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
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
A big council in the South East of England has warned landlords who dont licence their HMO properties that they face stiff fines for non-compliance. <figure id="" class="w-richtext-figure-type- " data-rt-type="" data-rt-align=""><div><img src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/63bef2f3c
Paragon Bank survey shows 62% of landlords support Decent Homes Standard; 74% frustrated by lack of action against substandard housing.
There have been many articles in the media stating that it will cost £5,000 to £6,000 to improve a residential landlords EPC from D to C. James Tanner, whose family operates a London-based PRS portfolio, and who also runs a https://www.jtannerproperties.c
New research within the private rented sector has unearthed surprising attitudes to rent increases among tenants. Uswitch asked 2,000 renters whether they would accept an increase when renewing their rental contract and found that on average 36% would accept an increase while 50
Private landlords face a combined bill of �17.9 billion to upgrade their properties to a minimum EPC band C by 2025, with landlords in the capital facing the largest bill at �3.2 billion. Knight Franks figures highlight the looming crunch within the private rented sector pr
Leading landlord and evictions figure Paul Shamplina has warned those seeking property investment training to be wary of courses which seem to provide easy shortcuts to success�. His comments were made over the weekend within an investigation by The Telegraph newspaper into
The UKs largest holiday home rentals website has published shocking figures that reveal the average income earned by property investors on its platform. Sykes Holiday Cottages Holiday Letting Outlook Report 2023 reveals that its average owner saw an income of �24,000 last
A First Tier Property Tribunal has slammed Nottingham Council for covering large swathes of the city with licensing schemes rather than targeting rogue landlords, a 'temptation' it says is faced by other local authorities. Justice for Tenants brought a case on behalf of a tenant
As landlords continue to exit the buy-to-let market, to the detriment of their tenants, could this rout also lead to buy-to-let mortgage lenders following their lead? This is a question posed by Chloe Cheung writing for the FT this last weekend. Its a serious question, a deve
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.
Landlord Sales Agency has been touted as the UK’s best company for landlords to go to who are looking to increase the profits of their property portfolios.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves has refused to rule out increasing capital gains tax for landlords selling their rental properties during interview with a US business TV channel.
A business consultancy has warned that London’s high rents mean many companies in the capital are struggling to recruit staff as younger jobseekers look for employment elsewhere in order to access lower-cost homes.
Cash strapped Somerset Council has County Hall vandalised for fourth time...
A landlord in Wales faces is to pay £5,088 in fines and surcharges after operating three properties in Swansea without a licence and has also been effectively banned from the sector.
We’re pleased to announce that on August 7th, for one day only, the NRLA will be hosting a sponsored takeover here on LandlordZONE!
The number of buy-to-let properties bought by landlords during the past 12 months has dropped by 14%, official HMRC figures reveal
New research has revealed that the number of selective licencing schemes in the UK has increased by nearly 10% over the past two years, with landlords paying on average £700 for a five-year licence.
Landlords who use OpenRent to find tenants will no longer have access to Rightmove when advertising their properties, it has been announced.
A tenant in Scotland has been found guilty of threatening behaviour towards a gas engineer who his landlord had booked to fix the property's gas boiler.
A ‘confused’ landlord who ‘cut corners’ when maintaining his unlicenced HMO has been told to pay four former tenants £15,703 after they took him to a First Tier Property Tribunal.
A row has broken out over plans to re-introduce selective licencing for landlords within parts of the Salford area of Manchester.
Labour has confirmed that it will require all private sector landlords to bring their properties up to a minimum Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) band C by 2030.
Portfolio changing? Discover how the NRLA is helping landlords adapt to evolving market conditions.
Commercial property might be sensible way of diversifying your overall investment portfolio risk
If as many expect Capital Gains Tax (CGT) rates are aligned to people’s personal income tax then landlords selling properties would be on average £11,00 worse off, it has been claimed.
Housing minister Matthew Pennycook has confirmed that Labour has no plans to introduce rent controls in England.
A further sign that landlords are selling up comes from new HMRC figures that reveal an increase in Capital Gains Tax (CGT) revenues for the Government from the sale of residential properties.
A leading lettings agency boss has pinned rising rents and fewer properties to rent squarely on the previous Conservative Government, says its policies have ‘driven away’ landlords.
Bank of England cuts base rate to 5%, offering relief to landlords with buy-to-let mortgages nearing the end of fixed-rate deals.
