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,
First-time buyers are paying 20% less a month on their mortgage payments compared to what tenants pay in rent, new figures have revealed.
Nottingham benefits landlord Mick Roberts has slammed Barclays after it sent letters to 22 of his tenants, listing his monthly payments and erroneously alerting them that he is in mortgage arrears.
A rogue landlord duo has been fined more than £90,000 for safety offences that led to the death of one of their tenants in a fire.
Not all poor housing standards are in the private sector, many social landlords have problems reaching the new higher standards
House prices dipped by 0.1% in February, but annual growth held steady at 2.9%, with the cost of an average property down £213 to £298,602.
Letting agents have urged peers to listen to their concerns ahead of the Renters’ Rights Bill committee stage in the House of Lords.
A legal expert has warned that ditching the 20/20 rule around selective licensing will prompt more councils to launch or expand schemes.
Tenants complain less about their landlords in reality, a new survey has suggested.
Protesters have managed to block bailiffs from evicting a couple who had been handed a Section 21 notice.
Salford Council is to launch a consultation into reviving one of its selective licencing schemes - offering landlords slightly cheaper licences than eight years ago.
Most buy-to-let landlords plan to raise rents in the next 12 months after being hammered by higher interest rates and operating costs.
Fewer tenants are going into rent arrears, according to the latest figures from Handelsbanken.
Paul Shamplina warns that introducing rent caps could drive landlords out of the market, potentially worsening housing supply issues.
Private landlords are about to get a new deadline for making energy efficiency improvements to their properties.
Tom Entwistle considers the current state of the UK housing market and how it could be affected by Labour’s policies
More HMO landlords in the West Midlands borough of Sandwell face paying £1,000 for a licence after the council gave the go-ahead to an extended additional scheme to go live on October 1st 2024.
Sheffield Council is about to get tougher on private landlords as part of a new 10-year plan to improve the city’s housing.
Good landlords have little to fear from a Labour government if it can stabilise the economy to support the property market and make renting easier and less volatile, according to one letting agent.
Angela Rayner has revealed that the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities that it is to drop ‘levelling up’ from its name and concentrate on ‘basics not gimmicks’.
Wannabe Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has been appointed by Rishi Sunak as his shadow housing secretary.
If you were looking for a sign on whether or not to downsize or expand your property portfolio, this weeks’ news provided mixed messages on how landlords might be affected by Buy-to-let (BTL) mortgage rates.
More than 5,000 landlords are now managing their properties using the NRLA’s new Portfolio platform. Here James Kent, the NRLA’s Chief Innovation Officer, and founder of digital compliance platform Safe2, explains more about the platform, and how it can work for you.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has today revealed Labour’s post-election plans to get the housing market moving but also confirms Section 21 evictions will go.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan is confident he will be able to push ahead with a massive house building programme in the capital and new powers to control the housing market.
A landlord has got into hot water for telling prospective tenants that they’re not allowed to work from home.
A coroner has called on the government to set up a private landlord register in England after the mould-related death of a tenant.
The UK’s youngest MP Sam Carling has revealed that he will work in parliament to improve the lot of renters following his shock victory in the General Election.
Landlords may be relieved to hear that a Labour MP with experience of the private rented sector has been appointed to the Government.
Experienced landlord Tom Entwistle, who has been letting property since the 1970s, gives some tips based on his experience when setting-up a new tenancy
Landlord representation in Parliament will be hugely diminished after 50 Tory MPs with residential rental properties either lost their seat in the election or had previously stepped down.
Labour's victory in the general election marks a significant turning point for the private rented sector (PRS). With their ambitious plans for housing reform, it is crucial that the new government addresses the pressing issues facing both landlords and tenants.
Landlords have congratulated Labour on its landslide victory but warned that too much new red tape will make the housing shortage within the private rented sector even worse.
A new poll reveals that 88% of tenants have had problems in rental properties and more than a quarter (26%) were unhappy with their landlord’s response.
A battle between residents and HMO landlords is coming to a head in Liverpool where vacating students’ mess is being dumped on city streets.
