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Landlord slapped with �40,700 fine after 'honest mistake' over HMO licence

Landlord slapped with �40,700 fine after 'honest mistake' over HMO licence

News

A lettings agency boss and landlord has been slapped with a �40,700 Rent Repayment Officer despite claiming that his failure to licence an HMO was an honest mistake. A First Tier Property Tribunal handed five former tenants the maximum award for the period from September 2019 t

Scottish government unveils controversial rent reform plans

Scottish government unveils controversial rent reform plans

News

Scotland’s Housing Bill proposes rent controls, winter eviction bans, pet rights & tougher eviction penalties in private sector overhaul.

Bristol significantly expands HMO and selective licensing schemes

Bristol significantly expands HMO and selective licensing schemes

News

Bristol has approved plans to extend landlord licensing in Brislington West, Bedminster and Horfield wards in a bid to raise PRS standards. The scheme includes additional licensing - HMOs with three or more unrelated people sharing facilities and selective licensing - privat

Durham’s new licensing scheme for 29,000 homes: What you need

Durham’s new licensing scheme for 29,000 homes: What you need

News

Durham County Council's selective licensing scheme covers 29,000 homes, requiring landlords to apply by 31 July for a £350–£500 licence fee.

Test Case: Council advising tenants to stay put after valid s21 notice served

Test Case: Council advising tenants to stay put after valid s21 notice served

News

This is a Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman case involving an unnamed landlord (LandlordX or MrX) and Brentwood Borough Council. The case revolves around a common situation where the landlord required possession of the property after serving a valid section 21 notice un

'Let’s not forget property remains the best performing investment'

'Let’s not forget property remains the best performing investment'

Opinion

I've been in the property investment business for almost 30 years and during this period opportunities have come and gone but I've yet to discover an asset class that perf

OPINION: The EPC ratings system is 'not fit for purpose'

OPINION: The EPC ratings system is 'not fit for purpose'

Opinion

Ever since I started to market one of my commercial buildings around 10 years ago now, I began to doubt the efficacy of the EPC rating system. The guy that came along to do the inspection told me himself he had just completed a 6 week course, or whatever it was, to train to be a

BREAKING: Government toughens up smoke and C0 alarm regulations

BREAKING: Government toughens up smoke and C0 alarm regulations

News

Social and private landlords are to face tougher new rules which make it mandatory to fit smoke alarms in all rented accommodation regardless of tenure, and widen the conditions under which they must be fitted. Revisions to the smoke and carbon monoxide detector regulations also

ANALYSIS: Does buy-to-let still beat the stock market?

ANALYSIS: Does buy-to-let still beat the stock market?

News

If you had �50k to invest right now, where would you put it, buy-to-let property or stocks and shares? Certainly leaving it in a traditional savings account, with interest rates as they are at rock bottom, thats out of the question. And with the threat of rising inflation ea

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Scotland consults on minimum EPC band C for rented homes

Scotland consults on minimum EPC band C for rented homes

News
News
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Opinion
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The Scottish Government has launched a consultation on its plans to introduce a minimum EPC level for rented homes.

TV show seeks landlords happy to settle tenant disputes on camera

TV show seeks landlords happy to settle tenant disputes on camera

News
News
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Opinion
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Landlords seeking to recoup money from tenants now have an alternative to a lengthy and expensive battle through the courts.

Paragon mortgage approvals defy the decline of buy to let

Paragon mortgage approvals defy the decline of buy to let

News
News
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Opinion
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Paragon Bank’s latest financial results show that buy to let is not in terminal decline, but the industry is going through structural change

When will the Renters' Rights Bill go live? Experts reveal all

When will the Renters' Rights Bill go live? Experts reveal all

News
News
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Opinion
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Two leading proeprty industry figures give their views on when landlords will face the new Renters' Rights Bill.

REVEALED: Fines for landlords who resist empty shops scheme

REVEALED: Fines for landlords who resist empty shops scheme

News
News
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Opinion
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Landlords could be fined if they don’t engage with local councils who target their premises for a high street rental auction.

Brighton expected to push ahead with 'Airbnb' restrictions

Brighton expected to push ahead with 'Airbnb' restrictions

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News
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Brighton & Hove Council could push for an earlier crackdown on short lets in the city rather than waiting for government restrictions.

Margaret Thatcher's favourite council reveals start date for landlord licensing

Margaret Thatcher's favourite council reveals start date for landlord licensing

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
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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.

Landlord exodus to limited companies drives up BTL lending

Landlord exodus to limited companies drives up BTL lending

News
News
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Opinion
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Landlords moving into limited companies and HMOs have fuelled a big jump in lending.

MP to stop holiday let owners dodging council tax via Bill

MP to stop holiday let owners dodging council tax via Bill

News
News
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A Cornwall MP has launched a bid to ban short-let and holiday let landlords from switching to business lets.

Northern town to clamp down on landlords converting homes to HMOs

Northern town to clamp down on landlords converting homes to HMOs

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News
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Opinion
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Burnley Council has launched plans to clamp down on landlords converting homes into small HMOs.

BLOG: Are the Tories still game for renting reform?

BLOG: Are the Tories still game for renting reform?

Opinion
News
Podcast
Opinion
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PRS chief Sean Hooker relects on the bumpy ride landlords face in the coming months, and how they can get prepared for the changes.

