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
A landlord couple have been convicted of a �1 million benefit fraud stretching over 20 years. Emmanuel Bay , 68, and Nancy Bay , 67, of Sudbourne Road, Brixton (pictured), were found guilty of 21 offences between 1999 and 2018 under t
Home Reit, an investment trust landlord, was set-up to house Britains homeless. But the company has found itself running into increasing difficulties, with tenants' complaints and failed rent payments, a negative short-seller's report, a financial squeeze with falling stock prices and al
A boost in court resources as well as measures to fast-track the most serious possession cases related to anti-social behaviour and rent arrears will be vital post-Section 21, says NRLA chief executive Ben Beadle . Without reform, a rise in cases will add t
Councillors in Reading are set to rubber stamp plans to extend restrictions on the number of HMO conversions. An Article 4 direction already covers parts of the town where HMOs are prevalent, in much of Park, Redlands and Katesgrove wards, as well as Jesse Terrace.
Propertymark has called for a set of standards for developers and clear guidance for local councils as a way to effectively convert empty commercial properties into affordable homes - an increasingly popular path for some bigger PRS landlords. Responding to an inquiry from all-p
Converting commercial buildings to residential use would seem an ideal solution to a housing shortage, especially with and a glut of underused commercial buildings, but how easy is it? The planning regulation changes have made it easier to convert commercial buildings to residen
The new How to Rent guide due to come out today (17th March) has been delayed for a week, according to industry sources. The new guide forms part of the prescribed information that landlords in England must issue at the start of any new tenancy or renewa
John Lewiss build-to-rent strategy appears to be stalling amid local opposition to its plans for large developments in West Ealing and Bromley. The retailer has just announced pre-tax losses of �234 million as sales dipped 2% last year, making it even more vital to find new
Landlords with empty properties are being urged to take advantage of council cash to help fight the housing shortage. About 300 councils currently offer a scheme mainly loans to carry out repairs - although some provide grants, usually ranging from �5,000 to more than �25,
Letting out property abroad can be a great way of generating extra income. The property might have been bought primarily as an investment but for others or it could be second or holiday home let out when not in use. There are plenty of things to think about, though.
Leicester is going ahead with its selective licensing extension in three areas of the city, charging landlords �1,090 per property - the highest fee in the Midlands. The council is introducing the scheme in parts of Westcotes, Fosse, Braunstone Park and Rowley Fields wards, whi
Durham Council has warned landlords covered by its new selective licensing scheme to brace themselves for inspections next month. At least 29,000 properties, 42% of the countys PRS, are covered by the scheme which launched in April after winning government approval. <p id
Nearly one-fifth of private rented homes would need work costing more than �10,000 to bring them up to an EPC Band C, according to the latest PRS figures. The English Housing Survey Private Rented Sector report for 2020-21 found that these were more likely to need larger sums o
The latest figures available from Rightmove show that London rents jumped by around 14 per cent in the last year, with some property experts calling it the most competitive market on record Matt Hutchinson, a director at SpareRoom, the flat sharing website, has said: <p
The pandemic has had a devastating impact on commercial property, with lockdowns, social distancing, working from home (WFH), all accelerating the move to online and home deliveries. The likes of Tesco, Ocado and the other big supermarket deliveries were the saviour of the public during the
Welsh politicians have reaffirmed their desire to consider rent controls in the PRS while announcing plans to crack down on the holiday let sector. Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price (main pic, right) suggested rent controls could be on the table when the long-awaited but now <a href
Michael Gove, arguable the best housing secretary for some years, has been sacked from his job after joining a chorus of Tory cabinet ministers calling on the PM to resign. During a fast-moving day in politics which has seen over 40 MPs quit the government or withdraw their supp
Coventry councillors are set to approve a 12-week consultation into plans to renew the city-wide additional licensing scheme.
The number of Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMOs) in England is continuing to nosedive, official statistics seen by LandlordZONE reveal.
Build-to-rent (BTR) continues its seemingly unstoppable march across UK cities, with the British Property Federation reporting that 58,000 homes had detailed planning permission in Q4 2023, the highest number on record.
Landlords rush to sell before March deadline—rising taxes and market shifts driving exits.
A landlord has evicted all his tenants from an HMO after a man forced his way into the property with a chainsaw after hearing that his stepdaughter had been bullied by fellow residents.
A landlord who allowed cannabis farms to operate in 17 of his 72 properties as part of a multi-million-pound drugs operation has been jailed for 11 years.
A 30-year-old entrepreneur specialising in buy-to-let investment and lettings has been named one of the UK’s top young business people.
Private tenants in the South West will save hundreds on their energy bills following a council’s push to identify those with failed Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs).
A crisis in the making? Will commercial property owners come through the looming debt repayment crisis unscathed?
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.
A rogue landlord who failed to repair serious safety hazards in his property has been ordered to pay more than £3,000.
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.
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?
A landlord who claimed unsuccessfully that he had been deceived by his tenants has been handed a £9,745 rent repayment order.
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 Northern Ireland are being reminded to renew their registration or face a heavy fine.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
The exact wording in leases is so very important when it comes to landlord - tenant disputes with commercial and residential property leases
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.
