Fire Regulations in Rentals: There are several regulations relating to fire safety within rental dwellings; some affect all dwellings whereas others apply mainly to Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO).This looks complicated, but fire safety management in reality boils down t
Damp & Mould: You may have seen or heard of the 1970s TV series Rising Damp, which featured a landlord and his tenants (lodgers in this case) which rather implies that all rental properties are troubled with this kind of damp.Far from the case, but some are. In fact the
Renting Standards: Specialist residential property solicitor Amanda Sutcliffe of Bray & Bray looks at the importance of keeping a rental property in good condition.Research conducted by Endsleigh Insurance and TrustMark claimed that over 75% of landlords s
Sub-Letting Licenses: (SOLITAIRE) LIMITED Appellant and CHERRY LILIAN NORTON and other cases [2012]Landlords of leasehold buy-to-let flats are often asked to pay a fee (sub-letting licence or registration fee) to the freeholder when seeking permission to sub-let their flat,
Validity of Section 21 Notice: Amak Property Investments v Laura Sonny [2016]This case was an appeal by the tenant following a county court judgement relating to the validity of a s21 notice on the basis that the landlord had not complied with the deposit protection (MyDepo
Essential guide to rent reviews: why reading the lease is crucial for landlords and tenants to navigate rent adjustments effectively.
Tenant Agreement: The Law of Property Act 1925 talks about having a maximum of 4 tenants on an agreement. So what to do when you have 5, 6 or more tenants sharing a house?There is a common misunderstanding of the rules here. Landlords and agents sometimes think or have heard
Advance Rent: Piggot v Slaven and Johnson v. OldThere are two important cases which clarify (though not necessarily decisively) the position on landlords accepting rent payments in advance. One concerns the accepting of the final two months rent in advance, a common devi
Following some confusion and debate about a deferral for the new standards following the MEES* deadline in April 2018, the new government has confirmed that changes to the EPC rules, preventing landlords from renting out homes below rating E, will definitely be introduced from April 2018.Accordin
A landlord pair have failed to convince a tribunal judge that their tenants’ relationship excused them from getting an HMO licence.
A Scottish parliamentary committee has called for an action plan to tackle the country’s “predictable and preventable” housing emergency, with the property industry also saying rent controls ‘are not the answer’.
The government has revealed that it is looking into measures that will add landlords’ eviction activity to the looming PRS database.
Landlords could face a £765 bill for delaying their selective licence application when Thurrock Council launches its proposed scheme.
Tewkesbury Council is bucking the national trend by punishing landlords with failing EPCs.
Poorer tenants within the private rented sector (PRS) are spending 63% of their income on rent, a shocking new report from the Government has revealed.
A petition calling for rent controls launched by a hard-up mum has garnered some 42,00 signatures and counting.
Outdated 'fair wear and tear' rules are forcing tenants to face unreasonable deductions and landlords to pay higher costs, a proptech firm boss has warned.
The Welsh government has rejected proposals to give tenants compensation if they are handed a no-fault eviction notice.
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is considering a tax raid on holiday let owners, it emerged over the weekend.
The NRLA has urged Chancellor Jeremy Hunt to definitively fix the broken housing benefit system by tackling the Local Housing Allowance (LHA) funding gap.
Rents increased in February for only the second time in the last six years as the market continues to run hot.
The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) has voiced concern about a new property portal threatening the future of selective licensing.
An advert on Spareroom.com has sparked a debate about the unusual nature of ‘lodgers’ versus ‘tenants’ after a family in London advertised for someone to look after their children, pay rent but only live there during the weekdays.
Rightmove has called for more green home incentives for the private rented sector after its poll showed a big fall in landlords planning to make improvements to their properties.
Michael Gove has voiced his support for landlords and insists he wants to make the Renters (Reform) Bill work for them.
The Scottish government has urged tenants to tackle unfair tenancies before the emergency rent cap and additional evictions protections end on 31st March.
Landlords have been warned by a TV programme to watch out for tenants who attempt to steal their properties via title fraud.
Council leaders are the latest group to lobby Michael Gove over the Renters (Reform) Bill, urging him to extend notice periods for evictions from two to four months.
The group of rebel Tory MPs backing moves to make significant changes to the Renters (Reform) Bill has today published its comprehensive list of amendments, along with the full names of the 49 MPs within the group (see list at end).
A financial report has revealed Nottingham Council’s struggle to keep money raised from selective licensing ring-fenced.
The Government has delayed its already-announced reforms of the courts, making it even less likely that the UK’s County Courts will be ready to take on the extra work created by banning Section 21 evictions, it has been claimed.
The Government has taken on board a list of changes to the Renters (Reform) Bill requested by some 50 rebel Tory MPs, it has been reported
The anticipation surrounding the Renters (Reform) Bill has remained a constant topic recently, with discussions over the timing of the abolition of Section 21 constantly fluctuating.
The Government has admitted that the issuing of Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs), which are used by non-UK citizens to prove they have a right to rent properties, has been taking too long.
An absentee landlord has been stung with a £1.44 million penalty after he continually broke planning rules in a decade-long stand-off with Ealing Council.
Building 90,000 social homes a year will end the housing emergency and pay for itself within three years due to the wider economic benefits, according to a study by Shelter and the National Housing Federation.
Tom Entwistle passes on some thoughts on dealing with tenant selection and securing a good tenant-letting in the current economic climate
A former landlord has been ordered to pay a council tax demand dating back nearly 20 years.
A rogue landlord has been ordered to pay more than £9,000 for ignoring notices to improve his dangerous property.
Leeds Building Society has stopped lending to investors buying holiday lets in areas of North Norfolk and North Yorkshire in a bid to relieve pressure on local housing.
The quality of service provided by letting agents to landlords is under the spotlight again after an influential group within the Lords revealed it is to probe into the sector.
It has been confirmed over the weekend that a group of 49 ‘rebel’ Tory MPs are working hard have the Renters (Reform) Bill amended.
MPs have been given more details of the Government’s plans to clamp down on holiday lets in tourism hotspots following Michael Gove’s announcement this week.
