The Government has announced its intention to scrap Section 21 notices for eviction in an effort to offer tenants more long-term security.
Commercial: A new set of mandatory rules introduced from 1stApril 2019 and though the document itself is titled a first edition, itsupersedes 3 previous editions published as codes of practice. The RICS (Royal Institution of Ch
Security: Renovating a buy-to-let property can be a great way for landlords to increase the rental income
Abandonment: When times get hard the instances of tenants leaving without notice are known to increase. Doing a runner�, skipping� moonlight flitting� walking away� or gone away� and in the words of the immortal song;
Tenancy Deposits: According to TDS (Tenancy Deposit Scheme) less than 1% (0.85%) of tenancies they handle have resulted in a deposit dispute in the year to March 2018, nevertheless its important to get it right when dealing with tenants' deposits.Cleaning was the most com
Viewpoint by Tom Entwistle As winter approaches outside temperatures drop and the perennial landlords problem of winter condensation and black mould rear their ugly heads again.The question is, how do you know if this is caused by the building or the tenant, or is it a co
Landlords' Tax: Internet sites, such as AirBnB, have increased the number of landlords letting to lodgers and to guests on short stays. There are specific tax benefits to this type of letting business which are expanded upon below.Furnished holiday letting</st
Section 21: Most tenancies will never require the service of a Section 21, Housing Act 1988, (eviction) notice. However, on those occasions when it does become necessary, and you just never know, landlords (and agents) will thank their lucky starts they complied with the rul
Asbestos:Asbestos regulations were last updated in 2012 , bringing the UK in line with EU regulations, which means the current regulations have been in place long enough for most
The Application Form You should always use a comprehensive Tenancy Application Form when taking on a new tenant. You need a completed application for each adult tenant in the property.The Tenancy application form is a very important starting point for any residential or comm
End of an AST: Questions: What happens when an Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST) comes to an end? Will the tenant have to leave or does she need to sign a new agreement? What if a tenant wants to leave early? How long can a periodic tenancy last?When the fixed term (minimum of
Landlords often buy flats which are either Leasehold or Shared Freehold. What are these tenures and what should landlords look out for in these different forms of ownership?Leasehold is one of three forms of tenure (property/land ownership) almost exclusively peculiar to the United Kingdom, thoug
Landlord's Access to Property: Many landlords will have experienced a tenant denying them access to a property - whether for an inspection, viewings or legal duties. Its easy to understand the view of Its my property, I can enter when I want, but unfortunately th
New Rules for Section 21 :Landlords and Agents need to be aware of the changes affecting Section 21 rules and Notices and other changes for the letting of residential properties in England (and in many cases Wales) introduced during 2015 . This article explains the new rules
Many landlords have long suspected that the DCLG approved national calculation methodologies and software programs were seriously flawed when they produced EPC ratings for buildings following energy assessments.So news that new software is being introduced which is claimed to be more accurate is
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
After two decades of low property insurance premium rates, prices are being driven up by inflation. Steve Barnes, Associate Director at https://hamiltonfraser.co.uk/landlord-insurance/?utm_source=landlordzone&utm_medium=article&utm_id=lz+feb22+insurance+rising" target="_blank" id="
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
he HMO market has been valued at £78billion and generates annual rental income of £6.3billion.
Landlords looking for some no-nonsense straight talking about property can tune into Paul Shamplina’s new YouTube channel.
Landlords in Scotland are being asked for their views on rent control exemptions and where rent could be increased above the rent cap.
Inventories in a post Renters' Rights Bill world, have never mattered more.
More than one in ten landlords are being pushed out of the buy-to-market, according to new research.
Many wealthy property owners who are fleeing Britain due to this month’s abolition of the non-dom tax regime are opting to rent out rather than sell their homes
Tenant groups have laid into landlords as the Renters’ Rights Bill passes through the Lords.
Landlords have been encouraged to sign up to HMRC’s testing programme, with less than a year to go until those earning more than £50,000 need to use Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax.
The Mortgage Works has boosted its support for limited company landlords by removing the need for all mortgage applicants to be directors.
Despite promises by government & developers, house building progress is slow to affect rent levels
Government launches new consultation to help make your rental property more sustainable
The Renters’ Rights Bill could trigger an exodus among landlords, reducing the supply of affordable housing, industry leaders have warned.
Landlords should target student housing and build-to-rent (BTR) if they want a secure investment with decent yields, it has been suggested
Experts urge a fair and balanced Renters’ Rights Bill that protects both landlords and tenants as it reaches the committee stage in the House of Lords
The cost of renting and buying is the same due to small falls in mortgage rates, according to Hamptons.
Rents in London have dropped compared to a year ago, while Britain as a whole has seen values rise.
There’s an issue with the safe disposal of Vapes - disposal in normal household bins has been identified as a fire risk
A landlord has been fined more than £43,000 for renting unsafe and rodent-infested flats - but blamed tenants for the disrepair.
Growing numbers of landlords are moving into commercial property amid fears that the residential market is too challenging.
Sefton Council has threatened to get tough on private landlords if they don’t help tenants keep their rubbish under control.
Landlords are less likely to win their appeal against an improvement notice following an Upper Tribunal ruling.
The Renters’ Rights Bill won’t impact private landlords’ profits or slow rising rents, according to tenant referencing company FCC Paragon.
A landlord who hoodwinked her student tenants into paying higher deposits has been ordered to pay more than £11,000 in fines and costs.
The average rent in Britain increased by 7.7% to £1,332 in the 12 months to March this year, official figures have revealed.
A drop in the UK inflation rate has sparked hopes that it could prompt a cut in interest rates next month amid the threat of economic uncertainty.
