A clear explanation of ITZA and rent review zoning — why old ITZA measurements may not always apply in new rent reviews.
Learn how a Calderbank offer can help landlords settle disputes and avoid costly rent review referrals.
According to research from the NLA, 4 in 10 landlords are either seriously considering forming a limited company or looking into the option in the coming months.Can you - and more importantly should you - set up a company to pay less tax? Heres my complete guide on becoming incorporated.<stron
What heating system should you use in your rental property? Is there a heating system that could solve landlords condensation claims problems?Its one of the most important questions to ask when letting a property for the first time. Whatever system you choose carries implications for the ef
The Residential Landlords Association (RLA) and the National Landlords Association (NLA) have called on the classified online listings service Gumtree to issue clear guidance over possible scams involving bogus letting scams.The warning has been issued to Gumtree by the NLA and the RLA after f
At rent review, the phrase 'going to arbitration' is often bandied about during negotiations as a means for one party to get its own way. Whether or not the parties can agree the rent without involving the dispute resolution procedure, it is common for a represented or experienced party to inv
From the 1st of October 2015 it became a statutory requirement that landlords issue all new tenants after that date with the latest edition of a Government publication The How to Rent Guide�, along with a current Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) and a current Gas Safety
From 1st February 2016 all new tenants in England must be given Right-to-Rent (Immigration) Checks to determine their "right-to-rent" or "right-to-reside" in the country, BEFORE they can be given a tenancy. Landlords or letting agents must do the checks - letting agents where the
This is a Guide to Tax Deductible Letting Expenses for Landlords under the new tax rules following the Summer Budget 2015. These may be subject to change and you are advised to consult a tax specialist before making any decisions.From April 2016 landlords will no longer be able to automatically d
An Edinburgh landlord set-up hidden cameras in the bedroom and bathroom of his flat, to film people in bed and in the shower.The cameras were discovered by a young couple, friends of the landlord who allowed them to use the accommodation. The couple found a box on the living room table with a cam
Amongst the ways to agree or ascertain the (open) market rent at rent review or on renewal of a lease, (per s.34-s35 Landlord and Tenant Act 1954), is the use of comparable evidence.At rent review, the market rent for the premises is not what rent the actual tenant would agree or could afford, bu
There are two instances of section 20 notices in property in England:(1) is the notice served in relation to early shorthold tenancies under the Housing Act 1988, and the other,(2) refers to section 20 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, as amended by the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act (CLR
Who pays for maintenance and repairs in a residential letting, landlord or tenant?Is it, for example, a tenants responsibility once they occupy my building to look after most of the regular house maintenance items? If the fridge stops working does the tenant or the landlord need to repair it?Y
With commercial property, rent reviews are generally to the open market rent, but sometimes the rent would be adjusted to the Retail Price Index (RPI). RPI is generally considered more favourable to landlords than CPI or other methodologies.There is no link between open market rent and inflatio
Amongst the thorny issues in the relationship between landlord and tenant is the building insurance premium. Unlike residential property where the landlord has a vested interest in making sure the premium is competitive, because more than likely the premium would not be recoverable from the tenan
Theres recently been a spate of press reports and political wrangling about the existence of Zero-Hour Contracts. This has become something of a hot political issue as we approach a general election, and one surprising development is recent attempts to embroil landlords in the issue, as if the
Traditionally, with commercial (business) leases, a contractual provision within the lease specifies the use, or uses to which a property may be put and the uses which are prohibited.The formal classification of Uses� are set out in the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987 as a
As most Assured Shorthold Tenancies (AST) are by definition, short, there is usually no need for landlords to get involved in processing a rent increase.However, some ASTs run for long periods after the fixed term has ended, i.e., when the tenancy becomes a statutory periodic tenancy, hence there
Eviction expert Paul Shamplina warns of a social housing crisis post-Section 21 abolition, citing court delays and landlord uncertainty.
