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Landlord slapped with �40,700 fine after 'honest mistake' over HMO licence

Landlord slapped with �40,700 fine after 'honest mistake' over HMO licence

News

A lettings agency boss and landlord has been slapped with a �40,700 Rent Repayment Officer despite claiming that his failure to licence an HMO was an honest mistake. A First Tier Property Tribunal handed five former tenants the maximum award for the period from September 2019 t

Scottish government unveils controversial rent reform plans

Scottish government unveils controversial rent reform plans

News

Scotland’s Housing Bill proposes rent controls, winter eviction bans, pet rights & tougher eviction penalties in private sector overhaul.

Bristol significantly expands HMO and selective licensing schemes

Bristol significantly expands HMO and selective licensing schemes

News

Bristol has approved plans to extend landlord licensing in Brislington West, Bedminster and Horfield wards in a bid to raise PRS standards. The scheme includes additional licensing - HMOs with three or more unrelated people sharing facilities and selective licensing - privat

Durham’s new licensing scheme for 29,000 homes: What you need

Durham’s new licensing scheme for 29,000 homes: What you need

News

Durham County Council's selective licensing scheme covers 29,000 homes, requiring landlords to apply by 31 July for a £350–£500 licence fee.

Test Case: Council advising tenants to stay put after valid s21 notice served

Test Case: Council advising tenants to stay put after valid s21 notice served

News

This is a Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman case involving an unnamed landlord (LandlordX or MrX) and Brentwood Borough Council. The case revolves around a common situation where the landlord required possession of the property after serving a valid section 21 notice un

'Let’s not forget property remains the best performing investment'

'Let’s not forget property remains the best performing investment'

Opinion

I've been in the property investment business for almost 30 years and during this period opportunities have come and gone but I've yet to discover an asset class that perf

OPINION: The EPC ratings system is 'not fit for purpose'

OPINION: The EPC ratings system is 'not fit for purpose'

Opinion

Ever since I started to market one of my commercial buildings around 10 years ago now, I began to doubt the efficacy of the EPC rating system. The guy that came along to do the inspection told me himself he had just completed a 6 week course, or whatever it was, to train to be a

BREAKING: Government toughens up smoke and C0 alarm regulations

BREAKING: Government toughens up smoke and C0 alarm regulations

News

Social and private landlords are to face tougher new rules which make it mandatory to fit smoke alarms in all rented accommodation regardless of tenure, and widen the conditions under which they must be fitted. Revisions to the smoke and carbon monoxide detector regulations also

ANALYSIS: Does buy-to-let still beat the stock market?

ANALYSIS: Does buy-to-let still beat the stock market?

News

If you had �50k to invest right now, where would you put it, buy-to-let property or stocks and shares? Certainly leaving it in a traditional savings account, with interest rates as they are at rock bottom, thats out of the question. And with the threat of rising inflation ea

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Northern council heralds landlord fines of £1.38 million... so far!

Northern council heralds landlord fines of £1.38 million... so far!

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News
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Landlords in County Durham have had to fork out fines totalling £1.38 million in the three years since selective licensing was introduced.

Dozens of new amendments proposed for Renters' Right Bill

Dozens of new amendments proposed for Renters' Right Bill

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News
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Peers have tabled amendments to the Renters’ Rights Bill which, if approved, would shape the legislation into a version of the previous Renters’ Reform Bill.

'Chancellor must boost rental homes supply or risk economy'

'Chancellor must boost rental homes supply or risk economy'

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News
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Chancellor Rachel Reeves has been warned that unless more rental properties are built her recent promise to ‘attract the best talent to the UK’ and boost economic growth will fall flat.

Build-to-rent giant celebrates as landlords exit student sector

Build-to-rent giant celebrates as landlords exit student sector

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Private HMO landlords leaving the sector have created a shortage of student housing, according to Unite Students, which boasts that it can help fill the gap with purpose-built student accommodation.

Labour rejects new calls for rent controls

Labour rejects new calls for rent controls

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The government has repeated its rejection of “heavy handed” rent controls despite pressure from peers in the House of Lords.

Northern city to clamp down on 'too many' HMOs

Northern city to clamp down on 'too many' HMOs

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News
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Preston Council has proposed new powers to reject HMO applications amid fears that the city is already being over-run by shared homes.

Landlords offered significantly discounted carpets in Scotland

Landlords offered significantly discounted carpets in Scotland

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News
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Landlords in Scotland who are members of the country’s landlord association are to get discounted carpets when refitting their rented properties,

Landlords and agents slam Scotland's 'anti PRS' budget

Landlords and agents slam Scotland's 'anti PRS' budget

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News
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Landlords and letting agents have slammed the extra BTL tax rise in the Scottish budget which they believe could backfire on the government.

Property lawyer reveals novel solution to 'glacial' evictions

Property lawyer reveals novel solution to 'glacial' evictions

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Moving landlord and tenant disputes from overburdened county courts to tribunals would help clear the backlog and make evictions faster, according to a senior housing lawyer.

Big agency boss pins rising rents and low supply on Tories

Big agency boss pins rising rents and low supply on Tories

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News
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A leading lettings agency boss has pinned rising rents and fewer properties to rent squarely on the previous Conservative Government, says its policies have ‘driven away’ landlords.

BREAKING: Bank of England cuts base interest rate by 0.25%

BREAKING: Bank of England cuts base interest rate by 0.25%

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News
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Bank of England cuts base rate to 5%, offering relief to landlords with buy-to-let mortgages nearing the end of fixed-rate deals.

