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: 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: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 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
End of an AST: Questions: What happens when an Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST) comes to an end? Will the tenant have to leave or does she need to sign a new agreement? What if a tenant wants to leave early? How long can a periodic tenancy last?When the fixed term (minimum of
Landlords often buy flats which are either Leasehold or Shared Freehold. What are these tenures and what should landlords look out for in these different forms of ownership?Leasehold is one of three forms of tenure (property/land ownership) almost exclusively peculiar to the United Kingdom, thoug
Landlord's Access to Property: Many landlords will have experienced a tenant denying them access to a property - whether for an inspection, viewings or legal duties. Its easy to understand the view of Its my property, I can enter when I want, but unfortunately th
New Rules for Section 21 :Landlords and Agents need to be aware of the changes affecting Section 21 rules and Notices and other changes for the letting of residential properties in England (and in many cases Wales) introduced during 2015 . This article explains the new rules
Many landlords have long suspected that the DCLG approved national calculation methodologies and software programs were seriously flawed when they produced EPC ratings for buildings following energy assessments.So news that new software is being introduced which is claimed to be more accurate is
Serving Notices: Landlords and agents often get confused as to how they should serve Notices on their tenants.Ordinarily it wouldnt matter what method is used, but if you end up in court with a possession or money claim, or some such court action, then what and how you se
Tenant are Consumers: The UK Consumer Protection law applies to letting agents and landlords alike when they advertise a property to let or create a new tenancy. It also applies to most private landlords when they deal with letting agents, unless they operate as a company.
Obtaining Possession Using Section 21 Notices Updated October 2016This article explains how to gain possession of your residential rental property in the most efficient way possible. You may just want your property back for your own use, or to sell, or you may be having prob
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
HMO Reform Group won a Lifetime Achievement Award at this year’s annual HMO Awards for its campaigning work to change the law on council tax being imposed on individual HMO rooms.
Rogue landlords continue to give the sector a bad name because many councils enforce private rented sector standards weakly or not at all, a new report reveals.
Labour has revealed an uncosted plan to help 80,000 young renters get onto the property ladder, assuming his party gains power atthe General Election.
Standards in the PRS will soon fall to those in the social sector if regulation and licensing continues to push smaller landlords out, a leading letting agent and landlord has warned.
Landlords need to update their home address with their local council’s property licensing department or risk a penalty, an appeal judge has ruled.
Disgruntled landlords have started legal action against Middlesbrough Council in a bid to squash its upcoming selective licensing scheme.
We’ve all seen the headlines, from mixed-message articles to advice from experts and landlords, but if now REALLY is the best time to sell, how can we ensure we’re getting the highest amount in the fastest time?
Letting agents are concerned that increasing numbers of landlords are exiting the market.
The capital’s rental market continues to show signs of slowing down, with prices rising by just 1% year-on-year in May while the number of viewing request per property has dropped too.
The NRLA has teamed up with online student and graduate lettings platform Hybr
Shelter warns that nearly 1,000 households are to be “marched out of their homes” by bailiffs every month.
More than a third of landlords now avoid investing in flats because of leasehold-related issues or complex building management.
Latest official figures show that despite fewer landlords evicting overall across the nation, 'time to evict' continues to take longer and longer.
Landlords have urged the government to amend the Renters’ Rights Bill to protect vital student housing.
The majority of tenants in England and Wales get most or all of their deposit back when they move out, new data shows.
Prafula Kopp, who lives in the same development where Rushanara Ali owns an HMO, says the real story has not been told.
Deposits should be lodged with a single, not-for-profit organisation, the campaigning group has claimed.
Surveying trade organisation says its estate agent members have reported weakest supply of rented homes since 2020.
Landlord pain, tenant gain scenario where a High Court ruling has allowed River Island to impose a restructuring plan
Tom Darling says landlords should not be able to evict tenants to sell a property under any circumstance.
MPs have been urged to help get landlords involved in a campaign to raise awareness about damp and mould.
A new poll of landlords has found that 87% make a profit on their properties despite spending a fifth of their gross rental income on property repairs
A thinktank director has said Labour's renting reforms will put many landlords off investing in the private rented sector.
Senior Tory figure David Gauke says Government should be concentrating on building more homes to rent, and ignore calls for rent controls.
Criminals presenting as landlords are conning would-be tenants across London out of thousands of pounds a day.
A pet damage insurance policy has launched for landlords offering a unique dual coverage.
Landlords have been urged to sign a petition calling for the government to play fair when raising energy efficiency standards in the PRS.
Campaign mounted to reverse Labour's strange pet damage insurance omission.
A landlord couple in Nottinghamshire have been given one of this year’s largest fines for operating unsafe rental properties.
With costs increasing, landlords are being forced to contemplate rent increases. If you go down this road you need to be aware and follow the rules.
What does Rushanara Ali’s tale tell us about the current state of landlording, about buy-to-let ethics, evictions and the Renters’ Rights Bill?
Owners of holiday lets in North Wales have been handed huge council tax demands after failing to realise the country’s new occupancy targets were retr
Larger, professional landlords are best placed to take the private rented sector says Sam Humphreys.
More than one in five private rented homes in England would be illegal to rent once proposed changes to the Decent Homes Standard take effect.
