I'm receiving mail for previous tenants and some of them are from debt collectors. Will this get my property black listed and cause problems for my current tenants and myself in the future?</h2> It's fairly common to have mail arriving for months and even years after residents have left,
Long Term AST - My prospective tenant has asked for a tenancy term of 6 years. Can I use the usual Assured Shorthold Tenancy agreement for this?</h2> The Assured Shorthold Tenancy is the default tenancy for residential lettings and since October 2010 this applies to rents up to �100,000
Question: How long should accounts be kept to satisfy the authorities, things like accounting files, invoices and tax records, as a property landlord?Answer: You must keep your records for 6 years after the tax year to which they apply, whether or not you complete a tax return.It's a good idea, a
Expiry of Section 21 Notice - I have served a Section 21 (s21) Notice on my tenant but don't wish to start proceedings immediately. Can I wait without the notice expiring?Once a Section 21 notice has been served correctly it continues indefinitely, until such time as the tenancy is ended, either
Covenant and Covenant Strength - What is a legal covenant and what is the significance of the terms in relation to rental property and lettings ?</h2>The term covenant can have several meanings and has biblical origins but it is of particulalry significance
2 years ago I purchased a company with a 10 year lease from my ex boss, on a 10 year lease, the lease was set up by a solicitor. After 2 years the business is struggling and is not viable. I feel that my solicitor ill advised me as there was no break clause mentioned. Where do I stand on t
Good Left in the Premises or Uncollected GoodsFrequently, tenants leave goods after their tenancy has concluded or when they have abandon the premises during a tenancy. Uncollected goods and possessions left or abandoned in premises by tenants can pose a real problem for landlords.
<h1 Standing Order</h1>What are Bankers' Standing Orders?</h3><ul <li Standing Orders allow landlords to automate the process of collecting rents</li> <li They safeguard tenants in that the landlord cannot change the payment amount, as is the case with direct debit
The Possession Procedure - 1988 Housing ActThe possession procedure under Section 8 of the Housing Acts 1988 & 1996 is known as the Section 8 Route and is available to landlords where the tenant is in breach of one or more terms of
Renting or Leasing Commercial Property Renting commercial property usually represents a major part of the operating costs involved in running any business. If you include surveyor's and solicitor's fees, rent, business rates, insurance,
Types of Tenure: A tenancy gives the tenant a legal interest in the land and property - in effect, legal ownership for the period of the tenancy. Tenancies can take several forms: <ul <li Rent Act or Regulated Tenancies - pre </li> <li
<h1 Joint or Single Shared Tenancies</h1>Shared House (Joint Tenants) or Individual Rooms (Single Tenants)? Where a landlord lets to multiple and usually unrelated tenants there are two main ways of doing this:(1) As a Joint Tenancyng
These are tenancies that fall outside the scope of the Housing Acts (1988, 1996, 2004), including the Regulated Tenancies, Assured Tenancies (AT) and Assured Shorthold Tenancies ASTs.In the case of a common law residential tenancy , the tenant's rights and obligations are ma
What are Business Tenancies ?A tenancy is an "estate in land", granted for a determined period of time (term of years or fixed term - 6 months,1 year, 21 years, 99 years etc) or a specific period (a periodic tenancy - yearly, monthly, weekly, even daily).In return for the "time lim
Landlord's Duty to Ensure Installations are SafeAll Landlords have a common law duty to ensure that gas installations and appliances supplied with their properties are safe. Tenants also have certain legal obligations when it comes to gas safety - see below.I
Landlords' Gas and Electrical Safety Certificates:As a landlord, or as a letting agent acting on the landlord's behalf, you have a legal obligation to ensure that your accommodation is completely safe for your tenants.Several statutory regulations and general common law requirement
Letting and residential property fully furnished, part-furnished or unfurnished in England & Wales no longer has any implications regarding security of tenure for the tenant or for taxation. However, Council Tax and the 10% Depreciation Allowance may be affected - you don't pay Council Tax du
What was the Fire Certificate is no longer required as it was previously under the Fire Precautions Act 1971 for hotels, boarding houses, factories, offices, shops and railway premises. All these premises must comply with Fire Regulations, now covered by t
Almost two-thirds of surveyors have witnessed rising numbers of buy-to-let landlords looking to sell their properties. The https://www.rics.org/" Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) reports that a similar number have seen a drop in the level of inter
A new Parliamentary petition has been set up urging the government to ditch plans to remove assured shorthold tenancies. The LandlordZONE reader, who has a portfolio of properties in Yorkshire and Lancashire, was prompted to take action as he fears it could be the final nail in
Confusion surrounds the governments plans to introduce https://www.landlordzone.co.uk/news/blog-will-the-looming-pets-in-lets-rules-prove-pervasive/" pets in lets measures, with conflicting messages coming from the DLUHC. It has confirmed that the new
With increasing costs, inflation hovering around the 10 per cent mark and mortgage rates approaching 6 per cent theres lots of talk about increasing rents. Many landlords are unable to absorb these extra costs without going into losses, so for them theres little choice, th
This year our economy, regulations and taxes were the final straw that led landlords rushing to sell off their portfolios to beat the market drops, mortgage versus rent gaps a
May has brought more bad news for some landlords with the Nationwide Building Society reporting a 3.4% drop in house prices in the year to May 23 and interest rates that are expected to rise to 5.5.% later this year.
