Social and private landlords are to face tougher new rules which make it mandatory to fit smoke alarms in all rented accommodation regardless of tenure, and widen the conditions under which they must be fitted. Revisions to the smoke and carbon monoxide detector regulations also
If you had �50k to invest right now, where would you put it, buy-to-let property or stocks and shares? Certainly leaving it in a traditional savings account, with interest rates as they are at rock bottom, thats out of the question. And with the threat of rising inflation ea
Research carried out by LandlordZONEs insurance partner, Hamilton Fraser Total Landlord Insurance, revealed that the vast majority of landlords, https://hamiltonfraser.co.uk/knowledge/good-landlord-quiz-results/?utm_source=landlordzone&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=lz_november
The move to provide home heating and hot water by this method is part of a Government strategy aimed at making deep cuts to greenhouse gas emissions and decarbonizing the UK's power sector by 2035. Prime Minister Boris Johnson says the scheme was designed to bring low-carbon hea
Tenants facing eviction in England are to be protected from losing their homes during the Christmas and New Year period, HM Courts and Tribunal has confirmed. Between 13th December and 10th January no evictions should be s
Some holiday lets owners are gaming the system to claim business rate relief, comments made by the Housing Minister Lord Greenhalgh suggest, who has promised action to clamp down on the practice. In a Lords debate on second homes, peers voiced concerns that second homeo
A company that houses asylum seekers has been fined more than �60,000 for HMO offences in Newport. Clearsprings Ready Homes, which has the contract for operating accommodation for asylum seekers in Wales, was found guilty of letting an HMO in Redland Street (pictured), in the B
The Minimum Energy Performance of Buildings Bill, which aimed to advance the governments energy efficiency commitments, is in doubt following the tragic death of David Amess MP. He was the presentation bills main sponsor in the Commons, launching it at the same time as Lor
However, Carol Lewis writing for the Sunday Times newspaper thinks that holiday let owners should be paying council tax. Given that levelling up is the government's buzzword du jour, it is time to level the playing field and bring holiday-home owners in line wi
Landlords and letting agents hit by the collapse of Ash Residential Property Management Limited (ARPM) have been left struggling to claw back deposits and fees after it ceased trading last month with debts of almost �1.5m. At least 8,000 properties and their landlords are affec
HMRC warns that owners must accurately declare these earnings on their self assessment tax returns or face criminal charges if in default. A boom in bookings The Covid pandemic has stored up excess demand for stay at home Britains under the foreign holiday restrictio
Scottish landlords have until 2028 to meet energy efficiency standards but can access interest-free loans of up to �15,000 to help them spread the cost. The Scottish government has published its Heat In Building Strategy setting out that, by 2030, greenhouse gas emissions from
The so called Pandora Papers is a financial services leak of nearly 12 million documents that reveal an international treasure trove of hidden wealth, tax avoidance and money laundering, by some of the world's richest individuals. The secret files were unearthed by a Washington
High Street lender the Nationwide has launched a platform that will be first of its kind created for landlords by a major financial institution. Called The Landlord Works, it has been developed by a team headed up by Paul Wooton (main picture) who, after leaving its mortgage bro
Lambeth to launch UK's most expensive HMO scheme, charging landlords £289 per bedroom under new five-year additional licensing rules.
The Section 21 possession procedure (currently under threat of being removed) is a no fault eviction process where the landlord can serve notice on a tenant to regain possession once the initial minimum 6 months or contracted fixed term has ended. A section 21 notice is for 2
A dog-owning tenant has launched a legal challenge against her freeholder which could result in parting with her pets or the leasehold. The womans partner moved into her property five years ago with three small dogs and admitted this to the freeholder. It then sent her a
A tech professional who is also a landlord has launched what she believes to be the ideal solution to the impasse between landlords who won’t take tenants with pets, and the estimated 7.6 million tenants in the UK who want to live with their cats or dogs.
Viewpoint by Tom Entwistle As winter approaches outside temperatures drop and the perennial landlords problem of winter condensation and black mould rear their ugly heads again.The question is, how do you know if this is caused by the building or the tenant, or is it a co
Landlords' Tax: Internet sites, such as AirBnB, have increased the number of landlords letting to lodgers and to guests on short stays. There are specific tax benefits to this type of letting business which are expanded upon below.Furnished holiday letting</st
Section 21: Most tenancies will never require the service of a Section 21, Housing Act 1988, (eviction) notice. However, on those occasions when it does become necessary, and you just never know, landlords (and agents) will thank their lucky starts they complied with the rul
Asbestos:Asbestos regulations were last updated in 2012 , bringing the UK in line with EU regulations, which means the current regulations have been in place long enough for most
The Application Form You should always use a comprehensive Tenancy Application Form when taking on a new tenant. You need a completed application for each adult tenant in the property.The Tenancy application form is a very important starting point for any residential or comm
End of an AST: Questions: What happens when an Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST) comes to an end? Will the tenant have to leave or does she need to sign a new agreement? What if a tenant wants to leave early? How long can a periodic tenancy last?When the fixed term (minimum of
Landlords often buy flats which are either Leasehold or Shared Freehold. What are these tenures and what should landlords look out for in these different forms of ownership?Leasehold is one of three forms of tenure (property/land ownership) almost exclusively peculiar to the United Kingdom, thoug
Landlord's Access to Property: Many landlords will have experienced a tenant denying them access to a property - whether for an inspection, viewings or legal duties. Its easy to understand the view of Its my property, I can enter when I want, but unfortunately th
New Rules for Section 21 :Landlords and Agents need to be aware of the changes affecting Section 21 rules and Notices and other changes for the letting of residential properties in England (and in many cases Wales) introduced during 2015 . This article explains the new rules
With the victory for Labour now over a week behind us, what should landlords expect from the change in government?
Councillors in Brighton have backed a petition by campaign group Living Rent to introduce rent controls during a debate yesterday at its monthly full council meeting.
Landlords in Wales have found themselves unable to make deductions to deposits when using occupation contract templates, it has been claimed.
Northumberland council is the latest to approve more selective licencing with two wards in the seaside town of Blythe.
Five new housing ministers have been tasked with helping the government deliver homes and reform the PRS – and one of them is a landlord.
Frustrated surveyors have urged the government to introduce fair legislation that increases supply as landlords continue to quit the sector.
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.
Introducing Portfolio: discover our new digital resource designed to streamline landlord operations.
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.
