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How Rick Gannon went from career break to £7m HMO portfolio

How Rick Gannon went from career break to £7m HMO portfolio

News

Rick Gannon became an accidental landlord when his first property was in negative equity and decided to rent it out. Fast-forward a few years and he and wife Lorraine had made a substantial amount on the sale so decided to use the proceeds to buy other properties to rent wit

Salford to begin huge new £1,085-per-property HMO licensing scheme

Salford to begin huge new £1,085-per-property HMO licensing scheme

News

Salford has given the go-ahead to a new licensing scheme for smaller HMOs in response to a rise in safety problems and resident complaints. The scheme covering the entire city - takes effect on 19th July and costs landlords �1,085 to licence shared homes where three or four

Suspended sentence for banned engineer who issued fake Gas Safe certificate

Suspended sentence for banned engineer who issued fake Gas Safe certificate

News

A banned boiler engineer has narrowly avoided jail after producing a fake Gas Safe certificate for a landlord. Jeffrey Lewis, 74, of Ashbourne Road, Cheadle, was asked by a landlord to repair a tenants boiler but failed to tell him he had been banned from carrying out gas wor

Plans to outlaw landlords who refuse to rent to tenants with children

Plans to outlaw landlords who refuse to rent to tenants with children

News

Jersey has launched a consultation over plans to outlaw landlords who refuse to rent to tenants with children. Social security minister deputy Judy Martin hopes to amend the Discrimination Law 2013 to protect families looking for homes on the island, which currently doesnt pr

LATEST: Liverpool begins huge HMO licensing push

LATEST: Liverpool begins huge HMO licensing push

News

Liverpool City Council has clamped down on HMO conversions as it launches a new assault on the private rented sector. Under a new Article 4 direction, any size home in the city centre will need planning permission to be converted into an HMO from 17th</s

BREAKING: Treat Hong Kong arrivals with care when checking Right to Rent, Minister warns

BREAKING: Treat Hong Kong arrivals with care when checking Right to Rent, Minister warns

News

The government appears to have admitted it has concerns about landlords discriminating against the potential influx of Hong Kong residents. Home Office Minister Baroness Williams of Trafford advised landlords to be careful when doing Right to Rent checks on inbound Hong Kong res

Forum Q&A: Early termination fees & invoices explained

Forum Q&A: Early termination fees & invoices explained

Information

Early termination fees and invoice questions answered—your top forum concerns, sorted.

REVEALED: Why not all EPCs are created equally

REVEALED: Why not all EPCs are created equally

News

Getting a good EPC rating is important for rentals to meet the MEES regulations, and in future even higher ratings will be demanded, but this can be a challenge for some landlords� Since October 2008, rental properties in England and Wales have been required to

How safe are classified sites? Another tenant scammed by fake landlord

How safe are classified sites? Another tenant scammed by fake landlord

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A tenant has been scammed by a Gumtree advertiser who stole more than �2,000, leaving her facing homelessness. Mum-of-four, Shirley Jones, from Coventry, fell for the flat rental scam after answering the advert for a three-bedroom home in Nuneaton that was available to rent on

LATEST: Government's annual housing benefit bill rises to �30 billion

LATEST: Government's annual housing benefit bill rises to �30 billion

News

The government is expecting to spend and eye-watering �30 billion on housing benefit for tenants this year, DWP minister Will Quince has told parliament. This figure is �8-10 billion more than the Office for Budget Responsibility https://obr.uk/forecasts-in-depth/tax-

BREAKING: 'Half of tenants would take out pet insurance against damage', says expert

BREAKING: 'Half of tenants would take out pet insurance against damage', says expert

News

Half of all tenants who want to rent a home with their pet would be prepared to take out specialist insurance to cover their landlord against damage, a leading campaigner has revealed. Jennifer Berezai of AdvoCATS has researched an in-depth report into whether there is an appeti

Six month tenancy notice made permanent in Wales

Six month tenancy notice made permanent in Wales

News

Legislation has been passed in Wales that extends the amount of notice landlords must give to their tenants, from the two month s21 period, to six months. The Renting Homes (Amendment) (Wales) Bill means (because notice cannot be served within the initial term) that the minimum

