So, we ended 2021 after twenty-one months since the first Covid lockdown with the new variant, Omicron, spreading fast, and with Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland putting in stricter measures and speculation that England may follow with an announcement early in the New Year.
An example of the difficulty of prediction is the conclusion to a detailed study recently published on the private rented sector by the London School of Economics (a study commissioned by the NRLA) Individually and cumulatively, the recent tax changes
A lettings agency boss and landlord has been slapped with a �40,700 Rent Repayment Officer despite claiming that his failure to licence an HMO was an honest mistake. A First Tier Property Tribunal handed five former tenants the maximum award for the period from September 2019 t
Scotland’s Housing Bill proposes rent controls, winter eviction bans, pet rights & tougher eviction penalties in private sector overhaul.
Bristol has approved plans to extend landlord licensing in Brislington West, Bedminster and Horfield wards in a bid to raise PRS standards. The scheme includes additional licensing - HMOs with three or more unrelated people sharing facilities and selective licensing - privat
Durham County Council's selective licensing scheme covers 29,000 homes, requiring landlords to apply by 31 July for a £350–£500 licence fee.
This is a Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman case involving an unnamed landlord (LandlordX or MrX) and Brentwood Borough Council. The case revolves around a common situation where the landlord required possession of the property after serving a valid section 21 notice un
I've been in the property investment business for almost 30 years and during this period opportunities have come and gone but I've yet to discover an asset class that perf
Ever since I started to market one of my commercial buildings around 10 years ago now, I began to doubt the efficacy of the EPC rating system. The guy that came along to do the inspection told me himself he had just completed a 6 week course, or whatever it was, to train to be a
Social and private landlords are to face tougher new rules which make it mandatory to fit smoke alarms in all rented accommodation regardless of tenure, and widen the conditions under which they must be fitted. Revisions to the smoke and carbon monoxide detector regulations also
If you had �50k to invest right now, where would you put it, buy-to-let property or stocks and shares? Certainly leaving it in a traditional savings account, with interest rates as they are at rock bottom, thats out of the question. And with the threat of rising inflation ea
Research carried out by LandlordZONEs insurance partner, Hamilton Fraser Total Landlord Insurance, revealed that the vast majority of landlords, https://hamiltonfraser.co.uk/knowledge/good-landlord-quiz-results/?utm_source=landlordzone&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=lz_november
The move to provide home heating and hot water by this method is part of a Government strategy aimed at making deep cuts to greenhouse gas emissions and decarbonizing the UK's power sector by 2035. Prime Minister Boris Johnson says the scheme was designed to bring low-carbon hea
Tenants facing eviction in England are to be protected from losing their homes during the Christmas and New Year period, HM Courts and Tribunal has confirmed. Between 13th December and 10th January no evictions should be s
Some holiday lets owners are gaming the system to claim business rate relief, comments made by the Housing Minister Lord Greenhalgh suggest, who has promised action to clamp down on the practice. In a Lords debate on second homes, peers voiced concerns that second homeo
A company that houses asylum seekers has been fined more than �60,000 for HMO offences in Newport. Clearsprings Ready Homes, which has the contract for operating accommodation for asylum seekers in Wales, was found guilty of letting an HMO in Redland Street (pictured), in the B
The Minimum Energy Performance of Buildings Bill, which aimed to advance the governments energy efficiency commitments, is in doubt following the tragic death of David Amess MP. He was the presentation bills main sponsor in the Commons, launching it at the same time as Lor
However, Carol Lewis writing for the Sunday Times newspaper thinks that holiday let owners should be paying council tax. Given that levelling up is the government's buzzword du jour, it is time to level the playing field and bring holiday-home owners in line wi
Minister defends exempting student housing from new tenancy rules to keep in step with academic year agreements/
Landlords with empty properties are being urged to take advantage of council cash to help fight the housing shortage. About 300 councils currently offer a scheme mainly loans to carry out repairs - although some provide grants, usually ranging from �5,000 to more than �25,
Letting out property abroad can be a great way of generating extra income. The property might have been bought primarily as an investment but for others or it could be second or holiday home let out when not in use. There are plenty of things to think about, though.
