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'Think carefully' before going ahead with EPC upgrades, warns expert

'Think carefully' before going ahead with EPC upgrades, warns expert

News

An energy expert has sought to reassure landlords that they may not need to spend huge sums retrofitting their properties to raise EPC ratings at least not in the short term. <figure id="" class="w-richtext-figure-type- " data-rt-type="" data-rt-align=""><div><img src="https://upload

Environmental concerns have big impact on rental property ownership

Environmental concerns have big impact on rental property ownership

News

Just as residential landlords are contemplating the costs of bringing older properties up to the proposed new standard - very likely EPC band C� required by December 2025 - so too are commercial landlords.<br> See: https://www.landlordzone.co.uk/news/compulsory-epc

Compulsory EPC band 'C' by 2025 causing confusion

Compulsory EPC band 'C' by 2025 causing confusion

News

Compulsory EPC band C by 2025 causing confusion There have been recent confusing reports put out that from 2025, all newly rented properties in England &amp; Wales will be required to have an EPC rating of band C or above. This is somewhat misleading and jum

UK's biggest secret landlord reveals why he's selling up most of his portfolio

UK's biggest secret landlord reveals why he's selling up most of his portfolio

News

LandlordZONE sits down with one of Londons most prolific but little-known landlords who has spent 30 years amassing a huge portfolio in the East End and West End areas of the capital. For reasons of privacy, and a desire to remain behind the scenes, he doesnt want to

Paul Shamplina: 'Possession cases will rise in 2022'

Paul Shamplina: 'Possession cases will rise in 2022'

News

So, we ended 2021 after twenty-one months since the first Covid lockdown with the new variant, Omicron, spreading fast, and with Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland putting in stricter measures and speculation that England may follow with an announcement early in the New Year.

Opinion: How will small-scale private landlords fare in 2022?

Opinion: How will small-scale private landlords fare in 2022?

Opinion

An example of the difficulty of prediction is the conclusion to a detailed study recently published on the private rented sector by the London School of Economics (a study commissioned by the NRLA) Individually and cumulatively, the recent tax changes

Landlord slapped with �40,700 fine after 'honest mistake' over HMO licence

Landlord slapped with �40,700 fine after 'honest mistake' over HMO licence

News

A lettings agency boss and landlord has been slapped with a �40,700 Rent Repayment Officer despite claiming that his failure to licence an HMO was an honest mistake. A First Tier Property Tribunal handed five former tenants the maximum award for the period from September 2019 t

Scottish government unveils controversial rent reform plans

Scottish government unveils controversial rent reform plans

News

Scotland’s Housing Bill proposes rent controls, winter eviction bans, pet rights & tougher eviction penalties in private sector overhaul.

Bristol significantly expands HMO and selective licensing schemes

Bristol significantly expands HMO and selective licensing schemes

News

Bristol has approved plans to extend landlord licensing in Brislington West, Bedminster and Horfield wards in a bid to raise PRS standards. The scheme includes additional licensing - HMOs with three or more unrelated people sharing facilities and selective licensing - privat

Durham’s new licensing scheme for 29,000 homes: What you need

Durham’s new licensing scheme for 29,000 homes: What you need

News

Durham County Council's selective licensing scheme covers 29,000 homes, requiring landlords to apply by 31 July for a £350–£500 licence fee.

Test Case: Council advising tenants to stay put after valid s21 notice served

Test Case: Council advising tenants to stay put after valid s21 notice served

News

This is a Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman case involving an unnamed landlord (LandlordX or MrX) and Brentwood Borough Council. The case revolves around a common situation where the landlord required possession of the property after serving a valid section 21 notice un

'Let’s not forget property remains the best performing investment'

'Let’s not forget property remains the best performing investment'

Opinion

I've been in the property investment business for almost 30 years and during this period opportunities have come and gone but I've yet to discover an asset class that perf

OPINION: The EPC ratings system is 'not fit for purpose'

