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,
The use of ‘rent in advance’ is widespread among landlords in the UK, the leader of a coalition of tenants’ rights groups has claimed
It’s a mixed picture in the UK property markets - UK rents fall for first time in five years, house sales rise and commercial recovery property stalls
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has urged flat owners to check assessors’ credentials after a fire engineer was sanctioned by the Institution of Fire Engineers for unprofessional conduct.
Letting agents have warned Westminster Council that its plan to ban advertising boards outside landlords' properties borough-wide could cause delays for renters.
Rightmove says the average rent in the UK now eats up 50% of the net income of those living within the private rented sector where the monthly rent per property is now £1,526.
Numbers of non-decent homes and Category 1 hazards in the PRS have fallen in recent years, although problems with damp are on the rise.
The Scottish government’s proposed rent control formula is generous to landlords but would leave tenants vulnerable to unaffordable rent rises, says Generation Rent.
Croydon Council is calling on local residents to report concerns about unauthorised HMOs as it ramps up action against errant landlords.
There is still widespread frustration and bewilderment among landlords and agent that rent controls are the only policy intervention to help tackle affordability in Scotland
Rental property yields are shrinking as the costs created by more regulations and legislation eat into landlord profits – so is it time more BTL landlords became SME developers?
Scotland’s tenants’ union has warned that removing rent rise reprotections will lead to an uptick in de facto evictions and homelessness.
Maidstone Borough Council has become the latest authority hoping to entice private landlords to hand over their properties in exchange for guaranteed rent.
A rogue landlord who squeezed six people into one room of his HMO has been told to pay £37,000 in fines and costs.
The UK’s new towns will favour build-to-rent developers rather than private landlords, according to a think tank which labels them “profit-seeking institutional investors”.
Croydon has announced plans to bring back its selective licensing scheme after a five-year break.
A student housing firm has been told to pay £13,160 for breaching safety regulations at a Salford HMO.
Landlords will collectively have to spend more than £20billion making improvements to their rental properties to meet proposed new energy efficiency standards
Gravesham Council is looking into a possible planning breach after studio flats were advertised for rent at a disused Premier Inn.
Landlords are waiting even longer to repossess their properties - up to 25 weeks in the last quarter of 2024.
Fed-up students in Bristol have launched a campaign to introduce a TripAdvisor style review system for the city’s accommodation.
Tenants cite lazy landlords as the main reason for repairs and maintenance not being done in their rental homes.
Rents should emulate energy prices, with a cap used to help people pay a fairer price for bills, says Generation Rent.
Landlords with small portfolios are being disproportionately impacted by an increasingly regulated PRS, according to Shadow Housing Minister Kevin Hollinrake.
We thought it fitting that one of the first people our new The LandlordZONE series talked to should be the current public face of the industry.
Stringent new energy efficiency rules could see landlords hit with bills totalling tens of thousands of pounds. James Kent explains more.
The NRLA has urged the government to rethink its “unworkable and unrealistic” energy efficiency plans for the private rented sector.
A holiday property investment company has had its knuckles rapped over a misleading advert in The Times that promised investors whopping returns.
The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) has secured two amendments around tougher licensing rules in the next Renters’ Rights Bill debate.
Surprising new research has revealed that three quarters of landlords would allow a tenant to redecorate their home, and half of landlords would pay for the costs of completing the work.
Landlords are being invited to join a deep dive into the Renters’ Rights Bill during a two-day online conference featuring big hitters from the property sector.
Norwich Council is overhauling its HMO policy by bringing in higher standards and tougher enforcement action.
Local authorities are not enforcing private landlords’ legal duty to maintain safe housing, a BBC investigation has found.
Nottingham benefits landlord Mick Roberts has warned that the government’s push to get rental properties up to an EPC C by 2030 could backfire.
Angela Rayner’s promise to build 1.5 million new homes this Parliament is looking increasingly optimistic
