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Bristol significantly expands HMO and selective licensing schemes

Bristol significantly expands HMO and selective licensing schemes

News

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’s new licensing scheme for 29,000 homes: What you need

Durham’s new licensing scheme for 29,000 homes: What you need

News

Durham County Council's selective licensing scheme covers 29,000 homes, requiring landlords to apply by 31 July for a £350–£500 licence fee.

Test Case: Council advising tenants to stay put after valid s21 notice served

Test Case: Council advising tenants to stay put after valid s21 notice served

News

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

'Let’s not forget property remains the best performing investment'

'Let’s not forget property remains the best performing investment'

Opinion

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

OPINION: The EPC ratings system is 'not fit for purpose'

OPINION: The EPC ratings system is 'not fit for purpose'

Opinion

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

BREAKING: Government toughens up smoke and C0 alarm regulations

BREAKING: Government toughens up smoke and C0 alarm regulations

News

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

ANALYSIS: Does buy-to-let still beat the stock market?

ANALYSIS: Does buy-to-let still beat the stock market?

News

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

EXCLUSIVE: Costliest and most common landlord insurance claims

EXCLUSIVE: Costliest and most common landlord insurance claims

News

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

Opinion: Should landlords dive into heat pumps?

Opinion: Should landlords dive into heat pumps?

Opinion

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

UPDATED: Bailiff evictions to be suspended over Xmas and New Year for a month

UPDATED: Bailiff evictions to be suspended over Xmas and New Year for a month

News

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

Tax changes for Airbnb landlords 'in the pipeline' to stop gaming of the rates system

Tax changes for Airbnb landlords 'in the pipeline' to stop gaming of the rates system

News

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

Asylum seeker HMO operator fined �60,000 for running house without licence

Asylum seeker HMO operator fined �60,000 for running house without licence

News

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

Bill to make EPC rules mandatory early 'unlikely to become law' after stabbing

Bill to make EPC rules mandatory early 'unlikely to become law' after stabbing

News

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

Should holiday-let owners be paying council tax?

Should holiday-let owners be paying council tax?

News

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

Landlords left struggling to claw back deposits owed after property firm ceases trading

Landlords left struggling to claw back deposits owed after property firm ceases trading

News

Landlords and letting agents hit by the collapse of Ash Residential Property Management Limited (ARPM) have been left struggling to claw back deposits and fees after it ceased trading last month with debts of almost �1.5m. At least 8,000 properties and their landlords are affec

HMRC warns holiday let owners about their tax obligations

HMRC warns holiday let owners about their tax obligations

News

HMRC warns that owners must accurately declare these earnings on their self assessment tax returns or face criminal charges if in default. A boom in bookings The Covid pandemic has stored up excess demand for stay at home Britains under the foreign holiday restrictio

LATEST: Scots landlords face new EPC rules but up to �15,000 to pay for upgrades

LATEST: Scots landlords face new EPC rules but up to �15,000 to pay for upgrades

News

Scottish landlords have until 2028 to meet energy efficiency standards but can access interest-free loans of up to �15,000 to help them spread the cost. The Scottish government has published its Heat In Building Strategy setting out that, by 2030, greenhouse gas emissions from

Sir Philip Green and his wife bought-up high-end London property as their retail empire was collapsing

Sir Philip Green and his wife bought-up high-end London property as their retail empire was collapsing

News

The so called Pandora Papers is a financial services leak of nearly 12 million documents that reveal an international treasure trove of hidden wealth, tax avoidance and money laundering, by some of the world's richest individuals. The secret files were unearthed by a Washington

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EXPERT: Number of councils seeking to stop HMO conversions is on the rise

EXPERT: Number of councils seeking to stop HMO conversions is on the rise

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More councils are set to introduce Article 4 directions in a bid to clamp down on HMO development, with six currently waiting for approval. There are already about 45 local authorities in England partly or entirely affected by Article 4 which means planning permission is nee

Unintended consequences of plans to ban Section 21 evictions 'already happening'

Unintended consequences of plans to ban Section 21 evictions 'already happening'

