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OPINION: Landlords and agents had a chance to avoid licensing, and blew it

OPINION: Landlords and agents had a chance to avoid licensing, and blew it

News

It is not unusual to hearletting agents and their landlord clients complaining that operating within theprivate rented sector is has become increasingly tangled with red tape.

WARNING: Money lost to 'investment scams' rises to £144 million

WARNING: Money lost to 'investment scams' rises to £144 million

News

The public has been warned to be vigilant following a new report that shows the number of people relieved of their savings by ‘investment scams’ has increased by value for the first time since 2021, reaching £144 million.

'Blue-rinse' seaside resort seeks to restrict number of HMOs

'Blue-rinse' seaside resort seeks to restrict number of HMOs

News

The borough council’s planning committee will vote on whether to introduce an Article 4 direction next week.

Council secures criminal conviction for landlord over unlicensed HMO

Council secures criminal conviction for landlord over unlicensed HMO

News

A West Sussex landlord has been prevented from letting out HMOs after he admitted operating an unlicensed property.

Landlords WILL be allowed to raise rents to pay for EPC upgrades

Landlords WILL be allowed to raise rents to pay for EPC upgrades

News

Despite Energy Secretary Ed Miliband’s insistence that rents hadn’t increased when standards were raised during previous initiatives, Justice Minister Sarah Sackman has now said there are grounds for “higher market rents”.

Landlord £10,000 out of pocket as DWP rules complicated payments

Landlord £10,000 out of pocket as DWP rules complicated payments

News

A tenant has built up more than £10,000 in rent arrears after the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) refused to accept her landlord’s word that the rent had increased.

Number of planning permissions for HMOs declines across UK

Number of planning permissions for HMOs declines across UK

News

Report from digital planning portal suggests public fight-back against HMOs and higher taxes for landlords are beginning to bite.

US activist urges British tenants to withhold rents and resist 'despotic landlords'

US activist urges British tenants to withhold rents and resist 'despotic landlords'

News

Radical renting campaigners have written a new book that aims to inspire the end of UK landlords’ “despotic control” over tenants.

Famous seaside town plans enlarged £784 landlord licensing scheme

Famous seaside town plans enlarged £784 landlord licensing scheme

News

The Norfolk seaside town of Great Yarmouth has revealed plans to introduce a five-year selective licensing scheme for rented properties in three key wards.

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Big seaside town goes live with more HMO planning restrictions

Big seaside town goes live with more HMO planning restrictions

News
News
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Opinion
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Landlords in Eastbourne now need to get planning permission for HMO conversions in parts of the town centre after councillors approved new rules.

Landlord faces £60,000 repair bill after cannabis farms discovery

Landlord faces £60,000 repair bill after cannabis farms discovery

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News
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Opinion
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Controversial landlord Fergus Wilson faces a £60,000 repair bill after three of his rental properties were turned into cannabis factories.

'Heavily vetting tenants before they move in will soon be essential, not optional'

'Heavily vetting tenants before they move in will soon be essential, not optional'

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
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Landlords who fail to factor in inflation, interest rates, and pressure on household budgets when vetting tenants could end up with rent arrears.

Landlords told to 'get ready' for next April's Making Tax Digital switchover

Landlords told to 'get ready' for next April's Making Tax Digital switchover

News
News
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Opinion
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Landlords have been warned by the Government to begin researching available software before tax returns begin to go digital next April.

UK's first 'tourist tax' goes live for Scots holiday lets landlords

UK's first 'tourist tax' goes live for Scots holiday lets landlords

News
News
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Edinburgh’s landlords and letting agents have been urged to start preparing for the city’s 5% ‘tourist levy’.

Selective Licensing and Anti-Social Behaviour – are landlords to blame?

Selective Licensing and Anti-Social Behaviour – are landlords to blame?

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
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Are remote landlords fuelling local problems? Are these purchases simply causing misery for local populations? Is selective licensing up to the job?

BBC reveals 'widespread' black market in unlicensed HMOs

BBC reveals 'widespread' black market in unlicensed HMOs

News
News
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Opinion
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A reporter who responded to adverts in shop windows in east London for a ‘bedspace’ in shared rooms found unsanitary and overcrowded unlicensed homes.

The cost of ignoring an improvement notice? £16,000 says council

The cost of ignoring an improvement notice? £16,000 says council

News
News
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Opinion
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A landlord who left her tenants in a damp and mouldy flat has been ordered to pay a whopping £16,267 by magistrates.