Leading private landlord moves entire portfolio to Ltd company and saves �10 million

Leading private landlord moves entire portfolio to Ltd company and saves �10 million

News

One of Britains biggest private landlords is encouraging others to follow his lead by shifting property from their own name into a company structure. In what is thought to be the countrys largest ever mortgage transaction, Alastair Kerr (pictured) has transferred ownership

Regaining possession of a commercial property

Regaining possession of a commercial property

News

Landlords of commercial premises may consider it necessary to bring the lease to an end or to refuse to renew a lease. This course of action might be for a number of reasons: A tenant for example might not have a statutory right to a lease renewal under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954, the

MTD vs Self-Assessment Tax Returns - understanding the coming changes

MTD vs Self-Assessment Tax Returns - understanding the coming changes

Information

The big changes are in the submission frequency and digital submission process. Firstly, you will need to complete not one but five tax submissions per year � one every quar

BREAKING: Don't expect an extension to the electrical safety standards deadline, says ministry

BREAKING: Don't expect an extension to the electrical safety standards deadline, says ministry

News

Landlords have been warned not to expect a grace period or extension to the deadline for properties to confirm to the new electrical safety standards. Originally, an https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/electrical-safety-standards-in-the-private-rented-sector-guid

Average house price to rise by 17% over next ten years and to nearly �400,000 by 2050

Average house price to rise by 17% over next ten years and to nearly �400,000 by 2050

News

The average UK house price could surge by 17% in the next decade, based on historical data from the past 40 years, and is set to reach �400,000 by 2050. Property buying firm Good Move has studied house prices in the UK since 1980 to predict what the market might look like in th

Cleaning is still the biggest cause of deposit disputes

Cleaning is still the biggest cause of deposit disputes

News

What is a clean and tidy house to some is and unacceptably dirty mess to others; people have different standards and this will never change. Alternatively, some tenants are just too lazy to leave the place clean and tidy: dirty carpets and furniture, filthy bathrooms and toilets, and kitchen work

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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

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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

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News
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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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News
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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.

Renew electrics now to avoid 2025 EICR rush

Renew electrics now to avoid 2025 EICR rush

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Landlords urged to renew Electrical Installation Condition Reports (EICRs) in 2024 to avoid delays and potential fines as demand surges in 2025.

Letting agency faces strike off after failing landlord clients

Letting agency faces strike off after failing landlord clients

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Scottish ministers could decide to strike letting agent Belvoir Perth from the country's letting register after it ignored a tribunal order to pay out compensation.

Landlord defends 'publicity stunt' chainsaw eviction video

Landlord defends 'publicity stunt' chainsaw eviction video

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Controversial property educator Samuel Leeds has insisted that his latest online video – breaking through a door with a chainsaw – wasn’t illegal and aimed to highlight private landlords’ predicament.

Lawyers call for more cash to fund tenant eviction fight-backs

Lawyers call for more cash to fund tenant eviction fight-backs

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The Law Society of England and Wales has called for more housing legal aid to help those tenants facing eviction or repossession.

Midlands town issues first banning order - against criminal landlord

Midlands town issues first banning order - against criminal landlord

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Warwick Council has handed out its first banning order, to rogue landlord Grzegorz Surminski who sub-let a dangerous and unlicensed HMO.

Landlord fails in unusual attempt to overturn banning order

Landlord fails in unusual attempt to overturn banning order

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A landlord has failed in a bid to overturn his banning order on the grounds that his convictions were spent by the time it was imposed by a First Tier Property Tribunal.

City-wide landlord accreditation scheme launched with fees sweetener

City-wide landlord accreditation scheme launched with fees sweetener

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Nottingham council has launched a city-wide ‘good landlord’ accreditation scheme and offered those who join the scheme a 10% reduction on fees for its private sector licencing schemes.

