Obtaining Possession Using Section 21 Notices Updated October 2016This article explains how to gain possession of your residential rental property in the most efficient way possible. You may just want your property back for your own use, or to sell, or you may be having prob
Winter Condensation: Its that time of year again, a time when tenants are most likely to complain about the mould appearing in those corners of the property where the walls and ceilings are really cold, and hot air with moisture always rises to the top. If its black mo
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
A reporter who responded to adverts in shop windows in east London for a ‘bedspace’ in shared rooms found unsanitary and overcrowded unlicensed homes.
A landlord who left her tenants in a damp and mouldy flat has been ordered to pay a whopping £16,267 by magistrates.
Marcel Price is considering converting his properties into short-term holiday lets due to fears over the Renters’ Rights Bill.
Lawyer David Smith casts an expert eye over the legislation and divines when its different parts will become law.
Leading organisations including Phil Spencer back the campaign, which seeks to give landlords more time to pay their Stamp Duty.
HFIS is deeply saddened to announce the passing of Mike Morgan, a key figure at Property Redress and Client Money Protect
Comments follow new research that reveals rise in tenants being evicted as their landlords prepare to sell up.
What Landlords need to know now! Protection from discrimination to be a key component of the new Act
Aunberin Saddique is the first landlord in the UK to make the undertaking under the Digital Marketing, Competition and Consumer Act 2024.
Lettings Document Checklist: When setting up a new Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST) it has always been important to pay attention to the paperwork, which provides vital evidence should there be a dispute during or after the tenancy.But since the Deregulation Act 2015, with me
The government has reassured landlords that it is forging ahead with plans for court reform in readiness for abolishing section 21.
Government plans to abolish assured shorthold tenancies and replace them with periodic lets could put landlords’ properties at risk, according to inspection specialists NoLettingGo.
Two letting agents in the South West has claimed that landlords are leaving the private rental market in droves.
The Scottish government has backtracked on plans to force the private rented sector to meet energy efficiency deadlines by 2025.
A First Tier Property Tribunal has criticised Barking and Dagenham Council for failing to support a landlord who mistakenly failed to get a selective licence.
A new Online Fraud Charter aims to thwart property rental scams including fake accommodation listings on Facebook Marketplace used to lure in unsuspecting tenants.
Landlords have been warned that a Court of Appeal decision issued late last week will mean that in future they will have to settle their differences with tenants via an ombudsman before going to court.
New licensing application software introduced by Portsmouth City Council has been slammed for being badly written, hard to use and too demanding.
A serving fire officer whose tenants were at risk of dying in a fire in his unsafe HMO has been fined more than £15,000.
The UK's leading property trade association has warned MPs that the Renters Reform Bill contains measures likely to make the PRS increasingly hostile to landlords.
A London landlord has been ordered to repay his tenants nearly £10,000 in rent following a Property Tribunal hearing.
Commercial tenants, with the landlord's consent, not to be unreasonably withheld, can assign their lease (transfer it) to a third party (a new tenant).
Liverpool City Council has launched a new taskforce to go after criminal landlords who exploit vulnerable tenants.
The government has signalled that it will bring in more leasehold reforms for flat owners following the introduction of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill.
Leaders Romans Group (LRG) has called for a landlords’ reform bill to protect landlords and safeguard the housing sector.
Coventry has gone ahead with a huge new scheme to prevent properties being converted into HMOs without full planning permission.
This was a question answered during a recent appeal case covered here by Tom Entwistle In the Prempeh v Lakhany (Oct 2020) appeal the tenant claimed that a Section 8 notice was invalid because it did not contain the la
Paul Shamplina has won Seminar Speaker of the Year at the National LIS Awards 2023, the third time in a row the Landlord Action founder has received the honour.
A letting agent has been found to have blatantly broken the law by refusing to hand back a holding deposit.
Landlords have been warned that they will have to work much harder with their letting agent to ensure property adverts for their homes to rent include all the ‘material information’.
One in five landlords hit by rising costs are considering selling up, with a stark divide between those with properties in the north and south of the country.
Scotland’s housing minister has defended the country’s policy of rent and eviction controls despite new figures showing rents continuing to rise.
A landlord couple could face jail after admitting a string of offences which led to the death of one of their tenants in a fire.
Disputes between landlords and their tenants will soon be handled by the social housing ombudsman, it has been confirmed by Government minister Jacob Young.
