Rent Smart Wales is challenging letting agents and landlords over the widespread practice of charging student tenants summer retainer fees which it claims are unlawful under Welsh legislation. It says a retainer is an additional fee which is unlawful under the Renting Home
Owners (landlords) of commercial (business) premises and sometimes residential premises want to let to a tenant on a short term basis, but are fearful of creating a long-term arrangement such that the tenant cannot be removed if the landlord wants it.Basically, there are three ways to do that whi
When it comes to owning a buy-to� let property, the decision as to whether to use an agent or not is a big one. It is estimated that more than half of landlords self-manage their rental properties, believing it to be the best way to maintain control over who lives there and how
Commercial investments produce an average yield of 10.7% while residential properties offer just 3.7%, new research has claimed. Scotland is home to the highest commercial yield at 20.4%, along with the South West (13.7%), while Scotland is also where investors can find the high
While the cost of renting continues to increase across the UK, the Government continues to grapple with the issue of making renting more accessible and secure, especially for
NRLA calls for urgent government support to address rent arrears and court backlogs, proposing interest-free loans and grants to sustain tenancies.
Especially at a time like this, in the middle of a pandemic, when good commercial tenants are hard to find, landlords dread the time when a lease comes to an end, or their tenant goes into administration. When a commercial landlord loses a tenant, not only do they lose regular r
The government is pouring �13m into a homelessness reduction initiative to fund long-term accommodation for prison leavers in the private rented sector. More than 140 councils across England will share out the cash to pay for landlord incentives and loans for rent deposits, spe
We know that households across the UK will need to adopt a low carbon alternative to traditional heating solutions such as oil, gas, coal or wood burning in the future. Air source or geothermal ground source heat pumps are being touted as just such an alternative to help the UK
During these difficult times many tenants have found themselves in the position of wanting to divest themselves of surplus property, to reduce rental commitments by ending a lease agreement before it full term has expired. Perhaps the only way of doing this from the tenants p
Landlords who own leasehold properties in low and medium-rise apartment blocks affected by the cladding scandal will no longer have to supply an EWS1 form when selling or remortgaging their properties, the government has announced. Thousands of landlords who have been unable to
Spiralling fraud and overpayments in the benefits system now stand at the highest rate ever recorded, admits the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP), as it identifies housing payments as an area of concern. Housing benefit fraud is particularly rife after the pandemic resulted
The private rented sector wont meet new energy efficiency targets unless the government stumps up more cash for any replacement to the Green Homes Grant, it has been claimed. Latest https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/english-housing-survey-2019-to-2020-private-
Bury Council in Manchester has adopted new measures to fine landlords up to �30,000 if their properties dont meet the recently-introduced electrical safety standards. Although the standards came into force in June 2020, they had not been adopted and implemented by the counci
A commercial landlord whose building was damaged by two fires has been handed an 18-month suspended prison sentence, it has been reported. Wayne Braund, 52, owner of the former Strachan and Henshaw building in Foundry Lane, Bristol (pictured), admitted six fire safety breaches i
Guide to landlord responsibilities for fire-door safety—learn what checks and maintenance are required to keep your property compliant.
Property investor Rod Turner didnt find the thought of having tenants and being a landlord very appealing, but the turning point came in 2014 when he realised the London market wasnt proving positive for developments and that he needed to hold onto properties long term. As
After a huge amount of speculation in the press we can finally report what the new Labour Government has decided to do (and not to do) on the tax front
Landlords will face an additional average charge of more than £7,000 from tomorrow when buying a property thanks to an uplift in Stamp Duty charges.
Nick Lyons, chief executive of inventory experts No Letting Go give his view on the measures announced yesterday in parliament by Rachel Reeves.
The Labour Government has ramped up its increasingly anti-landlord policies by increasing the stamp duty they pay when buying rental properties from 3% to 5%.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves increases stamp duty surcharge to 5% for second homes and buy-to-let properties, effective from 31 October 2024.
A rogue landlord has been handed a £7,000 legal bill for renting out three dangerous flats containing a raft of faults.
Generation Rent has urged Chancellor Rachel Reeves to tax landlords harder in her first Budget by making them pay NI contributions.
A leading property lawyer has described a campaigning MP’s latest attempt to usher in harsher regulation of short-lets in holiday hotspots as ‘intensely impractical’.
Labour has committed to regulating estate agents in a bid to oust the rogue operators within the sector who give the wider industry a bad name and often cost landlords money and time when their services fall short of minimum standards.
All private landlords in Barking and Dagenham must get a licence from April following the introduction of its selective scheme.
There’s an often-overlooked impact of couples splitting on the demand for housing and particularly for rentals as splits occur every year in the UK
The Welsh government has agreed to explore the possibility of making landlords give tenants compensation if they are evicted.
A former solicitor and property expert has penned a book on how landlords can avoid litigants and potential crippling fines.
Landlords have been reminded to double check tenants’ documents after several London landlords were handed fake payslips.
Property portals and estate agents are failing buyers of leasehold properties by not flagging up legally required information.
Fees for joining the redress scheme and landlord database could be “significantly higher” following amendments to the Renters’ Rights Bill.
A Portsmouth rent-to-rent agency which let out overcrowded and unlicensed HMOs has been handed a hefty fine.
April’s stamp duty hike looms, so if you’re considering selling, sooner is smarter.
TSB has launched a new concessionary mortgage for landlords looking to sell their properties to tenants with no deposit required.
New year, new you. Sound familiar? Many of us start the new year with the very best of intentions, only for them to fall by the wayside.
Private equity firms and pension funds have been upping the ante with their investments in the UK rental market
Landlords should check whether they’re in one of 37 licensing schemes under consultation or about to be implemented – or risk a huge fine.
Landlords would be banned from demanding several months’ rent in advance under new amendments to the Renters’ Rights Bill.
Landlords in Northern Ireland must soon guarantee that electrical safety checks have been carried out at private tenancies.
Councillors have labelled a proposed voluntary landlord initiative to raise standards in North East Lincolnshire, “a waste of time”.
A leading Scots letting agent has warned that policies which seek to undermine the PRS are damaging tenants’ wellbeing.
Landlords could get longer to replace gas boilers if the government makes an expected announcement to allow their sale beyond 2035.
Wales and the North East are the best areas for hard-hit buy-to-let investors looking for above-inflation returns.
The average number of available rental properties at letting agencies jumped to a two-year high last November.
With the new year now upon us there’s no better time for landlords to start preparing for the wide-ranging legislation change on the cards for 2025.
A TikTok video on upcoming rules around tenants’ ability to keep pets has garnered more than two million views.
A letting agent has slammed Shelter’s campaign to highlight Section 21 eviction cases as “absurd sensationalism”.
A campaigning MP has helped her constituents get every new HMO application thrown out in the last three years.
The landlord exodus is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for councils to buy up properties and restore what was lost under Right to Buy, according to a campaigning think-tank.
