Providing a Reference - I have been asked to provide a reference for one of my tenants who is moving on. What is my legal position in this and am I putting myself at risk if I say he was a bad tenant?</h2> Referencing (seeking verification of a tenants past performance) is an increasi
Polystyrene Ceiling Tiles - is it legal to have these tiles in the kitchen of a rental property?</h2> There are currently no regulations specifically banning the use of polystyrene ceiling tiles in existing rented property.However, it is unlikely that local authority fire officers and en
Misrepresentation - We recently rented out our rural cottage to a couple. As they wanted to use their computers I said it was possible to get high-speed broad-band. I thought this would be possible but it seems it is not at this time. The couple are now claiming that I misled them and that
I'm receiving mail for previous tenants and some of them are from debt collectors. Will this get my property black listed and cause problems for my current tenants and myself in the future?</h2> It's fairly common to have mail arriving for months and even years after residents have left,
Long Term AST - My prospective tenant has asked for a tenancy term of 6 years. Can I use the usual Assured Shorthold Tenancy agreement for this?</h2> The Assured Shorthold Tenancy is the default tenancy for residential lettings and since October 2010 this applies to rents up to �100,000
Question: How long should accounts be kept to satisfy the authorities, things like accounting files, invoices and tax records, as a property landlord?Answer: You must keep your records for 6 years after the tax year to which they apply, whether or not you complete a tax return.It's a good idea, a
Expiry of Section 21 Notice - I have served a Section 21 (s21) Notice on my tenant but don't wish to start proceedings immediately. Can I wait without the notice expiring?Once a Section 21 notice has been served correctly it continues indefinitely, until such time as the tenancy is ended, either
Covenant and Covenant Strength - What is a legal covenant and what is the significance of the terms in relation to rental property and lettings ?</h2>The term covenant can have several meanings and has biblical origins but it is of particulalry significance
2 years ago I purchased a company with a 10 year lease from my ex boss, on a 10 year lease, the lease was set up by a solicitor. After 2 years the business is struggling and is not viable. I feel that my solicitor ill advised me as there was no break clause mentioned. Where do I stand on t
Good Left in the Premises or Uncollected GoodsFrequently, tenants leave goods after their tenancy has concluded or when they have abandon the premises during a tenancy. Uncollected goods and possessions left or abandoned in premises by tenants can pose a real problem for landlords.
<h1 Standing Order</h1>What are Bankers' Standing Orders?</h3><ul <li Standing Orders allow landlords to automate the process of collecting rents</li> <li They safeguard tenants in that the landlord cannot change the payment amount, as is the case with direct debit
The Possession Procedure - 1988 Housing ActThe possession procedure under Section 8 of the Housing Acts 1988 & 1996 is known as the Section 8 Route and is available to landlords where the tenant is in breach of one or more terms of
Renting or Leasing Commercial Property Renting commercial property usually represents a major part of the operating costs involved in running any business. If you include surveyor's and solicitor's fees, rent, business rates, insurance,
Types of Tenure: A tenancy gives the tenant a legal interest in the land and property - in effect, legal ownership for the period of the tenancy. Tenancies can take several forms: <ul <li Rent Act or Regulated Tenancies - pre </li> <li
<h1 Joint or Single Shared Tenancies</h1>Shared House (Joint Tenants) or Individual Rooms (Single Tenants)? Where a landlord lets to multiple and usually unrelated tenants there are two main ways of doing this:(1) As a Joint Tenancyng
These are tenancies that fall outside the scope of the Housing Acts (1988, 1996, 2004), including the Regulated Tenancies, Assured Tenancies (AT) and Assured Shorthold Tenancies ASTs.In the case of a common law residential tenancy , the tenant's rights and obligations are ma
What are Business Tenancies ?A tenancy is an "estate in land", granted for a determined period of time (term of years or fixed term - 6 months,1 year, 21 years, 99 years etc) or a specific period (a periodic tenancy - yearly, monthly, weekly, even daily).In return for the "time lim
Landlord's Duty to Ensure Installations are SafeAll Landlords have a common law duty to ensure that gas installations and appliances supplied with their properties are safe. Tenants also have certain legal obligations when it comes to gas safety - see below.I
Landlords should do their homework before voting in the local elections next week and take the chance to quiz candidates on issues affecting the PRS, advises Leaders Romans Group (LRG). It points to a number of pressing local issues which can be determined
Landlords have until 1st June to comply with the new and relatively convoluted Rented Homes Wales legislation following its introduction last December. Under the new law, standard contracts have replaced assured shorthold tenancies a
Companies selling multi-occupancy insurance will have to act in leaseholders best interests under new proposals from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). It is demanding new rights and protections to improve the transparency of the multi-occupancy leasehold buildings insura
Jersey has launched a consultation into sweeping reforms including rent controls and open-ended tenancies, prompting fears that they could force more private landlords to quit the sector. The islands government aims to increase protections for both tenants and landlords
A new law to crack down on predatory landlords who exploit vulnerable people for sex in return for free or discounted rent is being considered, Home Secretary Suella Braverman (main picture) has announced. Her department is seeking the views of victims, the police and charities
There are heavy fines for those landlords who fail to have their rental properties tested by a qualified electrician before letting, and for existing tenancies, or if they fail to comply with any of the important recommendations made in a test report. The landlord will ordinarily have 28 da
Tribunal judge warns landlords to include licensing update clauses in agency contracts to avoid fines for non-compliance with licensing requirements.
The number of VAT and/or PAYE enterprises operating in the UKs residential and commercial rental sectors climbed 2% in the past year, despite the governments best efforts to deter investment. Analysis of government data by debt advisory firm https://siriusfinance.
Luton Council is making yet another attempt to bring in two new licensing schemes after a string of false starts amid landlord opposition. Its overview and scrutiny board has agreed to recommend a town-wide additional scheme as well as a selective scheme in South ward, which now
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.
The Law Society of England and Wales has called for more housing legal aid to help those tenants facing eviction or repossession.
Warwick Council has handed out its first banning order, to rogue landlord Grzegorz Surminski who sub-let a dangerous and unlicensed HMO.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
A tenant who stole almost £2,000 of furnishings from his elderly landlord has been handed a suspended jail sentence
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.
US based CoStar, a force to be reckoned with in property, has completed a takeover of UK property portal, OnTheMarket.com
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.
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 turnaround in UK property market - inflation down to 3 per cent in two years
Landlords in one of London’s biggest boroughs face a new selective schemes following a consultation launched by Lambeth council.
More landlords to be priced out of BTL as rent increases slow from their peak
An SNP MP has made another attempt to prevent PRS landlords from evicting benefit tenants who are in arrears.
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.
Landlords in Wales need to update their occupation contract templates after the Welsh government amended part of the document.
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.
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.
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.
A landlord who tried to challenge a tax fine by unwittingly using fake rulings generated by an artificial intelligence (AI) system like ChatGPT has had her appeal dismissed.
Landlords in Lewisham are the latest within the London to face a selective licencing scheme now that permission has been granted by the Secretary of State for the scheme.
