Landlords in Wales who rent out self-catering accommodation will no longer be able to dodge council tax under new and tighter rules announced by the Welsh government. In its bid to crack down on the impact many holiday lets and second homes are having on communities and the Wels
A staggering 71% of all landlords reported having at least one tenant in arrears due to the pandemic, according to the latest English Private Landlord Survey . Nearly a third (29%) were lucky not to have any, but landlords with one property most commonly ha
Landlords in England have since October 2015 been required to install carbon monoxide alarms in their residential rented accommodation where a solid fuel solid fuel heating appliance was fitted. This would include all open fireplaces that were available to be used, that is where
With rental growth in prime London offices set to outpace the rest of the country, the doom mongers predicting permanent working from home (WFH) and office flight have so far, it seems, been on the wrong tack. Quarter 1, 2022 has seen rent returns rise as UK commercial property
The government has today officially opened its Boiler Upgrade Scheme for applications including those from private landlords. Operated by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy , it offers applicants it offers gra
One of the UKs most notorious property investment fraudsters has been jailed for six years after a court heard how he swindled investors out of �592,000. 42-year-old father of three John Keats-Ormandy persuaded eight people to invest in his scheme by claiming he had a portfo
Brighton and Hoves Green Party is pushing for rent controls in the city where its now the most expensive place to rent outside the capital. The https://www.brightonhovegreens.org/" target="_blank" Green-controlled council, with Lab
A report on Irelands 50+ rent control pressure zones has revealed that the policy has led to higher rents and landlords quitting the market. Commissioned by the https://www.ipav.ie/" Institute of Professional Auctioneers and Valuers
Claims by a Ministry of Justice (MoJ) minister that possession case delays are being addressed have been questioned by leading evictions specialist Landlord Action. In response to a question from Conservative MP Theresa Villiers, MoJ Parliamentary Under Secretary of State James
An investigation by LandlordZONE into data privacy within the private rental sector has revealed how many letting agents and landlords are sharing information about tenants' referencing information in contravention of GDPR regulations. In particular, many
Instead of abolishing Section 21 the government should encourage landlords to keep their tenants when they sell rather than via 'vacant possession', a leading landlording expert has claimed during a podcast with TV star Phil Spencer. Property Tribes Vanessa Warwick (main pic)
Commercial real estate has the advantage of providing landlords with a high income return, generally a higher yield than residential property, thats providing your tenants remain, rents can be increased regularly to keep pace with inflation, and where finances are involved, interest rate
SearchFlow one of the biggest conveyancing search providers in England and Wales has over 2,500 legal clients and conducts more than 1 million searches every year. On the 17th of May SearchFlows web seminar will brings together leading lawyers and practitione
England’s new private rental portal to track landlords, properties, compliance & disputes—enhancing transparency and enforcement.
HMO numbers in England have dropped by 3% during the past 12 months many landlords offloaded their buy-to-let stock instead of negotiating more legislative hurdles. Market analysis by Octane Capital reveals that while there were 511,278 HMOs in 2019/2020, this fell to 497,884 in
Multi-millionaire landlord Fergus Wilson has vowed to appeal against a High Court ruling ordering him to pay �125,000 to Ashford Council for harassing staff. A defiant Wilson tells LandlordZONE that he continues to dispute claims and believes the authorit
Traditionally, contracts for buying and selling property always relied on the old English common law principle of caveat emptor, or let the 'buyer beware'. In other words, the seller did not need to reveal material facts (defects) about the property for sale so long as the buyer, with
Tory MPs are urging the government to cut or scrap stamp duty in a bid to save homebuyers thousands although their proposals dont extend to landlords, LandlordZONE can reveal. Kevin Hollinrake, a member of the Treasury select committee and founder of Hunters estate agent,
Labour has cast doubt on the Conservatives’ proposal for a two-year temporary capital gains tax break for landlords who sell to their existing tenants
A snapshot investigation by Which? has revealed that property owners are being given Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) riddled with inaccuracie.
The three main parties manifestos' proposals fail to instil confidence in Colliers business rates expert, John Webber.
Cash deposits increasingly don’t cover landlords’ claims for rent arrears or damage, according to a new study.
More than half of private renters (55%) reckon a new government should introduce rent controls.
Plaid Cymru has come out in favour of rent controls in the PRS as part of its housing strategy in the party’s manifesto.
The first thing I tell anyone is how important 'evidence' is in both deposit disputes and, now more than ever, monitoring fire safety compliance.
Despite politicians and campaign groups claiming that the nation’s rental market is unaffordable, new research out today reveals that renting remains cheaper on average than buying a property with a 5% deposit.
A tenancy agreement is just like any other contract, so as soon as both tenant and landlord have signed the agreement, it becomes a legally binding contract.
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 - 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 - 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
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 - 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
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 - 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 - 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
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
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.
<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
The Possession Procedure - 1988 Housing ActThe possession procedure under Section 8 of the Housing Acts 1988 & 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 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,
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
<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
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
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
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
Landlords' Gas and Electrical Safety Certificates:As a landlord, or as a letting agent acting on the landlord's behalf, you have a legal obligation to ensure that your accommodation is completely safe for your tenants.Several statutory regulations and general common law requirement
Letting and residential property fully furnished, part-furnished or unfurnished in England & Wales no longer has any implications regarding security of tenure for the tenant or for taxation. However, Council Tax and the 10% Depreciation Allowance may be affected - you don't pay Council Tax du
What was the Fire Certificate is no longer required as it was previously under the Fire Precautions Act 1971 for hotels, boarding houses, factories, offices, shops and railway premises. All these premises must comply with Fire Regulations, now covered by t
Ending a residential tenancy on the ground of "false statement by the tenant "The Housing Act 1988 as amended by the Housing Act 1996 makes provision for the possession of residential properties let under Assured and Assured Shorthold Tenancies.However
Running a Successful Bed & Breakfast Guest HouseRunning a successful Bed & Breakfast Business from the comfort of your own home has many advantages and rewards as far as being self employed is concerned:</
Taking in a LodgerIf you're considering taking a lodger there are some important things to think about first. Most of its common sense, but its a good idea plan carefully and get things right.[list type='3'] <ul <li Taking in Lodgers is a good way to earn extr
Obtaining Possession Using Section 8 NoticesThis article explains how to gain possession of your residential rental property using the Section 8 procedure.Section 8 is a breach of contract court procedure.There are 17 grounds for possession listed in the Housing Acts 1988 & 199
