From the 1st of October 2015 it became a statutory requirement that landlords issue all new tenants after that date with the latest edition of a Government publication The How to Rent Guide�, along with a current Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) and a current Gas Safety
From 1st February 2016 all new tenants in England must be given Right-to-Rent (Immigration) Checks to determine their "right-to-rent" or "right-to-reside" in the country, BEFORE they can be given a tenancy. Landlords or letting agents must do the checks - letting agents where the
This is a Guide to Tax Deductible Letting Expenses for Landlords under the new tax rules following the Summer Budget 2015. These may be subject to change and you are advised to consult a tax specialist before making any decisions.From April 2016 landlords will no longer be able to automatically d
An Edinburgh landlord set-up hidden cameras in the bedroom and bathroom of his flat, to film people in bed and in the shower.The cameras were discovered by a young couple, friends of the landlord who allowed them to use the accommodation. The couple found a box on the living room table with a cam
Amongst the ways to agree or ascertain the (open) market rent at rent review or on renewal of a lease, (per s.34-s35 Landlord and Tenant Act 1954), is the use of comparable evidence.At rent review, the market rent for the premises is not what rent the actual tenant would agree or could afford, bu
There are two instances of section 20 notices in property in England:(1) is the notice served in relation to early shorthold tenancies under the Housing Act 1988, and the other,(2) refers to section 20 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, as amended by the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act (CLR
Who pays for maintenance and repairs in a residential letting, landlord or tenant?Is it, for example, a tenants responsibility once they occupy my building to look after most of the regular house maintenance items? If the fridge stops working does the tenant or the landlord need to repair it?Y
With commercial property, rent reviews are generally to the open market rent, but sometimes the rent would be adjusted to the Retail Price Index (RPI). RPI is generally considered more favourable to landlords than CPI or other methodologies.There is no link between open market rent and inflatio
Amongst the thorny issues in the relationship between landlord and tenant is the building insurance premium. Unlike residential property where the landlord has a vested interest in making sure the premium is competitive, because more than likely the premium would not be recoverable from the tenan
Section 21 evictions reached record highs in 2023, with over 25,000 households facing homelessness, prompting calls for urgent reform.
The Green Party’s mayoral candidate in London has said she will bring in rent controls saying the time for ‘bold action’ has come.
Landlords have been promised fair compensation by a developer planning to bulldoze scores of homes on one of England’s most deprived housing estates.
Propertymark has urged London’s Mayor to crack down on short-term lets through licensing in a bid to tackle over-supply in the capital.
Troubled property development company Home Holdings has put another raft of HMOs onto the market in a bid to shore up losses.
The decision by George Osborne in 2015 to introduce a 3% additional stamp duty levy on landlords has seen a slump in the number of BTL properties bought in the Tory heartlands of Southern England.
A leading letting agent in Scotland has laid the blame for the country’s rental supply woes firmly at the feet of former Tenants’ Rights minister Patrick Harvie.
Landlords have been warned that cutting maintenance budgets could jeopardise their ability to rent out properties and puts renters at risk.
A landlord has successfully overturned a rent repayment order after he argued he wasn’t responsible for an unlicensed HMO.
It’s that time of year again. The first signs of the UK’s autumn cold arrives as we see more cooling rain and wind, and a noticeable drop in temperature
Stay compliant to avoid hefty five‑figure penalties—landlord responsibilities can't be ignored.
The Renters’ Reform Coalition has called for more radical renter reforms including longer eviction notice periods, longer protected periods free from eviction when a tenancy starts and limits on rent increases during a tenancy.
A Capital Gains Tax rate change could be the final nail in the PRS coffin as investors ditch bricks and mortar, according to one big financial analyst.
A portfolio landlord group has urged the government to voice support for the sector and work with it on finding a solution to the country’s housing crisis.
Hoarding is an issue for an estimated six per cent of the population so at some point, many landlords will house a tenant that is affected.
Waltham Forest has been slammed for failing to adequately publicise details of its new additional licensing scheme.
Landlord groups are hoping Scotland’s First Minister has softened his hard-line stance on impending rent controls amid promises to boost the PRS.
The Welsh government looks set to follow England’s lead by launching a consultation into how HMOs are valued and banded for council tax purposes.
Rightmove reports 18% of homes for sale were previously rentals, up from 8% in 2010, as landlords exit amid rising taxes and costs.
Architect Matthew Robinson argues that there’s never been a better time to convert commercial buildings to residential use...
A new app aims to help prospective tenants decide whether a rental property ticks all the right boxes.
A councillor has called for more local authorities to follow Merton’s lead and strip rogue landlords of their properties.
Calls are growing for the Labour MP who was shamed for renting out mouldy and unlicensed flats to step down.
The NRLA has won Gold status from the Investors in People (IIL) scheme following a wide-ranging accreditation process that scrutinised its commitment to deliver a positive work environment for the organisation’s staff.
Lambeth has ignored landlord protests to launch its selective licencing scheme but backtracked on many onerous conditions.
Brighton & Hove City Council has set its controversial new selective licensing scheme live, which now covers 17 of its 23 wards.
A landlord association has called for councils and charities that refer homeless or vulnerable tenants to take out mandatory rent guarantee insurance.
A landlord and his wife are to pay a total of some £141,000 in fines and costs after failings at their HMO.
Tenants who were forced to move out due to an “unbearable” rat infestation have won back more than £17,000 from their landlord.
The government could trigger a rental crisis if attacks on private landlords continue, warns a leading tax advisory expert, amid an overall drop in rental income.
TNorthern Ireland has launched a survey to gather views from letting agents and landlords on its proposed Landlord Registration Scheme changes.
One of London’s largest boroughs is the latest to tighten planning controls when granting permission for smaller HMOs, namely those accommodating between three and six unrelated tenants who share common services.