Estate agents have called for landlords who advertise sex for rent to be banned from the PRS for life. In its response to the governments https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/exchange-of-sexual-relations-for-accommodation-sex-for-rent#:~:text=The%20consultatio
Redbridge Council in North London has given the go-ahead for a new borough-wide additional HMO licensing scheme. The scheme extends licensing to all HMOs with three or more tenants forming two or more households after the authoritys consultation disco
The Halifax revealed today that house prices have fallen on an annual basis for the first time since December 2012, by 1%. This means the average house value has declined by �132 which may not sound a lot but represents a seismic change after years of ultra-low interest rates p
Government's Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 excludes flats from new leasehold ban, prompting MPs to call for broader reforms.
A third of landlords who own rental property in their personal name plan to incorporate their portfolio into a limited company structure within the next three years, according to Paragon Bank.
Rogue landlords who assume they can convert outbuildings into ‘sheds with beds’ have been reminded of the likely fines they will face following a shocking case in Hertfordshire.
The Prime Minister has confirmed that the Renters Reform Bill will be carried over to the next Parliament, as part of this week’s King’s Speech.
The National Landlords Association (NRLA) has backed claims that the buy-to-let sector faces a significant subletting epidemic following an investigation by a national newspaper.
Exploring challenges in overhauling England's leasehold system amid calls for reform and government proposals to shift to commonhold ownership.
A professional landlord who tried to dodge responsibility for his HMO has been ordered to pay two former tenants more than £10,000.
Edinburgh councillors have declared a housing emergency in a bid to force Holyrood to boost funding.
Private tenants in England were most likely to face a rent hike in the last year, while tenants in Wales saw a larger average increase.
Average income from UK property remained relatively stable at about £16,700 between 2017/18 and 2021/22, according to the latest HMRC data.
Encouraging tenants to fit a smart meter should be a top priority for landlords as a way to help them stay debt-free, according to one energy expert.
Anyone investing in commercial property, from small retail shops to offices and workshops should have an understanding of this legislation - the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954
Scottish landlords have vowed to fight on after losing a judicial review of legislation that introduced a contentious rent freeze and eviction ban.
EPC ratings in the PRS don’t appear to be markedly different to those in owner-occupied homes, according to Office for National Statistics data.
The student rental market faces a bleak future unless urgent action is taken to support landlords and make providing rental homes a more attractive proposition.
The NRLA has reached out to leading members of the Renters Reform Coalition to find common ground on key issues.
A pledge by insurance brokers could mean owners of flats in buildings with identified fire safety issues see significantly lower insurance premiums.
A rogue landlord has avoided serving jail time, despite breaching a banning order and being found guilty of harassment.
Gas Safety Checks: Similar the car MOT, where the test can be done ahead of time, while retaining the existing renewal date, landlord gas checks will now be allowed on the same basis, up to 2 months ahead of time
The Justice Committee has launched an inquiry into the work of county courts amid long-standing concerns over capacity and resources.
Ignorance and bad practice around these legitimate deposits is creating one of the biggest areas of illegal activity in the PRS.
A father and daughter who lied about the tenancy of a dangerously overcrowded and unlicensed HMO have lost their appeal.
The government is to end the practice of banding individual rooms in HMOs separately for council tax purposes.
Paragon Mortgages the buy to let specialist admits that there is a challenge from rising rates, but it's not all bad news.
Most landlords are committed to their property portfolios, according to new research from Leaders Romans Group (LRG), with 68% planning to maintain their existing holdings, and 6% set to expand their investments.
