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EXPERT: Council abused powers during immediate 'ban' on new HMOs

EXPERT: Council abused powers during immediate 'ban' on new HMOs

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A council in the north of England has been accused of an ‘abuse of power’ after introducing an ‘immediate' article 4 direction for HMOs.

New research debunks 'draughty' claims about privately rented homes

New research debunks 'draughty' claims about privately rented homes

News

Homes within the private rented sector aren’t the poor relation portrayed by tenant groups when it comes to energy efficiency

More big names back campaigner seeking Labour U-turn on pets

More big names back campaigner seeking Labour U-turn on pets

News

More leading figures and organisations have backed a campaigner's attempt to persuade Labour to U-turn on pet insurance.

TV star signs up to back rent guarantor firm ahead of reforms

TV star signs up to back rent guarantor firm ahead of reforms

News

Barrister and TV personality Rob Rinder has got behind RentGuarantor as the firm’s new brand ambassador.

Midlands council celebrates whopping landlord fines total

Midlands council celebrates whopping landlord fines total

News

Coventry Council has handed out £278,782 in landlord fines so far this year, including prosecutions, financial penalties and rent repayment orders.

85,000 fewer properties bought by landlords over past 12 months

85,000 fewer properties bought by landlords over past 12 months

News

Slump in buying due to confidence dented by regulatory uncertainty, higher borrowing costs and slower house price growth, says Dwelly.

Trade body slams unnecessary 'duplication' of regulation for landlords

Trade body slams unnecessary 'duplication' of regulation for landlords

News

Letting agents have urged Hackney Council to rethink licensing schemes that risk increasing rents and pushing smaller landlords out.

COMMENT: UK High Street: Continuing Decline or Reinvention?

COMMENT: UK High Street: Continuing Decline or Reinvention?

News

Whatever initiative governments have tried so far, nothing seems to be working for Britain’s high streets

New partnership offers student landlords innovative HMO management tech

New partnership offers student landlords innovative HMO management tech

News

The NRLA has teamed up with online student and graduate lettings platform Hybr

Shelter ignores landlord eviction pain as it condemns 'ruthless rental market'

Shelter ignores landlord eviction pain as it condemns 'ruthless rental market'

News

Shelter warns that nearly 1,000 households are to be “marched out of their homes” by bailiffs every month.

Landlords shun flats as leasehold and management issues bite

Landlords shun flats as leasehold and management issues bite

News

More than a third of landlords now avoid investing in flats because of leasehold-related issues or complex building management.

Tenant evictions now taking nearly seven months, latest stats show

Tenant evictions now taking nearly seven months, latest stats show

News

Latest official figures show that despite fewer landlords evicting overall across the nation, 'time to evict' continues to take longer and longer.

Landlords say smaller student lets must be excluded from renting reforms

Landlords say smaller student lets must be excluded from renting reforms

News

Landlords have urged the government to amend the Renters’ Rights Bill to protect vital student housing.

'Majority of tenants get most or all of their deposit back'

'Majority of tenants get most or all of their deposit back'

News

The majority of tenants in England and Wales get most or all of their deposit back when they move out, new data shows.

EXCLUSIVE: Landlord reveals real story behind minister's resignation

EXCLUSIVE: Landlord reveals real story behind minister's resignation

News

Prafula Kopp, who lives in the same development where Rushanara Ali owns an HMO, says the real story has not been told.

Activists call for total overhaul of tenant deposits system

Activists call for total overhaul of tenant deposits system

News

Deposits should be lodged with a single, not-for-profit organisation, the campaigning group has claimed.

RICS reveals big slowdown in rental properties available to rent

RICS reveals big slowdown in rental properties available to rent

News

Surveying trade organisation says its estate agent members have reported weakest supply of rented homes since 2020.

River Island escapes administration at landlords’ expense

River Island escapes administration at landlords’ expense

News

Landlord pain, tenant gain scenario where a High Court ruling has allowed River Island to impose a restructuring plan

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Japanese knotweed, danger is downgraded...

Japanese knotweed, danger is downgraded...

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The large herbaceous perennial with its bamboo-like appearance became infamous in Britain for its threat to buildings. Its rapid growth, its size and most importantly the damage it can do, made it the villain of the horticultural world, and it became feared by property owners and mortgag

National rogue landlord database hits 'new high' of just 61 names

National rogue landlord database hits 'new high' of just 61 names

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Four years after it was launched, the number on the Rogue Landlord database has only crept up to 61 out of the thousands claimed to be operating within the private rental sector, the latest government figures show. Asked by opposition MP Gill Furniss to provide an update, Housin

Coming changes to 'feudal'� leasehold laws to favour flat owners

Coming changes to 'feudal'� leasehold laws to favour flat owners

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Flat owners (leaseholders) only own their leasehold property for a fixed period of time and during that period they pay ground rent and service charges to the freeholder (landlord). Theres always a long-lease agreement, a detailed legal tenancy agremeent between the leasehold

LATEST: Luton finally brings in blanket HMO licensing after years of problems

LATEST: Luton finally brings in blanket HMO licensing after years of problems

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Luton Council has finally got its act together and revealed blanket HMO licensing for the town after a number of false starts over the last few years. HMOs of any size will now need a licence under its additional scheme which launches on 1st April, while all privately rented pro

Legal case: a question of leaseholders' rights to manage the full estate

Legal case: a question of leaseholders' rights to manage the full estate

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The Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002 provides a right for leaseholders to acquire the freehold landlords management functions by transfer to a company set up by them the Right To Manage (RTM) company. The thinking behind the right was to empower leaseholders. The

BREAKING: Landlord wins key Court of Appeal eviction and deposits case

BREAKING: Landlord wins key Court of Appeal eviction and deposits case

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Appeal Court judges have found in favour of the landlord in the landmark case of Northwood Solihull v Fearn & Ors, preventing a potentially huge logistical headache for landlords and letting agents. The judges ruled that any authorised employee of a landlord or letting agent

BREAKING: wrong time to raise taxes, but I'm going after buy-to-let landlords anyway...

BREAKING: wrong time to raise taxes, but I'm going after buy-to-let landlords anyway...

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In an apparent re-run of Harold Wilsons 1970s investment income tax surcharge, Labour plan to re-introduce such an additional layer of tax to what is termed unearned income�. The Wilson Labour government applied an investment income surcharge of 15% and kept the top rate

Surge in the number of landlords using limited companies

Surge in the number of landlords using limited companies

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According to a recent report by estate agents Hamptons, over the last four years the number of landlords operating their buy to let business through a limited company has doubled. There were 47,400 new buy-to-let companies incorporated in 2021 right across the UK, the figures be

Right to rent checks go digital for British and Irish tenants

Right to rent checks go digital for British and Irish tenants

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Landlords and letting agents will soon be able to carry out quicker https://www.landlordzone.co.uk/news/updated-advice-for-landlords-on-right-to-rent-checks-due-in-new-year/" right to rent checks on British and Irish citizens. From 6th April, Identification Do

Uninhabitable Premises

Uninhabitable Premises

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

Misrepresentation

Misrepresentation

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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

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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

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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

How long should accounts be kept

How long should accounts be kept

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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<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

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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

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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

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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

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<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

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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

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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

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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

Gas & Electrical Certificates

Gas & Electrical Certificates

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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

Furnished or Unfurnished

Furnished or Unfurnished

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Letting and residential property fully furnished, part-furnished or unfurnished in England &amp; 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