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Tribunal slams councils for 'cash cow' licencing schemes that aren't needed

Tribunal slams councils for 'cash cow' licencing schemes that aren't needed

News

A First Tier Property Tribunal has slammed Nottingham Council for covering large swathes of the city with licensing schemes rather than targeting rogue landlords, a 'temptation' it says is faced by other local authorities. Justice for Tenants brought a case on behalf of a tenant

Shrinking buy-to-let could see a buy-to-let mortgage drought

Shrinking buy-to-let could see a buy-to-let mortgage drought

News

As landlords continue to exit the buy-to-let market, to the detriment of their tenants, could this rout also lead to buy-to-let mortgage lenders following their lead? This is a question posed by Chloe Cheung writing for the FT this last weekend. Its a serious question, a deve

Letting agents back HMO council tax re-banding reform proposals

Letting agents back HMO council tax re-banding reform proposals

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Letting agents have backed the Governments decision to reform the way HMO properties are banded for council tax. Propertymark, which represents the estate agency sector, says in its submission to a consultation by the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities that p

LATEST: Greens say 'immediate' rent freeze is only answer to housing crisis

LATEST: Greens say 'immediate' rent freeze is only answer to housing crisis

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Landlords wanting to back the eco movement may want to pause for thought after the Green Party today vowed to bring in an immediate rent freeze and no-fault eviction ban to tackle the housing crisis. During an election campaign visit to Suffolk, party co-leaders Carla Denyer and

Landlord jailed after ignoring court order to improve rat-infested property

Landlord jailed after ignoring court order to improve rat-infested property

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A rogue landlord has been jailed for 10 months after he failed to comply with conditions set by a court concerning his rat-infested property. Martin Ambler admitted four counts of breaching a criminal behaviour order in May 2022 but sentencing was deferred so that he could instr

Have you been hit by the 'cost of landlording' crisis? Here's some help

Have you been hit by the 'cost of landlording' crisis? Here's some help

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There is a lot of talk at the moment about how rents are up by 11% across the UK and although I know its tough on renters, landlord costs have, in many cases, doubled. This includes mortgage premium payments following interest rates rises from 0.5% to 4% in just 12 months, an

Tory think-tank and Shelter push for three-year tenancies for PRS

Tory think-tank and Shelter push for three-year tenancies for PRS

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The government should introduce three-year tenancies to protect tenants from uncertainty and rising rents, according to a liberal conservative think tank report. The Bright Blue group has teamed up with Shelter to publish, <strong id

NEW: Coalition slams Scots Government over rent cap and evictions freeze

NEW: Coalition slams Scots Government over rent cap and evictions freeze

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Landlords have heavily criticised the Scottish governments decision to implement its evictions freeze and rent cap without a proper consultation. The measures, which were widely criticised earlier this year for being rushed through, are now being fought by a coalition of orga

Mortgage provider sets up £50 million fund to help landlords upgrade EPCs

Mortgage provider sets up £50 million fund to help landlords upgrade EPCs

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A BTL mortgage provider has pledged to invest £50 million in a fund to help landlords enhance their property's energy efficiency.

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Rent controls 'will undermine investment in PRS' says expert

Rent controls 'will undermine investment in PRS' says expert

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Rent controls will undermine investment in Scotland’s PRS unless there is more long-term certainty, according to one leading lettings expert.

London landlord narrowly avoids refunding tenant £32,000

London landlord narrowly avoids refunding tenant £32,000

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A landlord has avoided a £32,000 rent repayment order after a judge ruled his flat was at an address not covered by a licensing scheme, but only just.

Section 21 increasingly being used by landlords to evict as ban looms

Section 21 increasingly being used by landlords to evict as ban looms

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Section 21 evictions reached record highs in 2023, with over 25,000 households facing homelessness, prompting calls for urgent reform.

'Time for bold action with rent controls has come' says mayor hopeful

'Time for bold action with rent controls has come' says mayor hopeful

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The Green Party’s mayoral candidate in London has said she will bring in rent controls saying the time for ‘bold action’ has come.

Landlords promised compensation as huge estate faces bulldozer

Landlords promised compensation as huge estate faces bulldozer

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Landlords have been promised fair compensation by a developer planning to bulldoze scores of homes on one of England’s most deprived housing estates.

Letting agents call for short-lets crackdown in London

Letting agents call for short-lets crackdown in London

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Propertymark has urged London’s Mayor to crack down on short-term lets through licensing in a bid to tackle over-supply in the capital.

Struggling HMO giant sells off more properties

Struggling HMO giant sells off more properties

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Troubled property development company Home Holdings has put another raft of HMOs onto the market in a bid to shore up losses.

Osborne's 3% extra stamp duty is reason for BTL buying slump

Osborne's 3% extra stamp duty is reason for BTL buying slump

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The decision by George Osborne in 2015 to introduce a 3% additional stamp duty levy on landlords has seen a slump in the number of BTL properties bought in the Tory heartlands of Southern England.

'Scotland's fast-rising rents are the SNP/Green's fault'

'Scotland's fast-rising rents are the SNP/Green's fault'

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A leading letting agent in Scotland has laid the blame for the country’s rental supply woes firmly at the feet of former Tenants’ Rights minister Patrick Harvie.

Understanding the challenges in the commercial property market

Understanding the challenges in the commercial property market

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A crisis in the making? Will commercial property owners come through the looming debt repayment crisis unscathed?

Leasehold reforms fail to solve most problems, says expert

Leasehold reforms fail to solve most problems, says expert

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Leaseholders won’t see all the hoped-for benefits from the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill unless significant changes are made, according to a leading expert.

