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Opinion: does Michael Gove know something we don't?

Opinion: does Michael Gove know something we don't?

Opinion

It would seem that successive Tory governments have waged an ongoing and progressively more vicious war on buy-to-let landlords, but this latest layer of legislation goes much further. Yes, this latest iteration, and one thats https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/1768/s

EXTRA red tape, scams and repairs drive more landlords to use agencies

EXTRA red tape, scams and repairs drive more landlords to use agencies

News

Almost two thirds (63%) of private landlords who manage their own properties are tired of sorting out repairs and dealing with red tape and considering using a letting agency or property manager instead.  A Uswitch poll of 2,000 landlords found that the most common reason t

Labour targets landlords with new housing reforms

Labour targets landlords with new housing reforms

News

Labour pledges stricter Decent Homes Standard 2 for private landlords, raising property quality and accountability ahead of next general election.

Starmer 'set to U-turn on rent controls' as London Mayor pleads for more powers

Starmer 'set to U-turn on rent controls' as London Mayor pleads for more powers

News

Keir Starmer is set to rebuff previous calls by London mayor Sadiq Khan to bring in a rent freeze, it has been reported. Khan has been banging his rent freeze drum for months now as the cost-of-living crisis has hit many tenants personal finances, telling the BBC in Oct

'Disaster' renting reform bill to enter parliament tomorrow after PMQs

'Disaster' renting reform bill to enter parliament tomorrow after PMQs

News

The much-delayed Renters Reform Bill is rumoured to be getting its first reading tomorrow after Prime Ministers Questions, although the 'full meat' of the proposals will come later. Rumoured to be renamed the Rented Homes Bill or Renters (Reform) Bill, landlords are waitin

BREAKING: Renters (Reform) Bill to get first airing after PMQs today

BREAKING: Renters (Reform) Bill to get first airing after PMQs today

News

The Government is to finally introduce its long-delayed renting reforms into parliament later today following Prime Ministers Questions (PMQs) in the Commons. The Bill, which is to be called the Renters (Reform) Bill, will get its first reading just aft

Third of tenants turning to credit to fund tenancy deposits - claim

Third of tenants turning to credit to fund tenancy deposits - claim

News

A tenancy deposit affordacility crisis is looming as new data reveals that nearly a third of renters are borrowing money to pay for them, new research shows. The poll of 1,000 tenants reveals how they are using credit cards, personal loans, overdrafts and family loans to scrape

Tech firm gets public cash to help portfolio landlords improve energy efficiency

Tech firm gets public cash to help portfolio landlords improve energy efficiency

News

Proptech company Propflo is working with BTL mortgage lenders to help portfolio landlords make their properties more energy efficient. It has been given a grant by Innovate UK to encourage lenders to explore initiatives such as encouraging retrofitting in their products, creatin

NEW: Government promises crack-down on dodgy rent-to-rent operators

NEW: Government promises crack-down on dodgy rent-to-rent operators

News

The government has vowed to crack down on dodgy rent-to-rent landlords who flout housing laws. Housing Minister Baroness Scott of Bybrook (pictured) says it is aware of concerns that some rent-to-rent arrangements have sometimes been used to make it more difficult to identify la

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Property investment firm cautioned over 'unclear' newspaper advert

Property investment firm cautioned over 'unclear' newspaper advert

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News
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A holiday property investment company has had its knuckles rapped over a misleading advert in The Times that promised investors whopping returns.

Landlords to face longer, harsher licensing schemes, says CIEH

Landlords to face longer, harsher licensing schemes, says CIEH

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News
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The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) has secured two amendments around tougher licensing rules in the next Renters’ Rights Bill debate.

Rise in number of landlords allowing tenants to redecorate

Rise in number of landlords allowing tenants to redecorate

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News
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Surprising new research has revealed that three quarters of landlords would allow a tenant to redecorate their home, and half of landlords would pay for the costs of completing the work.

Housing law expert to host 'deep dive' into Labour's reforms

Housing law expert to host 'deep dive' into Labour's reforms

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News
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Landlords are being invited to join a deep dive into the Renters’ Rights Bill during a two-day online conference featuring big hitters from the property sector.

Thousands of HMO landlords to face tougher rules in East of England

Thousands of HMO landlords to face tougher rules in East of England

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News
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Norwich Council is overhauling its HMO policy by bringing in higher standards and tougher enforcement action.

Stretched councils 'unable to police landlords' mouldy homes'

Stretched councils 'unable to police landlords' mouldy homes'

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News
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Local authorities are not enforcing private landlords’ legal duty to maintain safe housing, a BBC investigation has found.

High-profile landlord warns Energy Secretary over EPC upgrade plan

High-profile landlord warns Energy Secretary over EPC upgrade plan

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News
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Nottingham benefits landlord Mick Roberts has warned that the government’s push to get rental properties up to an EPC C by 2030 could backfire.

