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
Following some confusion and debate about a deferral for the new standards following the MEES* deadline in April 2018, the new government has confirmed that changes to the EPC rules, preventing landlords from renting out homes below rating E, will definitely be introduced from April 2018.Accordin
Responsibility for Repairs: Who is responsible and who is obliged to pay for repairs to leasehold blocks and flats? What is the procedure if repairs are unnecessarily delayed or not carried out to the leaseholders satisfaction? What is the Section 20 procedure?T
Essential guide on how to conduct a rent review, covering key clauses and best practices to protect landlord and tenant interests.
Test Case Yeomans v Newell [2016]:When a landlord is in breach of the tenancy deposit rules he or she is prevented from serving a valid s21 notice for possession proceedings. Despite the fact that the tenancy deposit legislation has been in force since April 2007, landlords
Test Case: Superstrike Ltd v Marino. RodriguesThe case involved a landlord who had taken a deposit from the tenant before the deposit protection rules came into force in April 2007, since changed by the Deregulation Act 2015 see below. When the tenancy later became a st
Test Case: Leeds City Council v Broadley [2016]This case and the subsequent High Court ruling has brought some clarification about who is liable to pay council tax, tenant or landlord, when a rental property is vacant due to a tenant vacating early, that is, before the tena
Ending a Tenancy: What are the rules governing the ending of a statutory periodic tenancy (SPT) by the tenant, especially when the periods of the tenancy are not the standard 1 month?The answer to this question is not easily defined as it is not covered by one rule or a sing
Deposit Scheme Scam: Mydeposits says it is aware of a new scam being used by a fraudulent company imitating mydeposits and targeting landlords and letting agent members of the mydeposits Custodial scheme in England & Wales.The scam uses an email which imitates one from m
Freezing Pipes: This time of year, as we head towards colder weather and freezing conditions, buy-to-let properties and indeed all rental properties are vulnerable to potentially expensive winter water damageIn this article digital inventory app developer Imfuna Le
New laws will make it easier for broadband companies to gain access to thousands of https://www.landlordzone.co.uk/news/latest-mps-gives-tenants-new-rights-to-have-high-speed-broadband-kit-installed-in-blocks/" blocks of flats across England and Wales. The Tel
Landlords are being encouraged to donate the addresses of their vacant properties as part of a unique bid to stem homelessness. Dreamt up by architect Chris Hildrey, https://www.proxyaddress.co.uk/" ProxyAddress allows people to securely borrow a stable, donat
Average house prices fell by -1.5% in December, while the annual growth rate dropped from +4.6% to +2.0%, according to the Halifax House Price Index. A typical property now costs �281,272 - down from �285,425 in November following six months of rapid growth during the firs
Propertymark has voiced fears that the governments ECO plus scheme risks excluding many landlords with low-rated properties. In its response to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategys consultation into the scheme to help fund home insulation, the indus
Cherwell District Council has pressed the government to urgently introduce the long-awaited Renters Reform Bill to help it rebalance the relationship between landlords and tenants. The north Oxfordshire authority has written to Housing Secretary Michael Gove asking him to bring
All non-domestic properties usually have their business property Rateable Value (RV) revalued every five years by the Valuation Office Agency. The next revaluation is due to take place on 1 April 2023. What is Rateable Value? The value is determined by the Valuation
The average cost of rent fell slightly during December, dropping 1.47% to �1,071, according to the latest Rental Index from https://www.goodlord.co/" Goodlord .<br><br>The South West saw the largest reduction of 2.68% to �1,066 while the only region to see an increase wa
Landlords should think carefully before attempting to remove good tenants who resist rent increases, advises https://www.landlordaction.co.uk/ Landlord Action founder Paul Shamplina - or risk replacing them with tenants who stop paying rent. If you have a
A letting agency boss has been hit with an 11-year ban after repeatedly abusing the https://www.landlordzone.co.uk/news/landlords-who-took-out-bounce-back-loans-given-six-month-breathing-space/" Bounce Back Loan scheme. Laszlo Szabo, the sole director of Letti
A landlord struggling with an eviction has spoken out against the system which he says is heavily skewed in favour of tenants.
Almost half of landlords have sold a property in the last year or plan to do so, according to the latest sobering industry survey.
Tenants’ groups want the government to also introduce longer protected periods.
Property refurbishments are becoming increasingly important for landlords as the Government prepares to force the sector to upgrade properties to minimum levels of energy performance by 2030.
The majority of landlords (75%) are very concerned about plans to abolish no-fault evictions, labelling it “a catastrophe”.
A fed-up landlord wants the government to legislate for more stringent referencing after being hit by rent dodging and criminal tenants.
Landlords and agents could face fines of up to £40,000 for breaching new rules set to be introduced as part of the Government’s Renters’ Rights Bill.
Nottingham Council has been told to hand back more than £2,800 to landlord Mick Roberts after a court ruled it had overcharged for lease extension surveys.
Shelter chief executive Polly Neate is to leave the homelessness charity next March after more than seven years.
A trade association’s new tech solution aims to help landlords identify and resolve the root causes of damp and mould in rented properties.
Will you be passing on your hard-earned wealth to the next generation before the budget, you don't have long
Reducing red tape for landlords would boost the supply of private rental properties, curb rent increases and create better quality housing for tenants, according to lenders’ trade body UK Finance.
Private landlords face a £21.4 billion bill to bring their properties up to the proposed EPC C rating by 2030.
Rogue landlords face being forced to pay back up to 24 months’ rent as part of a shake-up of Rent Repayment Orders under the new Renters’ Rights Bill.
Aspiring portfolio landlords are increasingly targeting higher yielding multi-unit blocks (MUB) and HMOs rather than traditional flats and semis.
The Welsh government's attempts to persaude second home owners to sell up isn't working and instead is damaging local tourism economies, a leading tourism figure has claimed.
An experienced landlord who has rented a house in London for many years says she is selling the property after the recent and looming changes to the sector have made it ‘too risky’.
The UK’s largest landlord association has rebranded and relaunched its website following a wide-ranging member consultation.
If proof were needed this is it, rent controls lead to reduced landlord incomes, rental housing shortages, increased rents and deteriorating housing stock
Landlord Action’s Paul Shamplina has predicted a rise in landlords using rent guarantee insurance as well as tougher referencing to protect themselves against the fall-out of eviction reforms.
Leeds Council plans to extend selective licensing across more of the city when the current scheme ends next year.
A leading evictions lawyer has warned that without massive investment in the court system, time scales for possession hearings will dramatically increase.
The Government has revealed more details about its much-awaited and somewhat feared Renters’ Rights Bill that had its initial reading in parliament earlier this month.
Estate agency Leaders offers landlords some advice on how to stop being ripped off by fraudsters online.
Private tenants in Norfolk are being handed data loggers to record humidity levels in a bid to encourage simple lifestyle changes.
