Date

Library

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

Rent Review

Rent Review

Information

Question - Rent Review - my landlord is asking for far more rent than I expected on review. Am I obliged to pay this?Answer - Commercial leases are contractual - the parties agree to and are bound by its clauses and that includes rent review provisions.The rent review process is a way of periodic

Re-selling Energy

Re-selling Energy

Information

Re-selling Energy - As a landlord am I able to make a profit by re-selling electricity or gas?</h2>Resale of Gas and ElectricityThe maximum amount that Residential Landlords or resellers� are permitted to charge for gas or electricity is the amount they

Providing a Reference

Providing a Reference

Information

Providing a Reference - I have been asked to provide a reference for one of my tenants who is moving on. What is my legal position in this and am I putting myself at risk if I say he was a bad tenant?</h2> Referencing (seeking verification of a tenants past performance) is an increasi

Polystyrene Ceiling Tiles

Polystyrene Ceiling Tiles

Information

Polystyrene Ceiling Tiles - is it legal to have these tiles in the kitchen of a rental property?</h2> There are currently no regulations specifically banning the use of polystyrene ceiling tiles in existing rented property.However, it is unlikely that local authority fire officers and en

Misrepresentation

Misrepresentation

Information

Misrepresentation - We recently rented out our rural cottage to a couple. As they wanted to use their computers I said it was possible to get high-speed broad-band. I thought this would be possible but it seems it is not at this time. The couple are now claiming that I misled them and that

Mail for Previous Tenants

Mail for Previous Tenants

Information

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

Long Term AST

Information

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

Lodgers Limits

Lodgers Limits

Information

Lodgers Limits - Is there any limit to the number of rooms I can rent out to lodgers, and are there any planning implications ?</h2> There are several parts of legislation in England and Wales that affect this question. Perhaps four main ones apply: Health &amp; Safety (HHSRS), HMO, Over

How long should accounts be kept

How long should accounts be kept

Information

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

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

Landlord fined £75K for illegally letting properties

Landlord fined £75K for illegally letting properties

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

A landlord has been found guilty of illegally letting two ‘party flats’ after neighbours complained about excessive noise.

Tenant piles pressure on Labour to adopt rent controls

Tenant piles pressure on Labour to adopt rent controls

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Lobbying group says tenant Bridget Chapman's experiences of a sudden rent rise is proof controls are needed.

Minister gifts solicitors £20m pay rise to help tenants fight evictions

Minister gifts solicitors £20m pay rise to help tenants fight evictions

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

The Government has increased its support for tenants who face eviction as its looming reforms bring in greater rights for private

Landlord fined £10,000 after ignoring requests to license property

Landlord fined £10,000 after ignoring requests to license property

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

A landlord who thought he could ignore council warnings over his property has been fined £10,000.

LATEST: New Decent Homes Standard consultation launched

LATEST: New Decent Homes Standard consultation launched

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Labour has revealed more details of the new minimum standards private landlords will have to meet.

Campaign launched to reverse 'bonkers' pet insurance decision

Campaign launched to reverse 'bonkers' pet insurance decision

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

AdvoCATS has launched initiative after Labour decided inexplicably not to allow landlords to require tenants to take out pet insurance.

Labour 'not listening to sense' on renting reforms says peer

Labour 'not listening to sense' on renting reforms says peer

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Lord Hacking tells housing minister Government is 'plain wrong' in its insistence on banning fixed-term tenancies.

Decent Homes Standard for private rented sector 'soon' says Labour

Decent Homes Standard for private rented sector 'soon' says Labour

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Government reveals it is about to consult on a new Decent Homes Standard that will apply to private as well as social landlords.

Minister refuses to budge on ending 'tenancies in advance' for students

Minister refuses to budge on ending 'tenancies in advance' for students

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Housing minister says asking students to commit before Christmas to a tenancy the next year is unfair.

Lib Dem boss: Distrust of red tape prevented Tories going green

Lib Dem boss: Distrust of red tape prevented Tories going green

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey has revealed that the Conservatives dismissed his call for energy efficient regulations in the PRS as “communist”.

HMOs: the evolution of the market and current hotspots

HMOs: the evolution of the market and current hotspots

Sponsored
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

HMOs (Houses of Multiple Occupation) first came to prominence in the form of student digs: fairly tatty shared houses, where students could live in groups for a low monthly rent.

INTERVIEW: The landlord leaders hoping to change rental sector for the better

INTERVIEW: The landlord leaders hoping to change rental sector for the better

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

A new group - theLandlord Leaders Community has been set up to bring the sector together and provide practical tools for

Rising rents won't stop landlords from feeling the pinch

Rising rents won't stop landlords from feeling the pinch

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Many landlords will find themselves materially worse off by 2026, despite

COMMENT: Will Labour come round to loving landlords?

COMMENT: Will Labour come round to loving landlords?

