Akiva worked in the charity sector and property management before joining the legal team at Landlord Action. He has helped countless landlords get back possession of their property from some of the most difficult tenants.”
Alex Nolan, Senior Training Manager at NRLA, provides expert training on HMO management, tenancy processes, and rental sector legislative updates.
Alphaletz is designed to be a simple, cost-effective solution to these problems. Their mission is to free you from the burden of spreadsheets and paperwork, so you can free up time and keep an eye on your profits.
Partner at Xeinadin. Xeinadin is a leading provider of accountancy services and business advice for small and medium-sized enterprises and individuals across the UK and Ireland.
Established in 1860 to care for abandoned animals, Battersea aims to never turn away a dog or cat in need of help. In 2023, we helped 2,529 dogs and 2,450 cats across our three centres. Our work means we see day-to-day the many animal welfare issues facing dogs, cats and the people who care for them.
A landlord has been told to pay tenants more than £28,000 after he tried to prevent them providing information about his unlicensed HMO.
A potential tax on holiday lets could cost landlords an average of £5,000, wiping out annual profits, says a lettings firm boss.
Industry leaders have renewed calls for more effective regulation of the UK lettings market.
Claims that landlords are fleeing England’s PRS aren’t supported by the latest evidence, according to new analysis.
The Bank of England has left interest rates unchanged for the sixth consecutive time despite price rises accelerating.
Landlords must brace for the December rollout of mandatory state registration, reshaping the compliance landscape under sweeping Renters' Rights refor
Landlords have been given a new checklist of housing standards to help them identify defects that could lead to fines.
Some tenants are delaying their first month’s rent payment until weeks after they have moved in, warns a letting agent.
Landlords who own some of the most expensive rental properties could be exempt from signing up to the new national PRS database.
Telford and Wrekin Council has put its planned additional licensing scheme on hold after landlords launched a legal challenge.
New data reveals half of tenant maintenance reports arrive out of hours, with essential services seeing heavy spikes.
Some commentators have argued that the takeover of OpenRent by private equity group CVC reflects a step change in the landscape for letting agents in
Landlords wanting to convert homes into small HMOs in North Tyneside could soon need to apply for planning permission.
Durden & Hunt expands its South Essex footprint with the acquisition of established local agency Diggins & Co.
Tribunals are generally giving landlords most of what they asked for in rent increase cases since the Renters’ Rights Act.
Houses are dominating rental demand across England, accounting for almost two-thirds of properties attracting high levels of tenant interest.
UK house prices fell 0.4% annually to £298,468, driven by a standoff between stubborn sellers and cautious buyers.
Higher mortgage rates locking renters in for longer and continued low investment by landlords is set to drive rents up 4-5% by the end of the year.
The director of a letting agency who used his business to run 19 cannabis factories has been jailed for more than eight years.
The government should tread carefully when deciding what data can be shared from the new PRS Landlord Ombudsman, a property expert has warned.
Rising swap rates are driving up buy-to-let mortgage rates by 25-40 bps, leaving thousands of landlords facing major refinancing hurdles.
Repairing with occupied tenants is a nightmare for landlords and tenants; can landlords demand that tenants leave for the duration of repair work?
A landlord has challenged Thurrock Council over selective licensing rules which he says could
Complex and outdated: as fiscal pressures mount, is the UK private rented sector heading for major property tax reform?
Over 1 in 3 pensioner households could be renting by 2044, creating a major demographic shift for landlords and the PRS.
In the Renters’ Rights Act era, live-in landlords must avoid ambiguous DIY contracts to prevent lodger disputes in court.
The Renters’ Rights Act means landlords operating as a company face different rules than landlord owners
Nottingham landlord Mick Roberts has hit out at the “stone age” court system after a possession order blunder.
Tenants’ groups, MPs, and housing activists held a demonstration in Parliament Square calling for rent controls and new council houses.
HMRC’s Valuation Office is to take responsibility for determining challenges to rent increases in England to help free up tribunals.
Landlords in the West Midlands will need to start registering themselves and their properties on the new PRS database from 15 December.
Direct payments should be triggered by life events rather than arrears to prevent unnecessary evictions, suggests a leading landlord.
This year is on course to become the biggest on record for new additional and selective licensing scheme launches.
Millennials and Gen Z will represent 62% of landlords within a decade, according to new research.
What surprises will the budget deliver for landlords, especially for those who are retirees?
Landlord Action founder Paul Shamplina will share practical advice on being a professional landlord at a free event later this month.
Landlords will have to sign up to a mandatory short-lets registration scheme in England from next March.
Green Party deputy leader Mothin Ali has been revealed as a landlord – despite his party voting to abolish private landlords last year.
The Renters' Rights Act turns letting into an evidence game: strict proof, £40k fines, and tight rules favour pros over amateur landlords.
Rising costs and the Renters' Rights Act drive a massive landlord exit, slashing rental supply and leaving tenants to pay the price.
Landlords dodge bidding bans by inflating asking rents to force downward bidding wars - a tactic risking £40k fines if caught.
Comprehensive Documentary information is vital if your £10,000 cap claim is to be successful
The PRS isn’t equipped to be the primary safety net for the most vulnerable, says Portsmouth landlord leader Martin Silman.
With new valuation rates still undecided, leaseholders need to weigh potential future savings against today’s certainty, says Vanessa Griffiths.
Reform UK has promised to look into making homes built on brownfield sites free of stamp duty, CGT and tax on rental income for 10 years.
Surprising new figures show that about £750 million could be sitting in the tenancy deposit system as dormant or otherwise unclaimed.
A new report from Paragon Bank reveals that experienced HMO landlords are continuing to invest in these types of rentals
Shadow Housing Secretary Katie Lam has laid into MHCLG for making life harder for landlords.
