A council in London has taken the unusual step of banning a woman from renting homes in the private sector for three years after she illegally sub-let a property in a case that is one of the worst LandlordZONE has ever reported on.
A housing safety law expert has called for Southwark Council to be hit with a multi-million pound fine after it failed to carry out required electrical safety tests at its properties.
All the major political parties have now released their manifestos ahead of the July general election. Here James Kent, the NRLA’s Chief Innovation Officer, and founder of digital compliance platform Safe2, looks at what they are promising when it comes to PRS property standards and compliance.
A rogue landlord who was fined £34,640 for having eight unlicensed HMOs has failed in an attempt to have his conviction overturned.
Labour party figures’ desire to end tenant bidding wars is unworkable in practice, while unenforced legislation would not lead to any real improvement, according to a top property lawyer.
A legal expert has warned that an amendment to the recently-passed Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act that raises the 25% non-residential limit in collective enfranchisement claims to 50% will have serious consequences for mixed-use developments.
The NRLA is to drop the word ‘landlord’ from its strapline in a bid to change public attitudes of those who rent out and manage properties.
Guarantors in rental agreements provide financial security for landlords. Understand their role, responsibilities, and tips for both parties.
The Labour party has clarified that although it will seek to stop agents and landlords encouraging bidding wars, tenants will be allowed to make ‘voluntary’ higher offers above the original rental asking price.
The NRLA has backed Labour’s proposal to stop landlords and letting agents enabling ‘bidding wars’ by requiring them to advertise a proposed rent based on market rates, with bids above that figure prohibited.
Four tenants will share a £21,515 rent repayment order after they took their landlord to court for repeatedly failing to licence his HMO.
A landlord has been ordered to pay two former tenants £2,252 after a judge ruled that his letting agent agreement contravened the Tenant Fees Act.
Private renters want the next government to control the pace of rent rises, build more homes and increase their rights and protections.
Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner has admitted her promise to ban Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions immediately after a General Election win isn’t quite what it seems.
More than half of landlords have reported having lost some rental income due to their tenants struggling to afford the rent
A leading Scots letting agent has warned that unless the Scottish government amends its rent control plans to allow for future increases, the level of investment in the country’s PRS will continue to slide.
A rogue landlord has been ordered to pay more than £23,000 after letting out a dilapidated and dangerous house to a family in Camber.
Labour could introduce rent controls via the back door by devolving power to regional and city mayors, a property expert warns.
Nearly one-fifth of private rented homes would need work costing more than �10,000 to bring them up to an EPC Band C, according to the latest PRS figures. The English Housing Survey Private Rented Sector report for 2020-21 found that these were more likely to need larger sums o
The latest figures available from Rightmove show that London rents jumped by around 14 per cent in the last year, with some property experts calling it the most competitive market on record Matt Hutchinson, a director at SpareRoom, the flat sharing website, has said: <p
The pandemic has had a devastating impact on commercial property, with lockdowns, social distancing, working from home (WFH), all accelerating the move to online and home deliveries. The likes of Tesco, Ocado and the other big supermarket deliveries were the saviour of the public during the
Welsh politicians have reaffirmed their desire to consider rent controls in the PRS while announcing plans to crack down on the holiday let sector. Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price (main pic, right) suggested rent controls could be on the table when the long-awaited but now <a href
Michael Gove, arguable the best housing secretary for some years, has been sacked from his job after joining a chorus of Tory cabinet ministers calling on the PM to resign. During a fast-moving day in politics which has seen over 40 MPs quit the government or withdraw their supp
Welsh government leaders have revealed radical plans to licence holiday lets in a bid to get tough on the causes of long-term rental shortages. The region is to introduce a cap on the number of second and holiday homes while bringing in measures to put more homes into common own
HMO landlords face paying thousands of pounds for https://www.landlordzone.co.uk/news/safety-peer-asks-why-private-landlords-must-do-electrical-checks-when-social-ones-are-exempt/" electrical equipment when new regulations kick in later this year. An amendment
Manchester aims to double the size of its selective licensing scheme by adding another 1,884 properties in eight areas. The council has given it the go-ahead to the https://www.landlordzone.co.uk/news/manchester-mayor-vows-to-launch-1-5m-landlord-licensing-across-city/"
Owners of second homes in many coastal and holiday locations could face a ban on renting using lettings websites like Airbnb. Tourist hotspots such as coastal towns in Cornwall and Devon are particularly affected. Communities being eroded In many of these towns, loca
Mortgage rates are likely to drop even further before the end of the year, providing some much-needed festive cheer for landlords.
Private renters are increasingly staying for longer in their homes, contrary to tenant groups’ argument that they face ‘insecurity of tenure’.
A rogue landlord who turned her three-bedroom bungalow into a 15-room unlicensed HMO where tenants slept on camp beds in windowless rooms has been handed a £12,000 fine.
Landlords have been advised not to let their tenants deck the halls with flammable holly during the festive season.
The government has set out new targets to fix unsafe buildings in England as part of its Remediation Acceleration Plan.
Gloucester Council is to apply for an Article 4 Direction in a bid to curb the number of shared houses in the city.
The Renters’ Rights Bill will add extra costs for tenants as well as landlords, and it will cause landlords to leave the private rented sector
Property groups have called on the Scottish government to focus on building homes rather than rent controls in a bid to address the country’s housing crisis.
Civil legal aid fees for eviction cases and immigration are to receive a £20 million boost, marking the first increase since 1996.
The Government should further consider its plans to mandate open-ended tenancies as a legal requirement, as set out in the Renters’ Rights Bill going through parliament.
A new tech launch allows landlords to generate and sell electricity from rooftop solar panels either to their tenants or back to the grid without going through the main meter.
Thousands of landlords are feeling the pinch as rising costs, talk of rent caps, and upcoming EPC regulations add pressure to an already challenging rental market.
A leading letting agent has warned that a new Airbnb initiative allowing tenants to rent out their homes could put landlords at risk.
Future-proof your rental business with proactive strategies for resilience and long-term growth.
The Government has promised to fix significant glitches that have been reported within its e-VISAs system, which is used by landlords and letting agents to verify the Right to Rent status of prospective tenants.
Lodgers’ rental costs could revert to 2017 levels if just 1% of the UK’s 26 million spare rooms were rented, according to flat sharing site SpareRoom.
Blackpool council has received the go-ahead to start selective licencing in eight inner wards despite worries among some landlords about the consultation process that preceded the decision.
Scotland’s animal welfare organisations have called on MSPs to support stronger protections for pet owners in the private and social rental sectors ahead of a crucial debate in Holyrood.
Celebrating 10 years and 20,000+ members, Property Redress rebrands with a new site and tools for faster, easier dispute resolution.
Small, proactive steps can make a big difference, keeping tenants comfortable and protecting buildings from problematic mould and damp.
There are optimistic signs, says Shawbrook Bank. Their data on the commercial property market shows a rebound
Accidental landlords are a dying breed, according to one mortgage expert, who blames government policy for their eventual demise.
The Government is to make it unlawful for landlords and agents to ask prospective tenants for large sums of rent in advance, housing minister Matthew Pennycook has confirmed.
A leading property lawyer has poured scorn on government estimates that the Renters’ Rights Bill will cost landlords £12 per rented property each year.
Landlords with holiday let properties in Wales will soon have to register their properties and collect a £1.25 per person, per night fee from clients.