Labour struggling with house building – quantity as well as quality

Labour struggling with house building – quantity as well as quality

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News
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Angela Rayner’s promise to build 1.5 million new homes this Parliament is looking increasingly optimistic

BTL via Ltd company now most popular route

BTL via Ltd company now most popular route

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News
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Seven out of 10 landlords planning to buy a new rental property during the next 12 months will use a limited company structure, it has been claimed.

Phil Spencer warns landlords over tenant 'bidding wars'

Phil Spencer warns landlords over tenant 'bidding wars'

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News
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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.

Reform bill 'won't help landlords facing rent debt' admits minister

Reform bill 'won't help landlords facing rent debt' admits minister

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News
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Housing Secretary Michael Gove has admitted that the Renters Reform Bill won’t help landlords claw back money from absconding tenants.

Renting reforms are a 'half baked cake' says sector leader

Renting reforms are a 'half baked cake' says sector leader

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The government has created a “half-baked cake” in the Renters Reform Bill, leaving the PRS desperate for clarity, says one industry boss.

Tax moves afoot to help give landlords financial relief says Gove

Tax moves afoot to help give landlords financial relief says Gove

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News
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Conservative MP Anthony Mangnall voted against the Renters Reform Bill, warning that removing fixed-term tenancies could reduce housing supply.

Great news for landlords as private buying firms rush to snap up buy-to-let portfolios in bulk

Great news for landlords as private buying firms rush to snap up buy-to-let portfolios in bulk

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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.

Landlord jailed for eight weeks following 'deplorable' behaviour

Landlord jailed for eight weeks following 'deplorable' behaviour

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News
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A rogue landlord who tried to evict his tenant using “deplorable behaviour” has been jailed for eight weeks.

Give more legal aid to tenants facing eviction, say lawyers

Give more legal aid to tenants facing eviction, say lawyers

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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.

'Many non-compliant landlords are offshore' claims Gove

'Many non-compliant landlords are offshore' claims Gove

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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.

HMOs offer TWICE the returns of traditional rental properties, it is claimed

HMOs offer TWICE the returns of traditional rental properties, it is claimed

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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.

Property Portal could be deathknell for big selective licencing schemes, says MP

Property Portal could be deathknell for big selective licencing schemes, says MP

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News
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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.

Gove slams rent controls and defends Section 21 abolition

Gove slams rent controls and defends Section 21 abolition

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News
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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.

BLOG: 'Landlords as well as tenants face a cost of renting crisis'

BLOG: 'Landlords as well as tenants face a cost of renting crisis'

Opinion
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Following months of uncertainty, this year will be looked back upon as a tumultuous one for landlords.

Legal matters: terminology, lease or licence, what's the difference?

Legal matters: terminology, lease or licence, what's the difference?

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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.

Landlords told to check tenancy contracts after landmark court case

Landlords told to check tenancy contracts after landmark court case

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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.

Details of compulsory national Portal for landlords revealed

Details of compulsory national Portal for landlords revealed

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More detail on what information landlords will have to provide to the looming Property Portal have been revealed by the Government.

LATEST: Landlords WILL be allowed to demand tenants have pet insurance

LATEST: Landlords WILL be allowed to demand tenants have pet insurance

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News
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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.

Majority of renters support banning Section 21 evictions and rent controls - claim

Majority of renters support banning Section 21 evictions and rent controls - claim

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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.

Government U-turns on eviction and tenancy reforms

Government U-turns on eviction and tenancy reforms

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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.

Court shake-up vital in next week's Bill debate

Court shake-up vital in next week's Bill debate

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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.

Scottish eviction law continues to hamper PRS growth

Scottish eviction law continues to hamper PRS growth

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Investors are losing confidence in the Scottish PRS, while rent caps and increased construction costs are halting rental developments, says one property solicitor.

The importance of the "How to Rent" Guide and Section 21

The importance of the "How to Rent" Guide and Section 21

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How to Rent Guide : very important when setting up a new tenancy, or on renewal, and when serving a section 21 notice.

Agents and student landlords are top of the class in Bath

Agents and student landlords are top of the class in Bath

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University students rate Bath as having the best letting agents in the UK based on the number of reviews and average ratings.

Family operation ran string of unlicensed HMOs

Family operation ran string of unlicensed HMOs

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News
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A rogue landlord has been prosecuted for letting eight unlicensed HMOs which breached health and safety rules that put his tenants at risk.

Kent landlord rumbled fly-tipping tenant's waste

Kent landlord rumbled fly-tipping tenant's waste

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A Kent landlord who dumped a huge pile of his tenant’s belongings in a country lane was rumbled after an investigation traced it back to him.

OPINION: Should landlords let tenants redecorate?

OPINION: Should landlords let tenants redecorate?

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One of the biggest discussion strings on any landlord forum including our own is how far tenants are allowed to modify or refurbish their property, with many users claiming some renters go too far.