Business rates or non-domestic rates are a variant of a 500-year-old tax, the current version of which was introduced in 1990 to fund local services based on property values, raising approximately �25 billion a year. RVA Surveyors are business rates reduction specialists who ha
Labour councillors in Hartlepool campaigning to restrict HMOs in the town have been told to find evidence of problems caused by shared properties. <figure id="" class="w-richtext-figure-type- " data-rt-type="" data-rt-align=""><div><img src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/63bef2f3c329ef
Thats the prediction made by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) and banking software company, Temenos. Temenos AG is a company specialising in enterprise software for banks and financial services headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. An overwhelming proportion of European
A new four-part ITV drama series starting tonight is based around title fraud which can rob you of your property. Downton Abbey actress Tuppence Middleton and Line of Duty star actor Martin Compston portray a couple who become victims of the little-known crime of house hijacking
A landlord with a property in West Essex has urged LandlordZONE readers to be more careful when trusting agents to protect their tenants deposits via one of the governments approved schemes after a vindictive renter took her to a property
A cross-party group of MPs has urged the government to ensure HMO and other 'all inclusive' landlords dont pocket multiple council tax rebates under its new scheme https://www.gov.uk/government/news/households-urged-to-get-ready-for-150-council-tax-rebate" target="_blank"
The Welsh Government is to bring in its https://www.landlordzone.co.uk/news/welsh-government-to-wage-new-war-on-holiday-lets/" promised local tax rules for holiday lets to address the problem of unaffordable housing. Self-catering accomm
External auditors are to investigate selective licensing in Nottingham following a complaint about whether it provides value for money. One of the citys landlords has made a formal objection about the scheme which charges them up to �890 every five years for each rental prop
Councils are seeking to reclassify HMO properties as multiple single dwellings for council tax purposes to raise additional revenue, it has been reported. <figure id="" class="w-richtext-figure-type- " data-rt-type="" data-rt-align=""><div><img src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/63bef2
A landlord who thought he could ignore council warnings over his property has been fined £10,000.
Labour has revealed more details of the new minimum standards private landlords will have to meet.
AdvoCATS has launched initiative after Labour decided inexplicably not to allow landlords to require tenants to take out pet insurance.
Lord Hacking tells housing minister Government is 'plain wrong' in its insistence on banning fixed-term tenancies.
Government reveals it is about to consult on a new Decent Homes Standard that will apply to private as well as social landlords.
Housing minister says asking students to commit before Christmas to a tenancy the next year is unfair.
The LandlordZONE podcast invites one of the agents who has been leading the charge to temper Ministers' reforming zeal.
The bill is designed to afford tenants more protections, but could it lead to them being ‘forced out’ of their homes?
The HMO that AM PM Estates managed in Slough was found to be dirty and in a poor state of repair inside and out, including a
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
Assuming a commercial property is let already, the proposition an income-producing investment, the investor would be buying the building/property, not the tenant's business. Since the purchase price is geared to the passing and reversionary rent, it is normal to assess the tenant's ability to per
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
What do I need to do when I protect my tenant/s deposit? If you take a deposit from your tenant/s you MUST protect the deposit and serve your tenants with the correct documentation within 30 days or face having to pay a fine and the prospect that you cannot use the s21 evict
I am revisiting ITZA in the light of an experience I am enduring concerning some tenants that are inexperienced of rent review. Tenant contention is that an ITZA adopted/agreed for a previous review should be used again for a current review.Unless the ITZA is documented in a binding agreement, th
Basically, what is known as a Calderbank offer is a 'without prejudice;' offer to settle a dispute to avoid the extra costs and associated risks of a full referral.From Calderbank v Calderbank [1976] and originally confined mainly to family property disputes, an offer of settlement made before th
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 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