OPINION: The EPC ratings system is 'not fit for purpose'

Opinion

Ever since I started to market one of my commercial buildings around 10 years ago now, I began to doubt the efficacy of the EPC rating system. The guy that came along to do the inspection told me himself he had just completed a 6 week course, or whatever it was, to train to be a

BREAKING: Government toughens up smoke and C0 alarm regulations

BREAKING: Government toughens up smoke and C0 alarm regulations

News

Social and private landlords are to face tougher new rules which make it mandatory to fit smoke alarms in all rented accommodation regardless of tenure, and widen the conditions under which they must be fitted. Revisions to the smoke and carbon monoxide detector regulations also

ANALYSIS: Does buy-to-let still beat the stock market?

ANALYSIS: Does buy-to-let still beat the stock market?

News

If you had �50k to invest right now, where would you put it, buy-to-let property or stocks and shares? Certainly leaving it in a traditional savings account, with interest rates as they are at rock bottom, thats out of the question. And with the threat of rising inflation ea

EXCLUSIVE: Costliest and most common landlord insurance claims

EXCLUSIVE: Costliest and most common landlord insurance claims

News

Research carried out by LandlordZONEs insurance partner, Hamilton Fraser Total Landlord Insurance, revealed that the vast majority of landlords, https://hamiltonfraser.co.uk/knowledge/good-landlord-quiz-results/?utm_source=landlordzone&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=lz_november

Opinion: Should landlords dive into heat pumps?

Opinion: Should landlords dive into heat pumps?

Opinion

The move to provide home heating and hot water by this method is part of a Government strategy aimed at making deep cuts to greenhouse gas emissions and decarbonizing the UK's power sector by 2035. Prime Minister Boris Johnson says the scheme was designed to bring low-carbon hea

UPDATED: Bailiff evictions to be suspended over Xmas and New Year for a month

UPDATED: Bailiff evictions to be suspended over Xmas and New Year for a month

News

Tenants facing eviction in England are to be protected from losing their homes during the Christmas and New Year period, HM Courts and Tribunal has confirmed. Between 13th December and 10th January no evictions should be s

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New service charges rules in commercial property

New service charges rules in commercial property

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News
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Commercial: A new set of mandatory rules introduced from 1stApril 2019 and though the document itself is titled a first edition, itsupersedes 3 previous editions published as codes of practice. The RICS (Royal Institution of Ch

Security & Locks - Buy to Let Renovation & HMO Projects

Security & Locks - Buy to Let Renovation & HMO Projects

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Security: Renovating a buy-to-let property can be a great way for landlords to increase the rental income

My tenant left without telling me...

My tenant left without telling me...

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Abandonment: When times get hard the instances of tenants leaving without notice are known to increase. Doing a runner�, skipping� moonlight flitting� walking away� or gone away� and in the words of the immortal song;

What happens if someone other than the tenant pays the deposit?

What happens if someone other than the tenant pays the deposit?

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Tenancy Deposits: According to TDS (Tenancy Deposit Scheme) less than 1% (0.85%) of tenancies they handle have resulted in a deposit dispute in the year to March 2018, nevertheless its important to get it right when dealing with tenants' deposits.Cleaning was the most com

The Condensation Conundrum

The Condensation Conundrum

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Viewpoint by Tom Entwistle As winter approaches outside temperatures drop and the perennial landlords problem of winter condensation and black mould rear their ugly heads again.The question is, how do you know if this is caused by the building or the tenant, or is it a co

Tax on income from lodgers and short stay tenants

Tax on income from lodgers and short stay tenants

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Landlords' Tax: Internet sites, such as AirBnB, have increased the number of landlords letting to lodgers and to guests on short stays. There are specific tax benefits to this type of letting business which are expanded upon below.Furnished holiday letting</st