Short-term holiday lets platform Your.Rentals is raising on the crowdfunding site Seedrs as it seeks to expand its reach in the UK, raising some £1.3 million so far. The Copenhagen-based company, which is headed up by founder Andrew Martyn (main picture),
It has been reported this week that housing minister Rachel Maclean (main picture) told a meeting in Westminster that fellow Conservative MPs and the property sector (i.e. the NRLA and other trade associations) are wrong to claim that landlords are leaving the sector. This
Manchester students occupying a university-owned building in a protest over rent costs and living conditions have been ejected by bailiffs. Manchester University says their action was illegal and that it was granted a possession order by the High Court. When the 20 strikers refu
Housing Secretary Michael Gove has dropped a hint that he could be willing to consider tax concessions for landlords. Speaking in the Commons during a Budget debate, he told MPs that the government needed to make sure there was fairness in the tax treatment of landlords before l
Tax changes in the private rented sector have lost the Treasury �1.5 billion in revenue, according to new research commissioned by the NRLA. https://www.capitaleconomics.com/" target="_blank" Capital Economics fou
A landlord in Derby has been convicted of an illegal eviction and ordered by a court to pay a �1,600 fine. After initially agreeing a 12-month rental for an unfurnished house with a young family, landlord Grace Young of Pear Tree Street, Derby then attempted to illegally evict
A new devolution deal will give the 10 Greater Manchester councils powers to approve larger selective licensing schemes. The pact, signed by Levelling Up Minister Dehenna Davison (pictured, below), Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham (main pic) and the council leaders, will al
A landlord whose properties are caught up in the cladding scandal faces a bill of up to �50,000 unless the government changes the rules about who it will subsidise. Neera Soni rents out a number of leasehold properties and says she and at least a quarter of those owners at
Almost half of private renters in England are living in cold, damp or mouldy homes, even during the summer, according to a new Citizens Advice poll.
The mortgage industry says the number of new buy-to-let mortgages more than halved last year, with higher interest rates blamed for the fall.
Liverpool Council has teamed up with the emergency services and HMRC to share intelligence and weed out 'non-compliant' landlords.
A new poster campaign on the London Underground is urging travellers to report dodgy landlords.
The number of buy-to-let properties bought by landlords as a percentage of all homes sales across the nation has sunk to its lowest level since records began.
The South Coast seaside resort ofEastbourne is to crack down on the town’s growing number of HMOs andcouncillors are soon to make a decision on what to do.
Labour’s rental reforms, has Labour's Rental Charter have they been watered down in the King's speech?
Landlords in the London borough face paying an extra £174 for an additional HMO licence if plans get the green light.
The Welsh government has been warned it risks reducing the supply of student accommodation if changes to tax reliefs are introduced.
Fewer than 17,500 purpose-built student beds are expected to be added in the coming academic year, representing only 0.6% growth.
The new Labour government won’t wait to improve the court system before abolishing Section 21, predicts a top property lawyer.
Nearly 200,000 private renters haven’t had their deposits protected under an authorised scheme, according to new government data.
Property experts have warned that Labour’s promise to finish the job of ending the “feudal” leasehold system could complicate leaseholders’ situation.
A major high street lender has changed the terms and conditions of its mortgages to enable landlords to rent their properties out on short-term and holiday let sites such as Airbnb and Booking.com during void periods.
A Midlands council is on an unusual mission to get more students living in purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) instead of traditional HMOs.
This morning’s King’s Speech to a packed House of Lords has revealed Labour’s radical plans for landlords, letting agents and tenants.
Keen thirty-something investors have helped to lower the average age of private landlords by four years over the last decade.
The number of former rental properties currently for sale has risen dramatically as more landlords exit the market or downsize.
Official figures show inflation has held steady at 2% over the past 12 months but the detailed briefing from the Office of National Statistics also reveals that property costs remain at historically high levels.
Tom Entwistle looks at the likely changes ahead of this week’s King’s speech - this should reveal a bit more detail and the general direction of travel by Labour
Brighton & Hove Council is to ask the government if it can start licensing short-term lets in a bid to combat their impact on local communities.
A charity is looking to reboot its campaign urging the public and MPs to support reforms around keeping pets in rental properties.
Exceptional growth in the build-to-rent (BTR) sector has pushed completions to a record high during the past 12 months.
Local councils across the UK have been offering private landlords sweet deals for some time now to help solve the housing crisis, but one borough council is offering one that goes the extra mile.
Landlords in Greater Manchester are being asked to help mould the city region’s new Good Landlord Charter, designed to improve renting.
