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HMO licencing to be expanded in York despite efforts to challenge scheme

HMO licencing to be expanded in York despite efforts to challenge scheme

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Small HMO landlords in York will need an additional licence in eight of the citys wards from 1st April after the council gave a new scheme the go-ahead. <figure id="" class="w-richtext-figure-type- " data-rt-type="" data-rt-align=""><div><img src="https://uploads-ssl.

Landlords prepare to do battle over city's proposed HMO licencing extension

Landlords prepare to do battle over city's proposed HMO licencing extension

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Landlords in Nottingham are preparing to fight an extension of the citys https://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/additionalhmo" target="_blank" additional licensing scheme , weeks after the council was warned that a second selective licensing scheme wou

Landlords hope Sturgeon exit will soften SNP's anti-landlord approach

Landlords hope Sturgeon exit will soften SNP's anti-landlord approach

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Scottish landlords hope that Nicola Sturgeons resignation may lead to a less aggressive approach towards the buy-to-let sector. The SNP leader has presided over a range of anti-landlord legislation since becoming first minister in 2014, including the recent rent and eviction

WARNING: Judge tells landlord ignorance is no defence against fine

WARNING: Judge tells landlord ignorance is no defence against fine

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A landlord has lost his appeal against a fine for renting out unlicensed properties after arguing that the sellers solicitor had failed to tell him about a selective licensing scheme. City Estate Holdings bought two houses in Westbourne Avenue, Gateshead, at auction in April

NEW: Tenant arrears drop to lowest level in five years as voids reduce too

NEW: Tenant arrears drop to lowest level in five years as voids reduce too

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The number of landlords whose tenants are in rent arrears has fallen to its lowest level since 2017, according to new research from Paragon Bank. Its poll of more than 750 landlords found that less than one third (32%) of landlords have had at least one tenant in arrears during

Dangers of rent-to-rent highlighted by landlord's �11k rent repayment order

Dangers of rent-to-rent highlighted by landlord's �11k rent repayment order

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A rent-to-rent landlord operating a flat in central London has been ordered to pay rent back to his tenants totalling just over �11,000 via a rent repayment order or RRO. The case highlights the challenges faced by rent-to-rent agreements, as the case involved a freeholder, lea

Tenants face 'bleak future' unless landlords are helped with rising mortgage costs

Tenants face 'bleak future' unless landlords are helped with rising mortgage costs

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Ballooning mortgage costs will make an already tight rental market even harder for tenants seeking affordable homes to let, landlords have warned. Their representative body the NRLA has published research that shows nearly two-thirds of landlords, based on

Landlords help test new England property portal

Landlords help test new England property portal

News

Landlords & agents test the new England property portal ahead of launch: central database for landlords, properties, compliance & disputes.

Beware fake payslips when referencing tenants, landlords told

Beware fake payslips when referencing tenants, landlords told

News

Half of all fraudulent tenancy applications involve fake or doctored pay slips, according to rent-tech platform Goodlord, which has warned landlords to be on their guard. Its anaylsis of more than 300,000 tenancy applications last year found that while only one in

LATEST: Trading Standards issues new guidance for landlords on ground rents

LATEST: Trading Standards issues new guidance for landlords on ground rents

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Trading Standards has released new guidance to help landlords and leaseholders get to grips with the Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Act. The law https://www.landlordzone.co.uk/news/advice-are-you-ready-for-the-leasehold-reform-act-going-live-on-30th-june/" target="_

Landlord wins landmark knotweed compensation case in Court of Appeal

Landlord wins landmark knotweed compensation case in Court of Appeal

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A landlord in Wales has set a cat among the legal pigeons after winning a landlord Japanese knotweed compensation case in the Court of Appeal. Its three judges have agreed that Marc Davies, 38, must be paid just shy of �5,000 by his local authority Bridgend council which, it wa

Divorcing landlords sell �15m portfolio after long legal battle

Divorcing landlords sell �15m portfolio after long legal battle

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A property estate worth �15m has been sold off as part of a complex court case involving a pair of divorcing professional landlords. The portfolio of 25 buildings was spread across four London boroughs and included both residential and commercial properties. The portfolio inclu

