The London borough of Greenwich has launched a consultation into renewing its additional licensing scheme. The previous scheme ran from October 2017 and ended in September, and the council now wants landlords and tenants to help it decide whether to start it up again from April
Landlords must ensure they amend the Welsh governments model tenancy agreements or risk eroding their rights, warns a leading property lawyer. Following the introduction of thehttps://www.landlordzone.co.uk/news/huge-changes-to-welsh-renting-laws-go-live-today-f
The Government has given buy-to-let landlords two compelling reason to sell-up, and fast: first is the overhaul of the rental rules coming next year, with indefinite tenancies and the end of section 21 evictions, and second comes the eroding of capital gains tax, tax free allowances. <p
New government funding to explore how technology can help dispute resolution could reduce the backlog of court cases, including possession hearings. The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has been awarded �119,691 from the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial St
Investigations have thrown new light on a series of solar energy investments which failed to switch the lights on for Thurrock Council. Conservative led Thurrock Council has saddled itself with an almost �500 million debt when it tried to bridge a funding gap by taking on risky
In this episode of the property cast, Eddie and Paul are joined by Nigel Lewis - award-winning property journalist and Editor in Chief at LandlordZONE, the most visited landlord news website in the UK. Nigel Lewis is a property writer and editor with a 27-year track record working for nation
In this episode of The Property Cast, we discuss the myriad of issues surrounding damp, mould and condensation a common problem for landlords and letting agents alike. To explore this topic, Sean Hooker, Head of Redress at the Property Redress Scheme, steps into Eddies sh
In this episode of The Property Cast, Eddie and Paul are joined by Maxine Fothergill, President of the leading membership body for property agents, ARLA Propertymark. The trio discuss the topical issue of rental reform and ROPA, delving into the detail of what lies ahead for age
Portsmouth is to go ahead with its contested additional licensing scheme but has promised to reward good landlords by charging them a lower licence fee and doing fewer inspections. Landlords had urged their council not to go ahead with plans to extend licensing to about 4,000 th
The long awaited renting reforms first muted in 2019 will be implemented next year, promises Housing Secretary, Michael Gove MP. Admitting that the Government should have moved more quickly� on these reforms to protect tenants following the Grenfell Tower tragedy, Mr Gove
A landlord battling to evict his nightmare tenants using a Section 8 order is exasperated that county court bailiffs encouraged them to stay put. The Cumbrian-based landlord had been granted a possession order, but his tenants - on bail for alleged drug offences and owing �3,00
The Government has averted a looming crisis in the HMO sector that would have seen many tenants charged individually for council tax, rather than paying a share of the propertys annual bill. As LandlordZONEhttps://www.landlordzone.co.uk/news/exclusive-official-counci
London Renters Union will picket successful estate agents across the capital next week who it blames for pushing up rents to unaffordable levels. Protests are planned in Tower Hamlets, Hackney and Crystal Palace on 3rd December by activists who have taken partic
The Welsh government has given a strong indication that landlords and property owners operating Airbnb holiday homes within its borders are to face a compulsory licensing scheme similar to the Rent Smart Wales scheme for the traditional private rental sector. This follows a parl
Landlords long-standing criticisms of health and safety regulation that tenants are often the cause of problems such as mould or water leaks look set to be addressed in new government guidance. Councils inspecting rented properties will be formally instructed to exami
Housing Secretary Michael Gove has ordered council bosses to prove they are assessing and improving damp and mould problems in the PRS. Following the death of toddler Awaab Ishak as a direct result of mould in his family home, Gove says theres an urgent need to ensure a decen
The tragedy of the death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak in a Rochdale social housing flat rests heavily on the minds of landlords across the country: could this happen in one of my own properties they might well ask? The answer is probably, yes it easily could. In a winter with ris
A Japanese knotweed infestation caused homeowner Charron Ishmael to take her neighbour, retired NHS consultant Dr Sheila Clark, to court over a dispute about the plant. Charron Ishmael was selling her property but because of the presence of the invasive plant in her neighbour
The BBC has joined the ranks of landlord-bashing media by publishing a story that gives a distinctly one-sided view of an eviction, helping bolster Shelter and other organisations' campaigns to ban Section 21 notices. It quotes a tenant as saying she was in panic mode� when
Thousands of landlords whose properties are managed by a leading online letting platform are to see their property management firm change hands after Howsy revealed it is to be acquired by a major high street lettings agency. Launched in 2016 originally as No Agent
