

A very Merry Christmas to all our readers from the LandlordZONE editorial team.
Are landlords to blame for our housing crisis, or are they on the receiving end of a very raw deal?
Scottish ministers have defended proposals to introduce minimum energy efficiency standards in the private rented sector by 2028.
A leading figure in the property world has pinned the blame for the UK’s rocketing rent rises on the Government, claiming that it’s absurd to accuse landlords and letting agents of profiteering from huge demand.
Octopus Energy is launching its first private rental properties in the new year, kitted out with solar panels, heat pumps, and home storage batteries, where tenants are guaranteed to pay no energy bills for a minimum of five years.
The government has given Peterborough Council the green light for its new selective licensing scheme, covering 40% of the city’s private rental properties.
Landlords who are unable to sell apartments because the block they are in continue to suffer from post-Grenfell fire safety issues have been given some additional Xmas cheer.
Housing Secretary Michael Gove has strongly hinted that selective licensing schemes will not be needed when the government’s new property portal is launched.
A landlord looks set to lose his leasehold flat after being caught renting it out on Airbnb by his freeholder.
A tenancy agreement between the landlord and the tenant is just like any other contract, it is legally binding on both parties.
A private tenant has been inspired to pen her first novel by a contract renewal email sent by a letting agent - and has even named it after the letting platform involved.
Housing Secretary Michael Gove faces eviction from his government-owned mansion on 5th July, the morning after the election.
HMO Reform Group won a Lifetime Achievement Award at this year’s annual HMO Awards for its campaigning work to change the law on council tax being imposed on individual HMO rooms.
Rogue landlords continue to give the sector a bad name because many councils enforce private rented sector standards weakly or not at all, a new report reveals.
Labour has revealed an uncosted plan to help 80,000 young renters get onto the property ladder, assuming his party gains power atthe General Election.
Standards in the PRS will soon fall to those in the social sector if regulation and licensing continues to push smaller landlords out, a leading letting agent and landlord has warned.
Landlords need to update their home address with their local council’s property licensing department or risk a penalty, an appeal judge has ruled.
Disgruntled landlords have started legal action against Middlesbrough Council in a bid to squash its upcoming selective licensing scheme.
Propertymark has warned that abolishing Section 21 without an adequate replacement mechanism will add 'another nail in the coffin' of the PRS.
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.