First time buyers remain better off owning than renting an equivalent home, Lloyds Bank says, but the gap is narrowing. Its latest Owning vs Renting Review reveals that owning a first home now costs �971 a month, four percent less than renting at �1,013.
The government failed to offer long-term support for energy efficiency improvements or increase the Local Housing Allowance in a Budget which instead focused on getting the country back to work. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt extended support for energy bills at current levels of �2,50
In this in-depth private rented sector legislation special, Eddie and Paul are joined by David Smith, head of property litigation at JMW Solicitors. The discussion kicks off with the recent landmark Rakusen v Jepsen rent repayment order case, where David represented the NRLA and which, he e
Youve made the decision to sell, and beat the market drop and increased costs. But where do you turn? Estate Agents can get you a high price, but theyll take far too long. Auctions can sell super-fast, but you might be compromising on price. <figure id="" class="w-richtext-figure-t
Generation Rent is calling on the government to extend Awaabs Law to the PRS after its survey found 1,106 private rented homes in England with dangerous levels of damp and mould. A Freedom of Information request by the campaign group found that the 65 councils which reported
Eddie Hooker, Chief Executive of insurance company the HFIS Group, has called for action to combat the murky end of the rent-to-rent market. Talking during an video interview with LandlordZONE , Hooker said action was needed to increase transparency w
A tenancy mediator has warned landlords that they or the experts they hire - risk being jailed for contempt of court by not using a regulated solicitor to fill in possession notice claim forms. PRS Mediations Julie Ford (pictured) says that under the L
An 80-year-old disabled woman is being evicted from her home after more than 60 years because her property wont pass tighter new EPC rules, a case which is believed to be the first of its kind. Thoresby Estate which owns Anne Marshs property in Edwin
Increasing the Local Housing Allowance would be the quickest way for the government to improve access to affordable homes, say housing charities. According to analysis by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), in 37 local authorities, the gap between market rents for three-bedr
The director of a property management firm has been fined more than �25,000 after dangerous electrics were discovered at an HMO in Northampton. West Northamptonshire Council issued a warrant in May 2022 after tenants raised concerns about the property in Lutterwor
Landlords in the North East have complained that a rubber stamped selective licencing scheme is a pure waste of time� and that they are fed up being taxed in this way�. The comments concern Middlesborough councils plans to extend its licencing scheme in the ce
Landlords will be looking for more government support to make energy efficiency improvements while hoping for some tax burden relief in the upcoming Budget. With EPC deadlines looming, many want greater incentives to back up the https://www.gov.uk/apply-boiler-upgrade-s
A new How to Rent guide will come out on Friday (17th March) which landlords in England must serve at the start of any new tenancy or renewal. The new guide forms part of the prescribed information landlords must issue, and if they dont
Scottish MSPs have voted through a rent cap and extension of the eviction ban until 30th September. The rent cap for private sector tenancies will increase to 3% from 1st April under the amendment to the https://www.gov.scot/publications/cost-living-ten
All HMO landlords in Worcester will soon have to buy a licence if councillors back a new additional licensing scheme. The city has operated an additional scheme since September 2015 but amended it in 2020 to cover only the wards of Arboretum, Bedwardine, Cathedral and St Clement
Landlords have been left out of measures announced today designed to support mortgage holders during the cost of living crisis. The guidance, which has been issued by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) updating borrowers responsibilities to their existing mortgage holders,
A landlord who tried to claim that he was the superior landlord of an unlicensed HMO has failed in his bid to avoid paying a Rent Repayment Order. In the first RRO case since the landmark�
The British Property Federation (BPF) has called on the government to zero rate VAT on building repair and maintenance to incentivise essential upgrades across the residential sector or risk missing its 2050 net zero target. In the run-up to next weeks Budget, it says the
Storms & Floods : Given the severityof the bad weather and floods in some areas of the country recently,the past weeks have been an extremely anxious time for some tenantsand landlords. Unfortunately itappears that these worries are not goi
Section 21 : Not every landlordor agent would consider handling a possession claim themselves, butthe good news is, it can be done the system is designed for LIGs litigants in person. Everyone has theright to speak for themselves in co
Commercial Property :A commercial lease is based on contract law and a contractual agreement between landlord and tenant. The rules laid down are those as agreed in the lease agreement and are largely unencumbered by statutory rules, unlike the case with a residential tenanc
Holiday Lets : With the changes tothe tax rules many buy-to-let landlords are thinking of creative waysto overcome the loss of income. Their inability to claim tax reliefon their mortgage interest and the removal of their wear and tearallowance has made a
The Landlord & Tenant Act 1954 Part II deals with the leasing of Commercial (Business) Premises in England & Wales.Commercial (Business Tenancies) Landlord and Tenant Act 1954, Part II The Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 (the Act) is an important piece of legislation in
Its producers are looking for landlords who need help with a nightmare tenant or letting agent and are happy to feature in the show. Are you one of the millions of landlords who tune in to watch Channel 5s regular Nightmare Tenants Slum L
LandlordZONE understands that the huge task of sifting through 1,000's responses to the governments consultation on evictions reform, and the likely long process of getting the law through Parliament, will take at least 18 months. Landlo
Private Rented Sector Consultant a private rented sector consultant at letting focus and tenants renting guide David Lawrenson
Article 4 direction : Birmingham CityCouncil is introducing a city-wide direction for houses in multipleoccupation (HMOs) from 8 June 2020. An Article 4planning direction means that planning approval will be required forthe conversion of a famil
A large landlord has been fined £528,000 after a maintenance crew member repairing a fence post inadvertently struck an underground cable, suffering facial burns.
