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A reminder for landlords that electrical safety checks are mandatory

A reminder for landlords that electrical safety checks are mandatory

Information

Until recently landlords only had to concern themselves gas safety checks - but now all residential landlords or their agents must arrange for regular electrical safety checks (every 5 years)

Court approves tough bankcruptcy limits on 'property guru'

Court approves tough bankcruptcy limits on 'property guru'

News

Infamous property guru Glenn Armstrong, who misled dozens of investors by promising to make them rich, has been handed tough bankruptcy restrictions lasting 12 years.

Tenant pockets £5,000 from Tribunal after realising HMO was unlicenced

Tenant pockets £5,000 from Tribunal after realising HMO was unlicenced

News

A tenant who discovered that his landlord had not licenced the HMO in which he lived is to pocket £5,000 after winning a rent repayment order (RRO) during a Tribunal hearing.

Spring Budget shortfalls: What was missing for landlords?

Spring Budget shortfalls: What was missing for landlords?

Opinion

Budget fails buy-to-let landlords – tax reliefs slashed and housing crisis ignored, despite CGT cut and NI tweaks.

Murder conviction bars landlord from running rental properties

Murder conviction bars landlord from running rental properties

News

A landlord who was jailed for culpable homicide in 2008 has been refused permission to rent out flats in Glasgow, despite claiming he has taken ‘responsibility for his actions’ and moved on.

Escalating 'housing emergencies' are Government's fault, say Scots letting agents

Escalating 'housing emergencies' are Government's fault, say Scots letting agents

News

Letting agents have blamed poor Scottish government policies for the growing number of councils declaring ‘housing emergencies’.

Heat pumps still 'too expensive' warns national spending watchdog

Heat pumps still 'too expensive' warns national spending watchdog

News

Heat pump sales continue to be hampered by high costs, lown awareness and a lack of long-term financial support, the government’s spending watchdog has warned.

90% of landlords reject Scottish rent control plans, official poll reveals

90% of landlords reject Scottish rent control plans, official poll reveals

News

Vast majority of landlords have flatly rejected future widespread rent control across Scotland, in a new Holyrood survey.

Landlord fined after tenant harrassment revealed in court

Landlord fined after tenant harrassment revealed in court

News

A landlord has been ordered to pay £2,500 in fines, compensation and costs after he admitted harassing two of his tenants.

Will landlord MPs stymie the Rental (reform) Bill?

Will landlord MPs stymie the Rental (reform) Bill?

News

Momentum appears to be growing to torpedo the controversial legislation as evidence emerges that the Bill is ‘close to collapse’ in Parliament.

Should a good rent payment record count towards a mortgage application

Should a good rent payment record count towards a mortgage application

News

It used to be the case that renting was a temporary phase in a young persons life. It gave flexibility until their career settled down to a fixed employer and a fixed location. But todays property prices mitigate against this pattern. Many people are locked into renting fa

Generation Rent calls for big landlord regulation push in Wales

Generation Rent calls for big landlord regulation push in Wales

News

Generation Rent has urged the Welsh government to introduce an ombudsman for the PRS along with more grounds for rent repayment orders (RROs) in order to improve tenants’ lives.

80% of landlords say banning Section 21 evictions 'a mistake'

80% of landlords say banning Section 21 evictions 'a mistake'

News

The vast majority of landlords and letting agents view the Government’s plans to abolish Section 21 evictions as a mistake, a new report has revealed.

Hunt's Spring Budget hid 'stealth' tax grab on landlords via CGT rules

Hunt's Spring Budget hid 'stealth' tax grab on landlords via CGT rules

News

Jeremy Hunt’s recent Spring Budget hid a ‘steal tax’ on landlords seeking to sell properties after April 1st, it has been claimed.

Time ticking away for Bill prompts fresh concerns

Time ticking away for Bill prompts fresh concerns

News

Fears are growing that the government is going soft on its commitment to the Renters Reform Bill.

Surge in fines for Right to Rent non-compliance

Surge in fines for Right to Rent non-compliance

News

An increasing number of landlords and letting agents are falling foul of Right to Rent rules, with a big rise in fines handed out last year.