High profile tenant given six months in jail for rental fraud

High profile tenant given six months in jail for rental fraud

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A director of the Scottish Women’s Premier League (SWPL) who defrauded her elderly landlord out of £30,000 has been jailed for six months.

UPDATE: NW council approves bigger selective licencing scheme

UPDATE: NW council approves bigger selective licencing scheme

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Two selective licencing schemes operated by Wirral Council in and around Birkenhead have been renewed with a further two schemes about to be launched following a consultation.

Southcoast city latest to charge landlords £500 for improvement notices

Southcoast city latest to charge landlords £500 for improvement notices

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Landlords in Brighton and Hove face a £500 charge if they are handed an improvement notice, as part of a council crackdown on failing properties.

How bad is the rental crisis? Latest figures reveal reality not the hype

How bad is the rental crisis? Latest figures reveal reality not the hype

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One of the key arguments used by housing campaigners to criticise the private rented sector and its landlords has been contradicted by the latest English Housing Survey.

Nightmare tenant sentenced after stealing landlord's furnishings

Nightmare tenant sentenced after stealing landlord's furnishings

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A tenant who stole almost £2,000 of furnishings from his elderly landlord has been handed a suspended jail sentence

MPs warn renting reforms could make PRS worse, not better

MPs warn renting reforms could make PRS worse, not better

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A cross-party group of MPs and peers has warned that the government needs to get its Renters Reform Bill right if it is to avoid exacerbating the housing crisis.

The US CoStar Group has completed a takeover of UK property portal OnTheMarket.com

The US CoStar Group has completed a takeover of UK property portal OnTheMarket.com

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US based CoStar, a force to be reckoned with in property, has completed a takeover of UK property portal, OnTheMarket.com

Lettings firm accused of breaking evictions ban

Lettings firm accused of breaking evictions ban

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Three students have threatened to take their landlord to tribunal for allegedly flouting eviction ban regulations which meant they were forced out of their flat while studying for exams.

Landlord given £485,000 fine over ‘sheds with beds’

Landlord given £485,000 fine over ‘sheds with beds’

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A rogue landlord who used a fake name to evade the law has been handed a whopping £485,000 in fines after he was found illegally renting out a large shed as five flats.

US bank predicts rebound in UK property prices

US bank predicts rebound in UK property prices

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US bank predicts turnaround in UK property market - inflation down to 3 per cent in two years

London's most expensive selective licencing scheme revealed

London's most expensive selective licencing scheme revealed

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Landlords in one of London’s biggest boroughs face a new selective schemes following a consultation launched by Lambeth council.

Recent research by Savills points to more landlords being priced out of BTL

Recent research by Savills points to more landlords being priced out of BTL

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More landlords to be priced out of BTL as rent increases slow from their peak

MP in second bid to stop landlords evicting benefits tenants in arrears

MP in second bid to stop landlords evicting benefits tenants in arrears

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An SNP MP has made another attempt to prevent PRS landlords from evicting benefit tenants who are in arrears.

Unusual portal and app that pays landlords seeks £5m funding

Unusual portal and app that pays landlords seeks £5m funding

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A property start-up hoping to the next big thing in the student housing market is looking for a £5 million cash injection to help it launch across four more cities.

Wales changes guidance after 'uncertainy' over occupation contracts

Wales changes guidance after 'uncertainy' over occupation contracts

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Landlords in Wales need to update their occupation contract templates after the Welsh government amended part of the document.

Initiative launched to better regulate property 'deal sourcers'

Initiative launched to better regulate property 'deal sourcers'

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The world of property deal sourcing is to become better regulated following the launch of a new partnership between the sector’s trade association and the Property Redress Scheme.

HMRC targetting 'under declaring' limited company landlords

HMRC targetting 'under declaring' limited company landlords

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A property lawyer has warned that HMRC believes buy-to-let landlords may be under-declaring taxes, and that it has them in their sights.

Smaller landlords offloading properties the most - claim

Smaller landlords offloading properties the most - claim

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Twice the number of landlords with one or two properties plan to sell up compared with those who own more than 10 properties, according to a new survey.