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
The lettings market is evolving very fast and with extensive experience in the sector, https://www.martinco.com/" Martin & Co MD Eric Walker - who is also a https://www.theprs.co.uk/" Property Redre
Many landlords may remember noughties loudmouth Radio 1 DJ Chris Moyles for his outspoken rants and the million-pound deal he landed with the BBC. But few will have suspected that Moyles, who these days is much thinner and greyer than his bad-boy days, can now be counted in thei
A little known date in HMRCs tax calendar is not as easily remembered as the 5th of November, a date we never forget, but its the 5th of October; an important date in the tax calendar because its exactly half way through the tax year and it has imp
A landlord is fighting to get his money back after two if his HMOs were left in an appalling state after a three-year contract with London-based RHP Properties went disastrously wrong. Gulam Sumar handed over the two six-bedroom houses in Harrow to the Walthamstow company in ear
Radical new proposals for energy efficiency in the private rented sector could see landlords fined up to £30,000 for not improving their properties and tenants given the ability to claim compensation. The Governments consultation on its energy efficiency regulations sets out
A sick woman fighting to get �13,000 back from Touchstone Education says she feels raped� by her dealings with the property investment training firm. The woman who wants to remain anonymous has appeared in a video on the https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BK
Its important to ensure that the tenancy deposit rules (including service notices) are applied to the letter�, as otherwise a new fine can be added each time a tenancy is renewed when the statutory rules are not followed correctly on the first one. When a tenancy deposit
For a start, there are more people in rented accommodation who do jobs that cant be done at home, but for those that can there are often restrictions. For those lucky enough to be in a position to do their jobs from home there are some real advantages. Cutting out long commut
For the past six months journalist Nigel Lewis has been penning the news articles for LandlordZONE and doing his best to fill the seat of Tom Entwistle. Here Landlord Action's
Legislation in Scotland has done little to improve affordability in the PRS, according to new research.
Times are hard for tenants and landlords alike and this coming winter is causing a worry for many.
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.
