouth East constituency, in a bid to fix the “broken” rented sector.
Liberal Democrat MP Sarah Dyke has called for WASPI women to be fairly compensated after one of her constituents was evicted.
‘Rentflation’ has cost young people an extra £1,616 on their rent bill in the past year, according to new data from Barclays.
Almost half of all private renters who receive Local Housing Allowance experience a shortfall between their payment and monthly rent, according to new analysis by the NRLA.
Landlords who fail to address damp and mould problems ahead of Awaab’s Law risk legal action, reputational damage, and significant fines, an air quality monitoring firm has warned.
More companies are registered to hold buy-to-let property than for any other type of business as investors seek to reduce their tax burden, new data reveals.
Landlords still have 'plenty of opportunities’ despite interest rates expected to remain on hold this week, a specialist lender has suggested.
Letting Agent Contracts: One common question asked by landlords is, "how do I terminate my relationship with my letting agent?"For one reason or another, landlords sometimes wish to end their relationship with their letting agent and want to know how to go about it.Requests
General Election: Part of Laboursbid to be elected on 12th December is a raft of taxraising measures aimed at buy-to-let landlords and second homeowners. Jeremy CorbynsLabour party manifesto launch last week outlined a n
Condensation andmould : This time of year,as the temperature drops, both new homes and old homes aresusceptible to the formation of condensation and unsightly mould: newhomes because they are effectively a sealed box, and old homesbecause they often lack ef
The colder weather is here again, its that time of year coming; you feel that cold chill in the air, the snow and ice will soon arrive, and you know its time to get out that winter coat, scarf and gloves.You also know that cold wet weather on the way will test your rental properties and tenant
Portfolio Landlords: Buy to let lender Paragons recent research shows that professionaland larger-scale landlords are still investing and are increasing the size oftheir portfolios through more targeted investments. With an average portfolio
New rules that came into force in March allow https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/landlords-sue-cold-damp-homes-law-tenants-renting-housing-a8776671.html" tenants to sue landlords for issues like cold and damp. A broken heating system or poor ventilation that
Commercial Property : A recent High Court decision in Co-Operative Group Food Ltdv. A&A Shah Properties Ltd (2019) relates to an authorised guaranteeagreement (AGA) dispute, in this case an agreement involving a guarantor of theoutgoing tenant. <p id
The Government has announced its intention to scrap Section 21 notices for eviction in an effort to offer tenants more long-term security.
Commercial: A new set of mandatory rules introduced from 1stApril 2019 and though the document itself is titled a first edition, itsupersedes 3 previous editions published as codes of practice. The RICS (Royal Institution of Ch
Security: Renovating a buy-to-let property can be a great way for landlords to increase the rental income
Abandonment: When times get hard the instances of tenants leaving without notice are known to increase. Doing a runner�, skipping� moonlight flitting� walking away� or gone away� and in the words of the immortal song;
Tenancy Deposits: According to TDS (Tenancy Deposit Scheme) less than 1% (0.85%) of tenancies they handle have resulted in a deposit dispute in the year to March 2018, nevertheless its important to get it right when dealing with tenants' deposits.Cleaning was the most com
Viewpoint by Tom Entwistle As winter approaches outside temperatures drop and the perennial landlords problem of winter condensation and black mould rear their ugly heads again.The question is, how do you know if this is caused by the building or the tenant, or is it a co
Landlords' Tax: Internet sites, such as AirBnB, have increased the number of landlords letting to lodgers and to guests on short stays. There are specific tax benefits to this type of letting business which are expanded upon below.Furnished holiday letting</st
Section 21: Most tenancies will never require the service of a Section 21, Housing Act 1988, (eviction) notice. However, on those occasions when it does become necessary, and you just never know, landlords (and agents) will thank their lucky starts they complied with the rul
Asbestos:Asbestos regulations were last updated in 2012 , bringing the UK in line with EU regulations, which means the current regulations have been in place long enough for most
The Application Form You should always use a comprehensive Tenancy Application Form when taking on a new tenant. You need a completed application for each adult tenant in the property.The Tenancy application form is a very important starting point for any residential or comm
End of an AST: Questions: What happens when an Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST) comes to an end? Will the tenant have to leave or does she need to sign a new agreement? What if a tenant wants to leave early? How long can a periodic tenancy last?When the fixed term (minimum of
Landlords often buy flats which are either Leasehold or Shared Freehold. What are these tenures and what should landlords look out for in these different forms of ownership?Leasehold is one of three forms of tenure (property/land ownership) almost exclusively peculiar to the United Kingdom, thoug
Landlord's Access to Property: Many landlords will have experienced a tenant denying them access to a property - whether for an inspection, viewings or legal duties. Its easy to understand the view of Its my property, I can enter when I want, but unfortunately th
New Rules for Section 21 :Landlords and Agents need to be aware of the changes affecting Section 21 rules and Notices and other changes for the letting of residential properties in England (and in many cases Wales) introduced during 2015 . This article explains the new rules
Many landlords have long suspected that the DCLG approved national calculation methodologies and software programs were seriously flawed when they produced EPC ratings for buildings following energy assessments.So news that new software is being introduced which is claimed to be more accurate is
Serving Notices: Landlords and agents often get confused as to how they should serve Notices on their tenants.Ordinarily it wouldnt matter what method is used, but if you end up in court with a possession or money claim, or some such court action, then what and how you se
Tenant are Consumers: The UK Consumer Protection law applies to letting agents and landlords alike when they advertise a property to let or create a new tenancy. It also applies to most private landlords when they deal with letting agents, unless they operate as a company.
Obtaining Possession Using Section 21 Notices Updated October 2016This article explains how to gain possession of your residential rental property in the most efficient way possible. You may just want your property back for your own use, or to sell, or you may be having prob
