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 - 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 - 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
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,
Long Term AST - My prospective tenant has asked for a tenancy term of 6 years. Can I use the usual Assured Shorthold Tenancy agreement for this?</h2> The Assured Shorthold Tenancy is the default tenancy for residential lettings and since October 2010 this applies to rents up to �100,000
Lodgers Limits - Is there any limit to the number of rooms I can rent out to lodgers, and are there any planning implications ?</h2> There are several parts of legislation in England and Wales that affect this question. Perhaps four main ones apply: Health & Safety (HHSRS), HMO, Over
Question: How long should accounts be kept to satisfy the authorities, things like accounting files, invoices and tax records, as a property landlord?Answer: You must keep your records for 6 years after the tax year to which they apply, whether or not you complete a tax return.It's a good idea, a
Expiry of Section 21 Notice - I have served a Section 21 (s21) Notice on my tenant but don't wish to start proceedings immediately. Can I wait without the notice expiring?Once a Section 21 notice has been served correctly it continues indefinitely, until such time as the tenancy is ended, either
Covenant and Covenant Strength - What is a legal covenant and what is the significance of the terms in relation to rental property and lettings ?</h2>The term covenant can have several meanings and has biblical origins but it is of particulalry significance
Letting agents have warned that introducing rent controls for purpose-built student accommodation in Scotland will have a “chilling” effect on investment.
A new coalition in the capital aims to accelerate the removal of unsafe cladding on residential buildings over 11 metres.
The government has rejected calls to introduce an additional pet damage deposit as part of the Renters’ Rights Bill.
Starmer’s migrant housing scheme and incoming legislation are pushing landlords to rethink their strategy. With market prices still high, smart landlords are selling underperforming properties now to reinvest later when prices drop. Landlord Sales Agency offers a fast, profitable way to sell and sta
Exempting build-to-rent developers from future rent controls in Scotland could result in a two-tier market and an unworkable system.
The government has been urged to clamp down on central London’s short let sector after new research found at least half were being rented out unlawfully.
A proposed 2030 deadline won’t give landlords time to get their properties to EPC C and could cause them to quit, according to Paragon Bank.
A landlord who failed to license his unsafe and overcrowded HMO has failed in his bid to have a £11,000 fine dismissed.
Energy costs are a major concern for landlords and tenants. Save on energy consumption and make your tenants’ homes more comfortable
Owning a furnished holiday let (FHL) or second home in the country has long been the dream for many people - has the Government just ended that dream?.
North Lincolnshire Council plans to introduce a selective licensing scheme in Scunthorpe to improve housing standards and protect communities from rogue landlords and anti-social tenants.
Landlords in Gloucester face a council crackdown if they fail to properly look after their properties.
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has promised to pay the previous top rate of capital gains tax (CGT) when he sells his seven rental properties.
The Tories’ flagship rental housing sector reforms are on the ‘brink of collapse’, it has been claimed.
An infamous rogue landlord has been ordered to pay £39,000 for renting out a dangerous, rodent-infested HMO.
Holiday let owners are bracing themselves for the impact of an end to the Furnished Holiday Lettings (FHL) tax regime.
Two landlords have been ordered to pay a whopping £597,000 bill following a long-running legal battle with Camden Council.
It is now six months since the National Residential Landlords Association acquired property compliance platform Safe2. James Kent, the association’s Chief Innovation Officer, and Safe2 founder, explains more about the service – and what the future holds when it comes to energy efficiency.
The Government wants more private landlords to sell their properties and exit the market, commentary within Jeremy Hunt’s Spring Statement briefing document has revealed.
Generation Rent has called for even stronger action to be taken against holiday lets which it says have been “making life a misery” for renters in the UK’s most popular tourist destinations.
As the UK government struggles to help landlords facing tough financial situations, landlords have rallied together to help themselves.
Landlords received a surprise hand-out from Chancellor Jeremy Hunt when he cut the higher rate of Capital Gains Tax from 28% to 24% in today's Spring statement.
Labour’s shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves has backed the expansion of a selective licencing scheme within her local constituency.
Since October 2003 tenants have been obliged, as a tenant of a commercial or residential leasehold property, to formally register the lease with the Land Registry
Short-let property owners in Cornwall, Edinburgh and Westminster had the most bookings in the UK last summer.
Smaller landlords need as much protection as tenants, a Lords committee inquiry into the regulation of property agents has been told.
Holiday let owners are being unfairly scapegoated in the guise of controlling rising house prices and availability, according to one holiday rental agency.
Liverpool City Council and Merseyside Police have stepped in to help a landlord evict his nightmare tenant.
The Government is doing too little to support the student landlords and many places are short of accommodation for second- and third-year graduates, a new poll has found.
Almost 22,000 homes may have been lost in Scotland during the last year due to perceived hostility towards landlords and concerns over increasing regulation.
An absentee landlord who used the excuse of not speaking good English and delegated property management to a family member has been stung with a £20,700 rent repayment order.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has increased his funding to support and advise private renters exploited by rogue landlords and facing illegal eviction.