Landlord mortgage costs leap to nearly 40% of rental income

Landlord mortgage costs leap to nearly 40% of rental income

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
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Information

The average mortgaged landlord paid 37% of their rent on mortgage interest in August, up from a low of 24% in November 2021, according to Hamptons.

30 campaigning groups write to Rishi urging landlord reforms

30 campaigning groups write to Rishi urging landlord reforms

News
News
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Thirty charities and non-profit organisations have written to the Prime Minister urging him to ensure the Renters Reform Bill is passed during this Parliament.

Property 'dating service' for landlords and tenants launches

Property 'dating service' for landlords and tenants launches

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
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A WhatsApp-style ‘dating service’ designed to marry up landlords and tenants has launched seeking to simplify London’s ‘chaotic’ private rented sector and rival established portals such as Rightmove and Zoopla.

40 per cent of tenants are struggling with rent payments

40 per cent of tenants are struggling with rent payments

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
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There’s now a significant proportion of adults in the UK struggling to meet their rent or mortgage payments

Buy-to-let profits nosedive for new buyers

Buy-to-let profits nosedive for new buyers

News
News
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Opinion
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Information

Landlords who took out a new mortgage between April and June this year made an annual cash loss for the first time since 2007.

Absentee landlord handed fine for ignoring tenants

Absentee landlord handed fine for ignoring tenants

News
News
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Opinion
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Information

A landlord who ignored improvement notices on his two unlicensed properties has been handed a £15,000 fine by magistrates.

Can tenancy contracts be signed electronically?

Can tenancy contracts be signed electronically?

Information
News
Podcast
Opinion
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Information

It is very convenient and timely to accept documents relating to tenancies signed electronically and transmitted electronically - are they legal valid?

Agency pays high price for harassing tenants

Agency pays high price for harassing tenants

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
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A letting agency in Hove has been ordered to pay nearly £69,000 for “abhorrent and vile” behaviour towards its tenants.

Kids and pets raise the cost of renting

Kids and pets raise the cost of renting

News
News
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Opinion
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Renters with pets or children are paying as much as £460 more during their tenancy compared to other renters.

Private buying companies rush to snap up buy-to-let portfolios in bulk

Private buying companies rush to snap up buy-to-let portfolios in bulk

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News
Podcast
Opinion
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Information

After a tough week, starting with reports from the Telegraph urging banks to “stop treating landlords like cash cows”.

Fewer landlords offering homes to rent reports RICS

Fewer landlords offering homes to rent reports RICS

News
News
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Opinion
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Information

A buoyant private rented market continues to outshine the struggling sales sector, although there is cause for optimism long-term, reports The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).

Two landlords 'banned' for not providing safety documents

Two landlords 'banned' for not providing safety documents

News
News
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Landlords wondering how the planned register for landlords in England may operate have been given a taste of what’s to come following a case in Glasgow.

Barclays ordered to pay leading landlord compensation

Barclays ordered to pay leading landlord compensation

News
News
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Barclays has been ordered to pay benefits landlord Mick Roberts compensation over a long-running saga which saw him wrongly given a bad credit rating.

Landlords to face 52% higher costs when remortgaging BTL loans

Landlords to face 52% higher costs when remortgaging BTL loans

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
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UK landlords face 52% higher mortgage costs when remortgaging at 6.5% rates, with 17% of Buy-to-Let loans resetting in the next 17 months.

Landlords could put new life into UK high streets

Landlords could put new life into UK high streets

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
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Information

Investing in commercial property can be an attractive alternative to buy-to-let

Landlords and tenants warned over shocking Facebook scams

Landlords and tenants warned over shocking Facebook scams

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
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An investigation has revealed that nearly all the flat listings on Facebook Marketplace in central Glasgow were potential scams.

Landlords tell Labour it must unfreeze 'unjust' LHA rates

Landlords tell Labour it must unfreeze 'unjust' LHA rates

News
News
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Opinion
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Landlords urge Labour to unfreeze 'unjust' Local Housing Allowance rates, citing rising rent arrears and limited affordable housing options.

Occupiers' Liability: What happens when a tenant is injured?

Occupiers' Liability: What happens when a tenant is injured?

Information
News
Podcast
Opinion
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Information

Liability for personal injury. What is the landlord's position on liability for injuries to persons on or near his premises?

Bizarre link made between ageing and renting a home

Bizarre link made between ageing and renting a home

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
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Tenants in the private rented sector age biologically faster than homeowners, according to new research, which believes scrapping Section 21 will help reverse the process.

Deposits scheme removes fee to make renting cheaper

Deposits scheme removes fee to make renting cheaper

News
News
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Opinion
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Tenants using Jersey’s tenancy deposit scheme will no longer have to pay a protection fee from next month.

Beware: Self-employed sex workers targeting rentals

Beware: Self-employed sex workers targeting rentals

Information
News
Podcast
Opinion
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Landlords and letting agents should be aware that a new breed of online self-employed sex worker is targeting privately rentedproperties as ideal premises for their businesses, which two recent caseshandled by my team have highlighted.

Banned landlord takes on critics, claiming tenants 'love him'

Banned landlord takes on critics, claiming tenants 'love him'

News
News
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A slum landlord who received the longest ever banning order has insisted that his tenants love him.

'Labour must help landlords if they want to solve housing crisis'

'Labour must help landlords if they want to solve housing crisis'

News
News
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The NRLA has told the Labour party leadership to follow its own MPs advice and encourage landlords to provide more privately rented properties if it wants to solve the housing crisis.