Leicester is going ahead with its selective licensing extension in three areas of the city, charging landlords �1,090 per property - the highest fee in the Midlands. The council is introducing the scheme in parts of Westcotes, Fosse, Braunstone Park and Rowley Fields wards, whi
Durham Council has warned landlords covered by its new selective licensing scheme to brace themselves for inspections next month. At least 29,000 properties, 42% of the countys PRS, are covered by the scheme which launched in April after winning government approval. <p id
Nearly one-fifth of private rented homes would need work costing more than �10,000 to bring them up to an EPC Band C, according to the latest PRS figures. The English Housing Survey Private Rented Sector report for 2020-21 found that these were more likely to need larger sums o
The latest figures available from Rightmove show that London rents jumped by around 14 per cent in the last year, with some property experts calling it the most competitive market on record Matt Hutchinson, a director at SpareRoom, the flat sharing website, has said: <p
The pandemic has had a devastating impact on commercial property, with lockdowns, social distancing, working from home (WFH), all accelerating the move to online and home deliveries. The likes of Tesco, Ocado and the other big supermarket deliveries were the saviour of the public during the
Welsh politicians have reaffirmed their desire to consider rent controls in the PRS while announcing plans to crack down on the holiday let sector. Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price (main pic, right) suggested rent controls could be on the table when the long-awaited but now <a href
Half of private renters either don’t have contents insurance or don’t know what it is, leaving them financially vulnerable to theft, damage, or loss.
Only 2.5 % of rented homes in England are affordable for tenants on housing benefit, reveals housing crisis report.
A billionaire landlord has been ordered to repay tenants £263,555 for operating two East London buildings as unlicensed HMOs.
House price growth remained steady last month, but is expected to soften in the coming months as the stamp duty holiday comes to an end.
More than a third of landlords plan to offload some of their rental properties in the next 12 months, according to a new survey.
Letting agents have urged Scottish lawmakers not to repeat the mistake of restricting rents that has ultimately increased costs for tenants.
Almost £13million a week was raised in property taxes for the Scottish Government, new analysis has revealed.
Landlords warn that the Renters' Rights Bill could drive student rents higher.
Landlords could face a hike in Capital Gains Tax (CGT) if the economy dips before the Autumn Budget, the Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS) has warned.
Making Tax Digital rules expand—what landlords need to know before mandatory compliance arrives.
A letting agent ensures compliance with the Renters' Rights Bill and simplifies property management.
Landlords searching for a new deal will find the choice of buy-to-let mortgages has hit a record high, with 3,860 products available.
NRLA says Spring Statement failed to address the escalating UK rental crisis.
Landlords are profiting by selling before the Renters' Rights Bill, then reinvesting in post-Bill bargains.
The Government has started to “bring landlords into line”, but more needs to be done to tackle the pressures in the private rented sector, a Labour MP has suggested.
One in five renters has borrowed money that needs to be paid back for their five-week cash deposit, putting them in a precarious financial position before moving in.
Landlords struggling with “needlessly complex” HMO licence renewal applications are fed up and selling up, according to Portsmouth & District Landlords Association (PDPLA).
The search is on for Landlord of the Year as part of this year’s LIS (Landlord Investment Show) Awards.
Landlords will have to use the new Making Tax Digital for Income Tax Self-Assessment system, the Chancellor has confirmed.
The Spring Statement proved a missed opportunity for landlords and stamp duty, it has been suggested.
Tenants have been warned to know their rights following Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ announcement of a £2billion investment in 18,000 new social and affordable homes.
Scottish landlords advised to balance rent increases with potential void periods post-cap removal; market conditions and tenant challenges considered.
Concerns about whether new planning reforms go far enough to address the country’s housing shortage have been raised by estate agents.
Homelessness charities are requesting amendments to the Renters’ Rights Bill that would severely limit landlords’ right to use guarantor agreements
