Landlords who rent properties to vets are being encouraged to join a new group so they can discuss problems, exchange information and learn about what it means to be a professional landlord. The Veterinary Landlords Association (VLA) which has yet to es
A petition has been launched calling on the Government to establish a national register of rogue tenants to help landlords and agents spot troublemakers before they move into properties. The petition has been launched by property lawyer Nyree Applegarth (m
Labour MP Chris Bryant has pleaded with the government to rethink its housing policies or face a perfect storm of a housing crisis� in his Rhondda constituency. He told the Commons that the frozen housing benefit cap was now completely out of kilter with reality� for m
It used to be the case that you could let your residential rental property and forget it, leaving your tenants to enjoy the accommodation in peace, without any disturbances. However, these days, with regular changes in the law, risks of none compliance and your insurance require
Rising interest rates are piling the pressure on landlords and leaving some as mortgage prisoners, according to one mortgage expert. With most fixed rates now well over 6%, the interest costs can have tripled since some landlords last mortgage was taken, causing a perfe
More landlords looking for a quick and painless exit from the PRS are considering concessionary mortgages, it has been claimed. These little-known mortgage deals allow a sitting tenant to buy the property at a discounted price, based on a valuation. The seller must b
Landlord Actions Paul Shamplina (main picture) has explained to Radio 4 listeners how an almost broken court system and higher interest rates are driving a rush in Section 21 evictions before rent reform laws kick in. Speaking on the https://www.bbc.co
A landlord has failed to convince a court that stress and financial difficulties excused her from paying a rent repayment order. Instead, Jaya Sanahs four tenants will share �16,191 after ahttps://www.landlordzone.co.uk/tag/first-tier-property-tribunal-2...
Landlords are to wait many more months to find out the details of Government proposals to raise the minimum Energy Performance Certificate for rented properties. Energy minister Andrew Bowie (main picture) has admitted during a Lords debate that progress h
Lloyds has grown its rental portfolio to 1,000 properties and has another 700 in the pipeline as it bids to become one of the UKs biggest landlords, albeit far off its original objectives. The bank has some way to go if the publicly-owned institution is to meet its target of
An Upper Tribunal has slashed a landlords Rent Repayment Order by �16,000 after taking pity during an appeal hearing on her precarious financial position�. A First Tier Property Tribunal https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6239f607e90e07799cd3de67/LO
A landlord in Norfolk has payed fines totalling �40,000 after he was found to have housed tenants in a way that put tenants at risk. Issues were reported at the Watton property (pictured) to Breckland Council last year, which prompted an inspection by officers who found a block
The Bank of England has this lunchtime raised its base rate by 0.5% as the venerable institution fights to bring down inflation, which yesterday was revealed to be sticking stubbornly at 8.7%, way above the bank's target of 2%. Commentators and mortgage holders alike had hoped t
Welsh Minister for Climate Change Julie James has backed the NRLAs call for a review of property taxation in the PRS. Speaking at thehttps://www.landlordzone.co.uk/news/breaking-landlords-tell-housing-minister-face-to-face-that-sector-needs-support/" <strong i
The Treasury has confirmed that it will not introduce tax relief on mortgage interest payments for either homeowners or landlords despite the ongoing mortgage cost crisis. As we https://www.landlordzone.co.uk/news/mortgages-landlord-tells-bbc-how-payments-have-tripled-o
JLL's latest report highlights the rapid growth of institutional Build-to-Rent (BTR) in the UK, with over 82,000 homes completed and rising demand.
Suzy Hershman (main picture), Resolution Department Lead at HFIS, examines a shocking case her team dealt with recently and highlights what landlords can learn from it . The case</h4>A landlord with a four-bedroom property i
Multi-millionaire landlord Judith Wilson (main picture, inset) has been hit with a �166,000 court bill after losing a legal battle against Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council. Wilson, wife of the controversial Fergus, who was once dubbed Britains
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
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
A landlord in London has been landed with one of the largest rent repayment orders so far this year after failing to licence their HMO property in Tottenham.
Utilities Supplies: Many commercial landlords let their tenants decide on their utility providers with their own meters, telephone lines, and networks. When youre in control and recharge these products as a service charge, then its up to you to get the best deals. Jaso
Nottingham benefits landlord Mick Roberts has robustly defended those landlords who get involved in a bidding war during an interview on 5 Live’s breakfast show.
An online service has been launched that helps protect landlords from property fraud.
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’.
