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Will landlords HAVE to use new ombudsman? Yes, says Court of Appeal

Will landlords HAVE to use new ombudsman? Yes, says Court of Appeal

News

Landlords have been warned that a Court of Appeal decision issued late last week will mean that in future they will have to settle their differences with tenants via an ombudsman before going to court.

Landlords battle council over 'bad' new HMO licencing system

Landlords battle council over 'bad' new HMO licencing system

News

New licensing application software introduced by Portsmouth City Council has been slammed for being badly written, hard to use and too demanding.

Serving fire officer to pay £25,000 over HMO blaze risks

Serving fire officer to pay £25,000 over HMO blaze risks

News

A serving fire officer whose tenants were at risk of dying in a fire in his unsafe HMO has been fined more than £15,000.

Reform bill will make PRS 'more hostile' to landlords, warn letting agents

Reform bill will make PRS 'more hostile' to landlords, warn letting agents

News

The UK's leading property trade association has warned MPs that the Renters Reform Bill contains measures likely to make the PRS increasingly hostile to landlords.

London landlord to repay tenants £10,000 in rent

London landlord to repay tenants £10,000 in rent

News

A London landlord has been ordered to repay his tenants nearly £10,000 in rent following a Property Tribunal hearing.

Legal Case: AGAs and GAGAs - commercial tenancy guarantees

Legal Case: AGAs and GAGAs - commercial tenancy guarantees

Information

Commercial tenants, with the landlord's consent, not to be unreasonably withheld, can assign their lease (transfer it) to a third party (a new tenant).

Liverpool to spend £2 million on new 'rogue landlord' taskforce

Liverpool to spend £2 million on new 'rogue landlord' taskforce

News

Liverpool City Council has launched a new taskforce to go after criminal landlords who exploit vulnerable tenants.

Leasehold WILL eventually be abolished for flats says minister

Leasehold WILL eventually be abolished for flats says minister

News

The government has signalled that it will bring in more leasehold reforms for flat owners following the introduction of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill.

Agency boss says mortgage interest tax relief for landlords 'must be reinstated'

Agency boss says mortgage interest tax relief for landlords 'must be reinstated'

News

Leaders Romans Group (LRG) has called for a landlords’ reform bill to protect landlords and safeguard the housing sector.

Huge HMO prevention scheme launched by big Midlands city

Huge HMO prevention scheme launched by big Midlands city

News

Coventry has gone ahead with a huge new scheme to prevent properties being converted into HMOs without full planning permission.

Does a missing landlord address invalidate a Section 8 notice?

Does a missing landlord address invalidate a Section 8 notice?

Information

This was a question answered during a recent appeal case covered here by Tom Entwistle In the Prempeh v Lakhany (Oct 2020) appeal the tenant claimed that a Section 8 notice was invalid because it did not contain the la

Shamplina among 20 winners at landlord awards

Shamplina among 20 winners at landlord awards

News

Paul Shamplina has won Seminar Speaker of the Year at the National LIS Awards 2023, the third time in a row the Landlord Action founder has received the honour.

Letting agent caught blatantly refusing to return tenant's deposit

Letting agent caught blatantly refusing to return tenant's deposit

News

A letting agent has been found to have blatantly broken the law by refusing to hand back a holding deposit.

Landlords warned they must ensure property ads are accurate

Landlords warned they must ensure property ads are accurate

News

Landlords have been warned that they will have to work much harder with their letting agent to ensure property adverts for their homes to rent include all the ‘material information’.

Up to 50% of southern England landlords looking to sell up

Up to 50% of southern England landlords looking to sell up

News

One in five landlords hit by rising costs are considering selling up, with a stark divide between those with properties in the north and south of the country.

Minister claims rent controls 'are working' for tenants and landlords

Minister claims rent controls 'are working' for tenants and landlords

News

Scotland’s housing minister has defended the country’s policy of rent and eviction controls despite new figures showing rents continuing to rise.

Landlord couple to face jail following HMO tenant's fire death

Landlord couple to face jail following HMO tenant's fire death

News

A landlord couple could face jail after admitting a string of offences which led to the death of one of their tenants in a fire.

Social housing ombudsman to deal with private landlords too, says Minister

Social housing ombudsman to deal with private landlords too, says Minister

News

Disputes between landlords and their tenants will soon be handled by the social housing ombudsman, it has been confirmed by Government minister Jacob Young.