Section 21 Notices - for older tenancies in England

Section 21 Notices - for older tenancies in England

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Section 21: Most tenancies will never require the service of a Section 21, Housing Act 1988, (eviction) notice. However, on those occasions when it does become necessary, and you just never know, landlords (and agents) will thank their lucky starts they complied with the rul

Asbestos and Your Responsibilities as a Landlord

Asbestos and Your Responsibilities as a Landlord

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Asbestos:Asbestos regulations were last updated in 2012 , bringing the UK in line with EU regulations, which means the current regulations have been in place long enough for most

The importance of a Tenancy Application Form

The importance of a Tenancy Application Form

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The Application Form You should always use a comprehensive Tenancy Application Form when taking on a new tenant. You need a completed application for each adult tenant in the property.The Tenancy application form is a very important starting point for any residential or comm

Prince William to 'upgrade estate' featuring mouldy rental homes

Prince William to 'upgrade estate' featuring mouldy rental homes

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Prince William has promised to upgrade the private rental properties he rents out via the Duchy of Cornwall after reports over the weekend.

Tenant activists call for 'harsher' renting reform bill

Tenant activists call for 'harsher' renting reform bill

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A lobbying group for renters’ rights is hoping to persuade MPs to make the Government’s renting reform legislation regulated landlords even harder.

COMMENT: Autumn Budget 2024

COMMENT: Autumn Budget 2024

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Investors, business owners, landlords and pension savers were braced for a painful attack on their assets, gains and savings

Scotland to limit rent rises to official inflation rate

Scotland to limit rent rises to official inflation rate

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The Scottish Government has announced a new inflation-linked rent cap in its Housing Bill in a bid to balance supporting tenants with protecting landlords’ property rights.

Leading research institute slams Chancellor over stamp duty hike

Leading research institute slams Chancellor over stamp duty hike

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The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has slammed the Stamp Duty rise for landlords, warning that tenants will suffer as a result of the Budget announcement.

Bringing back empty rental homes should be 'biggest priority' says landlord

Bringing back empty rental homes should be 'biggest priority' says landlord

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Landlords should be encouraged to renovate and repurpose their empty properties to help resolve the housing crisis, according to one landlord.

Landlord to return deposit after odd attempt to charge for letters

Landlord to return deposit after odd attempt to charge for letters

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A landlord has failed in a bizarre attempt to withhold her tenant’s deposit by billing hundreds of pounds for writing letters and taking photographs.

New Local Housing Allowance freeze is 'nonsensical' say landlords

New Local Housing Allowance freeze is 'nonsensical' say landlords

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The government’s decision to freeze housing benefit rates next year, leaving private tenants facing financial hardship, has been labelled “nonsensical”.

Autumn Budget – A Halloween Horror Story

Autumn Budget – A Halloween Horror Story

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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

Stamp duty hike will add £7,000 to each purchase for landlords

Stamp duty hike will add £7,000 to each purchase for landlords

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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.

'If the Budget delivers stability, the property sector will benefit'

'If the Budget delivers stability, the property sector will benefit'

Opinion
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Nick Lyons, chief executive of inventory experts No Letting Go give his view on the measures announced yesterday in parliament by Rachel Reeves.

ANALYSIS: What does stamp duty hike mean for landlords?

ANALYSIS: What does stamp duty hike mean for landlords?

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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%.

Stamp duty hike hits landlords with 5% second home rate

Stamp duty hike hits landlords with 5% second home rate

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Chancellor Rachel Reeves increases stamp duty surcharge to 5% for second homes and buy-to-let properties, effective from 31 October 2024.

Rogue landlord to pay £7,000 after council raids properties

Rogue landlord to pay £7,000 after council raids properties

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A rogue landlord has been handed a £7,000 legal bill for renting out three dangerous flats containing a raft of faults.

Activists urge Chancellor to make landlords pay NI contributions

Activists urge Chancellor to make landlords pay NI contributions

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Generation Rent has urged Chancellor Rachel Reeves to tax landlords harder in her first Budget by making them pay NI contributions.

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.