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Landlords slam 'infuriating' licencing rules now driving evictions

Landlords slam 'infuriating' licencing rules now driving evictions

News

Landlords in Portsmouth say vulnerable tenants are being unfairly displaced due to the council’s draconian additional licencing scheme.

Rebel MPs demand ground rents abolished for existing leaseholds

Rebel MPs demand ground rents abolished for existing leaseholds

News

A group of 30 Tory MPs have written to the Chancellor Jeremy Hunt warning that they may vote against the Government’s Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill unless ground rents are abolished for both future and existing leaseholds.

Rent controls 'will undermine investment in PRS' says expert

Rent controls 'will undermine investment in PRS' says expert

News

Rent controls will undermine investment in Scotland’s PRS unless there is more long-term certainty, according to one leading lettings expert.

London landlord narrowly avoids refunding tenant £32,000

London landlord narrowly avoids refunding tenant £32,000

News

A landlord has avoided a £32,000 rent repayment order after a judge ruled his flat was at an address not covered by a licensing scheme, but only just.

Section 21 increasingly being used by landlords to evict as ban looms

Section 21 increasingly being used by landlords to evict as ban looms

News

Section 21 evictions reached record highs in 2023, with over 25,000 households facing homelessness, prompting calls for urgent reform.

'Time for bold action with rent controls has come' says mayor hopeful

'Time for bold action with rent controls has come' says mayor hopeful

News

The Green Party’s mayoral candidate in London has said she will bring in rent controls saying the time for ‘bold action’ has come.

Landlords promised compensation as huge estate faces bulldozer

Landlords promised compensation as huge estate faces bulldozer

News

Landlords have been promised fair compensation by a developer planning to bulldoze scores of homes on one of England’s most deprived housing estates.

Letting agents call for short-lets crackdown in London

Letting agents call for short-lets crackdown in London

News

Propertymark has urged London’s Mayor to crack down on short-term lets through licensing in a bid to tackle over-supply in the capital.

Struggling HMO giant sells off more properties

Struggling HMO giant sells off more properties

News

Troubled property development company Home Holdings has put another raft of HMOs onto the market in a bid to shore up losses.

Osborne's 3% extra stamp duty is reason for BTL buying slump

Osborne's 3% extra stamp duty is reason for BTL buying slump

News

The decision by George Osborne in 2015 to introduce a 3% additional stamp duty levy on landlords has seen a slump in the number of BTL properties bought in the Tory heartlands of Southern England.

'Scotland's fast-rising rents are the SNP/Green's fault'

'Scotland's fast-rising rents are the SNP/Green's fault'

News

A leading letting agent in Scotland has laid the blame for the country’s rental supply woes firmly at the feet of former Tenants’ Rights minister Patrick Harvie.

Fugitive Midlands landlord faces long jail sentence

Fugitive Midlands landlord faces long jail sentence

News

A rogue landlord and fugitive fraudster who intimidated his tenants is in jail after more than five years on the run.

Landlord fined for 'unlawfully profiting' from London flat

Landlord fined for 'unlawfully profiting' from London flat

News

A landlord who used an agreement that tried to undermine her tenants’ rights has been fined a total of £5,800.

Protesters force South West council to evict their business tenant

Protesters force South West council to evict their business tenant

News

Financially challenged Somerset Council has capitulated after a concerted campaign by protesters force it to abandon one of its business tenants

RICS survey shows signs of commercial property recovery

RICS survey shows signs of commercial property recovery

News

Signs that the market is moving into a recovery phase, though there is still ample evidence that there remains a challenging backdrop. 

NEW:Landlords to face unimited fines if they illegally convert homes into HMOs

NEW:Landlords to face unimited fines if they illegally convert homes into HMOs

News

New changes to planning rules mean rogue landlords who illegally convert HMOs could face an unlimited fine.

Scotland's 'rent controls tsar' Patrick Harvie loses power

Scotland's 'rent controls tsar' Patrick Harvie loses power

News

The Scottish government has been urged to reverse its anti-landlord policies after the SNP ended their power-sharing agreement with the Greens.

MP's bill forcing private landlords to fix mould delayed AGAIN

MP's bill forcing private landlords to fix mould delayed AGAIN

News

Private renters are most in need of Awaab’s Law due to the frequently worse conditions of mould in their homes, says Labour MP Fleur Anderson, who hopes to instigate stricter rules for the PRS.

