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
Fire Regulations in Rentals: There are several regulations relating to fire safety within rental dwellings; some affect all dwellings whereas others apply mainly to Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO).This looks complicated, but fire safety management in reality boils down t
Damp & Mould: You may have seen or heard of the 1970s TV series Rising Damp, which featured a landlord and his tenants (lodgers in this case) which rather implies that all rental properties are troubled with this kind of damp.Far from the case, but some are. In fact the
Renting Standards: Specialist residential property solicitor Amanda Sutcliffe of Bray & Bray looks at the importance of keeping a rental property in good condition.Research conducted by Endsleigh Insurance and TrustMark claimed that over 75% of landlords s
Sub-Letting Licenses: (SOLITAIRE) LIMITED Appellant and CHERRY LILIAN NORTON and other cases [2012]Landlords of leasehold buy-to-let flats are often asked to pay a fee (sub-letting licence or registration fee) to the freeholder when seeking permission to sub-let their flat,
Validity of Section 21 Notice: Amak Property Investments v Laura Sonny [2016]This case was an appeal by the tenant following a county court judgement relating to the validity of a s21 notice on the basis that the landlord had not complied with the deposit protection (MyDepo
Essential guide to rent reviews: why reading the lease is crucial for landlords and tenants to navigate rent adjustments effectively.
Tenant Agreement: The Law of Property Act 1925 talks about having a maximum of 4 tenants on an agreement. So what to do when you have 5, 6 or more tenants sharing a house?There is a common misunderstanding of the rules here. Landlords and agents sometimes think or have heard
Advance Rent: Piggot v Slaven and Johnson v. OldThere are two important cases which clarify (though not necessarily decisively) the position on landlords accepting rent payments in advance. One concerns the accepting of the final two months rent in advance, a common devi
A portfolio landlord and property educator has vowed to keep posting on social media despite receiving hundreds of spiteful troll messages every day. Rick Gannon, who has a �7 million portfolio with 140 tenants mainly around Worcester and also runs a training company which teac
Landlords selling up or re-letting is now the biggest cause of homelessness among renters in England and not rising rents. New Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities data reveals that 31,090 households were threatened with homelessness be
Oxford has received Secretary of State approval for its controversial new selective licensing scheme covering half the city, after it was first announced in August 2020. All private rented homes (49.3% of the citys housing stock) will need a licence from 1st September. Oxford
A new government consultation aims to study whether its planned Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBSS) will treat all tenants fairly. The scheme, announced in February as part of a package of support to help domestic energy customers with the costs of rising energy bills, starts in
Rent rises should be banned and Section 21 and Section 8 evictions suspended until the cost of living crisis subsides, says tenants advocacy group Generation Rent . The organisation also wants to see landlords banned from requestin
Durham Council waited three weeks after launching its selective licensing scheme to share the news on its website potentially leaving some landlords in the dark. Despite announcing it had won approval back in December for a launch on 1st April, the council
As reported by Bdaily's Members' News, Coventry-based commercial property agent Bromwich Hardy says that the market in key parts of the midlands is now becoming highly competitive and just as active are markets further south. Across the regions agents are finding that demand is running ahea
A wide range of research has been conducted recently about the shift to hybrid working. A https://yougov.co.uk/topics/economy/articles-reports/2020/09/22/most-workers-want-work-home-after-covid-19" target="_blank" YouGov survey and https://www.cipd.co.uk/knowledg
The average HMO is now worth �364,508, 32% more than the typical house, according to new research which finds that trickier financing and licensing schemes have not deterred landlords from investing in the sector. On the contrary demand for HMOs among landlords, and the restric
Landlords in the North East are pocketing the highest rental yields in the UK, according to Paragon Bank’s latest lending data.
Hamptons reports that 46,449 companies have been set up to hold buy-to-let property in Great Britain between January and September, a 23% increase on the same period last year.
To maximise your profits as a landlord, it's crucial to minimise your tax liability by claiming all allowable expenses.
A group of high-profile housing leaders, lawyers and economists have urged the Government to include private landlords within its plans to solve the housing crisis, instead of casting them as the villains of the piece.
The British High Street has been in decline for some years now, but could it be that there are signs of a revival?
A landlord fears neighbours may force him out for breaking lease conditions due to rogue renters illegally sub-letting his flat.
Private landlords have been excluded from a new government Welsh government initiative that funds retrofit advice in residential properties and hands out interest-free loans for energy efficiency improvements.
Inspectors employed by a big London borough have started knocking on doors around Wembley to check whether landlords have a selective licence.
A landlord in Wembley, North London has been fined £49,500 after a court heard that he rented out a five-bedroom two-storey unlicenced house in very poor condition to eight people including two children.
The Chancellor is expected to leave the rate of capital gains tax (CGT) on the sale of second homes and buy-to-let properties untouched amid concerns that increasing it would cost money.
England’s overburdened tribunal system is ill-equipped to handle the potential influx of new claims from the Renters’ Rights Bill, according to proptech firm Reapit.
Barking and Dagenham is to go ahead with an HMO licensing extension in January and has asked the government to approve a new selective scheme.
One of the UK’s largest BTL mortgage lenders has urged the Government to give landlords more financial support to reach the recently-announced 2030 deadline for all rental properties to reach a minimum EPC band C.
Newham Council has apologised to council tenants after the Regulator of Social Housing found serious failings in safety standards at its properties.
A coalition of leading property groups has called on the government to put the Unique Property Reference Number (UPRN) at the heart of the UK residential market.
Many politicians and campaigners have, in support of the Government’s looing renting reforms, claimed that tenants feel insecure when living in their homes and are worried about the high rents.
Rightmove has called on the Government to support landlords, not load them with more tax, ahead of the Chancellor’s budget on 30th October.
After feedback from landlords, energy firm Utilita has published a free guide on the LandlordZONE Forum on retrofitting scheme eligilility.
Haringey Council has made a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) for a derelict house, demonstrating the lengths to which authorities are going to repossess landlord properties.
The UK government has committed to its targets to reach net zero emissions by 2050. As part of this initiative the Government is looking to reduce emissions across a wide range of sectors, including commercial and residential property.
One quarter of private landlords plan to sell their properties needing energy upgrades due to the government’s ambition for the sector to reach EPC targets by 2030.
The UK’s largest union wants Labour to go further with its plans to reform the PRS and has labelled the Renters’ Rights Bill as only the ‘first step’.
Data from a leading estate agency shows just 35% of former rental homes go to those entering the owner-occupier market.
A property leader has warned that Scotland's upcoming Housing Bill must not hamper much-needed investment in the rental sector.
