

The colder weather is here again, its that time of year coming; you feel that cold chill in the air, the snow and ice will soon arrive, and you know its time to get out that winter coat, scarf and gloves.You also know that cold wet weather on the way will test your rental properties and tenant
Portfolio Landlords: Buy to let lender Paragons recent research shows that professionaland larger-scale landlords are still investing and are increasing the size oftheir portfolios through more targeted investments. With an average portfolio
New rules that came into force in March allow https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/landlords-sue-cold-damp-homes-law-tenants-renting-housing-a8776671.html" tenants to sue landlords for issues like cold and damp. A broken heating system or poor ventilation that
Commercial Property : A recent High Court decision in Co-Operative Group Food Ltdv. A&A Shah Properties Ltd (2019) relates to an authorised guaranteeagreement (AGA) dispute, in this case an agreement involving a guarantor of theoutgoing tenant. <p id
The Government has announced its intention to scrap Section 21 notices for eviction in an effort to offer tenants more long-term security.
Commercial: A new set of mandatory rules introduced from 1stApril 2019 and though the document itself is titled a first edition, itsupersedes 3 previous editions published as codes of practice. The RICS (Royal Institution of Ch
Security: Renovating a buy-to-let property can be a great way for landlords to increase the rental income
Abandonment: When times get hard the instances of tenants leaving without notice are known to increase. Doing a runner�, skipping� moonlight flitting� walking away� or gone away� and in the words of the immortal song;
Tenancy Deposits: According to TDS (Tenancy Deposit Scheme) less than 1% (0.85%) of tenancies they handle have resulted in a deposit dispute in the year to March 2018, nevertheless its important to get it right when dealing with tenants' deposits.Cleaning was the most com
Viewpoint by Tom Entwistle As winter approaches outside temperatures drop and the perennial landlords problem of winter condensation and black mould rear their ugly heads again.The question is, how do you know if this is caused by the building or the tenant, or is it a co
Landlords' Tax: Internet sites, such as AirBnB, have increased the number of landlords letting to lodgers and to guests on short stays. There are specific tax benefits to this type of letting business which are expanded upon below.Furnished holiday letting</st
Section 21: Most tenancies will never require the service of a Section 21, Housing Act 1988, (eviction) notice. However, on those occasions when it does become necessary, and you just never know, landlords (and agents) will thank their lucky starts they complied with the rul
Asbestos:Asbestos regulations were last updated in 2012 , bringing the UK in line with EU regulations, which means the current regulations have been in place long enough for most
The Application Form You should always use a comprehensive Tenancy Application Form when taking on a new tenant. You need a completed application for each adult tenant in the property.The Tenancy application form is a very important starting point for any residential or comm
End of an AST: Questions: What happens when an Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST) comes to an end? Will the tenant have to leave or does she need to sign a new agreement? What if a tenant wants to leave early? How long can a periodic tenancy last?When the fixed term (minimum of
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
Thousands of leaseholders are stuck in their flats because they cannot sell due to unsafe cladding installed on their high rise blocks. Sales are stalled because potential buyers cant obtain a mortgage until the defective cladding is replaced and the building declared safe by a specialis
Landlords owe a duty of care to their tenants to make sure, as far as is reasonably possible, to be sure a property is safe, both at the commencement and during the course of a tenancy. This Court of Appeal case in 26 February 2019 relates to a council tenancy, though its implic
Landlords are being warned to beware of scammers renting out parking spaces outside their properties following a expose on national radio. Landlord Simon Gallagher had to install bollards after someone began advertising his tenants driveway to commuters for �8 a day. <p i
Welsh landlords renewing their licence with Rent Smart Wales after 23rd November now need to organise regular mandatory property inspections. The new condition - introduced by Rent Smart Wales for any new landlords signing up from 1st July and any rene
A woman hoping to convert her 32-bedroom hotel into an HMO after being hit hard by Covid could spark a trend for more owners moving into the private rented sector. Andreani Ahooie, whos run the https://www.longviewhotel.com/" target="_blank" Longv
Hundreds of landlords face trying to find new tenants for their student HMOs after the University of Warwick ditched its property management scheme. Under its Head Lease Scheme, landlords signed-over their houses to the university for years at a time for guaranteed rent, which
Tenants may complain, or as in the following case, the councils inspectors may deem it to be the case, that the system supplied is inadequate for safe living. The Aldford Two LLP v Bristol City Council appeal (2010 Residential Property Tribunal - RTP) against an improveme
Increasing numbers of landlords are being forced to issue a second Section 8 notice to tenants who have stopped paying their rent as the sector grapples with the crazy evictions rules in place now, it has been claimed. The UKs leading lettings industry trade body ARLA P
John Howard has had a lot of fingers in different property pies over the past 45 years, working his way up from being the son an estate agent to a major figure within the property industry. As well as being a significant portfolio landlord he is also a developer and consultant,
Lawyers and Tory peers have expressed fears that the Renters’ Rights Bill will be ineffective without further investment in the courts.
Lords warn Renters’ Rights Bill could shrink rental supply, impacting landlords and tenants.
NRLA Training offers key advice to landlords who are preparing to end of a tenancy and regain possession.
What do landlords really think about their properties and the laws that affect them? We unpack the latest Total Landlord poll.
Landlords are broadly less confident than they were a year ago, with that confidence significantly shaken by the Renters’ Rights Bill.
Ipswich Council has pointed the figure at HMO landlords for the town’s failure to house more homeless people but is pressing ahead with plans to restrict HMO numbers.
Hostility from politicians is pushing landlords out of the Scottish rental market, new research has found.
A charity boxing event organised by TV star Paul Shamplina is celebrating its ten-year anniversary by revealing two events this year.
Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has warned the government that renter reforms would still allow landlords to make “excessive profits” unless rent controls are introduced.
Councillors in Worcester have agreed to extend the city’s additional licensing scheme for another five years.
A prolific fraudster has admitted scamming numerous would-be tenants out of hundreds of pounds.
The NRLA has warned of potentially devastating consequences for the PRS unless the House of Lords approves new amendments to the Renters’ Rights Bill.
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
Investors have started buying up shops and offices in London rather than houses in order to turn a profit.
A landlord in Telford is to pay a huge fine after his local council took him to court over a substandard property he rented out within the town.
A Lib Dem MP has highlighted what he describes as an unfolding EWS1 form scandal after a fire safety consultant was sanctioned for unprofessional conduct.
One of the seismic changes for landlords and letting agents this year will be when the Renters’ Rights Bill bans taking rent in advance.