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Tenant Blacklist

Tenant Blacklist

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Question: Tenant Blacklists. I've had a very bad experience with a tenant and would like to put him on a black list so that other landlords don't have the same experience that I've had. How do I go about this?Answer: We often get asked this question.Although there have been several attempts by di

Sub-letting Leasehold

Sub-letting Leasehold

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News
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Sub-letting leasehold - I want to rent out my leasehold flat but the managing agent says the freeholder wont allow it. I know that other flats in the block are rented out, so what can I do? Landlords usually prohibit sub-letting to safeguard the interest.Landlords usually prohibit sub-letting

Renting to a 17 year old

Renting to a 17 year old

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What are the implications of renting to a 17 year old or someone who is under the age of 18? We have an application from a 17-year old that is keen to rent but Im not sure this would be legal?</h2> Many landlords and housing providers would be concerned and therefore refuse to let to

Rent Review

Rent Review

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Question - Rent Review - my landlord is asking for far more rent than I expected on review. Am I obliged to pay this?Answer - Commercial leases are contractual - the parties agree to and are bound by its clauses and that includes rent review provisions.The rent review process is a way of periodic

Re-selling Energy

Re-selling Energy

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Re-selling Energy - As a landlord am I able to make a profit by re-selling electricity or gas?</h2>Resale of Gas and ElectricityThe maximum amount that Residential Landlords or resellers� are permitted to charge for gas or electricity is the amount they

Providing a Reference

Providing a Reference

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Providing a Reference - I have been asked to provide a reference for one of my tenants who is moving on. What is my legal position in this and am I putting myself at risk if I say he was a bad tenant?</h2> Referencing (seeking verification of a tenants past performance) is an increasi

Polystyrene Ceiling Tiles

Polystyrene Ceiling Tiles

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Polystyrene Ceiling Tiles - is it legal to have these tiles in the kitchen of a rental property?</h2> There are currently no regulations specifically banning the use of polystyrene ceiling tiles in existing rented property.However, it is unlikely that local authority fire officers and en

Misrepresentation

Misrepresentation

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Misrepresentation - We recently rented out our rural cottage to a couple. As they wanted to use their computers I said it was possible to get high-speed broad-band. I thought this would be possible but it seems it is not at this time. The couple are now claiming that I misled them and that

Mail for Previous Tenants

Mail for Previous Tenants

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I'm receiving mail for previous tenants and some of them are from debt collectors. Will this get my property black listed and cause problems for my current tenants and myself in the future?</h2> It's fairly common to have mail arriving for months and even years after residents have left,

'Outdated and inaccurate' EPCs need reform say experts

'Outdated and inaccurate' EPCs need reform say experts

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News
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Calls are growing for a thorough overhaul of the EPC regime amid claims that the information in many could be inaccurate and misleading.

Tenants continue to stay longer in homes, new research reveals

Tenants continue to stay longer in homes, new research reveals

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News
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Private tenants are still renting their homes for longer than they did a decade ago, according to analysis by Zero Deposit.

Landlord fined £500 after sending housing minister racist emails

Landlord fined £500 after sending housing minister racist emails

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News
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A landlord who sent offensive emails to MSP Patrick Harvie (main image) about his anti-landlord policies has been convicted of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner.

Landlord to pay £25,000 fine over new windows and messy bins

Landlord to pay £25,000 fine over new windows and messy bins

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News
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A rogue landlord who ignored multiple planning enforcement notices has been ordered to pay more than £25,000.

Tougher HMO restrictions begin in East of England

Tougher HMO restrictions begin in East of England

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News
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Landlords in Ipswich face restrictions on converting properties into HMOs after the council voted to introduce an Article 4 direction.

Uncertainty surrounds the abolition of furnished holiday let tax relief

Uncertainty surrounds the abolition of furnished holiday let tax relief

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News
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Landlords who operate furnished holiday lets (FHL) have been anxiously awaiting further guidance on the proposals put out in the March Spring Budget

Police swoop during dawn raid on 'slavery' HMO

Police swoop during dawn raid on 'slavery' HMO

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News
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A dawn police raid on an overcrowded Coventry HMO has prompted an investigation into potential slavery and immigration issues.

