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Birmingham introduces city-wide HMO restrictions

Birmingham introduces city-wide HMO restrictions

News

Article 4 direction : Birmingham CityCouncil is introducing a city-wide direction for houses in multipleoccupation (HMOs) from 8 June 2020. An Article 4planning direction means that planning approval will be required forthe conversion of a famil

Capital gains 'Letting Relief'� rule change from April...

Capital gains 'Letting Relief'� rule change from April...

News

Capital Gains Tax: Owners of second homes and buy-to-lets that they have previously lived in should be aware that as from April 2020 the tax relief period allowed against capital against tax (CGT) will be reduced. As it is a present,when you se

Terminating a Letting Agent's Contract

Terminating a Letting Agent's Contract

Information

Letting Agent Contracts: One common question asked by landlords is, "how do I terminate my relationship with my letting agent?"For one reason or another, landlords sometimes wish to end their relationship with their letting agent and want to know how to go about it.Requests

Labour plans would challenge buy-to-let investors and second-home owners...

Labour plans would challenge buy-to-let investors and second-home owners...

News

General Election: Part of Laboursbid to be elected on 12th December is a raft of taxraising measures aimed at buy-to-let landlords and second homeowners. Jeremy CorbynsLabour party manifesto launch last week outlined a n

Controlling moisture and condensation in homes

Controlling moisture and condensation in homes

Information

Condensation andmould : This time of year,as the temperature drops, both new homes and old homes aresusceptible to the formation of condensation and unsightly mould: newhomes because they are effectively a sealed box, and old homesbecause they often lack ef

Winter Proof Your Rental Properties

Winter Proof Your Rental Properties

Information

The colder weather is here again, its that time of year coming; you feel that cold chill in the air, the snow and ice will soon arrive, and you know its time to get out that winter coat, scarf and gloves.You also know that cold wet weather on the way will test your rental properties and tenant

Portfolio landlords now average 13 properties

Portfolio landlords now average 13 properties

News

Portfolio Landlords: Buy to let lender Paragons recent research shows that professionaland larger-scale landlords are still investing and are increasing the size oftheir portfolios through more targeted investments. With an average portfolio

Tenants can sue landlords for cold or damp homes under new laws

Tenants can sue landlords for cold or damp homes under new laws

News

New rules that came into force in March allow https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/landlords-sue-cold-damp-homes-law-tenants-renting-housing-a8776671.html" tenants to sue landlords for issues like cold and damp. A broken heating system or poor ventilation that

Don't fall foul of the authorised guarantee agreement...

Don't fall foul of the authorised guarantee agreement...

Information

Commercial Property : A recent High Court decision in Co-Operative Group Food Ltdv. A&amp;A Shah Properties Ltd (2019) relates to an authorised guaranteeagreement (AGA) dispute, in this case an agreement involving a guarantor of theoutgoing tenant. <p id

Section 21 to be banned in the UK

Section 21 to be banned in the UK

Opinion

The Government has announced its intention to scrap Section 21 notices for eviction in an effort to offer tenants more long-term security.

New service charges rules in commercial property

New service charges rules in commercial property

News

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

Information

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...

Information

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?

Information

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

News

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

Information

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

Information

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

Information

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

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7 tips to minimise your risk of being a victim of cyber-crime

7 tips to minimise your risk of being a victim of cyber-crime

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Estate agency Leaders offers landlords some advice on how to stop being ripped off by fraudsters online.

Government funds 'damp detecting kits' for private tenants

Government funds 'damp detecting kits' for private tenants

News
News
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Opinion
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Private tenants in Norfolk are being handed data loggers to record humidity levels in a bid to encourage simple lifestyle changes.

Big midlands town clamps down on HMOs with new restrictions

Big midlands town clamps down on HMOs with new restrictions

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News
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Landlords in Rugby will need permission to convert any home into an HMO next year after the council voted to introduce an Article 4 direction.

Holiday let landlords to add 'UK first' tourism tax to rentals

Holiday let landlords to add 'UK first' tourism tax to rentals

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News
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Short let and holiday lets landlords in Edinburgh could soon have to charge guests a visitor levy under the first scheme of its kind in the UK.

Landlord loses appeal over big rent repayment order

Landlord loses appeal over big rent repayment order

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News
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A landlord has lost his legal battle to challenge a £12,600 rent repayment order after he tried to illegally evict two former tenants.

Landlords: 7 things you must do to survive the Renters’ Rights Bill onslaught

Landlords: 7 things you must do to survive the Renters’ Rights Bill onslaught

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News
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Here are 6 things you must do to survive the Renters’ Rights Bill onslaught...

'Looming tenancy reforms will make rent-to-rent agreements much riskier'

'Looming tenancy reforms will make rent-to-rent agreements much riskier'

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News
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Rent-to-rent agreements will carry even greater risk when Labour’s assured shorthold tenancies come into force with the Renters’ Rights Bill, explains a top property lawyer.

Labour's bidding wars ban 'noble but misplaced' says NRLA

Labour's bidding wars ban 'noble but misplaced' says NRLA

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News
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NRLA chief executive Ben Beadle believes the impending ban on bidding wars could mean landlords will simply charge higher asking rents.

Labour to fund EPC upgrade work on rented homes up to £30,000

Labour to fund EPC upgrade work on rented homes up to £30,000

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News
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Labour has revealed plans to fund the upgrade of rented properties to meet its 2030 plan to have all rented homes reach an EPC band C or above.

Autumn Budget – A Halloween Horror Story

Autumn Budget – A Halloween Horror Story

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News
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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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News
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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
News
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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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News
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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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News
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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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News
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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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News
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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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News
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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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News
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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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News
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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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News
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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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News
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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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News
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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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News
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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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News
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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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News
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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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News
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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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News
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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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News
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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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News
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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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News
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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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News
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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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News
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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.