Tenant are Consumers: The UK Consumer Protection law applies to letting agents and landlords alike when they advertise a property to let or create a new tenancy. It also applies to most private landlords when they deal with letting agents, unless they operate as a company.
Obtaining Possession Using Section 21 Notices Updated October 2016This article explains how to gain possession of your residential rental property in the most efficient way possible. You may just want your property back for your own use, or to sell, or you may be having prob
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
Just 44% of landlords agree with Southampton Council’s plans to introduce additional licensing.
Bolton Council has agreed tough new rules to control HMO conversions – two years after first coming up with the idea.
This Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act has important implications for private landlords when letting their properties
Lawyer David Smith looks at several clauses within the Act which appear to mandate local authorities to bring all errant landlords to book.
New EPC rules in Scotland will worsen the housing crisis and force people to spend longer in emergency homeless accommodation
Big landlords believe tenants are willing to pay more for green features amid a growing recognition that sustainability sells.
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.
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.
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.
There’s now a significant proportion of adults in the UK struggling to meet their rent or mortgage payments
Landlords who took out a new mortgage between April and June this year made an annual cash loss for the first time since 2007.
A landlord who ignored improvement notices on his two unlicensed properties has been handed a £15,000 fine by magistrates.
It is very convenient and timely to accept documents relating to tenancies signed electronically and transmitted electronically - are they legal valid?
A letting agency in Hove has been ordered to pay nearly £69,000 for “abhorrent and vile” behaviour towards its tenants.
Renters with pets or children are paying as much as £460 more during their tenancy compared to other renters.
After a tough week, starting with reports from the Telegraph urging banks to “stop treating landlords like cash cows”.
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).
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 has been ordered to pay benefits landlord Mick Roberts compensation over a long-running saga which saw him wrongly given a bad credit rating.
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.
Investing in commercial property can be an attractive alternative to buy-to-let
An investigation has revealed that nearly all the flat listings on Facebook Marketplace in central Glasgow were potential scams.
Landlords urge Labour to unfreeze 'unjust' Local Housing Allowance rates, citing rising rent arrears and limited affordable housing options.
Liability for personal injury. What is the landlord's position on liability for injuries to persons on or near his premises?
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.
Tenants using Jersey’s tenancy deposit scheme will no longer have to pay a protection fee from next month.
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.
A slum landlord who received the longest ever banning order has insisted that his tenants love him.
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.
A Tory MP has been accused of intimidating a tenant he is trying to evict from his farm.
The Green party has promised to introduce rent controls and force landlords to make energy efficient improvements.
Complaints involving disputed tenancy deposits have been rising after TDS, which operates three deposit schemes in the UK, recorded a 20% increase over the past 12 months.
