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Scotland introduces national rent freeze with eviction ban

Scotland introduces national rent freeze with eviction ban

News

Sturgeon announces national rent freeze & eviction ban in Scotland emergency legislation—set to run until end‑March (tenant protection). Sour

OFFICIAL: 'No concession for student landlords under tenancy reform plans'

OFFICIAL: 'No concession for student landlords under tenancy reform plans'

News

The https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-levelling-up-housing-and-communities" Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities (DLUHC) has dismissed concerns from HMO student landlords that its plans to bring in periodic tenancies will damage

Why is it so difficult to find good tradespeople to repair and maintain properties?

Why is it so difficult to find good tradespeople to repair and maintain properties?

Information

One of the main tasks you have as a landlord is finding quality tradespeople to repair and maintain your rental properties. Whether its a big landscaping project, or a small leak its important to hire people who know what theyre doing.  Unfortunately for many landl

Landlords with leasehold properties in line for Ground Rent rip-off refunds

Landlords with leasehold properties in line for Ground Rent rip-off refunds

News

More than 5,000 leaseholders including landlords could get refunds on their ground rent after the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) secured assurances from nine firms that bought freeholds from housing developer Taylor Wimpey. Those leaseholders who paid a doubled

EXPERT: Number of councils seeking to stop HMO conversions is on the rise

EXPERT: Number of councils seeking to stop HMO conversions is on the rise

News

More councils are set to introduce Article 4 directions in a bid to clamp down on HMO development, with six currently waiting for approval. There are already about 45 local authorities in England partly or entirely affected by Article 4 which means planning permission is nee

Unintended consequences of plans to ban Section 21 evictions 'already happening'

Unintended consequences of plans to ban Section 21 evictions 'already happening'

News

A new landlord survey has revealed the effects of the Government's proposals to ban Section 21 evictions already feeding into the private rented sector. Evictions specialist Landlord Action canvassed some 1,500 landlords and found that 26% of those who had evicted a tenant over

Speculation grows that Rees-Mogg will be Housing Secretary if Liz Truss wins

Speculation grows that Rees-Mogg will be Housing Secretary if Liz Truss wins

News

Its known as silly season when the media focuses on light-hearted stories, but news that Jacob Rees-Mogg (pictured) is being mooted as the new Levelling Up Secretary has been seen by some as no laughing matter. As the leadership contest draws to a close, preparations fo

Making tax digital as a landlord: What you need to know

Making tax digital as a landlord: What you need to know

Information

Making tax digital (MTD) for income tax is part of the governments long-term strategy to digitalise tax and will have implications for how landlords pay tax on their income. For those used to self-assessment, it will represent a change, but providing digital records will give businesses

What are the special rules for VAT on commercial property?

What are the special rules for VAT on commercial property?

News

VAT on Commercial Property is a complex topic and anyone wishing to understand these complexities in relation to their own situation should seek specialist advice. This article should give a broad brush general overview but you really should seek advice because errors can be irredeemable an

Landlord banned from letting properties in England for five years

Landlord banned from letting properties in England for five years

News

A rogue portfolio landlord has been banned from letting properties for five years after she admitted multiple offences relating to fire safety issues. Naomi Knapp, a landlord with 34 properties in Bristol, was convicted of eight banning order offences and will now be added to th

'Spray foam must be regulated to stop properties becoming un-mortgageable'

'Spray foam must be regulated to stop properties becoming un-mortgageable'

News

Urgent regulation of the spray foam industry is needed to prevent making thousands of homes un-mortgagable, warn leading property groups. Sprayed polyurethane expanding foams are often used in lofts, either to stabilise a failing roof covering or to provide extra insulation. But

EXCLUSIVE: Landlords battle city council over HMO council tax re-valuations

EXCLUSIVE: Landlords battle city council over HMO council tax re-valuations

News

Portsmouths HMOs are in the firing line again as growing numbers are being referred to the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) to have their council tax bands reassessed. Rather than paying tax on the whole property, each room can be classified as a band A at a cost of �1,200, wit

LEGAL LATEST: Can the eviction of a disabled tenant ever be fair?

LEGAL LATEST: Can the eviction of a disabled tenant ever be fair?

News

A severely disabled tenant and his family have barricaded themselves into their home in a bid to prevent a controversial eviction. Quadriplegic Harvey Cowe, 62, and his wife Sheree, 55, have lived at the house in Brittany Road, Hove, for 25 years after Brighton & Hove C

'Selective licencing fees will push up rents as cost of living rises squeeze landlords too'

'Selective licencing fees will push up rents as cost of living rises squeeze landlords too'

News

A leading letting agent has criticised the reasoning behind the UKs ever-growing list of selective licensing schemes. Selective licensing covers all rented property in a given area or council borough and landlords are required to pay a five-yearly fee of between �500 and �9