Rogue landlord fined thousands after refusing to fix broken stairs

Rogue landlord fined thousands after refusing to fix broken stairs

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A rogue landlord who failed to repair serious safety hazards in his property has been ordered to pay more than £3,000.

'More carrot' for landlords to improve energy efficiency urges mortgage boss

'More carrot' for landlords to improve energy efficiency urges mortgage boss

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The Government must use ‘carrot’ as well as ‘stick’ policies as it attempts to improve the energy efficiency of the private rented sector, a leading mortgage broker as claimed.

Could you win through in the ultimate landlord knowledge quiz?

Could you win through in the ultimate landlord knowledge quiz?

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How often do a property’s electrical tests have to be completed? What’s the minimum EPC level for a property to legally rented out? What’s the difference between a large and small HMO?

Landlord to pay tenants £10,000 in unusual licencing case

Landlord to pay tenants £10,000 in unusual licencing case

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A landlord who claimed unsuccessfully that he had been deceived by his tenants has been handed a £9,745 rent repayment order.

Council widens £695 selective licencing for landlords

Council widens £695 selective licencing for landlords

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All private landlords in parts of Scarborough will have to get a selective licence from 1st June under council plans to tackle poor quality accommodation and anti-social behaviour.

Landlords in NI told to renew national licence or face big fine

Landlords in NI told to renew national licence or face big fine

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Landlords in Northern Ireland are being reminded to renew their registration or face a heavy fine. 

MP slams Airbnb for 'clearing out' longer-term lets

MP slams Airbnb for 'clearing out' longer-term lets

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Former Lib Dems leader Tim Farron has slammed Airbnb and other holiday lets platforms for creating a ‘clearance’ of long-term rental homes from his Lakeland constituency.

Landlords urge caution as new housing minister plans reforms

Landlords urge caution as new housing minister plans reforms

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Jersey’s private landlords have urged the island’s new Housing Minister to find the right balance when he revives stalled protections for landlords and tenants.

Labour landslide 'best outome for PRS' says landlording expert

Labour landslide 'best outome for PRS' says landlording expert

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A Labour landslide could be a better outcome for buy-to-let landlords than if the party wins the next election by a small majority, according to a leading property guru.

Interest rate hold: Will landlord mortgage costs now go down?

Interest rate hold: Will landlord mortgage costs now go down?

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The base interest rate used by many lenders to determine mortgage costs for landlords is to be held at 5.25% for the fourth time in a row, the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee has decided today.

Council reassures landlords over problems with licence system

Council reassures landlords over problems with licence system

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Southwark Council has reassured landlords that they won’t be lose out on an early bird discount after they reported problems accessing its updated online licensing system.

Support landlords with tax breaks says leading estate agent

Support landlords with tax breaks says leading estate agent

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A leading agent has urged the government not to rely solely on private landlords’ resilience if it wants to stop more from quitting the sector.

Labour vows to make private landlords adopt 'Awaab's Law'

Labour vows to make private landlords adopt 'Awaab's Law'

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Labour will extend ‘Awaab’s Law’ into the private rented sector if it wins power at the next General Election, its Deputy Leader Angela Rayner has revealed.

Legal case: the largest ever service charges dispute

Legal case: the largest ever service charges dispute

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The exact wording in leases is so very important when it comes to landlord - tenant disputes with commercial and residential property leases

Government to spend £70bn housing benefit tenants in private rented homes

Government to spend £70bn housing benefit tenants in private rented homes

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The extent of the Government’s reliance on private landlords to provide housing for those on benefits after years of under-investment in affordable homes has been revealed.

BREAKING: Government to bar problem tenants from social housing

BREAKING: Government to bar problem tenants from social housing

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A proposed shake-up of social housing would tighten allocation rules and allow landlords to get tougher on anti-social tenants.

Will landlords get some (tax) relief during the Spring budget?

Will landlords get some (tax) relief during the Spring budget?

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Signs that landlords may see their tax bill reduced during the Spring Budget on March 6th have emerged from parliament following a question in the Lords.

Half of councils don't talk to local landlords, probe reveals

Half of councils don't talk to local landlords, probe reveals

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A lack of council-organised landlord gatherings could hamper the Renters Reform Bill’s ambitions, according to Propertymark.

UPDATED: Anti-social behaviour is a nightmare for landlords to deal with

UPDATED: Anti-social behaviour is a nightmare for landlords to deal with

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Problem tenants are difficult to deal with for landlords at the best of times. The government's promise to introduce a fast-track process to deal with anti-social behaviour sounds promising, but can it work in practice?

Tenants warned over using 'no-win, no-fee' legal firms against landlords

Tenants warned over using 'no-win, no-fee' legal firms against landlords

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Tenants have been urged to be wary of ‘no-win, no-fee’ solicitors who deal with private rental sector cases after an almost farcical case in London.

New rental property portal 'must include accessibility info' say campaigners

New rental property portal 'must include accessibility info' say campaigners

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Disability rights groups have called on the government to include information about accessibility for disabled people on its new property portal due to go live next year.

NRLA and property fraud service reveal partnership

NRLA and property fraud service reveal partnership

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A service that alerts landlords when fraudulent tenants try to ‘steal’ their properties via title fraud has struck a deal with the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA).

City claims aggressive licencing scheme has cost landlords £250,000

City claims aggressive licencing scheme has cost landlords £250,000

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Sheffield Council has boasted that up to 800 people have been protected from risky buildings thanks to its selective licensing scheme after landlords were told to spend £250,000 doing up properties.