Landlord turns up heat on TV show with winning pitch

Landlord turns up heat on TV show with winning pitch

News

An HMO landlord and entrepreneur has secured £80,000 worth of funding on Dragons' Den for his thermostat business.

Landlords fail to avoid London borough's HMO clampdown

Landlords fail to avoid London borough's HMO clampdown

News

Haringey Council is launching a new additional HMO licensing scheme despite limited backing from landlords and tenants.

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Decison imminent on new EPC target for landlords

Decison imminent on new EPC target for landlords

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News
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Private landlords are about to get a new deadline for making energy efficiency improvements to their properties.

Will Labour improve a dysfunctional housing market, or destroy it?

Will Labour improve a dysfunctional housing market, or destroy it?

News
News
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Tom Entwistle considers the current state of the UK housing market and how it could be affected by Labour’s policies

Midlands council reveals start date for £1,000 a property HMO licences

Midlands council reveals start date for £1,000 a property HMO licences

News
News
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More HMO landlords in the West Midlands borough of Sandwell face paying £1,000 for a licence after the council gave the go-ahead to an extended additional scheme to go live on October 1st 2024.

Plan revealed by Yorkshire city to 'get tough' on landlords

Plan revealed by Yorkshire city to 'get tough' on landlords

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News
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Sheffield Council is about to get tougher on private landlords as part of a new 10-year plan to improve the city’s housing.

Labour has just one job to do - stabilise the rental market, says agency

Labour has just one job to do - stabilise the rental market, says agency

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News
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Good landlords have little to fear from a Labour government if it can stabilise the economy to support the property market and make renting easier and less volatile, according to one letting agent.

'Levelling up' dropped by Angela Rayner from housing department name

'Levelling up' dropped by Angela Rayner from housing department name

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News
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Angela Rayner has revealed that the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities that it is to drop ‘levelling up’ from its name and concentrate on ‘basics not gimmicks’.

Kemi Badenoch named shadow housing secretary by Sunak

Kemi Badenoch named shadow housing secretary by Sunak

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News
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Wannabe Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has been appointed by Rishi Sunak as his shadow housing secretary.

Cut your losses says landlord: Why this month’s mortgage rates are causing landlords to sell

Cut your losses says landlord: Why this month’s mortgage rates are causing landlords to sell

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News
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If you were looking for a sign on whether or not to downsize or expand your property portfolio, this weeks’ news provided mixed messages on how landlords might be affected by Buy-to-let (BTL) mortgage rates.

Introducing Portfolio

Introducing Portfolio

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Introducing Portfolio: discover our new digital resource designed to streamline landlord operations.

Corporate landlords to be exempt from Decent Homes Standard

Corporate landlords to be exempt from Decent Homes Standard

News
News
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The Government has revealed more details about how the ‘corporate’ student sector, which competes with traditional landlords for tenants, will be regulated in the future.

Landlord fights council over £15,000 HMO fine... and wins

Landlord fights council over £15,000 HMO fine... and wins

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
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Information

A landlord has successfully fought a licensing fine after an Upper Tribunal judge ruled it couldn’t be proved that a fifth tenant was living permanently in his HMO.

'Landlord bashing won't help solve housing crisis'

'Landlord bashing won't help solve housing crisis'

News
News
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A mortgage lending expert has warned that landlord bashing risks pushing out more smaller landlords, creating a vicious circle of fewer available rental properties and higher rents for tenants.

Landlords spending 'too much' on EPC upgrades

Landlords spending 'too much' on EPC upgrades

News
News
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Opinion
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Most landlords’ ignorance of the points-based EPC system means they can sometimes spend more money than necessary on energy efficiency improvements.

Tenants can now pay landlords via their credit card

Tenants can now pay landlords via their credit card

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News
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A digital platform that enables tenants to pay their rent via their credit or debit card rather than a BACS payment has officially launched in the UK.

