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
Read our interview with a London landlord who is significantly out of pocket after signing up to a three-year guaranteed rent scheme recommended to her by a reputable letting agent. A landlord is urging othersto be wary of letting their pro
The tenant fees ban and its five-week cap on deposits does not come in fully for all tenancies until later this year, landlords should note. Government authorised tenancy deposit protectionprovider https://www.mydeposits.co.uk" id=
Tenant & Landlord Breaks: A break clause is common in both private residential tenancy agreements and commercial leases, therefore it is highly advisable that both landlords and tenants are familiar with the nature of break clauses in their lease and understand their rig
Following our recent article on property investment academies and the questionable activities of some operators, we asked the leading player in the market what should happen next. Last monthLandlordZONE shone a light into the famously Wild W
Thousands of people in the UK live rent free in return for providing services and sometimes, just companionship. But the sector is unregulated and such tenancies are a huge risk for both tenant and landlord alike. An investigation by Landlo
Storms & Floods : Given the severityof the bad weather and floods in some areas of the country recently,the past weeks have been an extremely anxious time for some tenantsand landlords. Unfortunately itappears that these worries are not goi
Section 21 : Not every landlordor agent would consider handling a possession claim themselves, butthe good news is, it can be done the system is designed for LIGs litigants in person. Everyone has theright to speak for themselves in co
Commercial Property :A commercial lease is based on contract law and a contractual agreement between landlord and tenant. The rules laid down are those as agreed in the lease agreement and are largely unencumbered by statutory rules, unlike the case with a residential tenanc
Holiday Lets : With the changes tothe tax rules many buy-to-let landlords are thinking of creative waysto overcome the loss of income. Their inability to claim tax reliefon their mortgage interest and the removal of their wear and tearallowance has made a
Landlord and tenant dispute specialist explores some of the key issues that the looming Renters' Rights Bill will throw up.
Landlords have claimed that HM Treasury plans to charge National Insurance (NI) on rents is a raid on millions of people’s pension
COHO founder Vann Vogstad says HMO landlords will shoulder a particularly large share of any NI levy on rental income.
London’s Westminster Council has revealed plans to renew its additional HMO licensing scheme covering many of the borough’s streets.
Landlords face paying national insurance on their rental income if plans leaked by HM Treasury this morning make it into the Autumn budget.
There will be an “unavoidable double hit” to property taxation next year when the business rates review combines with rising inflation
Spelthorne council to the south of Heathrow Airport has changed it mind on HMO 'threat' following complaints.
A landlord in London is the first in the UK to have their properties taken over ‘long-term’ by a council.
The Government has been warned that its refusal to give student landlords an exemption from plans to scrap fixed-term tenancies will see the universit
Report shows reforms will have little impact on sector if tenants are largely unaware of their new rights.
A new partnership enables landlords' tenants to move into their home more easily, it has been announced.
MSP Maggie Chapman wants an immediate introduction of rent caps to prevent 'brutal' rent rises by 'rogue landlords'.
Lodgers Limits - Is there any limit to the number of rooms I can rent out to lodgers, and are there any other implications?
John D Wood says landlords must adapt ahead of changes within the Renters' Rights Bill.
Birmingham's council says that while 40,000 landlords have licensed their properties since July 2023, too many have not.
Enforcement officers in Harlow are scouring the borough for unlicensed HMOs and unsafe properties.
Landlord couple ordered to pay their tenants back the cash after failing to get an HMO licence for a property in
Landlords in Grimsby have failed to convince council bosses to ditch a proposed selective licensing scheme in the town.
The two landlords have been banned from renting property after their legal appeal was rejected.
Why Landlords probably should be concerned about what the Renters’ Rights Bill could bring
Landlords would be exempt from Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ plans for a national property tax but could ultimately pay higher prices for homes.
Tenants at a complex of flats in Nottingham have staged a protest against their no-fault eviction after it was sold to a new owner.
Buy-to-let is bouncing back—landlords are selling fast, often above asking, with tenants in place. Portfolios sold in days, even with damage.
Rent arrears fell by 12% to £1,861 in Q2 2025 marking the first year-on-year decline in a second quarter since 2021.
Rent rises are easing across the UK official data has revealed this morning but experts warn that the private rental market continues to suffer from a
