Now is the time to buy rental properties. If youre a new landlord, an investor, or a landlord looking to expand their portfolio, these next two years may be crucial for you to earn the highest return on investment. It might seem contradictory following the downsizing of many
A new property platform aims to take the strain from HMO landlords dealing with multiple tenant enquiries and help them to prevent voids. Intense competition in the market means operators can spend up to three hours a day responding to prospective tenants, sifting through hundre
Landlord bashing isnt a new sport. Its been around since as long as anyone remembers and truthfully, no matter how sacred the PRS becomes, its always going to be a thing. Tenants defaulting on arrears will always look at an eviction notice with a level of intended cruel
After 13 or so years of Conservative rule the Conservative promise of a stable home owning democracy has failed to materialise. They have got themselves into a bind over housing. Potential home buyers find it impossible to afford a deposit as well as pay interest rates that are
The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA ) wants to hear from landlords who have let property on a rent-to-rent basis so it can contribute to a high-profile case at the Supreme Court. It believes the outcome of the upcoming Rakusen v Jepsen appe
A letting agency boss in the West Midlands has been jailed for two years and four months after ripping off landlords and tenants who used his firm. Bhavander Singh Sanghera , of Jesson Road, Walsall ran EBS Properties Ltd trading as Martin & Co Wolverha
The government has confirmed it is still deliberating whether to bring in property agency qualifications and minimum standards in the sector, almost four years after the Regulation of Property Agents (RoPA) published its recommendations. RoPAs report outlined proposals back i
The Government has announced plans to tackle mould within the private and social housing sectors through updated guidance and iniatives. Announced late on Friday before a midnight deadline set by the Coroner during the inquest looking into the death of toddler Awaab Ishak, the i
The majority of letting agents expect to see more landlords leave the market in 2023, against a backdrop of rising arrears and falling https://www.landlordzone.co.uk/news/december-dip-makes-small-dent-in-rising-house-prices/" house prices . Goodlord reveals tha
New and replacement gas boilers should be banned by 2033, two years earlier than current plans, according to the governments net zero tsar. Conservative MP Chris Skidmore believes it should make the decision to decarbonise homes by next year to help the country meet its clima
The Scottish government has admitted it is considering long-term proposals for rent control after the https://www.landlordzone.co.uk/news/leading-letting-agent-slams-chaotic-rent-freeze-announcement-in-scotland/" Cost of Living Act has expired. Minister for Te
A rogue landlord who created false identities and fake letting agencies as part of an elaborate web of misinformation designed to exploit his tenants has been fined �12,000 and ordered to pay �25,000 costs. Thomas Flight, who owns flats on Portland Square in ht
Tougher checks on lending to buy-to-let https://www.landlordzone.co.uk/news/office-blocks-and-high-streets-provide-hope-for-canny-investors/" investors are on the cards after the Bank of England warned it would scrutinise risky areas more heavily due to rising interest ra
Scottish landlords exit amid stringent regulations and taxation; experts warn of worsening housing shortages and increased homelessness risk.
The Property Redress Scheme's (PRS) advisory panel has chosen experts from across the sector to join its new member panel. The UKs largest lettings redress scheme, covering more than 13,250 letting agency branches, launched the panels as new, open, and transparent forums to b
MPs have voted against an amendment to prevent a tax cut from applying to buyers of second and additional homes. During a debate on the Stamp Duty Land Tax (Reduction) Bill, Opposition Treasury Secretary Abena Oppong-Asare said that a clause which increases the threshold for peo
According to a new report just out by the Resolution Foundation (RF), UK households face a torrid time in the coming months in what is going to be the worst cost-of-living crisis in living memory. Its the aftermath of a Covid pandemic that involved massive Government borrowin
https://www.landlordzone.co.uk/news/judge-slams-arrogant-landlord-after-illegal-eviction-of-tenant-during-covid/" Rent Repayment Order (RRO) applications dropped significantly last year as tenants were put off by more restrictive Upper Tribunal and Court of Appeal decisio
Following our storyhttps://www.landlordzone.co.uk/news/breaking-evictions-grind-to-a-halt-as-bailiffs-reduce-workload-over-health-and-safety/" https://www.landlordzone.co.uk/news/breaking-evictions-grind-to-a-halt-as-bailiffs-reduce-workload-over-health-and-safe
Persistent home working is affecting office occupancy rates and is leading commercial tenants to fail to renew their office leases. Ghost city streets have emerged post pandemic as occupancy rates hit a new low. In the UK it has been reported that these office space rates could
Last year saw worrying housing shortages in a number of university cities in the UK. In Leeds we were turning away larger than usual numbers of students at the back end of the summer as there were simply no rooms available. Even before the proposed changes under thehttp
The Welsh Government has launched a consultation on fair rents and adequate housing within which housing minister Julie James (main picture) reveals she is considering rent controls. The https://www.gov.wales/sites/default/files/consultations/2023-06/housing-adequ
Airbnb is to share data with the taxman on its hosts earnings going as far back as the 2017-18 financial year, a new warning on its website reveals. The information will help HMRC identify those making money from letting their properties without declaring it, who then face cr
A managing agent who failed to licence a property has had his appeal thrown out by a First Tier Property Tribunal. Taren Lamba tried to convince the judge that he was not in control of the property in Kenwood Road, London (main picture) by insisting that a
Illegal evictions and harassment by rogue landlords are increasing as tenants struggle to pay their rent and some landlords resort to criminal means to remove tenants as the court system falters and some landlords seek to exploit soaring rents, according to Safer Renting. Figure
In the third in a series of blogs for LandlordZONE on rental reform, Sean Hooker , Head of Redress at the https://www.theprs.co.uk/" <em
Prospective tenants flooding into London this summer along with the continued shrinkage in property numbers is set to create one of the most competitive rental markets ever seen. May bank holiday is when many 12-month and 18-month tenancies come to an end, explains Adam
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
Winter Condensation: Its that time of year again, a time when tenants are most likely to complain about the mould appearing in those corners of the property where the walls and ceilings are really cold, and hot air with moisture always rises to the top. If its black mo
Tax Relief: Starting from 6th April 2017, those landlords with mortgages will have tax relief on their buy-to-let mortgage costs gradually reduce over a 4-year period.Many landlords dont have a mortgage (up to 50% it is said), so this change does not affect them, but many
Rent Arrears: At this time of year, soon after the Christmas spending spree, inevitably rent payments begin to suffer. If you are having problems with rent arrears, this article should help.As in most areas of life,prevention is better than cure . To re
Tax Return 2016-2017: As a general rule, and as outlined in the previous articles in this series on tax returns, landlords can claim the expenses of running and maintaining their rental properties.If the rent you charge includes additional services like water, or council tax
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