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A new landlord survey has revealed the effects of the Government's proposals to ban Section 21 evictions already feeding into the private rented sector. Evictions specialist Landlord Action canvassed some 1,500 landlords and found that 26% of those who had evicted a tenant over

Speculation grows that Rees-Mogg will be Housing Secretary if Liz Truss wins

Speculation grows that Rees-Mogg will be Housing Secretary if Liz Truss wins

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Its known as silly season when the media focuses on light-hearted stories, but news that Jacob Rees-Mogg (pictured) is being mooted as the new Levelling Up Secretary has been seen by some as no laughing matter. As the leadership contest draws to a close, preparations fo

Making tax digital as a landlord: What you need to know

Making tax digital as a landlord: What you need to know

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Making tax digital (MTD) for income tax is part of the governments long-term strategy to digitalise tax and will have implications for how landlords pay tax on their income. For those used to self-assessment, it will represent a change, but providing digital records will give businesses

What are the special rules for VAT on commercial property?

What are the special rules for VAT on commercial property?

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VAT on Commercial Property is a complex topic and anyone wishing to understand these complexities in relation to their own situation should seek specialist advice. This article should give a broad brush general overview but you really should seek advice because errors can be irredeemable an

Landlord banned from letting properties in England for five years

Landlord banned from letting properties in England for five years

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A rogue portfolio landlord has been banned from letting properties for five years after she admitted multiple offences relating to fire safety issues. Naomi Knapp, a landlord with 34 properties in Bristol, was convicted of eight banning order offences and will now be added to th

'Spray foam must be regulated to stop properties becoming un-mortgageable'

'Spray foam must be regulated to stop properties becoming un-mortgageable'

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Urgent regulation of the spray foam industry is needed to prevent making thousands of homes un-mortgagable, warn leading property groups. Sprayed polyurethane expanding foams are often used in lofts, either to stabilise a failing roof covering or to provide extra insulation. But

EXCLUSIVE: Landlords battle city council over HMO council tax re-valuations

EXCLUSIVE: Landlords battle city council over HMO council tax re-valuations

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Portsmouths HMOs are in the firing line again as growing numbers are being referred to the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) to have their council tax bands reassessed. Rather than paying tax on the whole property, each room can be classified as a band A at a cost of �1,200, wit

LEGAL LATEST: Can the eviction of a disabled tenant ever be fair?

LEGAL LATEST: Can the eviction of a disabled tenant ever be fair?

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A severely disabled tenant and his family have barricaded themselves into their home in a bid to prevent a controversial eviction. Quadriplegic Harvey Cowe, 62, and his wife Sheree, 55, have lived at the house in Brittany Road, Hove, for 25 years after Brighton & Hove C

Get your energy-efficient house in order with Safe2

Get your energy-efficient house in order with Safe2

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Use SAFE2 to make your property more energy efficient and compliant before winter.

Welsh landlords to return two months' rent to evicted tenants

Welsh landlords to return two months' rent to evicted tenants

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Letting agents have called out Welsh Government plans to enable tenants facing eviction to keep their final two months’ rent as ‘compensation’.

EXCLUSIVE: National Trust rebuffs MPs claims over empty rental homes

EXCLUSIVE: National Trust rebuffs MPs claims over empty rental homes

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The National Trust has rejected claims that it stopped renting out its properties to avoid the growing legislative burden.

Property firm and landlord fined £14,000 over 'slum conditions' at house

Property firm and landlord fined £14,000 over 'slum conditions' at house

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A Liverpool landlord has been hit with a fine of almost £14,000 for allowing tenants to live in a “house of horrors”.

POLL: 44% of landlords support most extreme form of rent control

POLL: 44% of landlords support most extreme form of rent control

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Nearly half of landlords and three quarters of the general public support rent controls, a poll by YouGov on behalf of wealth inequality not-for-profit Common Wealth has revealed.

Welsh MS says reforms will push too many landlords out of rental market

Welsh MS says reforms will push too many landlords out of rental market

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A Welsh politician has sounded the alarm over new legislation which risks exacerbating the mass exodus of private landlords.

