A mature international student has turned to a crowdfunding site to raise �12,000 after his landlord demanded a years rent upfront. Mohamed Elsawwah, who lives in Birmingham with his wife and three children, has been studying international business in the UK for the last eig
The Government is preparing to compromise over its plans to abolish Section 21 'no fault' evictions by beefing up landlords ability to eject unruly tenants including those involved in anti-social behaviour, the Prime Minister has revealed. The initiative is part of the
Smaller portfolio landlords quitting UK rental sector, says Bank of England: mounting costs & regulation driving exits, reducing rental supply.
Letting agents and their landlords who advertise properties as 'no children' face being accused of breaking discrimination rules, it has been claimed following a campaign by Shelter. The organisation says agents who advertise properties as no children are now breaking The
Eviction expert Paul Shamplina warns of a social housing crisis post-Section 21 abolition, citing court delays and landlord uncertainty.
Short-term holiday lets platform Your.Rentals is raising on the crowdfunding site Seedrs as it seeks to expand its reach in the UK, raising some £1.3 million so far. The Copenhagen-based company, which is headed up by founder Andrew Martyn (main picture),
It has been reported this week that housing minister Rachel Maclean (main picture) told a meeting in Westminster that fellow Conservative MPs and the property sector (i.e. the NRLA and other trade associations) are wrong to claim that landlords are leaving the sector. This
Manchester students occupying a university-owned building in a protest over rent costs and living conditions have been ejected by bailiffs. Manchester University says their action was illegal and that it was granted a possession order by the High Court. When the 20 strikers refu
Housing Secretary Michael Gove has dropped a hint that he could be willing to consider tax concessions for landlords. Speaking in the Commons during a Budget debate, he told MPs that the government needed to make sure there was fairness in the tax treatment of landlords before l
Tax changes in the private rented sector have lost the Treasury �1.5 billion in revenue, according to new research commissioned by the NRLA. https://www.capitaleconomics.com/" target="_blank" Capital Economics fou
A landlord in Derby has been convicted of an illegal eviction and ordered by a court to pay a �1,600 fine. After initially agreeing a 12-month rental for an unfurnished house with a young family, landlord Grace Young of Pear Tree Street, Derby then attempted to illegally evict
A new devolution deal will give the 10 Greater Manchester councils powers to approve larger selective licensing schemes. The pact, signed by Levelling Up Minister Dehenna Davison (pictured, below), Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham (main pic) and the council leaders, will al
A landlord whose properties are caught up in the cladding scandal faces a bill of up to �50,000 unless the government changes the rules about who it will subsidise. Neera Soni rents out a number of leasehold properties and says she and at least a quarter of those owners at
London Mayor Sadiq Khan has been urged to clamp down on rogue exempt accommodation providers who exploit the housing benefit system and put vulnerable tenants at risk. An investigation by the London Assembly Housing Committee found some rogue providers wer
The Isle of Wight Council has vowed to charge owners of second homes and empty properties more council tax as soon as it gets the go-ahead from the government. Its ruling Alliance Administration had suggested putting a 100% tax premium on second homes and empty properties, howev
A senior figure from the banking world has claimed that institutional investment is the golden ticket to solve the UKs supply and quality problems within the private rented sector (PRS). Cedric Bucher (main image), who heads up Hearthstone Investments </st
Another First Tier Property Tribunal has confirmed that a superior landlord cannot be held responsible for a Rent Repayment Order (RRO), following the landmark Rakusen case. Tenant Riaz Moola had tried to argue that landlord Khalil Mbarek was responsible for the property in t
The Government must stop its ongoing and irresponsible attempts to curry favour with tenants via its looming reform of the private rented sector, a buy-to-let lender has said. Mortgages for Business boss Gavin Richardson (main
Section 21: Most tenancies will never require the service of a Section 21, Housing Act 1988, (eviction) notice. However, on those occasions when it does become necessary, and you just never know, landlords (and agents) will thank their lucky starts they complied with the rul
Asbestos:Asbestos regulations were last updated in 2012 , bringing the UK in line with EU regulations, which means the current regulations have been in place long enough for most
