Winter Condensation: Its that time of year again, a time when tenants are most likely to complain about the mould appearing in those corners of the property where the walls and ceilings are really cold, and hot air with moisture always rises to the top. If its black mo
Tax Relief: Starting from 6th April 2017, those landlords with mortgages will have tax relief on their buy-to-let mortgage costs gradually reduce over a 4-year period.Many landlords dont have a mortgage (up to 50% it is said), so this change does not affect them, but many
Rent Arrears: At this time of year, soon after the Christmas spending spree, inevitably rent payments begin to suffer. If you are having problems with rent arrears, this article should help.As in most areas of life,prevention is better than cure . To re
Tax Return 2016-2017: As a general rule, and as outlined in the previous articles in this series on tax returns, landlords can claim the expenses of running and maintaining their rental properties.If the rent you charge includes additional services like water, or council tax
Tax Return 2016-17: With some costs its very easy to decide: a repair to a drain, downspout or roof tile are all allowable expenses, but what about replacing a broken single glazed window with a new plastic frame and double glazing, what about decorating and installing a
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
Should landlord insist on renewing fixed term tenancies or allow them to lapse into periodic tenancies?In essence a tenancy is the right to possess and occupy land belonging to another. A tenancy gives the occupier a legal interest in the land for a defined period of time.A relationship of landlo
A section 213 notice is a prescribed form notice which must be served on your tenant, or another person, if they provided a deposit for a rental.If you have taken a deposit for an Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST) in England & Wales (the rules in Scotland & Northern Ireland are similar but
This is a handy check list for use to help you ensure you are serving a valid section 21 notice. Section 21 of the Housing Act 1988 (as amended 1996 & 2004) provides a means of re-gaining possession of a residential property in England & Wales. Other UK jurisdictions are similar but there
How can a tenant end a residential tenancy and stay within the law - usually with a Tenant's Notice to Quit?In practice most residential tenancies in England and Wales end (over 90 per cent of them) with tenants giving their landlord notice. These guidelines are based on English law and are not a
Farm and Land Tenancies Approximately one-third of all agricultural land in England and Wales is covered by agricultural tenancies. Tenancies allow people to farm without being landowners. As agricultural land is expensive, and the acreage now needed to make a viable operati
Landlords sometimes face a dilemma when they want to sell a rental property, or even a portfolio of their rental properties. Sometimes landlords have no choice but to sell as they are being forced to sell for financial reasons.Residential properties, unlike their commercial counterparts, always s
Assignment is when an existing and ongoing tenancy is transferred from one tenant to another. The person who transfers the tenancy is the assignor� and the person who the tenancy is transferred to is the assignee�.The outgoing tenant transfers his rights and obligations under the tenanc
Latest Research Suggests Basement Flats Are Safe As HousesBasement flats in West London have been found to be as secure from intruders as other types of apartments, according to research carried by Basement Flats, a newly-launched London publication.The magazine, which features news and informati
Section 26 Notice - My Commercial (Business Tenancy) Lease Agreement is coming to an end soon and my tenant has served on me a Section 26 Notice. What is this and what should I do?Commercial (Business) Tenancies in England & Wales are regulated by the Landlord & Tenant Act 1954 (Part 2).T
Rental growth in the UK has dropped to 3.9%, its lowest level in more than three years and down from 9.1% a year ago.
Demand for accessible homes is growing as the tenant population ages, a leading estate agency has reported, calling on Labour to help landlords finance upgrades.
With substantial capital gains gathered within your properties, selling the whole portfolio will probably leave you exposed to a substantial capital gains tax bill
The Welsh Government has followed its counterparts in England and Scotland and raised the stamp duty that landlords buying rental properties must pay, effective from tomorrow.
Landlords may need to prepare for a turbulent and potentially very costly ride once the Renters’ Rights Bill becomes law, a financial expert has warned.
A landlord has been ordered to pay six tenants a whopping £44,358 after failing to provide an excuse for operating an unlicensed HMO.
Tenants heading for retirement age are the fastest growing group privately renting in England, according to new figures.
Tenant group Acorn has protested outside a landlord’s shop after he refused to return a former tenant’s deposit in a dispute over a leak.
Edinburgh Council has responded to accusations of double standards when housing homeless people in 30 unlicensed HMOs by moving tenants out of the properties.
Hyndburn Council wants to deter landlords from making the most of its cheap properties and ‘multiple deprivation’ by clamping down on HMO conversions.
As we approach the festive season of 2024, like many of us, I find myself drawn to Charles Dickens's timeless tale, A Christmas Carol.
Landlords blame upcoming legislation and tax changes for causing 73% of them to feel less confident than they did last year.
Renter groups have called on the government to do more to tackle ‘out of control’ rents, as a government survey reveals that more than a third of landlords increasing rents on new tenancies did so by at least 15%.
Official figures reveal growing number of landlords considering property sales amid rising costs.
The 2019 Tenant Fees Act, which over the past five years has severely restricted what fees landlords and letting agents can charge tenants, has been a success, two academics have claimed.
A partnership has been agreed that will enable landlord who are members of the National Residential Landlords Association and letting agents to better manage tenancy changeovers, for free.
The Law Commission is reviewing Part 2 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 (LTA) to “ensure that it works for today’s commercial leasehold market.”
TV star and Landlord Action founder Paul Shamplina has been named seminar speaker of the year, fighting off competition from 38 other candidates.
Home energy installation company BOXT aims to revolutionise the way heating systems are installed in private rented homes.
Landlords and agents condemn Scotland’s rise in additional property stamp duty from 6% to 8%, warning it’ll deter rental investment.
Proposed changes to Energy Performance of Buildings regulations mean private landlords in England and Wales would have to get EPCs more frequently.
Landlords buying up property portfolios have helped non-residential property sales reach a new high this year as investors seek to capitalise on the existing tax rate, ahead of stamp duty changes.
Wealthy Chinese students are paying £66 a week or 42% more in rent than their British counterparts, according to the latest StuRents annual report.
A property expert has voiced concerns that councils won’t have the resources to implement the government’s new high street auctions initiative.
A landlord in London has been ordered to repay three of his tenants £10,538 after they applied successfully for a rent repayment order (RRO).
