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
Test Case: Leeds City Council v Broadley [2016]This case and the subsequent High Court ruling has brought some clarification about who is liable to pay council tax, tenant or landlord, when a rental property is vacant due to a tenant vacating early, that is, before the tena
Ending a Tenancy: What are the rules governing the ending of a statutory periodic tenancy (SPT) by the tenant, especially when the periods of the tenancy are not the standard 1 month?The answer to this question is not easily defined as it is not covered by one rule or a sing
Deposit Scheme Scam: Mydeposits says it is aware of a new scam being used by a fraudulent company imitating mydeposits and targeting landlords and letting agent members of the mydeposits Custodial scheme in England & Wales.The scam uses an email which imitates one from m
Two out of three HMO landlords in Portsmouth plan to call it quits this year, largely prompted by the launch of an additional licensing scheme in September. Portsmouth & District Private Landlords Associations survey found that this would mean a loss of 348 rooms which, e
A Government investigation into damp and mould in the social housing sector has disclosed initial findings which show a significant number of homes in the social sector are affected by this problem. On Thursday (2 February) the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) published a <a hr
The property industrys Rumble with the Agents charity event is to host its eighth evening of boxing and fund-raising in North London on Thursday 22nd June, it has been announced. <figure id="" class="w-richtext-figure-type- " data-rt-type="" dat
The Bank of England has raised interest rates for the 10th consecutive time as it battles inflation - a move likely to hit thousands of investors with variable rate mortgages and those forced to renew fixed-rate deals. The base rate has gone up by half a percent to 4%, the highe
Englands HMO market has shrunk by more than 21,000 properties in the last two years as local councils ramp up planning rules and licensing schemes. Numbers were down by -2.4% to 489,701 last year, having already seen a -1.7% drop in 2021, according to figures from Octane Capi
The boss of online lettings platform lettingaproperty.com is determined to overcome landlords inertia to switch from using high street agents. Jonathan Daines admits its a challenge as 95% of landlords still use agents, with the ingrained belief that the online process wil
House prices have fallen for the fifth month in a row, with the average property now worth �258,297, almost �4,000 less than in December, reports Nationwide. January saw a -0.6% monthly dip which left prices 3.2% lower than their August peak, while annual house price growth al
If you were due to submit a self-assessment tax return and pay your dues by yesterdays deadline and you missed it you should do so now without delay, otherwise you will face a penalty. Anyone with rental income must submit a self-assessment income tax return, completing the property inco
Landlords are to get their latest outing on the silver screen within the first movie by comedians Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer, it has been reported. But predictably its not the image many would prefer to see the comedy pair promote. After nearly two decades of dev
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.
A proposed shake-up of social housing would tighten allocation rules and allow landlords to get tougher on anti-social tenants.
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.
A lack of council-organised landlord gatherings could hamper the Renters Reform Bill’s ambitions, according to Propertymark.
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 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.
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.
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).
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.
The Renters (Reform) Bill will reduce rather than enhance housing rights for students, according to the former CEO of student housing charity Unipol.
Liverpool Council aims to source 400 private sector properties in a bid to house growing numbers of homeless people in the city.
The key tenancy breaches by tenants reported by landlords have been revealed with non-payment of rent, dirty homes and failing to report repairs and maintenance issues as the most common.
An ambitious landlord who bought his first property aged 18 now has an impressive property portfolio worth £6 million 20 years later.