The road to net zero is paved with additional costs for Britain, not least the amount of money it will take to upgrade commercial property, in the industrial alone. Achieving grade B� ratings under the 2030 Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) requirements for the UK
Camden Council has handed out banning orders to four rogue landlords for letting an unlicensed and unsafe home in Kilburn. All part of the same interconnected group of London-based family and business associates - Mohammed Ali Abbas Rasool, 30, of Manor House Drive, Daya Ahmed D
Coventry aims to come down hard on HMO expansion within the city by introducing an Article 4 Direction. Councillors have approved the plans which will now form part of a public consultation this summer. They hope to change the rules which currently allow landlords to
Landlords who own flats hit by the cladding scandal will be covered by the remediation fund, the government has announced. However, portfolio landlords have been left out, with property experts suggesting that this omission will mean work will be held up and their flats could be
Drummed up by popular media horror stories, egged on by the homelessness charities, the ban Section 21� band waggon kept on rolling until eventually the politicians saw it would be politically advantageous to jump aboard. What is Section 21 <p id="
The governments controversial policy of phasing out natural gas boilers in favour of heat pumps, in its drive to meet internationally agreed energy efficiency targets, could be stymied because of an out of date EPC algorithm. Regardless of the fact that many older poorly insu
Westminster Council has launched a spirited campaign to stop central London being overrun by nuisance short-term lets booked chiefly through Airbnb. It is lobbying the government to follow Paris and Amsterdams lead whose authorities have clamped down on problem properties. </
Coventry councillors look set to give the go-ahead to extending the city’s additional licensing scheme, raising the fee for a five-year licence from £840 to £916.
A landlord renting out an unlicensed HMO was caught out when a prospective buyer reported her to the council.
Private landlords face an average bill of £10,000 to hit government EPC C targets by 2030, according to new research.
The City of Peterborough says it has received selective licencing applications for three quarters of the properties due to be included in the ten-ward scheme, with a deadline for the completion of applications due at the end of November.
A new private rented sector lobbying group hopes to convince the Scottish government to temper its plans for permanent rent controls under the Housing (Scotland) Bill.
An appeal judge has backed a tenant’s argument that serving prescribed information before the deposit is paid isn’t valid, meaning their eviction cannot go ahead.
Gloucester was the fastest moving rental market last month where the average property was let within 14 days of being advertised.
Trade association the NRLA has warned that rent controls would prompt a third of landlords to sell up if they were introduced in England.
Build-to-rent developer Quintain Living has had its knuckles rapped for wrongly suggesting tenants could make big energy bill savings, get free WiFi and work from home areas.
Leeds Building Society cuts BTL mortgage rates after BoE’s base rate falls from 5.25% to 5%, offering landlords more competitive deals.
Exiting student landlords have paved the way for PBSA developers charging higher rents, according to The FT.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves refusing to rule out a swinging increase in capital gains tax (CGT) for landlords
A new report based on data from 46,000 renters reveals shocking data on how much they are spending on their rent.
One of the UK’s biggest gas boiler manufacturers used by millions of landlords has promised not to ‘greenwash’ its part-hydrogen fuelled boilers.
Law-savvy landlords are being asked to help compile a definitive list of legislation impacting the PRS.
Larry the Number 10 cat has backed a charity’s campaign to change the law allowing tenants to keep pets.
Labour’s housing minister Matthew Pennycook is said to be planning a “hardship test”
Claims by the new Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) minister of state Stephen Timms that the transfer of remaining housing benefit claimants to Universal Credit is being done ‘as smoothly as possible’ have been questioned by a leading expert.
Booking in a five-yearly Electrical Safety Installation Certificate (ESIC) check for your rented property often seems like one of the plethora of minor tasks on the ‘to do’ list.
An increase in buy-to-let repossessions is exacerbating the rental supply shortage and leaving evicted families without legal aid needed to fight their case.
An exodus of older landlords is paving the way for build-to-rent investors and younger landlords looking to capitalise on higher yield properties, according to a big estate agency boss.
At least 710 buy-to-let mortgaged properties were repossessed in the second quarter of the year, 13% up on the previous quarter and 51% up year-on-year.
Online lettings firm OpenRent and Rightmove have signed a new property listings deal after several weeks of corporate brinkmanship over fees.
The average time from claim to landlord repossession has jumped to 25.4 weeks, up from 22.1 weeks in the same period in 2023, according to the latest government figures.
Gloomy letting agents have reported a fall-off in private rentals coming onto the market around the country.