The Application Form You should always use a comprehensive Tenancy Application Form when taking on a new tenant. You need a completed application for each adult tenant in the property.The Tenancy application form is a very important starting point for any residential or comm
End of an AST: Questions: What happens when an Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST) comes to an end? Will the tenant have to leave or does she need to sign a new agreement? What if a tenant wants to leave early? How long can a periodic tenancy last?When the fixed term (minimum of
Landlords often buy flats which are either Leasehold or Shared Freehold. What are these tenures and what should landlords look out for in these different forms of ownership?Leasehold is one of three forms of tenure (property/land ownership) almost exclusively peculiar to the United Kingdom, thoug
Landlord's Access to Property: Many landlords will have experienced a tenant denying them access to a property - whether for an inspection, viewings or legal duties. Its easy to understand the view of Its my property, I can enter when I want, but unfortunately th
New Rules for Section 21 :Landlords and Agents need to be aware of the changes affecting Section 21 rules and Notices and other changes for the letting of residential properties in England (and in many cases Wales) introduced during 2015 . This article explains the new rules
Many landlords have long suspected that the DCLG approved national calculation methodologies and software programs were seriously flawed when they produced EPC ratings for buildings following energy assessments.So news that new software is being introduced which is claimed to be more accurate is
Serving Notices: Landlords and agents often get confused as to how they should serve Notices on their tenants.Ordinarily it wouldnt matter what method is used, but if you end up in court with a possession or money claim, or some such court action, then what and how you se
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.
Minimum energy efficiency standards (MEES) are not being enforced by overstretched councils who cannot keep any income they make from fines imposed for breaches.
Landlords will have to fork out an extra £460 to use the new Making Tax Digital for Income Tax Self-Assessment system.
Landlords who have used cowboy spray foam firms to insulate their properties are to be offered help by one of the main trade associations for the sector.
A staggering 94% of renters don’t have confidence in the government’s approach to housing, according to a poll by SpareRoom.
Salford Council wants new powers to help stem the growth of HMOs in the city.
Jacob Rees-Mogg has turned on Tory colleagues by labelling the Renters (Reform) Bill “desperate tinkering at the edges” which won’t help landlords or tenants.
A landlord who ignored a council’s enforcement notice to stop operating an HMO without planning permission has been told to return it to a ‘traditional family home’ or face a huge fine.
Opportunities for developers and investors in property will open up as new amendments are laid down.
It’s another week of news suggesting that landlords need to sell. If you’ve not yet considered cutting your loses, this might be the sign it’s time to exit the market, fast.
Cross-party peers have grilled Housing Minister Baroness Penn over the government’s ambiguous assurance that no-fault evictions would be banned before the general election.
A rogue landlord who ignored requests to raise standards at his two unlicensed properties has been hit with a bill of more than £45,000.
The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has today raided homes and arrested four people connected to a group of investment companies that left some 1,000 investors out of pocket.
A leading Tory lobbyist and political commentator has called on the government to ditch plans for abolishing Section 21 amid fears that it will only worsen the housing crisis.
New research among tenants reveals a bleak picture as the cost-of-living crisis hits home within the private rented sector.
Leading letting agent Marc von Grundherr (pictured) has labelled the government’s crackdown on short lets “ironic”, given its hard line on buy-to-let landlords.
A surprising 65% of landlords are considering or have already become a limited company as thousands seek tax benefits to help their business succeed.
The private rented sector is forecast to lose half a million homes during the next decade, leaving a large supply gap that can be filled by the build-to-rent sector, it has been claimed.
Paul Shamplina and guests debate whether the UK tax regime is stacked against landlords in this Propertycast episode.
Concerns among Blackpool landlords over the future of the city's selective licensing have been swept aside after councillors approved the hugely enlarged scheme, which must now go to Michael Gove for the final green light.
Barking and Dagenham Council is the latest borough to launch a bid to renew and expand its licencing schemes.
Arguments between politicians, landlords, charities and both tenant and trade unions in Scotland about what to do when the country’s ongoing rent cap scheme ends on 31st March deadline have ramped up in the past few days.