A landlord has been told to repay £17,244 after a metal staircase collapsed beneath one tenant in her unlicensed flat.
HMO expert Vann Vogstad says landlords need effective tools to police behaviour in order to raise standards in the HMO sector.
Croydon Council has postponed its additional and selective landlord licensing schemes just before they were due to launch.
Political control does not neatly predict whether a council has an Article 4 Direction or refuses more HMO applications, according to research.
Rising Conservative star Katie Lam has been appointed as the party’s new Housing, Communities and Local Government Secretary.
Landlords’ expenses have risen by more than twice as much as their rental income during the past five years, according to HMRC figures.
Leasing Scheme Wales, which allows landlords to rent out properties via their local authority, is to shut down in March.
Private bailiffs in England and Wales will need to be accredited under new laws announced by the government.
The Renters' Rights Act means extra load on an already creaking service. Will the planned changes alleviate the problems landlords are facing?
The NRLA has called for a deferred annual investment allowance that would encourage landlords to provide long-term stable housing.
Section 21 ends: Paul Shamplina and Paul Sowerbutts reveal the rush, mistakes and challenges landlords now face under the new regime.
Build-to-rent landlord Legal & General could face a whopping multi-million-pound rent repayment order.
HMRC will start signing up landlords who it believes should already be using Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax from next week.
Renters in the capital have reported that some landlords are encouraging ‘inverse bidding wars’ to get round new rental rules.
Landlord and property developer Rob Stewart is on a mission to prompt a rethink of how to solve the housing crisis.
Landlords blame tax – not regulations - as the biggest barrier to investment, according to the latest poll.
A letting agent has been accused of failing to return the deposits of more than 100 tenants, according to a BBC investigation.
Future-proof your rental with energy upgrades, flexible spaces, parking, outdoor areas and HMO potential to attract tenants.
Rent caps can reduce rental supply, discourage maintenance and leave some families in homes that don’t meet their needs, finds new research.
Landlords and agents are still getting new pet rules wrong, with campaigners warning of unlawful tenancy clauses and costly mistakes.
Tenants’ groups have called on the government to include rent data and details about evictions in the new PRS Database.
A landlord firm that let a historic building fall into disrepair has been told to pay more than £8,000.
Almost half of holiday let owners say profits have risen despite the loss of Furnished Holiday Let tax breaks.
HMO landlords are nearly twice as likely to win planning appeals outside Article 4 areas, according to new research.
If the King can't afford to insulate his cottages, what chance for the rest of us?
Rental listings have almost doubled in Tyne and Wear during the last year, making it the fastest-growing rental market in England.
Landlords who fail to keep their rental properties in good condition could see as much as £30,172 wiped from the value of an average buy-to-let.
A small group of larger landlords now controls a growing share of the Welsh PRS, with rental growth concentrated in Cardiff and Swansea.
Property tribunals are planning changes to the way cases are handled as they prepare for a significant increase in workload.
Landlords have been urged to help stop illegal tobacco being sold from Oxfordshire shops by carrying out proper checks on tenants.
A landlord has had a £7,500 fine upheld after failing to address 21 electrical safety defects at a property where four children were living.
Landlords in Lewisham may no longer be able to rely on waiting for a tenant complaint before problems come to the council’s attention.
Demonstrating that you’re claiming a fair market rent at the tribunal hearing is crucial to winning your case
Burnley Council plans to restrict new HMOs in a bid to deter investors who see the borough as a “high yield investment opportunity”.
The number of landlords hit by rent arrears has fallen to a record low, with most continuing to report profitable lettings businesses.
The government is hiring 1,000 new judges and tribunal members this year to cope with increased demand due to the Renters’ Rights Act.
Landlords in Bolton would face mandatory training as a condition of getting an additional licence under plans agreed by the town council.
The proportion of landlords reporting strong tenant demand has risen for the first time since early 2024.
Tribunal orders landlord to repay £17,475 and criticises her property management style.
Stourbridge wildfires raise a difficult question for landlords: what happens when a rental is suddenly left uninhabitable?
Voice of Landlords Associations has called for an independent review of English councils’ relationships with Justice for Tenants.
More than 100 rental homes on the royal estates fail to meet legal minimum energy standards, an investigation has found.
Periodic, well-documented inspections are not an ad hoc luxury to be disregarded at will, but a necessity in today’s devious world
Buy-to-let investors are using their chain-free position and cash reserves to drive hard bargains, according to Hamptons.
Guernsey’s landlord association has warned that incoming rental reforms will push many older and experienced landlords towards the exit.
The NRLA suggests there’s no clear link between benefit levels and rent increases, as ministers consider continuing to freeze rates.
HMO landlords using letting agents could face an unexpected administrative burden under Making Tax Digital (MTD).
Section 21 claims are likely to break records this year, despite only being legal for the first seven months, predicts Paul Shamplina.
An Upper Tribunal has ruled that a banned landlord's tenants should have been considered when making the order.
Protesting tenants in London turned up at Housing Secretary Angela Rayner’s office to hand her a cheque for £20,001.
An increasingly stressed landlord community feel they are becoming a convenient scapegoat for many of housing problems.
The First-tier Tribunal’s ruled that Property118’s incorporation planning did not need to be disclosed under HMRCs Disclosure of Tax Avoidance
Latest Research Suggests Basement Flats Are Safe As HousesBasement flats in West London have been found to be as secure from intruders as other types of apartments, according to research carried by Basement Flats, a newly-launched London publication.The magazine, which features news and informati
My Commercial Lease Agreement is coming to an end soon and my tenant has served on me a Section 26 Notice What is this and what should I do?
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 - 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
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 - 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
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
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
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