More HMO restrictions in Bristol as battle over fast-expanding sector hots up

More HMO restrictions in Bristol as battle over fast-expanding sector hots up

News

Landlords in Bristol will soon be required to gain planning permission to convert properties into HMOs in three key areas, it has been revealed. South Gloucestershire Council is to bring in Article 4 directions in the Bristol neighbourhoods of Stoke Park and Cheswick and parts o

LATEST: London mayor urges private landlords to sell their homes to councils

LATEST: London mayor urges private landlords to sell their homes to councils

News

Londons mayor Sadiq Khan has urged private landlords who are planning to exit the private rented market to sell their properties to local councils instead of other landlords. Khan made the comments within a self-congratulatory statement on his website l

PICTURES: Landlord to pay �40,000 after multiple breaches of HMO licence

PICTURES: Landlord to pay �40,000 after multiple breaches of HMO licence

News

A landlord in London must now pay �40,000 after losing his appeal against his fine for breaching Mandatory HMO licensing conditions at a bedsit property above a pub. Earlier this year Islington council brought a prosecution against Mohammed Shahid for fai

Comment: is Government legislation killing the buy to let landlord?

Comment: is Government legislation killing the buy to let landlord?

News

For years now, what would appear to have been successive waves of anti-landlord legislation have been bearing down on buy to let, but will this change under a new prime minister? From George Osborne to Rishi Sunack, the Treasury, it would seem, has been milking the buy to let la

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BREAKING: Landlords now covered by cladding fund - but NOT portfolio operators

BREAKING: Landlords now covered by cladding fund - but NOT portfolio operators

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Landlords who own flats hit by the cladding scandal will be covered by the remediation fund, the government has announced. However, portfolio landlords have been left out, with property experts suggesting that this omission will mean work will be held up and their flats could be

OPINION: The consequences of abolishing Section 21

OPINION: The consequences of abolishing Section 21

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Drummed up by popular media horror stories, egged on by the homelessness charities, the ban Section 21� band waggon kept on rolling until eventually the politicians saw it would be politically advantageous to jump aboard. What is Section 21 <p id="

OPINION: Why the EPC rating system needs fixing

OPINION: Why the EPC rating system needs fixing

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The governments controversial policy of phasing out natural gas boilers in favour of heat pumps, in its drive to meet internationally agreed energy efficiency targets, could be stymied because of an out of date EPC algorithm. Regardless of the fact that many older poorly insu

AIRBNB: Westminster to step-up war against 'nuisance' short-term lets landlords

AIRBNB: Westminster to step-up war against 'nuisance' short-term lets landlords

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Westminster Council has launched a spirited campaign to stop central London being overrun by nuisance short-term lets booked chiefly through Airbnb. It is lobbying the government to follow Paris and Amsterdams lead whose authorities have clamped down on problem properties. </

Landlord insurance premiums driven up by inflation

Landlord insurance premiums driven up by inflation

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After two decades of low property insurance premium rates, prices are being driven up by inflation. Steve Barnes, Associate Director at https://hamiltonfraser.co.uk/landlord-insurance/?utm_source=landlordzone&utm_medium=article&utm_id=lz+feb22+insurance+rising" target="_blank" id="

Japanese knotweed, danger is downgraded...

Japanese knotweed, danger is downgraded...

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The large herbaceous perennial with its bamboo-like appearance became infamous in Britain for its threat to buildings. Its rapid growth, its size and most importantly the damage it can do, made it the villain of the horticultural world, and it became feared by property owners and mortgag

National rogue landlord database hits 'new high' of just 61 names

National rogue landlord database hits 'new high' of just 61 names

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Four years after it was launched, the number on the Rogue Landlord database has only crept up to 61 out of the thousands claimed to be operating within the private rental sector, the latest government figures show. Asked by opposition MP Gill Furniss to provide an update, Housin

Coming changes to 'feudal'� leasehold laws to favour flat owners

Coming changes to 'feudal'� leasehold laws to favour flat owners

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Flat owners (leaseholders) only own their leasehold property for a fixed period of time and during that period they pay ground rent and service charges to the freeholder (landlord). Theres always a long-lease agreement, a detailed legal tenancy agremeent between the leasehold

LATEST: Luton finally brings in blanket HMO licensing after years of problems

LATEST: Luton finally brings in blanket HMO licensing after years of problems

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Luton Council has finally got its act together and revealed blanket HMO licensing for the town after a number of false starts over the last few years. HMOs of any size will now need a licence under its additional scheme which launches on 1st April, while all privately rented pro

Short-lets licensing would be intensely impractical' warns expert

Short-lets licensing would be intensely impractical' warns expert

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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 promises to kick dodgy letting agents out of industry

Labour promises to kick dodgy letting agents out of industry

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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.

Manchester mayor to back role of 'good landlords' in rental sector

Manchester mayor to back role of 'good landlords' in rental sector

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Manchester mayor Andy Burnham is to make a keynote speech at the NRLA’s annual conference in Birmingham next week.

Third of all rental homes have an EPC under band C, new data shows

Third of all rental homes have an EPC under band C, new data shows

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Landlords face an ongoing buy-to-let investment challenge as a new report reveals that a third of all homes for sale in Britian have an EPC rating below a C.

