Appeal Court judges have found in favour of the landlord in the landmark case of Northwood Solihull v Fearn & Ors, preventing a potentially huge logistical headache for landlords and letting agents. The judges ruled that any authorised employee of a landlord or letting agent
In an apparent re-run of Harold Wilsons 1970s investment income tax surcharge, Labour plan to re-introduce such an additional layer of tax to what is termed unearned income�. The Wilson Labour government applied an investment income surcharge of 15% and kept the top rate
According to a recent report by estate agents Hamptons, over the last four years the number of landlords operating their buy to let business through a limited company has doubled. There were 47,400 new buy-to-let companies incorporated in 2021 right across the UK, the figures be
Landlords and letting agents will soon be able to carry out quicker https://www.landlordzone.co.uk/news/updated-advice-for-landlords-on-right-to-rent-checks-due-in-new-year/" right to rent checks on British and Irish citizens. From 6th April, Identification Do
An energy expert has sought to reassure landlords that they may not need to spend huge sums retrofitting their properties to raise EPC ratings at least not in the short term. <figure id="" class="w-richtext-figure-type- " data-rt-type="" data-rt-align=""><div><img src="https://upload
Just as residential landlords are contemplating the costs of bringing older properties up to the proposed new standard - very likely EPC band C� required by December 2025 - so too are commercial landlords.<br> See: https://www.landlordzone.co.uk/news/compulsory-epc
Compulsory EPC band C by 2025 causing confusion There have been recent confusing reports put out that from 2025, all newly rented properties in England & Wales will be required to have an EPC rating of band C or above. This is somewhat misleading and jum
LandlordZONE sits down with one of Londons most prolific but little-known landlords who has spent 30 years amassing a huge portfolio in the East End and West End areas of the capital. For reasons of privacy, and a desire to remain behind the scenes, he doesnt want to
So, we ended 2021 after twenty-one months since the first Covid lockdown with the new variant, Omicron, spreading fast, and with Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland putting in stricter measures and speculation that England may follow with an announcement early in the New Year.
An example of the difficulty of prediction is the conclusion to a detailed study recently published on the private rented sector by the London School of Economics (a study commissioned by the NRLA) Individually and cumulatively, the recent tax changes
A lettings agency boss and landlord has been slapped with a �40,700 Rent Repayment Officer despite claiming that his failure to licence an HMO was an honest mistake. A First Tier Property Tribunal handed five former tenants the maximum award for the period from September 2019 t
Scotland’s Housing Bill proposes rent controls, winter eviction bans, pet rights & tougher eviction penalties in private sector overhaul.
Bristol has approved plans to extend landlord licensing in Brislington West, Bedminster and Horfield wards in a bid to raise PRS standards. The scheme includes additional licensing - HMOs with three or more unrelated people sharing facilities and selective licensing - privat
Durham County Council's selective licensing scheme covers 29,000 homes, requiring landlords to apply by 31 July for a £350–£500 licence fee.
This is a Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman case involving an unnamed landlord (LandlordX or MrX) and Brentwood Borough Council. The case revolves around a common situation where the landlord required possession of the property after serving a valid section 21 notice un
I've been in the property investment business for almost 30 years and during this period opportunities have come and gone but I've yet to discover an asset class that perf
Ever since I started to market one of my commercial buildings around 10 years ago now, I began to doubt the efficacy of the EPC rating system. The guy that came along to do the inspection told me himself he had just completed a 6 week course, or whatever it was, to train to be a
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
A government minister has admitted that landlords could quit the market unless upcoming changes to EPC rules are implemented carefully. In a Lords debate to discuss the challenges of achieving net zero, https://www.landlordzone.co.uk/tag/lord-callanan/" target="_blank"
Peterborough plans Article 4 Direction trial to curb smaller HMOs, following Leicester’s expansion of similar controls across more city neighbourhoods
A Rugby councillor is trying to drum up opposition to HMOs with an online petition calling for an Article 4 direction in the town. John Slinger (main picture) believes too many family homes are being turned into HMOs by landlords who often dont have the communitys best int
Redditch MP Rachel Maclean is the latest housing minister to arrive through the revolving door at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. The newcomer replaces previous housing minister Lucy Frazer, https://www.landlordzone.co.uk/news/breaking-housing-
Spreadsheets. Theyve been around since 1979 and have served the property industry well since their inception. However, with legislation like Making Tax Digital coming into play in 2026, were seeing Landlords slowly transition from using outdated equipment to more modern an
Economic headwinds facing the construction industry put the brakes on the build-to-rent sector last year. Build cost inflation and labour shortages meant that it only grew by 14% in 2022 adding up to 242,548 homes in planning, under construction or completed - compared to a
Arun Council introduces Article 4 direction in Marine, Hotham, River wards, requiring planning permission for small HMOs to maintain housing quality.
