Tax Relief: Starting from 6th April 2017, those landlords with mortgages will have tax relief on their buy-to-let mortgage costs gradually reduce over a 4-year period.Many landlords dont have a mortgage (up to 50% it is said), so this change does not affect them, but many
Rent Arrears: At this time of year, soon after the Christmas spending spree, inevitably rent payments begin to suffer. If you are having problems with rent arrears, this article should help.As in most areas of life,prevention is better than cure . To re
Tax Return 2016-2017: As a general rule, and as outlined in the previous articles in this series on tax returns, landlords can claim the expenses of running and maintaining their rental properties.If the rent you charge includes additional services like water, or council tax
Tax Return 2016-17: With some costs its very easy to decide: a repair to a drain, downspout or roof tile are all allowable expenses, but what about replacing a broken single glazed window with a new plastic frame and double glazing, what about decorating and installing a
Penetrating damp, just as its name implies, is where water leaks into a building from outside the structure, through the walls or roof. Less common is where an internal leak from a water or drain pipe leaks into the structure of the building.Common causes of penetrating damp are: <ul <l
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
Responsibility for Repairs: Who is responsible and who is obliged to pay for repairs to leasehold blocks and flats? What is the procedure if repairs are unnecessarily delayed or not carried out to the leaseholders satisfaction? What is the Section 20 procedure?T
Essential guide on how to conduct a rent review, covering key clauses and best practices to protect landlord and tenant interests.
Test Case Yeomans v Newell [2016]:When a landlord is in breach of the tenancy deposit rules he or she is prevented from serving a valid s21 notice for possession proceedings. Despite the fact that the tenancy deposit legislation has been in force since April 2007, landlords
Test Case: Superstrike Ltd v Marino. RodriguesThe case involved a landlord who had taken a deposit from the tenant before the deposit protection rules came into force in April 2007, since changed by the Deregulation Act 2015 see below. When the tenancy later became a st
First look at the Renters (Reform) Bill: groundbreaking tenant protections, streamlined landlord redress & flexible ‘pets-in-lets’ rules.
Purplebricks, which at one stage was used by thousands of landlords to manage their properties, has announced that its assets and business are to be sold to rival Strike for �1, pending approval by its shareholders. Any funds remaining in the firm some �5.5 million are
Michael Gove approves relaxed HMO rules for asylum seeker housing, exempting safety standards and licensing; critics warn of potential exploitation.
The long-awaited Renters (Reform) Bill will finally be introduced in parliament after Prime Minister's Questions today. Setting out plans for 12 key reforms to the private rental sector, the 11th pledge - to give tenants the right in law to request a pet, which should not be unr
Agents lacking landlord licensing know‑how put landlords at risk — vital compliance gaps exposed.
It would seem that successive Tory governments have waged an ongoing and progressively more vicious war on buy-to-let landlords, but this latest layer of legislation goes much further. Yes, this latest iteration, and one thats https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/1768/s
Almost two thirds (63%) of private landlords who manage their own properties are tired of sorting out repairs and dealing with red tape and considering using a letting agency or property manager instead. A Uswitch poll of 2,000 landlords found that the most common reason t
Labour pledges stricter Decent Homes Standard 2 for private landlords, raising property quality and accountability ahead of next general election.
Keir Starmer is set to rebuff previous calls by London mayor Sadiq Khan to bring in a rent freeze, it has been reported. Khan has been banging his rent freeze drum for months now as the cost-of-living crisis has hit many tenants personal finances, telling the BBC in Oct
A landlord who was jailed for culpable homicide in 2008 has been refused permission to rent out flats in Glasgow, despite claiming he has taken ‘responsibility for his actions’ and moved on.
Letting agents have blamed poor Scottish government policies for the growing number of councils declaring ‘housing emergencies’.
Heat pump sales continue to be hampered by high costs, lown awareness and a lack of long-term financial support, the government’s spending watchdog has warned.
Vast majority of landlords have flatly rejected future widespread rent control across Scotland, in a new Holyrood survey.
A landlord has been ordered to pay £2,500 in fines, compensation and costs after he admitted harassing two of his tenants.
Momentum appears to be growing to torpedo the controversial legislation as evidence emerges that the Bill is ‘close to collapse’ in Parliament.
It used to be the case that renting was a temporary phase in a young persons life. It gave flexibility until their career settled down to a fixed employer and a fixed location. But todays property prices mitigate against this pattern. Many people are locked into renting fa
Generation Rent has urged the Welsh government to introduce an ombudsman for the PRS along with more grounds for rent repayment orders (RROs) in order to improve tenants’ lives.
The vast majority of landlords and letting agents view the Government’s plans to abolish Section 21 evictions as a mistake, a new report has revealed.
Jeremy Hunt’s recent Spring Budget hid a ‘steal tax’ on landlords seeking to sell properties after April 1st, it has been claimed.
Fears are growing that the government is going soft on its commitment to the Renters Reform Bill.
An increasing number of landlords and letting agents are falling foul of Right to Rent rules, with a big rise in fines handed out last year.
An HMO landlord and entrepreneur has secured £80,000 worth of funding on Dragons' Den for his thermostat business.
Haringey Council is launching a new additional HMO licensing scheme despite limited backing from landlords and tenants.
Rent-to-income ratios in the UK have reached unsustainable new highs, forcing renters to spend a third of their wages on rent.
Northumberland council has refused owners consent to convert their short-term holiday let cottages into permanent private residences.
Landlords in the South West are being encouraged to access technology that detects heat loss, draughts, damp and mould.
A rogue landlord firm which illegally converted a property into six flats and ignored an enforcement order has been ordered to pay more than £220,000.
Hackney Council has promised landlords financial support to stay in the PRS while beefing up licensing and getting tough on short-term lets.
Record numbers of landlords pursuing training, says NRLA—upskilling on the rise.
Abolishing Multiple Dwellings Relief will intensify problems of chronic undersupply in the property market, according to one tax expert.
Landlords who are preparing a property to let or waiting to find a tenant will get a reprieve from empty homes council tax premiums.
Landlords appear to be returning to the capital, with new instructions in February up 19% year-on-year, according to London agent Foxtons.
North East Landlords has rebranded as GB Landlords as it expands its reach into the capital ahead of its first London event.
I received 84 private messages in 24 hours to one advert for my property in the northeast - it's a stark indication of how demand is outstripping supply.