Agent sentenced after giving drugs gang keys to landlord's flat

Agent sentenced after giving drugs gang keys to landlord's flat

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A letting agent who allowed a criminal gang to use landlords’ empty flats to hide cash and drugs has been given a community sentence.

Council spends £210k chasing down landlord for £40k fine

Council spends £210k chasing down landlord for £40k fine

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A rogue landlord who threatened to evict his tenant after she complained about dodgy utilities bills has been handed a huge court fine.

Is the rental market broken? Have your say

Is the rental market broken? Have your say

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Landlords, tenants and letting agents are being asked to reveal their experiences of the private rented sector within a new national survey.

Fears that PD conversions could be below par 

Fears that PD conversions could be below par 

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Insurance company Zurick UK warns that many Permitted Development (PD) conversions could become uninhabitable

TV star says PM wrong over his 'not working people' landlord claims

TV star says PM wrong over his 'not working people' landlord claims

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Following the Prime Minister’s comments that he does not consider those who earn income from property as ‘working people’, TV star Paul Shamplina has said he does not agree, pointing out that many landlords work hard - and rarely for the 'millons' some activists claim they do.

'Pets in lets' campaigner calls for clearer landlord guidance

'Pets in lets' campaigner calls for clearer landlord guidance

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The government should advise landlords to look at property location and an animal’s medical history when deciding whether to refuse pets, according to a campaigning animal charity.

Welsh landlords to be offered reduced stamp duty

Welsh landlords to be offered reduced stamp duty

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Landlords in Wales could get stamp duty relief for renting out their properties through the Welsh government’s Leasing Scheme Wales.

App launches aimed at HMO landlords in social housing sector

App launches aimed at HMO landlords in social housing sector

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A property and tenancy management app originally designed for the social housing sector is offering its service to private HMO landlords.

PM causes a storm by claiming landlords don't 'work' for their income

PM causes a storm by claiming landlords don't 'work' for their income

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The Prime Minister’s comments about what constitutes “working people” has reignited landlords’ fears that they may be at risk of a tax raid.

COMMENT: The housebuilders' wish list ahead of the Autumn Budget

COMMENT: The housebuilders' wish list ahead of the Autumn Budget

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Ahead of one of the most anticipated Budgets in a generation, given the government’s doom-laden hints, here’s some budget wishes from Britain’s builders.

Council inspectors call for property licencing expansion

Council inspectors call for property licencing expansion

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The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) has called for more flexible and longer licensing schemes in its evidence to MPs scrutinising the Renters’ Rights Bill.

Leading landlords call for dedicated 'student tenancy contract'

Leading landlords call for dedicated 'student tenancy contract'

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A new student shorthold tenancy (SST) would address student renters’ unique needs, ensuring fairness and safety while providing flexibility around academic schedules, according to iHowz landlord association.

Tenants should withhold rent if repairs not completed, says campaign group

Tenants should withhold rent if repairs not completed, says campaign group

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Acorn has urged MPs to let tenants withhold their rent if landlords fail to repair serious repair including damp and mould.

How not to get bitten by tenants with pets

How not to get bitten by tenants with pets

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How can we ensure that by welcoming furry visitors into our rental properties, we don’t get bitten asks Victoria Valentine.

Taxes, red tape and the onslaught of landlords: it’s time to get out

Taxes, red tape and the onslaught of landlords: it’s time to get out

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This week The Telegraph hit the nail on the head when it reported that landlord profits had collapsed in the past decade following an onslaught of taxes and red tape.

Housing review calls for a new housing strategy

Housing review calls for a new housing strategy

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A new inquiry led by Dame Kate Baker CBE has investigated the crisis in the housing market after a 20 year gap since her last housing study

NRLA partially backs reform proposals for Welsh landlords

NRLA partially backs reform proposals for Welsh landlords

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The NRLA has backed many of the measures within a new report from a Welsh parliamentary committee which recommends big changes for the country's private rented sector.

Campaign group presses another council to get tough on landlords

Campaign group presses another council to get tough on landlords

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Tenants’ union Acorn is lobbying Norwich City Council to introduce a selective licensing scheme and to better enforce its housing policies.

Tenants want energy efficient homes...but don't want to pay for them!

Tenants want energy efficient homes...but don't want to pay for them!

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Only 6% of tenants would pay more rent to help fund energy efficiency measures, despite 80% being in favour of their properties getting an upgrade to an EPC rating of C.

Big portfolio landlord to pay tenants £15,000 over missing licence

Big portfolio landlord to pay tenants £15,000 over missing licence

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A very big portfolio landlord has been ordered to pay £15,290 to former tenants after it failed to license one of its 750 properties.

Landlords to pay back rent if they ignore tenant complaints

Landlords to pay back rent if they ignore tenant complaints

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Landlords may soon have to repay up to two years rents to tenants if they fail to comply with decisions with the sector’s looming new ombudsman.