A leading ethical repair firm has shamed a rogue plumber who charged an 85-year-old woman £1,500 to repair a water pipe.
Falling house prices and rising mortgage rates, coupled with a cost of living crisis, which inevitably results in higher incidences of rental arrears, are scaring off potential new investors in buy-to-let. But new investments in the right locations could be an astute move for ne
The Government has launched a service that enables landlords to see the rents being charged by other landlords in their area.
The number of people renting homes by themselves has reduced significantly over the past three years as the cost-of-living crisis has hit many renters’ pockets, new research reveals.
Landlords who own leasehold apartments in tower blocks are being urged to complete an official questionnaire or face being excluded from the protections afforded by the Building Safety Act (BSA).
A community of landlords launched in the North of England six years ago has revealed that it is now going national after being given a new name.
Landlords taking tenants to court to repossess properties face a significant hike in the fees they are charged by the courts to process their cases, it has been revealed.
A rental property compliance service has pitched into the debate over whether the nation’s landlord licencing schemes are fair or, given the looming Renters (Reform) Bill proposals, needed.
There is a growing consensus that mortgage interest rates will soon be heading south as house sales show signs of gaining momentum.
A would-be student tenant has accused a landlord of making homophobic rules before agreeing to a house viewing.
Rebel Tory MPs who lobbied for amendments to the Renters (Reform) Bill have received £450,000 in donations and earnings linked to landlords since the last general election, according to an investigation by the i newspaper.
Landlords in a big Midlands city have been warned that they must apply for a licence for their properties by April 9th or face an additional £200 hike in the £1,090 cost of each three-year licence.
Here Tom Entwistle digests some of this argument and makes a few comments of his own - join in the argument
The Government has been moved to reassure Tory MPs that its Renters (Reform) Bill will not damage the private rented sector following the leaking of a letter by housing minister Jacob Young.
The Prince of Wales is working with private landlords to help prevent and reduce homelessness in the UK, it has been revealed.
The Scottish coalition Government has finally revealed its plans for the private rented sector including permanent rent controls, new rights to keep pets, decorate rented homes and stronger protection against eviction.
A man has been dubbed “the world’s strictest landlord” for telling would-be tenants that they can’t have anyone staying the night have a drink.
A housing management company has been fined £30,000 after an escape route at its HMO was found to be padlocked shut and blocked by a large shipping container.
The government has launched a cross-party inquiry into how the experience of buying and selling homes could be improved in England.
A group of landlords in Birmingham are spearheading an innovative trial of new technology designed to help them comply with local licencing and other regulatory requirements.
Peers debating the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill were almost unanimous in their belief that it doesn’t go far enough to protect leaseholders.
Burnley Council is set to get tougher on landlords converting the town’s properties into HMOs.
Utilita Energy has stepped up to become LandlordZONEone’s official energy partner, and is on a mission to spend the next 12 months putting landlords on the energy efficiency front foot.
Are you aware of the risks that commonly used devices in homes, workplaces, on our dives and garages now pose?
Most private tenants doubt the Renters Reform Bill will either be implemented or bring about tangible change.
A landlord in Lancashire has been jailed and must pay a £10,441 fine including costs after a local fire brigade prosecuted her for six breaches of fire safety regulations at her properties in the seaside town of Cleveleys.
The Scottish government has promised that proposals to deliver on its New Deal for Tenants are imminent.