Concern over plan for single ombudsman covering whole of housing market

Concern over plan for single ombudsman covering whole of housing market

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Estate agents have criticised the Governments plans to usher in a single ombudsman for the property industry, claiming it will have unintended consequences. Under the plans, the existing redress schemes for estate agents and their customers will be replaced by an overarching

Majority of landlords have 'no idea' about EPC deadline and costs, survey reveals

Majority of landlords have 'no idea' about EPC deadline and costs, survey reveals

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Most landlords are still in the dark about EPC changes, a new survey has found, raising fears that they could be blindsided when proposed new rules become law in 2025. Only 57% of landlords with a single property and 77% of those with four or more properties in their portfolio a

Looming Section 8 eviction reforms will be 'unwieldy and difficult' says leading lawyer

Looming Section 8 eviction reforms will be 'unwieldy and difficult' says leading lawyer

News

Property lawyers have flagged up potential problems with eviction reform measures within the Renters Reform Bill white paper. An amendment to Section 8 notice evictions will expand the range of circumstances where landlords can seek possession when needing to sell or allow thems

Leading landlord latest to join the political fray after surprise election win

Leading landlord latest to join the political fray after surprise election win

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Landlords in Yorkshire might have an ally in new Lib Dem councillor Felicity Cunliffe-Lister who stormed to victory in the recent Masham and Fountains by-election, a previously super-safe Conservative seat. The incoming North Yorkshire county councillor owns Swinton Estate, one

Home Office warns self-managing landlords' over Right to Rent

Home Office warns self-managing landlords' over Right to Rent

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Official research has found that self-managing landlords are the least prepared when dealing with the legal requirements of the official Right to Rent scheme. It requires landlords of privately rented accommodation to conduct checks on all new tenants to establish if they have a

Shelter slammed over 'misleading' claim landlords are cashing in on rising rents

Shelter slammed over 'misleading' claim landlords are cashing in on rising rents

News

A leading landlord blogger has slammed Shelter for claiming in its latest press release that landlords are cashing in on higher rents by using Section 21 no fault evictions to repossess their properties. The comments are from http://www.thesecretlandlord.com

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Government is afraid EPC upgrades will be final straw for landlords, says big bank

Government is afraid EPC upgrades will be final straw for landlords, says big bank

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A leading lender believes the governments likely decision to row back on EPCs is linked to fears that it will hit an already struggling PRS. Earlier this week, Housing Secretary Michael Gove suggested a delay in bringing in energy efficiency plans for rental properties to

Property firm reports more landlords selling up as 'red tape' burden rises

Property firm reports more landlords selling up as 'red tape' burden rises

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Home buying company the Open Property Group (OPG) has reported a 56% jump in PRS property purchases during the past year, with landlords blaming red tape for their decision to sell up. It bought nearly �6 million worth of property from homeowners and landlords looking for a fas

Payday! Three tenants to share �20,000 after landlord fails to licence property

Payday! Three tenants to share �20,000 after landlord fails to licence property

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Three tenants have won a �20,160 rent repayment order from their landlord who failed to licence his HMO. A First Tier Property Tribunal found that Simon Freed let out the three-bedroom flat in Frognal Court, Camden (main picture), a

Scots Ministers avoid revealing how many landlords are seeking big rent rises

Scots Ministers avoid revealing how many landlords are seeking big rent rises

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The Scottish Government has decided not to publish details of how many landlords north of the border have applied to raise their rent above the 3% maximum allowed under the countrys Cost of Living (Tenant Protection) (Scotland) Act. This controversial legislation was first in

Landlords warned over increase in unauthorised and illegal sub-letting by tenants

Landlords warned over increase in unauthorised and illegal sub-letting by tenants

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Sub-letting is on the increase within the private rented sector as the cost of living crisis bites, it has been reported. Direct Line says nearly half of all tenants who sublet rooms within their property have not told their landlord or checked they are allowed to within their r