Welsh student landlord 'to quit' as renting reforms loom

Welsh student landlord 'to quit' as renting reforms loom

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
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Marcel Price is considering converting his properties into short-term holiday lets due to fears over the Renters’ Rights Bill.

The importance of the "How to Rent" Guide and Section 21

The importance of the "How to Rent" Guide and Section 21

Information
News
Podcast
Opinion
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How to Rent Guide : very important when setting up a new tenancy, or on renewal, and when serving a section 21 notice.

Agents and student landlords are top of the class in Bath

Agents and student landlords are top of the class in Bath

News
News
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Opinion
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University students rate Bath as having the best letting agents in the UK based on the number of reviews and average ratings.

Family operation ran string of unlicensed HMOs

Family operation ran string of unlicensed HMOs

News
News
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Opinion
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A rogue landlord has been prosecuted for letting eight unlicensed HMOs which breached health and safety rules that put his tenants at risk.

Kent landlord rumbled fly-tipping tenant's waste

Kent landlord rumbled fly-tipping tenant's waste

News
News
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A Kent landlord who dumped a huge pile of his tenant’s belongings in a country lane was rumbled after an investigation traced it back to him.

OPINION: Should landlords let tenants redecorate?

OPINION: Should landlords let tenants redecorate?

Opinion
News
Podcast
Opinion
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One of the biggest discussion strings on any landlord forum including our own is how far tenants are allowed to modify or refurbish their property, with many users claiming some renters go too far.

Landlord reveals football boss's £28,400 rental scam

Landlord reveals football boss's £28,400 rental scam

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
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A director of the Scottish Women’s Premier League (SWPL) has been found guilty of defrauding her landlord with an elaborate scam.

Mortgage deal shock from leading BTL broker

Mortgage deal shock from leading BTL broker

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
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The Mortgage Works (TMW) has shaken up the BTL lending market by making improvements to the affordability assessment applied to portfolio landlords.

ANALYSIS: New Government funded schemes to help tenants with legal issues

ANALYSIS: New Government funded schemes to help tenants with legal issues

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
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New Government schemes that are offering advice to help tenants with legal issues

Big boiler firm's green claims to face official investigation

Big boiler firm's green claims to face official investigation

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
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The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is scrutinising green claims from boiler maker Worcester Bosch to see if they mislead landlords.

Renting reform bill to progress next week - claim

Renting reform bill to progress next week - claim

News
News
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The Renters Reform Bill is expected to get its second reading on Monday, heralding a huge shake-up of the sector after four years in the planning.

Leading landlord welcomes Rishi's U-turn on 'mental' EPC rules

Leading landlord welcomes Rishi's U-turn on 'mental' EPC rules

News
News
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Opinion
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A leading landlord has welcomed the Government’s recent U-turn on EPCs, telling a webinar this week that he was facing a ‘crazy’ bill to upgrade his portfolio of properties to the minimum ‘C’ band.

'Renting reforms are worrying landlords, but it's not a stampede to quit'

'Renting reforms are worrying landlords, but it's not a stampede to quit'

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
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A quarter of landlords are to sell some of their property portfolio in the coming months but not in the volumes previously claimed, a big letting agency has claimed.

Minister rejects call to give landlords green upgrade tax breaks

Minister rejects call to give landlords green upgrade tax breaks

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
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Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary Claire Coutinho (main picture) has rejected the idea of tax breaks for landlords to pay for green upgrades.

Council to begin fining rogue landlords £30,000

Council to begin fining rogue landlords £30,000

News
News
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Opinion
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Harlow Council in Essex aims to take a harder line with private landlords by introducing civil penalties as an alternative to prosecution.

'I blame rental market stock crisis on mortgage interest relief withdrawal'

'I blame rental market stock crisis on mortgage interest relief withdrawal'

News
News
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Opinion
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Landlord leader Ben Beadle has pinned the shortage of private rental sector homes squarely on the Government, saying George Osborne’s decision in 2015 to cut mortgage interest tax relief for landlords has been the key driver of the current stock crisis.

Tenants on benefits given more backing to fight evictions

Tenants on benefits given more backing to fight evictions

News
News
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Tenants on benefits will get more help when paying court fees during evictions and claiming Rent Repayment Orders after the government expanded its Help with Fees scheme.

Northern town to clamp down on landlords converting homes to HMOs

Northern town to clamp down on landlords converting homes to HMOs

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