More woes for City-backed landlord that houses homeless

More woes for City-backed landlord that houses homeless

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News
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Home REIT - a City-backed investment trust providing affordable homes for homeless people and prison leavers – has taken back 600 properties from a charity landlord.

Leading landlord warns over property portal proposals

Leading landlord warns over property portal proposals

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News
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One of the key provisions of the Renters (Reform) Bill was the provision of a portal to register all landlords. In effect a licencing system for every landlord in England and Wales and something Labour has said it would like to resurrect if it wins the General Election.

£45 billion! Report champions economic contribution of landlords

£45 billion! Report champions economic contribution of landlords

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News
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A report published today attempts to counter the ‘anti-landlord’ rhetoric that has gathered pace in the UK recently by revealing that the private rented sector supports some 390,000 jobs and makes a £45 billion contribution to its economy.

Short-lets licencing in Scotland has been 'disastrous' says Tory MSP

Short-lets licencing in Scotland has been 'disastrous' says Tory MSP

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News
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A Conservative MSP has slammed Scotland’s short lets licensing scheme for its negative impact on thousands of businesses.

FIVE housing ministers to quit, but which one nailed the job?

FIVE housing ministers to quit, but which one nailed the job?

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News
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Five former housing ministers are among the 77 Conservative MPs standing down at the next election, leaving behind a mixed legacy.

Rugby star launches letting agency for landlords

Rugby star launches letting agency for landlords

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News
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Welsh rugby star Gareth Davies is trying his hand at a career in lettings as he considers life after playing for the national team.

COMMENT: What has gone wrong, when a typical buy-to-let landlord makes a loss?

COMMENT: What has gone wrong, when a typical buy-to-let landlord makes a loss?

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News
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Tom Entwistle asks the question, what’s gone wrong with the buy-to-let market, why has government policy been so much against it?

Social tenants pay £847 a month less in rent than private ones

Social tenants pay £847 a month less in rent than private ones

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Social rents are 64% more affordable than private rents, with social tenants in England paying about £828 less each month than private tenants, according to new analysis by Shelter.

John Lewis tells next Government to take lead on build-to-rent

John Lewis tells next Government to take lead on build-to-rent

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News
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John Lewis has urged future governments to develop a clear national strategy around the need for build-to-rent developments.

Landlord fined for squeezing tenants into illegal HMO

Landlord fined for squeezing tenants into illegal HMO

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News
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A rogue landlord has been ordered to pay more than £23,000 after he admitted operating an unlicensed and unsafe HMO.

'We won't give up' vows pets campaigner as renting reforms axed

'We won't give up' vows pets campaigner as renting reforms axed

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News
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A pet activist has pledged to continue her fight for tenants’ right to keep pets following the demise of the Renters (Reform) Bill.

Total Property launches innovative new platform for mydeposits

Total Property launches innovative new platform for mydeposits

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News
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Leading private rented sector expert, Total Property, has launched an innovative new platform for its mydeposits custodial scheme members this week.

SW landlords invited to join Paul Shamplina live in Bristol

SW landlords invited to join Paul Shamplina live in Bristol

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News
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Landlords in and around Bristol are invited to join TV star Paul Shamplina this Thursday, 30th May for an educational seminar run by leading estate agency Andrews.

Are you? Half of landlords worried about a Labour government

Are you? Half of landlords worried about a Labour government

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News
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More than 40% of landlords are still undecided about who to vote for in the upcoming general election, while nearly half have concerns over a potential change in government.

Gove quits parliament, but what did he do for landlords?

Gove quits parliament, but what did he do for landlords?

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News
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Michal Gove will leave the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities having seen his Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill make it onto the statute book.

Landlord banned for three years from renting properties

Landlord banned for three years from renting properties

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News
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A rogue landlord who let his tenant sleep in a bike store and rented out a crumbling property has been banned from letting houses in England for three years.

Tribunal publishes decision in dispute between tenant and agent

Tribunal publishes decision in dispute between tenant and agent

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News
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A letting agent investigated by the BBC following complaints about the management of a student HMO in Salford has lost his appeal against expulsion from his industry’s trade association.

Councils issue record number of HMO licences

Councils issue record number of HMO licences

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News
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An increase in licensing schemes pushed the number of HMO licences issued in England up to a record-breaking 27,177 last year.