Council's desperate measures to stop landlords evicting tenants revealed

Council's desperate measures to stop landlords evicting tenants revealed

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Brent Council is paying a landlord to house the tenant he was trying to evict after failing to come up with any alternative accommodation. The authority paid the legal fees and took over responsibility for paying the rent as long as the landlord continued to let his tenant stay

BTR makes another leap forward with £1.26 billion invested in just three months

BTR makes another leap forward with £1.26 billion invested in just three months

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T The UKs build-to-rent (BTR) stock now stands at 88,100 completed homes, with a further 53,500 homes under construction and 111,800 in the planning pipeline. Savills research reveals that in the second quarter of the year, the sector saw a record-breaking �1.26

Landlord outcry over 'unfair' major Midlands selective licencing scheme

Landlord outcry over 'unfair' major Midlands selective licencing scheme

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Landlords in Birmingham have slammed the citys new selective licensing scheme which some claim is unfairly targeting ethnic communities. The scheme, which took effect at the beginning of June, affects all landlords in 25 of the citys wards which have more than 20% of rente

'Stop demonising landlords, it's just not helping the situation'

'Stop demonising landlords, it's just not helping the situation'

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Be careful what you wish for� is the point I would put to organisations such as Shelter, Generation Rent and other tenant groups.&nbsp; In other words, stop demonising landlords - its not helping the situation especially when we have such a severe rental stock crisis.&

Capital gains 'Letting Relief'� rule change from April...

Capital gains 'Letting Relief'� rule change from April...

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Capital Gains Tax: Owners of second homes and buy-to-lets that they have previously lived in should be aware that as from April 2020 the tax relief period allowed against capital against tax (CGT) will be reduced. As it is a present,when you se

Terminating a Letting Agent's Contract

Terminating a Letting Agent's Contract

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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

Labour plans would challenge buy-to-let investors and second-home owners...

Labour plans would challenge buy-to-let investors and second-home owners...

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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

Controlling moisture and condensation in homes

Controlling moisture and condensation in homes

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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

Winter Proof Your Rental Properties

Winter Proof Your Rental Properties

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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 now average 13 properties

Portfolio landlords now average 13 properties

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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

Tenants can sue landlords for cold or damp homes under new laws

Tenants can sue landlords for cold or damp homes under new laws

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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

Don't fall foul of the authorised guarantee agreement...

Don't fall foul of the authorised guarantee agreement...

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Commercial Property : A recent High Court decision in Co-Operative Group Food Ltdv. A&amp;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

Section 21 to be banned in the UK

Section 21 to be banned in the UK

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The Government has announced its intention to scrap Section 21 notices for eviction in an effort to offer tenants more long-term security.

New service charges rules in commercial property

New service charges rules in commercial property

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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 & Locks - Buy to Let Renovation & HMO Projects

Security & Locks - Buy to Let Renovation & HMO Projects

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Security: Renovating a buy-to-let property can be a great way for landlords to increase the rental income

My tenant left without telling me...

My tenant left without telling me...

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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;

What happens if someone other than the tenant pays the deposit?

What happens if someone other than the tenant pays the deposit?

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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

The Condensation Conundrum

The Condensation Conundrum

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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

Tax on income from lodgers and short stay tenants

Tax on income from lodgers and short stay tenants

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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 Notices - for older tenancies in England

Section 21 Notices - for older tenancies in England

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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 and Your Responsibilities as a Landlord

Asbestos and Your Responsibilities as a Landlord

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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 importance of a Tenancy Application Form

The importance of a Tenancy Application Form

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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

Assured Shorthold Tenancy Ends

Assured Shorthold Tenancy Ends

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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

Freehold, Shared Freehold or Leasehold?

Freehold, Shared Freehold or Leasehold?

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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

My Tenant Won't Allow Access!

My Tenant Won't Allow Access!

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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 Section 21 Rules

New Section 21 Rules

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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

New algorithms to calculate EPC ratings

New algorithms to calculate EPC ratings

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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

How you serve a Notice can be just as important as what you serve'�

How you serve a Notice can be just as important as what you serve'�

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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

Consumer Protection - implications for Landlords & Agents

Consumer Protection - implications for Landlords & Agents

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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.