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
Guide to commercial tenancy rent-free periods and full repairing leases, explaining tenant obligations on lease expiry or termination.
Landlords and letting agents should by now be conversant with the 2014 regulations on blinds and curtains and the measures necessary to prevent accidents with children. It is particularly important to ensure that blinds and curtains supplied in rental properties meet these regulations, otherwise,
Changes to the law on Section 21 and in particular how landlords deal with reported repair issues is now of crucial importance if section 21 claims for possession are to be successful. Careful pre-planning is now essential at the time of setting-up Assured Shorthold Tenancies (AST).The Section 21
Understand how to assess tenant covenant strength and why it’s key to commercial property investment decisions.
I have always found the holding deposit (an initial retainer paid to the landlord or agent to reserve a tenancy) is a very useful device to commit the tenant to your letting. But is it legal to withhold the advance deposit you take from a prospective tenant if they back out?In my experience a pro
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
Almost two-thirds of landlords (62%) will be forced to raise rents by at least 10% in the next 12 months if market conditions dont improve. Research by Aldermore Bank found that despite this, landlords feel conflicted about passing on costs in an alread
Legal & General Capital helped fund more than 17,000 new homes across affordable housing, suburban build-to-rent (BTR), modular housing, traditional build-to-sell, and key worker homes last year. The insurance group invested �5 billion towards levelling up the UKs towns
If you havent heard of it before, the Renters' Reform Bill is set to be voted on before May 2023, bringing with it a plethora of proposed changes for landlords and tenants alike. Shelter , who along with other organisations are cam
Long-term HMO landlords in Portsmouth risk losing their C3/C4 status with no chance of getting it back due to confusion over planning rules, it is claimed. Many took advantage of the option to switch between family use (C3) and HMO (C4) without needing planning permission in 201
The rental sector is likely to see some of the biggest changes since the 1980s, so do your homework and keep yourself up-to-date. All the signs are that operating as a residential landlord in 2023 will be just as challenging as it was last year, if not more so here are my to
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.
A Labour MP who is also a landlord in London has apologised over the weekend after a BBC investigation uncovered damp, mould and ant infestation problems within his property.
A landlord couple in Haringey have been fined a total of £15,000 for failing to license one of their properties and make another one safe.
Licencing schemes are a blunt instrument, pointlessly cost compliant landlords hundreds of pounds, are ignored by rogue operators and consume scarce council resources.
A straw poll of building surveyors, recovery experts, private landlords, investors and developers has found that the vast majority deem the government’s EPC C target by 2030 as impossible to meet.
A landlord has been handed a £5,000 fine after persistently ignoring requests to carry out improvement works on his property – despite being a builder.
EPCs to be upgraded with a new method of assessment, the new "Home Energy Model", later this year
A tech firm is being sued by the US government for allowing landlords in America to increase rents and stifle competition.
Landlords can get free or subsidised advice on eco upgrades from a raft of new government-funded schemes that are now up and running across England.
A landlord in Northern Ireland has been handed a jail sentence of two months suspended for two years.
Access to low-cost private rented housing across England has become nearly impossible for ‘bottom of the market’ people living in homelessness accommodation and services, according to new research.