Information
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

With Labour's predilection for bashing landlords (though the current Conservative Government needs no encouragement on that), you would expect a Labour government to double

LATEST: Big council reveals £20m plan to buy rented homes off exiting landlords

LATEST: Big council reveals £20m plan to buy rented homes off exiting landlords

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Newham Council has approved a radical new plan to buy up properties where tenants have been threatened with eviction because their landlord no longer wants to let the property

Watch out for 'secret' compliance fee clauses in agency contracts, landlords told

Watch out for 'secret' compliance fee clauses in agency contracts, landlords told

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

A leading housing lawyer has questioned the use of property regulation compliance fees which appear to absolve letting agents of their responsibilities to ensure a landlord's

Government issues damp and mould warning within new landlord guidance

Government issues damp and mould warning within new landlord guidance

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Private landlords are to be held accountable for damp and mould in their homes including unlimited fines for those who flout the rules, new guidance from the Government has ma

Minister says landlords will evict tenants who get 'green grants' to upgrade homes

Minister says landlords will evict tenants who get 'green grants' to upgrade homes

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

The government has promised to focus on promoting grants to make PRS homes more energy efficient and ensure that tenants won't be penalised for demanding green improvements.

Mortgage rate rises to see huge surge in limited company landlords - claim

Mortgage rate rises to see huge surge in limited company landlords - claim

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Three-quarters of landlords who plan to buy a new rental property in the next year will use a

Climate change will hugely increase demand for greener short lets, says expert

Climate change will hugely increase demand for greener short lets, says expert

Opinion
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

A leading energy efficiency consultant has called for a transformation in the way landlords operate short-let holiday accommodation, saying this housing sector needs to reduce

Scottish leader reveals rent controls plan

Scottish leader reveals rent controls plan

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

The Scottish Government has pledged to introduce long-term rent controls and measures to enhance tenants’ rights and protections.

Disability group says hoarding and other mental health issues 'not reason to evict'

Disability group says hoarding and other mental health issues 'not reason to evict'

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

A disability rights group has vowed to push for stronger regulations in the Renters Reform Bill so disabled tenants don't face discrimination from their landlords.

Shelter claims landlords evicting older tenants via Section 21 'for no reason'

Shelter claims landlords evicting older tenants via Section 21 'for no reason'

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Shelter has claimed that the renting reform bill's slow progress through parliament is harming the health of older tenants, saying its research shows nearly a third live in

Research shows big city council doing 'very little' to police bad landlords

Research shows big city council doing 'very little' to police bad landlords

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Councils across Greater Manchester are failing to enforce disrepair in the PRS, putting tenants at the mercy of a potential postcode lottery - and highlighting the huge gap in

'Stop landlord bashing' says renting sector chief as conference season starts

'Stop landlord bashing' says renting sector chief as conference season starts

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Politicians should stop landlord bashing to prevent further damage to the private rented sector, says one property body boss.

WATCH: The five main ways to evict a tenant after reform bill becomes law

WATCH: The five main ways to evict a tenant after reform bill becomes law

Opinion
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Two experts have spelled out the challenges landlords will face when evicting tenants once the Government's plans to reform the private rented sector become law, most likely

New net zero minister urged to give landlords clarity on EPC changes

New net zero minister urged to give landlords clarity on EPC changes

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

New Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary Claire Coutinho (main picture) has been encouraged to focus on driving through new EPC rules as the green debate be

NRLA wants you to run your properties better and avoid 'red tape' fines

NRLA wants you to run your properties better and avoid 'red tape' fines

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) has launched two new initiatives that will help members manage their properties better and also be compliant with the myr

Landlords are not evil says buy-to-let mortgage lender, Paragon Bank’s chief

Landlords are not evil says buy-to-let mortgage lender, Paragon Bank’s chief

Information
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

In a recent interview conducted for The Sunday Times, Nigel Terrington, the chief executive of Paragon Bank for the last 28 years, says he has witnessed the growth an

Private rented sector 'a failure' says tenant union lobbying for radical restructure

Private rented sector 'a failure' says tenant union lobbying for radical restructure

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Tenants' union Acorn has admitted it is out to shake up the structure of property ownership � as well as taking on rogue agents and landlords.

REVEALED: Is it worth upgrading rental properties to meet new EPC rules?

REVEALED: Is it worth upgrading rental properties to meet new EPC rules?

Information
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Landlords updating their properties to meet imminent Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) changes could make more in lifetime energy savings than they pay out for green improv

AGENT: Landlords 'must support local communities and provide for social tenants'

AGENT: Landlords 'must support local communities and provide for social tenants'

Opinion
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

A leading property management firm has called on private landlords to support the social tenant sector following yesterday's report from London Councils tha

Bristol reveals big expansion in landlord property licencing across city

Bristol reveals big expansion in landlord property licencing across city

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

All Bristol landlords could soon have to licence small HMOs, while those in the Bishopston and Ashley Down, Cotham, and Easton wards are bracing themselves for a proposed sele

Landlords leave temporary accommodation market as private rents soar

Landlords leave temporary accommodation market as private rents soar

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

An unintended consequence of the Government's crackdown on the private rented sector has been revealed as councils across London report more landlords withdrawing from the t