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
Bank of England cuts base rate to 5%, offering relief to landlords with buy-to-let mortgages nearing the end of fixed-rate deals.
Encouraging landlords to rent out more homes will not solve the housing crisis, it has been claimed.
A rogue landlord who was also a letting agent in Essex has been banned from being a landlord in England for three years.
A big council in the East Midlands has revealed plans to extend and widen its additional licencing scheme for HMOs.
Labour has moved to make good on its manifesto promise to reform and improve the Right to Buy scheme which, under the Tories, saw the number of publicly-funded affordable rented homes in England shrink dramatically.
Councils are failing in more ways than one. When it comes to complaints from their tenants, repairs and maintaining safety standards, councils are not performing
An HMO landlord has lost his appeal against an improvement notice ordering him to update a 'paddle staircase'.
The number of short lets in Scotland fell last year as the sector felt the impact of its licensing scheme clampdown.
One in five private renters had to provide a guarantor when moving into their current property - equating to 940,000 households - according to the latest English Housing Survey.
Shocking behaviour by a landlord has prompted withering comments from a judge and a huge fine.
The next stage of the Renters’ Rights Bill has been scheduled for 1st July, raising the prospect that it could become law before parliamentary summer recess.
Lloyds has taken the next step towards becoming one of the UK’s biggest private landlords.
The relentless decline in the volume of new landlord listings shows no signs of abating.
Scottish landlords and agents have a new housing secretary to deal with after incumbent Paul McLennan
The Eastern Landlords Association has condemned comments labelled “unprofessional and disgusting” recorded its annual conference.
Pressure on landlords to provide homes for those who would normally rent within the affordable and social housing sectors will lift soon following today’s Spending Review.
The Irish government has rowed back on its rent control rules in a bid to bring down rents and boost supply.
A Dagenham landlord has been fined more than £20,000 after repeatedly ignoring a planning enforcement notice.
Weaker demand and growing affordability pressures have pushed rental growth to a four-year low.
Landlords are facing one of the private rented sector biggest changes in years when it ends fixed-term tenancy agreements.
Nearly 50 estate agencies were expelled from the Property Redress scheme during a six month period last year, the organisation has revealed
The Law Commission has published an interim report on its initial conclusions about security of tenure for business leases
Landlords in Wirral might not welcome yet another selective licensing scheme, but a reduced £fee will make it one of the cheapest in UK.
A landlord in Aberdeen has been banned for failing to repair dangerous electrics in his rental property.
Growing numbers of young people in the UK now prefer to invest in rental properties than buy their own home, an estate agency has claimed.
Despite the sometimes hostile environment endured by current landlords, a third of UK adults aspire to invest in buy-to-let to build their long-term prosperity.
The first independent report into the build-to-rent (BTR) sector has tracked huge growth in urban areas and city centres where it’s taking up the slack from traditional landlords.
The Scottish Government has launched a consultation on its plans to introduce a minimum EPC level for rented homes.
Landlords seeking to recoup money from tenants now have an alternative to a lengthy and expensive battle through the courts.
Paragon Bank’s latest financial results show that buy to let is not in terminal decline, but the industry is going through structural change
Two leading proeprty industry figures give their views on when landlords will face the new Renters' Rights Bill.
Landlords could be fined if they don’t engage with local councils who target their premises for a high street rental auction.
Brighton & Hove Council could push for an earlier crackdown on short lets in the city rather than waiting for government restrictions.
One of London’s most high-profile councils has revealed the start date for its new selective and additional licensing schemes as it bids to clamp down on rogue landlords and improve rental properties.
