The London borough of Greenwich has launched a consultation into renewing its additional licensing scheme. The previous scheme ran from October 2017 and ended in September, and the council now wants landlords and tenants to help it decide whether to start it up again from April
Landlords must ensure they amend the Welsh governments model tenancy agreements or risk eroding their rights, warns a leading property lawyer. Following the introduction of thehttps://www.landlordzone.co.uk/news/huge-changes-to-welsh-renting-laws-go-live-today-f
The Government has given buy-to-let landlords two compelling reason to sell-up, and fast: first is the overhaul of the rental rules coming next year, with indefinite tenancies and the end of section 21 evictions, and second comes the eroding of capital gains tax, tax free allowances. <p
New government funding to explore how technology can help dispute resolution could reduce the backlog of court cases, including possession hearings. The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has been awarded �119,691 from the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial St
Investigations have thrown new light on a series of solar energy investments which failed to switch the lights on for Thurrock Council. Conservative led Thurrock Council has saddled itself with an almost �500 million debt when it tried to bridge a funding gap by taking on risky
In this episode of the property cast, Eddie and Paul are joined by Nigel Lewis - award-winning property journalist and Editor in Chief at LandlordZONE, the most visited landlord news website in the UK. Nigel Lewis is a property writer and editor with a 27-year track record working for nation
In this episode of The Property Cast, we discuss the myriad of issues surrounding damp, mould and condensation a common problem for landlords and letting agents alike. To explore this topic, Sean Hooker, Head of Redress at the Property Redress Scheme, steps into Eddies sh
In this episode of The Property Cast, Eddie and Paul are joined by Maxine Fothergill, President of the leading membership body for property agents, ARLA Propertymark. The trio discuss the topical issue of rental reform and ROPA, delving into the detail of what lies ahead for age
Portsmouth is to go ahead with its contested additional licensing scheme but has promised to reward good landlords by charging them a lower licence fee and doing fewer inspections. Landlords had urged their council not to go ahead with plans to extend licensing to about 4,000 th
The long awaited renting reforms first muted in 2019 will be implemented next year, promises Housing Secretary, Michael Gove MP. Admitting that the Government should have moved more quickly� on these reforms to protect tenants following the Grenfell Tower tragedy, Mr Gove
A landlord battling to evict his nightmare tenants using a Section 8 order is exasperated that county court bailiffs encouraged them to stay put. The Cumbrian-based landlord had been granted a possession order, but his tenants - on bail for alleged drug offences and owing �3,00
The Government has averted a looming crisis in the HMO sector that would have seen many tenants charged individually for council tax, rather than paying a share of the propertys annual bill. As LandlordZONEhttps://www.landlordzone.co.uk/news/exclusive-official-counci
London Renters Union will picket successful estate agents across the capital next week who it blames for pushing up rents to unaffordable levels. Protests are planned in Tower Hamlets, Hackney and Crystal Palace on 3rd December by activists who have taken partic
The Welsh government has given a strong indication that landlords and property owners operating Airbnb holiday homes within its borders are to face a compulsory licensing scheme similar to the Rent Smart Wales scheme for the traditional private rental sector. This follows a parl
Landlords long-standing criticisms of health and safety regulation that tenants are often the cause of problems such as mould or water leaks look set to be addressed in new government guidance. Councils inspecting rented properties will be formally instructed to exami
Housing Secretary Michael Gove has ordered council bosses to prove they are assessing and improving damp and mould problems in the PRS. Following the death of toddler Awaab Ishak as a direct result of mould in his family home, Gove says theres an urgent need to ensure a decen
The tragedy of the death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak in a Rochdale social housing flat rests heavily on the minds of landlords across the country: could this happen in one of my own properties they might well ask? The answer is probably, yes it easily could. In a winter with ris
A Japanese knotweed infestation caused homeowner Charron Ishmael to take her neighbour, retired NHS consultant Dr Sheila Clark, to court over a dispute about the plant. Charron Ishmael was selling her property but because of the presence of the invasive plant in her neighbour
David Coughlins journey from the son of an unemployed Bootle docker to a 100-property portfolio landlord is one of the private rental markets more extraordinary journeys. Now pushing fifty years old, it was in his mid-20s that he began investing in property. Co
Landlords might feel slightly peeved to discover that the Queen is exempt from the current eviction ban. As a landlord, her Majesty rents out a number of Royal Household properties, but unlike every other landlord in the UK whos up against the evictions ban until next year, s
Multi-millionaire property tycoon Andrew Panayi (pictured, above) has hit back at councillors who dubbed him a notorious rogue landlord�. Islington Council refused planning permission for a two-bedroom flat in Londons Caledonian Road, submitted by Panayi who infamously,
A property investment guru couple who disappeared leaving disappointed participants in their investment schemes puzzled as to their whereabouts have popped up as spiritual leaders in Australia. Marta and Lloyd Smith - now known as Riya Loveguard and Aeron Lazar - ran Home
The Government is to phase out gas by 2035 as part of its green ten-point plan announced this week, meaning millions of boilers across the private rented sector are on borrowed time. CEO of the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering (CIPHE), Kevin Wellman, under
Thousands of leaseholders are stuck in their flats because they cannot sell due to unsafe cladding installed on their high rise blocks. Sales are stalled because potential buyers cant obtain a mortgage until the defective cladding is replaced and the building declared safe by a specialis
Landlords owe a duty of care to their tenants to make sure, as far as is reasonably possible, to be sure a property is safe, both at the commencement and during the course of a tenancy. This Court of Appeal case in 26 February 2019 relates to a council tenancy, though its implic
Landlords are being warned to beware of scammers renting out parking spaces outside their properties following a expose on national radio. Landlord Simon Gallagher had to install bollards after someone began advertising his tenants driveway to commuters for �8 a day. <p i
Welsh landlords renewing their licence with Rent Smart Wales after 23rd November now need to organise regular mandatory property inspections. The new condition - introduced by Rent Smart Wales for any new landlords signing up from 1st July and any rene
A benefits expert has urged the DWP’s working group to sort out problems with the Alternative Payment Arrangements (APA) process that leaves landlords in the dark and out of pocket.
Landlords are feeling much more optimistic than they were a year ago, thanks to a more stable market and economic conditions, according to new research from Paragon Bank.
How to handle the eviction process The Government is planning to replace the Assured Shorthold Tenancy, and Section 21 evictions will no longer be possible when new legislation under the Renters (Reform) Bill comes in. But this will take some time yet. In the meant
A criminal landlord has been hit with an £11,800 fine for operating a dirty, unlicensed HMO - one of a growing number of large, sometimes overcrowded and dangerous, bedsits around the country.
Landlords looking for some in-depth analysis of tomorrow’s Autumn Statement and its likely good – and bad – news for landlords should tune into TalkTV at 3.30pm tomorrow, 22nd November.
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.
