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
Durham citys parish council has taken the unusual step of asking student landlords to make a voluntary donation towards the cost of cleaning up street waste and discarded furniture. It will ask for a contribution of �52 towards its precept from student landlords to match the
Two-thirds of private landlords might sell up if they are forced to make EPC upgrades, new research finds. The Mortgage Advice Bureau says 59% would consider selling their property due to not being able to afford the changes needed to meet the minimum level. With an
NRLA boss Ben Beadle has urged the government to learn from the awful implementation� of Renting Homes Wales which he labelled a car crash of epic proportions�. Speaking on The Guild of Property Professionalshttps://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/guildprop
The Mayor of London has accused private landlords across the UK of taking rent worth �9 billion for homes that are non decent, �1.6 billion of which is paid for via housing benefit. The figure is highlighted as, this morning, Sadiq Khan reveals his PRS research generated
Legal expert warns that exempting asylum seeker HMOs from licensing could lower accommodation standards and encourage subpar housing provisions.
Housing Secretary Michael Gove meets with private rented sector leaders to discuss upcoming reforms, including the Renters Reform Bill.
Landlords and letting agents have told a new poll that the Government must reverse its Section 24 mortgage interest relief tax changes as a priority to get the private rental sector back on track. Rent tech platform Goodlord conducted the research among some 1,500 agents,
Talk of AI is all the rage right now, but have you thought about how you could use this revolutionary new development? ChatGPT is what is known as a natural language processing tool� driven by artificial intelligence (AI) technology that allows human-like conversations. Thi
Landlords criticise Minister Mims Davies for lacking data on LHA freeze impact; NRLA urges urgent action to address housing affordability gap.
Former housing minister Lord Greenhalgh has expressed doubts that leasehold reforms will be included in the Kings Speech this autumn. In an interview with Leasehold Knowledge, he said that despite being very complex legislation, the background work had been don
Edinburgh council boss Cammy Day (main pic, right) has admitted that introducing licensing and new planning application rules will result in fewer holiday properties. Speaking to Australian news channel SBS, Day explai
A landlord in Buckinghamshire is the latest to receive a large fine for operating an unlicenced HMO. Ahmad Kamal Younus, who owns a rental property on Ellsworth Road in High Wycombe, was recently found guilty of five offices Wycombe Magistrate Court by District Judge Sharma, inc
A good Samaritan landlord is bucking the national trend by not raising his rents for more than 25 years. Mick Musson, who owns eight flats at the former Blue Horse Pub (inset), in Great Ponton, Lincolnshire, hasnt increased the rent since he took over the property, and now co
There is a growing consensus that mortgage interest rates will soon be heading south as house sales show signs of gaining momentum.
A would-be student tenant has accused a landlord of making homophobic rules before agreeing to a house viewing.
Rebel Tory MPs who lobbied for amendments to the Renters (Reform) Bill have received £450,000 in donations and earnings linked to landlords since the last general election, according to an investigation by the i newspaper.
Landlords in a big Midlands city have been warned that they must apply for a licence for their properties by April 9th or face an additional £200 hike in the £1,090 cost of each three-year licence.
Here Tom Entwistle digests some of this argument and makes a few comments of his own - join in the argument
The Government has been moved to reassure Tory MPs that its Renters (Reform) Bill will not damage the private rented sector following the leaking of a letter by housing minister Jacob Young.
The Prince of Wales is working with private landlords to help prevent and reduce homelessness in the UK, it has been revealed.
The Scottish coalition Government has finally revealed its plans for the private rented sector including permanent rent controls, new rights to keep pets, decorate rented homes and stronger protection against eviction.
A man has been dubbed “the world’s strictest landlord” for telling would-be tenants that they can’t have anyone staying the night have a drink.
The costs of running unlicenced rental properties have been highlighted once more after three tenants won a £9,600 Rent Repayment Order from their HMO landlord.
One in five tenants has lost out in a property bidding war during the last two years, with those in London, Southampton and Brighton facing the toughest competition.
Private landlords are often portrayed unfairly by some housing campaigners as greedy, concerned only with raising rents and increasing profits.
Periodic Tenancy: Under English law, once a fixed period tenancy comes to an end it is automatically replaced with a periodic one, based on the rent payment period (commonly monthly), unless the original tenancy is terminated. With an Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST) terminat
Landlords have been reassured that would-be tenants holding EUSS pre-settled status will get an automatic two-year extension before their status expires, unless they have already acquired settled status.
Private renters now have potentially more political power, with Generation Rent analysis finding that 194 constituencies in England have populations containing 20% or more private renters, up from 114 in 2011.
Airbnb and two other big short-lets platforms have agreed to share their data on guest numbers and nights booked with the Office for National Statistics (ONS) to help shape policy decisions on the sector.
Two legal experts have told MPs probing the Government’s plans to abolish Section 21 ‘no fault evictions’ that improving the crumbling courts system could take years.
Latest changes to the Renters (Reform) Bill published a few days ago highlight the legal hill that many landlords faced with anti-social tenants will have to climb, it has been claimed.
More tenants living in flats could find themselves unable to have a pet than those in a house under the Renters Reform Bill, warns the founder of a campaigning group.
The second national awards for HMO landlords has been announced by property management platform COHO chief Helen Turner, who is one of the driving forces behind its creation.
Just over half of tenants surveyed about the cost of living want their rent to include all their utility bills, it has been revealed.
Rental homes should be confiscated from private landlords who repeatedly break the rules and exploit tenants, according to the head of the Commons housing committee.
Despite interest rate hikes battering investor confidence, the UK’s portfolio landlords remain focused on expanding their property portfolios, research from Shawbrook finds.
British Gas has urged the government to consider a raft of measures aimed at helping landlords increase energy efficiency, including Green Upgrade Relief which lets them deduct green improvements from their annual income.
At least 44% of landlords won’t let their property to tenants with pets and 15% won’t consider those with children, according to a new Confused.com mortgages poll.
Winter is coming and high energy bills are really focussing attention on to what it takes to properly insulate a home. A well insulated home can make the difference between living in freezing conditions or feeling warm and comfortable this winter.
The Government has revealed that it intends to overturn this year’s landmark Jepsen vs Rakusen rent repayment order decision in the Supreme Court within its Renters (Reform) Bill.
The Government has published some 100 amendments to its Renters (Reform) Bill including ‘missing parts’ left out of the first draft lodged with parliament earlier this year.
Tom Entwistle explains how landlords can proceed when faced with outstanding debts at the end of or even during a tenancy.
Private rental prices paid by tenants in the UK rose by 6.1% during the 12 months to October 2023, up from 5.7% during the 12 months to September 2023, ONS data shows.
The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) has told MPs that the Government's looming national property portal for landlords won’t diminish the need for selective licencing.
Landlords using a guaranteed rent scheme can earn £3,600 a year more than by conventional letting, according to one guaranteed rent provider.
Granting landlords and tenants the ability to give the same notice periods would prevent the private rented sector “becoming Airbnb by the back door”, NRLA’s chief executive Ben Beadle has told MPs.
Landlords in Luton claim to have once again persuaded the town’s council to delay its highly controversial additional and selective licencing schemes, the fourth time this has happened in as many years.
