Students are finding it even harder to find accommodation following a four-year freeze on new HMOs in a leading university city, according to one councillor. The Scottish seaside town of St Andrews stopped approving licences for new HMOs in 2019 in a bid to relieve pressure on t
A rogue landlord who repeatedly abused and intimidated tenants in his unlicenced HMO has been handed a �2,817 rent repayment order. Nasir Ahmed threatened tenants Ebenezer Hagan and Farhan Bashir , even turning
https://www.belvoir.co.uk/?utm_source=LandlordZONE&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=29_01" target="_blank" Belvoir , which is one of the largest High Street property management groups manages over 73,000 properties nationwide, and franchisees across the country are very awa
Average asking rents for new tenancies outside London jumped to another record high of �1,172 a month in December - although there are now signs that the pace of growth is starting to ease. https://www.rightmove.co.uk/" target="_blank" Rightmove </s
The case involved Sara & Hossein Asset Holdings Ltd v Blacks Outdoor Retail Ltd and revolved around a service charge certificate (SCC) issued by the landlord (SHAH), and the question of whether this was considered to be "conclusive" (meaning final) for the amount due. Servic
A coalition of landlords and letting agencies are to seek a legal challenge to the Scottish Government's rent control and eviction ban legislation and its proposed extension from April. The Scottish Association of Landlords, Scottish Land and Estates, and Propertymark have together submitte
Brighton & Hove Council has launched a crackdown on revenge evictions as it works towards a zero-tolerance approach to rogue landlords. In a review of its PRS enforcement policy, the authority will look at measures to reduce the risk of revenge evictions by serving improveme
A single mother who used to survive on charity hand-outs but who now claims to earn up to �100,000 a month from creating online adult content has announced plans to join the ranks of UK landlords. 28-year-old Rebecca Goodwin (main picture, inset), who previously struggled to su
A rogue landlord who created three tiny flats in the basement of one of his properties has been ordered to pay back more than �42,000 in illegal gains. Mawan Musa , 63, of Maude Road, Camberwell, admitted breaching planning rules at two properties in the s
The Supreme Court is debating a key legal case around rent-to-rent operators today to decide if the superior landlord, or any landlord in the chain, should be responsible for a rent repayment order. <figure id="" class="w-richtext-figure-type- " data-rt-type="" data-rt-align=""><div><img
Barclays has been rapped on the knuckles for a radio advert that urged tenants to rack up credit card debt and increase their credit score to help them rent a flat. The adverts voiceover explained: Using my Barclaycard Forward credit card to pay for the stuff I need now co
The most pressing questions on LandlordZONE readers minds were revealed during a recent webinar hosted by Chief Commercial Officer of the HFIS group, Paul Shamplina (main pic). He joined forces with industry figure David Coughlin
Minister warned that tenancy reforms may reduce student housing supply, urging exemption to protect access to higher education.
Suffolk Building Society has launched a new mortgage aimed at expat landlords with properties that boast a high EPC rating. Its five-year fixed expat buy-to-let product for properties with an Energy Performance Certificate rating of A to C is available on
Tenants union Acorn has pledged to continue targeting letting agents in the city until they stop encouraging 'bidding wars' to help landlords achieve higher rents. Members launched a noisy protest outside a number of branches; some agents which had started talks with Acorn ab
Leading Tory MP Anthony Browne (main pic) has urged the government to ditch stamp duty for home buyers but increase the tax rate for investors. The chair of the 1922 Backbench Treasury Committee says people buying homes to live in are over-taxed while those buying properties for
A landlord has spoken out to defend a substantial rent increase after its tenant complained about his eviction to the local newspaper. Richard Symonds told https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/" target="_blank" Sussex World tha
Damp and mould has always been a very difficult issue to deal with for landlords, but the recent case of Awaab Ishak and the rapid and direct involvement of Government has really brought matters to a head. The death of a Rochdale social housing tenants son, Awaab Ishak, has l
Five fraudsters who stole £53.9 million in a huge benefits scam used false tenancy agreements to help them make claims.
The Local Government Association (LGA) has urged Minister to ignore rebel MPs’ calls for selective licencing to be replaced by the looming Landlord Portal.