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Lack of advice stalling landlords' efforts to make properties greener, says RICS

Lack of advice stalling landlords' efforts to make properties greener, says RICS

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Landlords and industry professionals have been invited to share their thoughts on a new professional standard aimed at helping surveyors provide useful retrofitting advice. The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has launched a consultation on its draft <strong id=""

'I'm so sorry' helps landlord avoid prosecution after illegal eviction attempt

'I'm so sorry' helps landlord avoid prosecution after illegal eviction attempt

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A contrite landlord has apologised to the tenant he tried to illegally evict after being rapped on the knuckles by Coventry Council. The landlord sent text messages telling his tenant to leave when they told him the rent would be late. He then visited the property and took the t

EXPERT: 'Binning Section 21 won't help as many tenants as campaigners hope'

EXPERT: 'Binning Section 21 won't help as many tenants as campaigners hope'

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Section 21 is the biggest headline grabbing element of the Renters Reform Bill but will be the least effective pieces of the legislation. Thats according to letting agent Kristjan Byfield (main picture), co-founder ofhttps://www.baseps.co.uk/"

High Street bank joins in criticism of Government over stalled evictions reform

High Street bank joins in criticism of Government over stalled evictions reform

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Shelter has this morning launched a campaign in partnership with the Co-operative Bank to persuade the Government to press ahead with its proposal to abolish Section 21 evictions. The two organisations have launched a PR stunt on Parliament Square today covering it with 172 card

SHOCK: 30% of landlords looking to sell 'some properties' says big broker

SHOCK: 30% of landlords looking to sell 'some properties' says big broker

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New data reveals the extent of the landlord exodus prompted by the current mortgage rate surge with 36% of landlords polled revealing they plan to sell a property over the next 12 months. The proportion intending to sell some properties was at 30%, up from 28% the last tim

Proportion of tenants over 65 years old set to surge in coming decade

Proportion of tenants over 65 years old set to surge in coming decade

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Landlords are increasingly likely to be renting to older tenants in the coming decade with the proportion of renters in private rented accommodation over 65 years old doubling to 11.5%, it has been reported. Letting agency Hamptons says its research reveal

Midlands council reveals crackdown on unlicenced HMOs with unusual results

Midlands council reveals crackdown on unlicenced HMOs with unusual results

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A council crackdown has uncovered four unlicensed HMOs and one being used as a cannabis factory in Kettering and Corby. North Northamptonshire Council joined forces with Northamptonshire Police in a week-long inspection of 76 HMOs, four of which are still being investigated.

Leading lawyer asks landlords for help to reverse 'morally wrong' HMO rules

Leading lawyer asks landlords for help to reverse 'morally wrong' HMO rules

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HMO owners and associations are being urged to support calls for a rethink of plans to remove licensing requirements for HMOs used as asylum accommodation. Property lawyer at JMW, David Smith , wants the High Court to agree to a judicial review of changes o

LATEST: Rental homes stock plummets by 35% to four-year low

LATEST: Rental homes stock plummets by 35% to four-year low

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The number of available private rental homes has dropped by more than a third since 2019 to a 14-year low. Only 241,000 PRS homes were available last month compared with 370,000 in June 2019, a fall of 35%, according to consultancy TwentyCi which analysed

'New landlord portal WON'T remove need for selective licencing'

'New landlord portal WON'T remove need for selective licencing'

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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.

EXPERT: Does guaranteed rent pay better than traditional landlording?

EXPERT: Does guaranteed rent pay better than traditional landlording?

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Landlords using a guaranteed rent scheme can earn £3,600 a year more than by conventional letting, according to one guaranteed rent provider.

Notice periods should be same for landlords and tenants, experts tell MPs

Notice periods should be same for landlords and tenants, experts tell MPs

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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 claim victory after council delays licencing schemes

Landlords claim victory after council delays licencing schemes

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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.

20% of short-lets in London are former long-term rentals

20% of short-lets in London are former long-term rentals

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More than 20% of short-term lets advertised in London were previously long-term rentals, according to research by property data platform Propalt.

Councils call for huge fines if landlords evade new eviction rules

Councils call for huge fines if landlords evade new eviction rules

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Councils are calling for a widening of the conditions under which tenants can claim rent repayment orders (RROs) as part of the Renters (Reform) Bill.

Landlords called out over £80m interest from rental deposits

Landlords called out over £80m interest from rental deposits

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Letting agents and landlords are benefitting from higher interest rates by reaping more than £80 million this year from billions of pounds’ worth of tenants’ deposits.

