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.
Under the new rules on damp and mould, it’s vital you have the records to back up your story
Stoke-on-Trent City Council is bringing in new planning controls to stem the growth of HMOs across the city.
mydeposits and Centrepoint win gold at the Corporate Engagement Awards after raising over £500k through a tenant interest donation scheme.
A landlord has been fined £26,000 after he left the mother of a newborn baby and child with disabilities without heating or hot water.
Landlord and agent groups have urged the government to get the details right as it moves closer to implementing Awaab’s Law in the PRS.
A major institutional BTR landlord has moved its property management in-house as it details big expansion plans.
More tenants are chasing fewer homes as landlord instructions remain scarce, according to UK letting agents.
Three property firms have been expelled from The Property Ombudsman after failing to pay compensation to landlords and a homebuyer.
Are company lets in England a legitimate and workable alternative or a hidden trap?
Spain’s experience of trying to tackle its housing crisis has highlighted the potential impact of tighter regulation on the PRS.
Greater Manchester has launched the Better Renting programme in a bid to improve landlord compliance.
The average UK room rent has hit a new high of £769 per month as year-on-year rental supply fell -4.7%.
Concerns have been raised about which software products are currently ready for landlords to use.
Shadow Housing Secretary Katie Lam has reportedly backed scrapping the Renters’ Rights Act.
Liverpool councillors are set to bring in new planning controls across the city to manage the growth of HMOs.
The average number of investment properties owned by landlords in England and Wales has increased to 18 – a 50% increase from this time last year.
A landlord and his company have been told to pay £246,000 for serious fire safety failures at two residential properties in Lancashire.
The NRLA has slammed the upcoming private rented sector database as a “costly mess” which will only provide an extremely limited service.
Official data says PRS has never been bigger, but agents report that home rentals are vanishing. Landlords tell us they are selling up. Who is right?
Barnet Council has started targeting unlawful HMOs in a series of evening raids across the London borough.
Green Party leader Zack Polanski has called for a three-year emergency brake on rents to end 'fear and uncertainty' in the PRS.
A letting agent has been fined £8,600 for issuing a six-month fixed-term tenancy agreement in breach of the Renters’ Rights Act.
Landlords have been urged to check that a digital identity provider is specifically approved for Right to Rent.
Tenants facing eviction will have access to expanded free legal advice paid for by £16 million in new funding.
A landlord company director has had an £11,000 personal penalty for housing offences cancelled by the Upper Tribunal.
New Scottish housing rules effective 6 October bring strict Awaab's Law timelines, shorter succession periods, and higher wrongful termination fines.
In thirty years buy-to-let beat the S&P 500, returning 22 times its original investment. A Sunday Times article argues the payday is ending
Landlords have been warned that getting the new Form 4A rent increase process wrong could invalidate or delay a proposed rent rise.
The number of homes available to rent across England has plunged by at least 15,500 in just three months, new analysis finds.
Property experts have warned that Andy Burnham’s promised crackdown on rogue landlords could damage relationships and lead to good ones selling up.
A property management duo has been hit with a £100,000 fine for renting out a property with a catalogue of serious problems.
Landlords in Scotland have been urged to get to grips with new damp and mould rules as Awaab’s Law comes into force next week.
The government has pledged to introduce an independent regulator for property agents and caps on fees for leaseholders.
As energy bills rise, landlords and homeowners can save £175 yearly with simple heating checks and minor adjustments before winter.
Councils are to get new powers to take over empty and derelict homes in a bid to tackle the housing crisis.
Landlords need more certainty around paying for improvements to meet planned new energy efficiency standards, the NRLA warns.
Medway Council has given the go-ahead to new selective and additional licensing schemes which go live next January.
UK surveying faces a demographic crisis as 46% plan to exit in a decade, prompting firms to recruit and train new talent pools.
After 5 months it’s neither an exodus nor business as usual for buy-to-let landlords. We’ve had the proponents and the detractors. Who’s right so far?
Great Yarmouth Council has radically altered its selective licensing scheme conditions after a challenge by landlords.
The Welsh government has been urged to consider phasing out Land Transaction Tax (LTT) and offer landlords low-interest loans for retrofit.
Landlords are being advised to strengthen checks after reports that rental properties are being used as short-term brothels.
Four months in, the Renters’ Rights Act has brought fewer market shocks than expected: rents are steady, investment continues, and issues are minor.
Bradford and Breckland councils are the latest authorities to voice concerns over HMO spread.
Landlords have largely complied with EPC rules, but many appear to have done only enough work to bring properties up to the legal threshold.
Wallasey and Birkenhead in Merseyside were the most competitive rental markets during July and August, reports Rightmove.
Lib Dems propose 150k annual social homes, rent-to-equity schemes, and urgent safety reforms to fix unregulated temporary housing.
What do you need to know about the latest version of the Housing, Health and Safety Rating System?
More than three-quarters of self-managing portfolio landlords regularly delay non-urgent maintenance work, a new survey finds.
Landlords in Orkney have been offered loans of up to £25,000 to renovate their empty properties to help the housing shortage.
Agents group believes the government should step in when councils fail to meet a minimum number of proactive inspections and enforcement actions.
A landlord has lost an appeal against a decision refusing to evict a tenant who owed £8,554 in rent arrears.
Older renters are more stretched than younger renters, with the over-70s spending 46% of their income on rent, according to new data.
A Bristol landlord has been ordered to pay a total of £58,271 after he failed to carry out improvements to his unlicensed HMO.
About 562 properties are being lost from the market every day in the third quarter of 2026, the highest rate since 2016.
Landlords have earned £22 for every £1 invested in the 30 years since the UK’s first buy-to-let mortgage launched.
Only about 10p of every £1 increase in Local Housing Allowance appears to have fed through into higher rents, according to a think-tank.
Do landlords have the whole story when they discuss the merits of their letting agents?
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
How can a tenant end a residential tenancy and stay within the law - usually with a Tenant's Notice to Quit?In practice most residential tenancies in England and Wales end (over 90 per cent of them) with tenants giving their landlord notice. These guidelines are based on English law and are not a
Farm and Land Tenancies Approximately one-third of all agricultural land in England and Wales is covered by agricultural tenancies. Tenancies allow people to farm without being landowners. As agricultural land is expensive, and the acreage now needed to make a viable operati
Landlords sometimes face a dilemma when they want to sell a rental property, or even a portfolio of their rental properties. Sometimes landlords have no choice but to sell as they are being forced to sell for financial reasons.Residential properties, unlike their commercial counterparts, always s
Assignment is when an existing and ongoing tenancy is transferred from one tenant to another. The person who transfers the tenancy is the assignor� and the person who the tenancy is transferred to is the assignee�.The outgoing tenant transfers his rights and obligations under the tenanc
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
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
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
.avif)
