Sturgeon announces national rent freeze & eviction ban in Scotland emergency legislation—set to run until end‑March (tenant protection). Sour
The https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-levelling-up-housing-and-communities" Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities (DLUHC) has dismissed concerns from HMO student landlords that its plans to bring in periodic tenancies will damage
One of the main tasks you have as a landlord is finding quality tradespeople to repair and maintain your rental properties. Whether its a big landscaping project, or a small leak its important to hire people who know what theyre doing. Unfortunately for many landl
More than 5,000 leaseholders including landlords could get refunds on their ground rent after the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) secured assurances from nine firms that bought freeholds from housing developer Taylor Wimpey. Those leaseholders who paid a doubled
More councils are set to introduce Article 4 directions in a bid to clamp down on HMO development, with six currently waiting for approval. There are already about 45 local authorities in England partly or entirely affected by Article 4 which means planning permission is nee
A new landlord survey has revealed the effects of the Government's proposals to ban Section 21 evictions already feeding into the private rented sector. Evictions specialist Landlord Action canvassed some 1,500 landlords and found that 26% of those who had evicted a tenant over
Its known as silly season when the media focuses on light-hearted stories, but news that Jacob Rees-Mogg (pictured) is being mooted as the new Levelling Up Secretary has been seen by some as no laughing matter. As the leadership contest draws to a close, preparations fo
Making tax digital (MTD) for income tax is part of the governments long-term strategy to digitalise tax and will have implications for how landlords pay tax on their income. For those used to self-assessment, it will represent a change, but providing digital records will give businesses
VAT on Commercial Property is a complex topic and anyone wishing to understand these complexities in relation to their own situation should seek specialist advice. This article should give a broad brush general overview but you really should seek advice because errors can be irredeemable an
A rogue portfolio landlord has been banned from letting properties for five years after she admitted multiple offences relating to fire safety issues. Naomi Knapp, a landlord with 34 properties in Bristol, was convicted of eight banning order offences and will now be added to th
Urgent regulation of the spray foam industry is needed to prevent making thousands of homes un-mortgagable, warn leading property groups. Sprayed polyurethane expanding foams are often used in lofts, either to stabilise a failing roof covering or to provide extra insulation. But
Portsmouths HMOs are in the firing line again as growing numbers are being referred to the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) to have their council tax bands reassessed. Rather than paying tax on the whole property, each room can be classified as a band A at a cost of �1,200, wit
A severely disabled tenant and his family have barricaded themselves into their home in a bid to prevent a controversial eviction. Quadriplegic Harvey Cowe, 62, and his wife Sheree, 55, have lived at the house in Brittany Road, Hove, for 25 years after Brighton & Hove C
A leading letting agent has criticised the reasoning behind the UKs ever-growing list of selective licensing schemes. Selective licensing covers all rented property in a given area or council borough and landlords are required to pay a five-yearly fee of between �500 and �9
Landlords in Bristol will soon be required to gain planning permission to convert properties into HMOs in three key areas, it has been revealed. South Gloucestershire Council is to bring in Article 4 directions in the Bristol neighbourhoods of Stoke Park and Cheswick and parts o
Londons mayor Sadiq Khan has urged private landlords who are planning to exit the private rented market to sell their properties to local councils instead of other landlords. Khan made the comments within a self-congratulatory statement on his website l
A landlord in London must now pay �40,000 after losing his appeal against his fine for breaching Mandatory HMO licensing conditions at a bedsit property above a pub. Earlier this year Islington council brought a prosecution against Mohammed Shahid for fai
For years now, what would appear to have been successive waves of anti-landlord legislation have been bearing down on buy to let, but will this change under a new prime minister? From George Osborne to Rishi Sunack, the Treasury, it would seem, has been milking the buy to let la
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
Landlords should not be so quick to lay the blame on tenants for problems and instead use new tools to tackle issues.
Average UK private rents increased by 8.4% in the 12 months to August, down from 8.6% in the 12 months to July.
Landlords who use limited company structures are incorporating a much larger proportion of their portfolios to mitigate tax changes.
Kind-hearted mydeposits customers have donated more than £66,000 of interest earned on their deposits to the Centrepoint charity.
Renters’ Rights Bill sets new Decent Homes Standard, digital PRS database, and stronger enforcement to improve rental property safety and quality.
Nearly three-quarters of UK tenants (73%) who aren’t using digital tools in their rental properties would like to give them a try.
Short-term let landlords in Edinburgh have won a third successful challenge against the council’s licensing scheme.
Think digital—PropTech set for the spotlight at NRLA conference, shaping the future of rental management tools.
The Renters’ Rights Bill returns to the Commons for its second reading next month, as the new government fast-tracks its shake up of the PRS.
A rogue landlord who persistently ignored requests to carry out improvement works on her property has been ordered to pay £2,400.
Landlords are being encouraged to trial a tech tool that gives them new insights to make property buying less risky.
The gap between rents in the North and South of England has closed to its smallest level since 2013.
English councils collectively went on a near £7bn commercial property buying spree, a reel into cinemas proved to be a disaster...
A rogue landlord who left a family of eight living in damp and dangerous conditions has been told to pay more than £3,000 by magistrates.
MPs are pushing the government to introduce a licensing scheme for short-term lets in England.
More than one in 10 homes for sale on Zoopla in July were formerly rented, prompting fears that a challenging autumn budget could further increase sales.
An ongoing shortage of rental properties is expected to keep pushing rents higher as more landlords look to scale back their portfolios.
A rogue landlord has been handed a suspended jail sentence after she failed to maintain gas appliances at her rental property.
The government has vowed to take action on rogue landlords who exploit vulnerable residents in exempt accommodation.
A mass sell-off is currently underway in the landlord sector, and it only looks set to increase. EPC requirements, The Renters Reform Bill, mounting financial pressures, the list of reasons goes on.
A third of renters (33%) don’t plan to ever own their own home, up from a fifth (20%) in 2022.
A “tsunami of landlords” will put in Section 21 notices before the ban is implemented, predicts Landlord Action’s Paul Shamplina.
Landlords are bracing themselves for the impact of a ban on Section 21 after the government published its Renters’ Rights Bill.