Term tenancy are fixed and must be for all landlords

Term tenancy are fixed and must be for all landlords

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A leading student accommodation expert has urged the Government to create a level playing field for the sector within the looming Renters (Reform) Bill or face a perfect storm of rising rents and contracting suipply.

Renting reform minister GONE nine months after getting job

Renting reform minister GONE nine months after getting job

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A housing minister appointed just nine months ago by Rishi Sunak has now been asked to stand down during today’s reshuffle triggered by the sacking home Home Secretary Suella Braverman.

Landlords angry over council's property licencing U-turn

Landlords angry over council's property licencing U-turn

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A big NE of England council is considering supplementing its landlord-led scheme with selective licensing in large parts of the town.

Landlord home buying slumps to lowest level for 13 years

Landlord home buying slumps to lowest level for 13 years

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Landlords are selling more homes than they’re buying, according to Hamptons’ monthly letting index, although the sell-off is slowing down.

Debate rages: Will banning Section 21 evictions reduce supply?

Debate rages: Will banning Section 21 evictions reduce supply?

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Fears that banning section 21 will harm the PRS in England are entirely misplaced, based on contradictory evidence in Scotland, according to The Social Market Foundation (SMF).

Tax liability – how to minimise it as a landlord

Tax liability – how to minimise it as a landlord

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As a landlord, you want to ensure your property business is as profitable as possible – and that means minimising your tax liability, so you don’t pay HMRC any more than you need to. Here are some options that can help you do that.

Tenants using the home to run a business - how safe are you?

Tenants using the home to run a business - how safe are you?

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The Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 Part II provides security of tenure to tenants of premises occupied for business purposes, or mixed residential and business purposes. Under the provisions of the 54 Act, it is possible for a lease or tenancy of a property, used for both resid

A new wave of investors rush in to buy properties off landlords looking to sell

A new wave of investors rush in to buy properties off landlords looking to sell

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After a slew of bad news, this week’s headlines come as a welcome relief for landlords looking to sell. The Telegraph reported that despite higher rates and regulatory risks around rentals, a wave of new investors had entered the market, stepping in to take portfolios off landlords’ hands.

Airbnb service for landlords raises £1.75m but still isn't profitable

Airbnb service for landlords raises £1.75m but still isn't profitable

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A business that rents out properties via Airbnb on behalf of landlords has raised another £1.75 million from investors, taking its total raised since 2016 to £12 million.

Record year for build-to-rent construction, says Savills

Record year for build-to-rent construction, says Savills

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The Build-To-Rent (BTR) sector now accounts for 10% of all UK real estate investment after a record-breaking year.

Gove unveils plan to slash ground rents for leaseholds

Gove unveils plan to slash ground rents for leaseholds

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The government has launched plans to slash ground rents on existing leaseholds as part of a consultation into widescale reform.

Evictions taking over six months on average, says MoJ

Evictions taking over six months on average, says MoJ

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County courts are taking over half a year on average to process legitimate evictions by landlords and agents, it has been revealed.

Student landlord slams council over 'unfair' £45,000 licencing fee

Student landlord slams council over 'unfair' £45,000 licencing fee

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A property management company has slammed its local council for charging a student accommodation block nearly £45,000 under the selective licensing scheme.

LibDems promise to give landlords tax breaks for green upgrades

LibDems promise to give landlords tax breaks for green upgrades

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Landlords should be allowed to offset spending on insulation and energy-saving improvements against tax, according to the Liberal Democrats.

Landlord mortgage arrears jump by 29%, official figures show

Landlord mortgage arrears jump by 29%, official figures show

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The tough economic conditions bearing down on landlords are starting to push up mortgage arrears, latest data from lenders’ trade body UK Finance has revealed.

Mystery shopper research 'proves landlords racially profile applicants' - claim

Mystery shopper research 'proves landlords racially profile applicants' - claim

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New research by Generation Rent reveals that white people are 36% more likely to receive a positive response when applying to rent on SpareRoom than black people.

Agents report fewer landlord instructions as 'unintended consequences' kick in

Agents report fewer landlord instructions as 'unintended consequences' kick in

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Signs that the Government’s assault on landlords coupled with higher mortgage costs are chasing more out of the market than usual have come from the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) this morning.

Tory MP says court delays MUST be fixed before Section 21 is abolished

Tory MP says court delays MUST be fixed before Section 21 is abolished

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Theresa Villiers warns court delays risk worsening landlord exodus and housing supply issues, urging reforms before Section 21 abolition.