The number of landlords instructing agents to rent properties has declined for a second quarter in a row, fuelling ongoing worries that the Government’s ‘anti-buy-to-let’ mood music is disrupting the market.
A landlord who blamed her agent and tenants for not telling her about a selective licensing scheme has been hit with a £10,572 rent repayment order.
If you are involved with Furnished Holiday Lets you are probably be aware by now that there are far reaching tax changes coming - what to do about them?
Total fines for London’s rogue landlords and agents have topped £10 million since the rogue landlord database launched in 2017.
Private landlords face a significant increase in competition from corporate operators within the rented sector as investors reveal a £17 billion, 60,000-home building programme concentrated on the South and Midlands.
It’s almost inevitable that court fees will have to rise considerably, and probably sooner than 2025/6 unless alternative funding is added direct from the Treasury, according to property lawyer David Smith.
Tax Return 2016-17: With some costs its very easy to decide: a repair to a drain, downspout or roof tile are all allowable expenses, but what about replacing a broken single glazed window with a new plastic frame and double glazing, what about decorating and installing a
Penetrating damp, just as its name implies, is where water leaks into a building from outside the structure, through the walls or roof. Less common is where an internal leak from a water or drain pipe leaks into the structure of the building.Common causes of penetrating damp are: <ul <l
Fire Regulations in Rentals: There are several regulations relating to fire safety within rental dwellings; some affect all dwellings whereas others apply mainly to Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO).This looks complicated, but fire safety management in reality boils down t
Damp & Mould: You may have seen or heard of the 1970s TV series Rising Damp, which featured a landlord and his tenants (lodgers in this case) which rather implies that all rental properties are troubled with this kind of damp.Far from the case, but some are. In fact the
Renting Standards: Specialist residential property solicitor Amanda Sutcliffe of Bray & Bray looks at the importance of keeping a rental property in good condition.Research conducted by Endsleigh Insurance and TrustMark claimed that over 75% of landlords s
Sub-Letting Licenses: (SOLITAIRE) LIMITED Appellant and CHERRY LILIAN NORTON and other cases [2012]Landlords of leasehold buy-to-let flats are often asked to pay a fee (sub-letting licence or registration fee) to the freeholder when seeking permission to sub-let their flat,
Validity of Section 21 Notice: Amak Property Investments v Laura Sonny [2016]This case was an appeal by the tenant following a county court judgement relating to the validity of a s21 notice on the basis that the landlord had not complied with the deposit protection (MyDepo
Essential guide to rent reviews: why reading the lease is crucial for landlords and tenants to navigate rent adjustments effectively.
Tenant Agreement: The Law of Property Act 1925 talks about having a maximum of 4 tenants on an agreement. So what to do when you have 5, 6 or more tenants sharing a house?There is a common misunderstanding of the rules here. Landlords and agents sometimes think or have heard
Advance Rent: Piggot v Slaven and Johnson v. OldThere are two important cases which clarify (though not necessarily decisively) the position on landlords accepting rent payments in advance. One concerns the accepting of the final two months rent in advance, a common devi
Following some confusion and debate about a deferral for the new standards following the MEES* deadline in April 2018, the new government has confirmed that changes to the EPC rules, preventing landlords from renting out homes below rating E, will definitely be introduced from April 2018.Accordin
Responsibility for Repairs: Who is responsible and who is obliged to pay for repairs to leasehold blocks and flats? What is the procedure if repairs are unnecessarily delayed or not carried out to the leaseholders satisfaction? What is the Section 20 procedure?T
Essential guide on how to conduct a rent review, covering key clauses and best practices to protect landlord and tenant interests.
Test Case Yeomans v Newell [2016]:When a landlord is in breach of the tenancy deposit rules he or she is prevented from serving a valid s21 notice for possession proceedings. Despite the fact that the tenancy deposit legislation has been in force since April 2007, landlords
Test Case: Superstrike Ltd v Marino. RodriguesThe case involved a landlord who had taken a deposit from the tenant before the deposit protection rules came into force in April 2007, since changed by the Deregulation Act 2015 see below. When the tenancy later became a st
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
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
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
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
Guide to commercial tenancy rent-free periods and full repairing leases, explaining tenant obligations on lease expiry or termination.
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,
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
Understand how to assess tenant covenant strength and why it’s key to commercial property investment decisions.
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
