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
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
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
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
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
The hugely popular LandlordZONE forum is a friendly community where landlords share their experiences, exchange tips and ask for advice. Here we answer a recent question and ask the experts at Hamilton Fraser to give their best answer! The question: <p
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
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
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-
Robust tenant referencing will be increasingly important for landlords when the Section 8 process becomes more protracted.
Labour's bewildering decision to U-turn on requiring tenants to have pet insurance has been slammed.
New research reveals how higher yields make licensed HMOs much sought after among investors.
All landlords in Greater Manchester will be expected to sign up for the Charter scheme which is the first of its kind in the UK
Brighton & Hove Council has given the go-ahead for a crackdown on short lets in a bid to reclaim homes.
A letting agent who was fined for letting a room in an unlicensed HMO has won his appeal.
Landlords with existing tenancy agreements which have rent payable in advance can continue collecting it until the tenancy ends.
Most landlords are committed to their property portfolios, according to new research from Leaders Romans Group (LRG), with 68% planning to maintain their existing holdings, and 6% set to expand their investments.
Property surveyor, landlord and property show host Phil Spencer says landlords should “hold firm and remember their reasons for investing.”
Housing Minister Rachel Maclean has rejected another call for new tenants to be given two years before landlords can pursue a possession order.
A landlord has been ordered to fork out more than £47,000 for failing to licence his eight rental properties, after ignoring numerous written and verbal warnings.
A landlord leader has backed Southend-on-Sea Council’s crackdown on failing private rented homes.
The number of Right to Rent penalties handed to landlords have tripled so far this year under a crackdown on illegal renting and working.
Property expert Phil Spencer has urged landlords to be reasonable when signing up tenants who get into a bidding war – but recognises that competition is down to market forces.
Housing Secretary Michael Gove has admitted that the Renters Reform Bill won’t help landlords claw back money from absconding tenants.
The government has created a “half-baked cake” in the Renters Reform Bill, leaving the PRS desperate for clarity, says one industry boss.
Conservative MP Anthony Mangnall voted against the Renters Reform Bill, warning that removing fixed-term tenancies could reduce housing supply.
After a tough week, starting with reports from the Telegraph urging banks to “stop treating landlords like cash cows” we finally have some good news.
A rogue landlord who tried to evict his tenant using “deplorable behaviour” has been jailed for eight weeks.
The government is being urged to consider hard-up renters who won’t be able to take on their landlords despite any court system upgrade ahead of the Renters Reform Bill.
Housing secretary Michael Gove has pinned the blame for non-compliance within the private sector on foreign offshore landlords during a Q&A session at yesterday’s NRLA Conference in Birmingham.
A costly HMO conversion could prove a worthwhile long-term investment, with the average 8.1% HMO yield far higher than the 4.4% generated by a regular rental property, according to research by Octane Capital.
The mandatory national Property Portal for landlords to be introduced by the Renters (Reform) Bill next year will stop the spread of borough-wide selective licencing schemes, a leading MP has claimed.
Michael Gove used his speech to introduce the second reading of his Renters (Reform) Bill to pour cold water on calls for rent controls while also trying to reassure ‘good’ landlords that the abolition of Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions will not affect them.
Following months of uncertainty, this year will be looked back upon as a tumultuous one for landlords.
Yes, legal terms confuse and like many specialisms, the confusion is added to by the fact that different terms often have essentially the same meaning.
A judge has opened the door to higher compensation being paid by landlords if they fail to protect their tenants’ rental deposits within one of the official schemes.
More detail on what information landlords will have to provide to the looming Property Portal have been revealed by the Government.
The Government has said it supports measures that will allow landlords to either charge tenants with cats or dogs both pet insurance at the beginning of tenancies or request that they take out a policy themselves.
A renters’ lobbying says its polling of England’s private renters has found a majority support the changes within the looming Renters (Reform) Bill getting its second reading today in parliament.
The Government has confirmed that it will not bring in its controversial ban on Section 21 evictions within the looming Renters (Reform) Bill until problems with the courts have been fixed.
The NRLA has urged the government to address court hold-ups while debating the Renters Reform Bill – or risk undermining work to improve the sector.
