Date

Library

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

The cost of living crisis affects landlords as well as tenants

The cost of living crisis affects landlords as well as tenants

News

With the cost of living crisis being the political issue of the day, and a political leadership contest underway, theres something of a hiatus in the way its being dealt with. But the situation is now quite urgent. Financial distress is now higher than during the pandemic.

Frustrated landlord quits after 20 years in the sector

Frustrated landlord quits after 20 years in the sector

News

After 20 years, landlord Sue quits the sector, citing frustration with anti-landlord sentiment and increasing regulatory burdens.

Minister defends excluding PBSA from tenancy changes

Minister defends excluding PBSA from tenancy changes

News

Housing minister Eddie Hughes has attempted to justify why institutional landlords who run Purpose Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) are to be exempted from the Governments proposal to move all tenancies in the PRS to periodic ones. <figure id="" class="w-richtext-figure-type- " data

EXCLUSIVE: Can landlords still access councils' empty homes funding?

EXCLUSIVE: Can landlords still access councils' empty homes funding?

News

Landlords with empty properties are being urged to take advantage of council cash to help fight the housing shortage. About 300 councils currently offer a scheme mainly loans to carry out repairs - although some provide grants, usually ranging from �5,000 to more than �25,

What landlords letting abroad need to know about Making Tax Digital

What landlords letting abroad need to know about Making Tax Digital

News

Letting out property abroad can be a great way of generating extra income. The property might have been bought primarily as an investment but for others or it could be second or holiday home let out when not in use. There are plenty of things to think about, though.

LATEST: Leicester ploughs on with selective licensing despite landlord criticism

LATEST: Leicester ploughs on with selective licensing despite landlord criticism

News

Leicester is going ahead with its selective licensing extension in three areas of the city, charging landlords �1,090 per property - the highest fee in the Midlands. The council is introducing the scheme in parts of Westcotes, Fosse, Braunstone Park and Rowley Fields wards, whi

Landlords told to 'brace themselves' for inspections at 29,000 properties

Landlords told to 'brace themselves' for inspections at 29,000 properties

News

Durham Council has warned landlords covered by its new selective licensing scheme to brace themselves for inspections next month. At least 29,000 properties, 42% of the countys PRS, are covered by the scheme which launched in April after winning government approval. <p id

LATEST: 18% of rented homes will need �10,000 spent on them to achieve EPC band C

LATEST: 18% of rented homes will need �10,000 spent on them to achieve EPC band C

News

Nearly one-fifth of private rented homes would need work costing more than �10,000 to bring them up to an EPC Band C, according to the latest PRS figures. The English Housing Survey Private Rented Sector report for 2020-21 found that these were more likely to need larger sums o

London rents have seen record rises in a very hot spring market

London rents have seen record rises in a very hot spring market

News

The latest figures available from Rightmove show that London rents jumped by around 14 per cent in the last year, with some property experts calling it the most competitive market on record Matt Hutchinson, a director at SpareRoom, the flat sharing website, has said: <p

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

Demand spikes for freehold houses from first time buyers - Landlords cash in before the crash

Demand spikes for freehold houses from first time buyers - Landlords cash in before the crash

Sponsored
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Landlords are cashing out fast as demand from first-time buyers spikes. Freehold homes are hot—now’s the time to sell.

'Law gives too much protection to rogue tenants', says landlord of trashed property

'Law gives too much protection to rogue tenants', says landlord of trashed property

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

A fed-up landlord has slammed the legal system for unfairly favouring poorly-behaved tenants after a brutal eviction.

Big seaside town goes live with more HMO planning restrictions

Big seaside town goes live with more HMO planning restrictions

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Landlords in Eastbourne now need to get planning permission for HMO conversions in parts of the town centre after councillors approved new rules.

Landlord faces £60,000 repair bill after cannabis farms discovery

Landlord faces £60,000 repair bill after cannabis farms discovery

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Controversial landlord Fergus Wilson faces a £60,000 repair bill after three of his rental properties were turned into cannabis factories.

'Heavily vetting tenants before they move in will soon be essential, not optional'

'Heavily vetting tenants before they move in will soon be essential, not optional'

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Landlords who fail to factor in inflation, interest rates, and pressure on household budgets when vetting tenants could end up with rent arrears.

Landlords told to 'get ready' for next April's Making Tax Digital switchover

Landlords told to 'get ready' for next April's Making Tax Digital switchover

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Landlords have been warned by the Government to begin researching available software before tax returns begin to go digital next April.

UK's first 'tourist tax' goes live for Scots holiday lets landlords

UK's first 'tourist tax' goes live for Scots holiday lets landlords

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Edinburgh’s landlords and letting agents have been urged to start preparing for the city’s 5% ‘tourist levy’.

Selective Licensing and Anti-Social Behaviour – are landlords to blame?

Selective Licensing and Anti-Social Behaviour – are landlords to blame?

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Are remote landlords fuelling local problems? Are these purchases simply causing misery for local populations? Is selective licensing up to the job?

BBC reveals 'widespread' black market in unlicensed HMOs

BBC reveals 'widespread' black market in unlicensed HMOs

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

A reporter who responded to adverts in shop windows in east London for a ‘bedspace’ in shared rooms found unsanitary and overcrowded unlicensed homes.

Uninhabitable Premises

Uninhabitable Premises

Information
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Uninhabitable Premises. My tenanted property is flooded. What are my legal obligations in this situation? Am I obliged to re-house my tenant? Must my tenant continue to pay rent?Landlords are under a general obligation to supply property in tenant able condition for the tenant to i

Tenant Blacklist

Tenant Blacklist

Information
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Question: Tenant Blacklists. I've had a very bad experience with a tenant and would like to put him on a black list so that other landlords don't have the same experience that I've had. How do I go about this?Answer: We often get asked this question.Although there have been several attempts by di

Sub-letting Leasehold

Sub-letting Leasehold

Information
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Sub-letting leasehold - I want to rent out my leasehold flat but the managing agent says the freeholder wont allow it. I know that other flats in the block are rented out, so what can I do? Landlords usually prohibit sub-letting to safeguard the interest.Landlords usually prohibit sub-letting

Renting to a 17 year old

Renting to a 17 year old

Information
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

What are the implications of renting to a 17 year old or someone who is under the age of 18? We have an application from a 17-year old that is keen to rent but Im not sure this would be legal?</h2> Many landlords and housing providers would be concerned and therefore refuse to let to

Rent Review

Rent Review

Information
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Question - Rent Review - my landlord is asking for far more rent than I expected on review. Am I obliged to pay this?Answer - Commercial leases are contractual - the parties agree to and are bound by its clauses and that includes rent review provisions.The rent review process is a way of periodic

Re-selling Energy

Re-selling Energy

Information
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Re-selling Energy - As a landlord am I able to make a profit by re-selling electricity or gas?</h2>Resale of Gas and ElectricityThe maximum amount that Residential Landlords or resellers� are permitted to charge for gas or electricity is the amount they

Providing a Reference

Providing a Reference

Information
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

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

Information
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

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

Information
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

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

Information
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

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

Information
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

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

Information
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

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

Information
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

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

Information
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

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

Information
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

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

Information
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

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

Information
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

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

Information
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

<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

Information
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

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

Information
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

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

Information
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

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

Information
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

<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

Information
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

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

Information
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

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

Information
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

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