Agent warns renting reforms will throw tenancy starts into disarray

Agent warns renting reforms will throw tenancy starts into disarray

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A leading agency has warned that tenants could move into a property without having paid any rent once the Renters’ Rights Bill becomes law.

60% of tenants preparing to move home before end of July

60% of tenants preparing to move home before end of July

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The next six months will see a huge increase in demand for rental properties, landlords and letting agents have been told.

'Wicked' directors given suspended sentences over illegal eviction

'Wicked' directors given suspended sentences over illegal eviction

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The directors of a supported housing company who illegally evicted a vulnerable tenant have been handed suspended jail sentences.

Comment: Renters’ Rights legislation in place before Easter?

Comment: Renters’ Rights legislation in place before Easter?

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The Government is evidently taking decisive steps to ensure swift progress of the Renters’ Rights Bill through the Commons and the Lords, with a view to having the Act implemented before Easter

Landlords win legal battle to protect postal rights

Landlords win legal battle to protect postal rights

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A landlord couple have won their legal case against a tenant who claimed her section 21 notice was invalid.

Government promises EPC study is imminent

Government promises EPC study is imminent

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The government looks set to launch its overdue consultation into new energy efficiency standards in the PRS during the next few weeks.

Is now the time to sell before Renters’ Rights law?

Is now the time to sell before Renters’ Rights law?

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The Renters’ Rights Bill returned to Parliament this week and it getting ever closer to becoming law by the summer has sent alarm bells ringing.

Peers scheduled to debate fast-tracked Renters' Rights Bill

Peers scheduled to debate fast-tracked Renters' Rights Bill

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The Renters’ Rights Bill has had its first reading in the House of Lords and is due for a full debate on 4th February.

Cash announced for empty shop auction scheme

Cash announced for empty shop auction scheme

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Local councils will be offered up to £79,000 to refurbish an empty property under the government’s new High Street Rental Auctions initiative.

North West council extends selective licensing

North West council extends selective licensing

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Burnley has given the green light to a bigger selective licensing scheme covering 3,700 private rented properties.

Big corporates hoovering up homes from exiting small landlords

Big corporates hoovering up homes from exiting small landlords

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Letting agents have reported that institutional and portfolio landlords are moving in to buy stock from exiting landlords.

How will Rachel Reeves' Budget affect property investors and landlords?

How will Rachel Reeves' Budget affect property investors and landlords?

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Budget changes present businesses including landlords and letting agents with some real stiff challenges in 2025

Live-in landlord mocked for seeking 'part-time' tenant

Live-in landlord mocked for seeking 'part-time' tenant

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Social media users have ridiculed a landlord for advertising an expensive room - but asking would-be tenants to stay out until after 8.30pm.

Rising rents fall back from record high

Rising rents fall back from record high

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Average rent in England increased 9.2% to £1,369 in the 12 months to December - slightly down on the previous record-high annual growth.

Pensioner landlords demanded to take over tenant's room

Pensioner landlords demanded to take over tenant's room

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A landlord couple who moved into their tenant’s spare bedroom while she was still living there have been fined.

MPs send amended Renters' Rights Bill to the Lords

MPs send amended Renters' Rights Bill to the Lords

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The Bill has moved another step closer to becoming law, with MPs agreeing amendments that include preventing landlords from taking more than one month’s rent.

January's tax deadline approaches, thoughts turn to this annual task

January's tax deadline approaches, thoughts turn to this annual task

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Keeping on top of your accounts month by month makes the annual self-assessment tax return task easier and makes sure you are in control of your business

Top six misconceptions about Ltd company BTL mortgages

Top six misconceptions about Ltd company BTL mortgages

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Limited Company buy to let mortgages are increasingly popular, however there are still many myths that need debunking.

Landlords hit with former owners' massive council tax bills

Landlords hit with former owners' massive council tax bills

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Landlords in Kent are inheriting huge council tax bills racked up by the previous owners when buying empty properties.