Local authorities’ new powers to auction leases of vacant commercial premises

Local authorities’ new powers to auction leases of vacant commercial premises

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News
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Local authorities' now have new powers to auction off leases of vacant commercial units in Britain’s town centres and high streets

Landlords worried about missing payments discover agent in jail

Landlords worried about missing payments discover agent in jail

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News
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Landlords who complained about a missing letting agent have discovered that he had been jailed for assaulting a sex worker.

Government to spend millions stopping landlord evictions

Government to spend millions stopping landlord evictions

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News
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More money will be spent persuading landlords not to evict tenants as part of a huge cash boost to help prevent homelessness.

Northern council to expand selective licensing

Northern council to expand selective licensing

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News
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More landlords in Wirral could have to pay for a selective licence under plans being drawn up by the local council.

Rents rising by 9.1% a year on average, official figures reveal

Rents rising by 9.1% a year on average, official figures reveal

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News
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Rents charged for new tenancies across the UK continue to rise as landlords seek to offset higher costs and supply continue to be weak, latest Government data shows.

Labour to allow councils to 'take over' empty rental properties

Labour to allow councils to 'take over' empty rental properties

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News
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Councils will be given more power to force landlords to rent out vacant residential properties as part of the government’s English Devolution white paper.

Letting agents warn over Labour's plan to increase licensing

Letting agents warn over Labour's plan to increase licensing

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News
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Letting agents have slammed plans to ease licensing rules that will mean local councils can introduce large selective schemes without government approval.

HMO landlords warned as London council begins 1,000s inspections

HMO landlords warned as London council begins 1,000s inspections

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News
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Ealing Council has ramped up its crackdown on rogue landlords with a rigorous programme of HMO inspections.

Councils given more powers to licence landlord properties

Councils given more powers to licence landlord properties

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News
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Local authorities will no longer have to ask the Secretary of State for permission to introduced selective licensing schemes in England and Northern Ireland, it has been revealed.

Lenders warn of 'challenging' year ahead for landlords

Lenders warn of 'challenging' year ahead for landlords

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News
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Economic headwinds are set to shrink purchases in the buy-to-let market by 7% next year to £9 billion, predicts UK Finance.

Norwich landlords fume over missing rental payments

Norwich landlords fume over missing rental payments

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News
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Landlords in Norwich are chasing thousands of pounds in rent payments from a letting agency which appears to have gone under.

Tenant demo in London calls for rent controls

Tenant demo in London calls for rent controls

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News
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Hundreds of tenants have staged a protest in central London calling for the government to introduce rent controls.

Major national park moves to restrict holiday lets

Major national park moves to restrict holiday lets

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News
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One of the UK’s larger national parks is planning to stop any new homes that are built within it being used as holiday/short lets or second homes.

Legal Matters: Serving notices, don’t fall foul of the law

Legal Matters: Serving notices, don’t fall foul of the law

Information
News
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A crucial task for landlords and agents is to correctly serve statutory notices and other documents

What should the new rental contracts be called? Have your say!

What should the new rental contracts be called? Have your say!

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News
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Property experts are pondering what the government might name new tenancies created by the Renters’ Rights Bill.

Council takes unusual approach to signing off HMOs

Council takes unusual approach to signing off HMOs

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News
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A district council has come up with a set of exceptional circumstances to help decide when to give the go-ahead to new HMOs.

Student landlord lands £2.3 million refinancing deal

Student landlord lands £2.3 million refinancing deal

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News
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A landlord in Liverpool has secured £2.3 million to refinance eight student HMOs within the city and unusually has gone public about the deal.

Letting agent slams police over 'lack of justice'

Letting agent slams police over 'lack of justice'

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News
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A letting agent has criticised police who failed to act when vandals threw a brick through one of his tenant’s windows.

Landlords, Fed Up with the Labour Government? Sell your Portfolio NOW

Landlords, Fed Up with the Labour Government? Sell your Portfolio NOW

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The never-ending onslaught of landlords, including the abolition of Section 21, tough EPC rules, and changes to stamp duty, have left landlords fed up and thinking of throwing in the towel.

Energy firms called out over HMO tenant utility bill problems

Energy firms called out over HMO tenant utility bill problems

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News
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A tenants’ champion has slammed energy companies for failing to help renters with energy bill problems at HMOs.