Landlords in Portsmouth say vulnerable tenants are being unfairly displaced due to the council’s draconian additional licencing scheme.
A group of 30 Tory MPs have written to the Chancellor Jeremy Hunt warning that they may vote against the Government’s Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill unless ground rents are abolished for both future and existing leaseholds.
Rent controls will undermine investment in Scotland’s PRS unless there is more long-term certainty, according to one leading lettings expert.
A landlord has avoided a £32,000 rent repayment order after a judge ruled his flat was at an address not covered by a licensing scheme, but only just.
Section 21 evictions reached record highs in 2023, with over 25,000 households facing homelessness, prompting calls for urgent reform.
The Green Party’s mayoral candidate in London has said she will bring in rent controls saying the time for ‘bold action’ has come.
Landlords have been promised fair compensation by a developer planning to bulldoze scores of homes on one of England’s most deprived housing estates.
Propertymark has urged London’s Mayor to crack down on short-term lets through licensing in a bid to tackle over-supply in the capital.
Troubled property development company Home Holdings has put another raft of HMOs onto the market in a bid to shore up losses.
The decision by George Osborne in 2015 to introduce a 3% additional stamp duty levy on landlords has seen a slump in the number of BTL properties bought in the Tory heartlands of Southern England.
A leading letting agent in Scotland has laid the blame for the country’s rental supply woes firmly at the feet of former Tenants’ Rights minister Patrick Harvie.
A rogue landlord and fugitive fraudster who intimidated his tenants is in jail after more than five years on the run.
A landlord who used an agreement that tried to undermine her tenants’ rights has been fined a total of £5,800.
Financially challenged Somerset Council has capitulated after a concerted campaign by protesters force it to abandon one of its business tenants
Signs that the market is moving into a recovery phase, though there is still ample evidence that there remains a challenging backdrop.
New changes to planning rules mean rogue landlords who illegally convert HMOs could face an unlimited fine.
The Scottish government has been urged to reverse its anti-landlord policies after the SNP ended their power-sharing agreement with the Greens.
Private renters are most in need of Awaab’s Law due to the frequently worse conditions of mould in their homes, says Labour MP Fleur Anderson, who hopes to instigate stricter rules for the PRS.
Figures across the private rented sector including TV star Paul Shamplina have warned that both tenants, landlords and letting agents need to know when the Section 21 eviction ban is going to take place.
Conservative MP Anthony Mangnall voted against the Renters Reform Bill, warning that removing fixed-term tenancies could reduce housing supply.
Abolishing section 21 as soon as the Renters Reform Bill gains Royal Assent would cause chaos in the sector and leave the statute book a “confusing mess”, according to the government.
Conservative MP Natalie Elphicke failed to convince the government to include relocation payments for tenants and to restrict tenancy grounds in its Renters (Reform) Bill.
Environmental health officers have won a concession from the Government after it agreed not to stop councils using selective licencing schemes once England’s national property portal launches.
The Renters (Reform) Bill has been voted through its final stage in the Commons and, much to some MP's annoyance, containing several new concessions to landlords.