Britain needs more homes, not landlords says campaigning group

Britain needs more homes, not landlords says campaigning group

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News
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Encouraging landlords to rent out more homes will not solve the housing crisis, it has been claimed.

Essex landlord banned for three years after HMO court case

Essex landlord banned for three years after HMO court case

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A rogue landlord who was also a letting agent in Essex has been banned from being a landlord in England for three years.

East Midlands city reveals clampdown on smaller HMOs

East Midlands city reveals clampdown on smaller HMOs

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News
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A big council in the East Midlands has revealed plans to extend and widen its additional licencing scheme for HMOs.

Angela Rayner reveals big changes for Right to Buy

Angela Rayner reveals big changes for Right to Buy

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News
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Labour has moved to make good on its manifesto promise to reform and improve the Right to Buy scheme which, under the Tories, saw the number of publicly-funded affordable rented homes in England shrink dramatically.

Social landlords blasted by Housing Ombudsman report - for maladministration

Social landlords blasted by Housing Ombudsman report - for maladministration

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News
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Councils are failing in more ways than one. When it comes to complaints from their tenants, repairs and maintaining safety standards, councils are not performing

Landlord loses long-running 'battle of the staircase' with council

Landlord loses long-running 'battle of the staircase' with council

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News
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An HMO landlord has lost his appeal against an improvement notice ordering him to update a 'paddle staircase'.

Holiday lets slump in Scotland as regulation bites

Holiday lets slump in Scotland as regulation bites

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News
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The number of short lets in Scotland fell last year as the sector felt the impact of its licensing scheme clampdown.

More tenants using guarantors as competition for homes heats up

More tenants using guarantors as competition for homes heats up

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News
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One in five private renters had to provide a guarantor when moving into their current property - equating to 940,000 households - according to the latest English Housing Survey.

Collapse of firms behind student accommodation scheme blamed on 'over-supply'

Collapse of firms behind student accommodation scheme blamed on 'over-supply'

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News
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Millions owed to a lender by businesses which collapsed due to the oversupply of student accommodation in Newcastle are unlikely to be recovered.

PLANNING: Will this soon be Britain's biggest-ever HMO?

PLANNING: Will this soon be Britain's biggest-ever HMO?

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News
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A private landlord in Kent has submitted plans for what will be the UK’s largest HMO if the scheme gets the go-ahead.

RESEARCH: Smaller properties offering best yields to landlords

RESEARCH: Smaller properties offering best yields to landlords

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News
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Flats and smaller houses make the best buy-to-let investment for landlords, having seen the strongest annual increase in average yield compared with other property types during the past 12 months.

'Pension funds and investment firms will be tomorrow's landlords'

'Pension funds and investment firms will be tomorrow's landlords'

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News
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Traditional private landlords are rapidly being replaced by pension funds and private equity firms seeking to capitalise on the lucrative build-to-rent sector.

Scandal hit social housing REIT winding down

Scandal hit social housing REIT winding down

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News
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Home REIT, the investment trust marketed as the dream scheme to house 10,000 homeless and needy tenants, and a sure-fire investment alternative in property, is folding with extensive debts and legal claims

'HMOs do not deny homes to families and first time buyers'

'HMOs do not deny homes to families and first time buyers'

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A councillor in the North of England has pushed back against unlikely claims that large firms operating HMOs are ‘taking away his town’s family homes’.

ADVICE: '5 simple steps to take your property portfolio to the next level'

ADVICE: '5 simple steps to take your property portfolio to the next level'

Information
News
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Looking to boost your property portfolio? Below are the five factors you must consider before your next property purchase.

Tribunal slams 'reprehensible' landlord who illegally evicted nurse

Tribunal slams 'reprehensible' landlord who illegally evicted nurse

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News
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A landlord who sub-let an unlicensed HMO, failed to pay thousands of pounds in rent to the owner and illegally evicted a tenant has been handed a £4,872 rent repayment order.

Planners green light first rental homes from John Lewis

Planners green light first rental homes from John Lewis

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John Lewis has finally received the green light to begin its transformation into a build-to-rent landlord after Bromley Council approved its plans for 353 rental homes.

AI firm launches that pairs up tenants with ideal rental properties

AI firm launches that pairs up tenants with ideal rental properties

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A new tech start-up using AI to pair tenants with the most suitable rented homes has been launched.

Former minister who ushered in unpopular 'evictions ban' seeks Tory leadership

Former minister who ushered in unpopular 'evictions ban' seeks Tory leadership

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News
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Former housing secretary Robert Jenrick who brought in the controversial 'evictions ban' during Covid has joined the Conservative party leadership race.

EXCLUSIVE: Senior figures slam ongoing court delays for landlords

EXCLUSIVE: Senior figures slam ongoing court delays for landlords

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Two leading figures from the private rented sector have slammed the ongoing nightmare many landlords are facing when waiting for evictions to pass through the courts.

Shelter calls for radical changes for landlords, but will Labour listen?

Shelter calls for radical changes for landlords, but will Labour listen?

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News
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Shelter has called for indefinite tenancies as well as rent increases restricted to once a year and limited to a rise either in line with inflation or wage growth. 

Is Labour about to give councils full powers to licence landlords?

Is Labour about to give councils full powers to licence landlords?

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News
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Housing minister Matthew Pennycook has hinted heavily that councils will be given powers to introduce large licencing schemes without his approval as part of Labour’s push for greater devolution.

REVEALED: Real cost of making a property energy efficient

REVEALED: Real cost of making a property energy efficient

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News
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While the new Labour government has talked about making rented homes more energy efficient, one company has shone a light on how much it will cost landlords to achieve it.