Farm and Land Tenancies Approximately one-third of all agricultural land in England and Wales is covered by agricultural tenancies. Tenancies allow people to farm without being landowners. As agricultural land is expensive, and the acreage now needed to make a viable operati
Landlords sometimes face a dilemma when they want to sell a rental property, or even a portfolio of their rental properties. Sometimes landlords have no choice but to sell as they are being forced to sell for financial reasons.Residential properties, unlike their commercial counterparts, always s
Assignment is when an existing and ongoing tenancy is transferred from one tenant to another. The person who transfers the tenancy is the assignor� and the person who the tenancy is transferred to is the assignee�.The outgoing tenant transfers his rights and obligations under the tenanc
Latest Research Suggests Basement Flats Are Safe As HousesBasement flats in West London have been found to be as secure from intruders as other types of apartments, according to research carried by Basement Flats, a newly-launched London publication.The magazine, which features news and informati
Section 26 Notice - My Commercial (Business Tenancy) Lease Agreement is coming to an end soon and my tenant has served on me a Section 26 Notice. What is this and what should I do?Commercial (Business) Tenancies in England & Wales are regulated by the Landlord & Tenant Act 1954 (Part 2).T
Uninhabitable Premises. My tenanted property is flooded. What are my legal obligations in this situation? Am I obliged to re-house my tenant? Must my tenant continue to pay rent?Landlords are under a general obligation to supply property in tenant able condition for the tenant to i
Question: Tenant Blacklists. I've had a very bad experience with a tenant and would like to put him on a black list so that other landlords don't have the same experience that I've had. How do I go about this?Answer: We often get asked this question.Although there have been several attempts by di
Sub-letting leasehold - I want to rent out my leasehold flat but the managing agent says the freeholder wont allow it. I know that other flats in the block are rented out, so what can I do? Landlords usually prohibit sub-letting to safeguard the interest.Landlords usually prohibit sub-letting
What are the implications of renting to a 17 year old or someone who is under the age of 18? We have an application from a 17-year old that is keen to rent but Im not sure this would be legal?</h2> Many landlords and housing providers would be concerned and therefore refuse to let to
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 - 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 - 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 - 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 - 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
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
Rising interest rates are piling the pressure on landlords and leaving some as mortgage prisoners, according to one mortgage expert. With most fixed rates now well over 6%, the interest costs can have tripled since some landlords last mortgage was taken, causing a perfe
More landlords looking for a quick and painless exit from the PRS are considering concessionary mortgages, it has been claimed. These little-known mortgage deals allow a sitting tenant to buy the property at a discounted price, based on a valuation. The seller must b
Landlord Actions Paul Shamplina (main picture) has explained to Radio 4 listeners how an almost broken court system and higher interest rates are driving a rush in Section 21 evictions before rent reform laws kick in. Speaking on the https://www.bbc.co
A landlord has failed to convince a court that stress and financial difficulties excused her from paying a rent repayment order. Instead, Jaya Sanahs four tenants will share �16,191 after ahttps://www.landlordzone.co.uk/tag/first-tier-property-tribunal-2...
Landlords are to wait many more months to find out the details of Government proposals to raise the minimum Energy Performance Certificate for rented properties. Energy minister Andrew Bowie (main picture) has admitted during a Lords debate that progress h
Lloyds has grown its rental portfolio to 1,000 properties and has another 700 in the pipeline as it bids to become one of the UKs biggest landlords, albeit far off its original objectives. The bank has some way to go if the publicly-owned institution is to meet its target of
An Upper Tribunal has slashed a landlords Rent Repayment Order by �16,000 after taking pity during an appeal hearing on her precarious financial position�. A First Tier Property Tribunal https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6239f607e90e07799cd3de67/LO
A landlord in Norfolk has payed fines totalling �40,000 after he was found to have housed tenants in a way that put tenants at risk. Issues were reported at the Watton property (pictured) to Breckland Council last year, which prompted an inspection by officers who found a block
The Bank of England has this lunchtime raised its base rate by 0.5% as the venerable institution fights to bring down inflation, which yesterday was revealed to be sticking stubbornly at 8.7%, way above the bank's target of 2%. Commentators and mortgage holders alike had hoped t
More evidence of trouble within the courts system and in particular for landlords seeking to evict tenants via possessin hearings has emerged, LandlordZONE can report.
The government has confirmed that the latest How to Rent guide will go live on Monday, 2nd October, including details on the new Housing Loss Prevention Service.
Letting for the first time can be a daunting prospect. Here is a summary of the key points you should look out for...
Ever since the launch of the Tenancy Deposit Scheme in April 2007, the lettings industry has recognised the importance of a professional standard inventory if deposit damage claims by landlords or their agents are to succeed.
Rishi Sunak’s decision to scrap tougher EPC rules for rented properties may spark anger among some landlords following new research that four in five of them had already made preparations to meet the former minimum ‘Band C’ requirement.
Westminster City Council has repeated its calls for a compulsory registration scheme for short-term lets, a tax on overnight stays and powers to issue penalties to unregistered hosts, saying Airbnb is now causing an ‘enforcement nightmare’.
The government is being urged to bring in a dedicated ‘sex for rent’ law to protect tenants after it promised to clamp down on predatory adverts.
The Bank of England has blamed higher rents on more landlords than usual quitting the private rental market within its detailed quarterly report on the economy.
Landlords have more of an incentive to make green improvements following PM Rishi Sunak’s announcement that they can now claim £7,500 for a heat pump installation.
Westminster City Council has repeated its calls for a compulsory registration scheme for short-term lets, a tax on overnight stays and powers to issue penalties to unregistere
The government is being urged to bring in a dedicated �sex for rent' law to protect tenants after it promised to clamp down on predatory adverts.
Brighton & Hove Council hopes to introduce a huge selective licensing scheme that would eventually cover 17 of the city’s 23 wards.
York Council has teamed up with Justice for Tenants (JFT) to help more residents claim rent repayment orders from errant landlords in what is claimed to be a ‘ground-breaking partnership’.
York Council has teamed up with Justice for Tenants (JFT) to help more residents claim rent repayment orders from errant landlords in what is claimed to be a 'ground-breaking
Haringey Council has given the green light to an additional HMO licencing scheme consultation.
North Devon Council could close a loophole that allows HMO landlords to rent out their rooms as holiday lets.
Birmingham Council has confirmed to LandlordZONE that its selective licensing scheme will continue to be enforced despite its dire financial situation.
So called title fraud is on the rise, where someone steals your identity, transfers your property title and either mortgages it or sells it off
Rishi Sunak has made a speech rowing back on several key green policies that were to cost landlords thousands but that were part of his key Net Zero pledges.
Scores of landlords could be owed thousands of pounds in stamp duty overpayments, according to a specialist tax firm.
The PM is considering scaling back the Government’s green pledges by delaying the ban on new petrol and diesel cars from 2030 to 2035 and slowing the phase-out of oil and gas boilers.
The NRLA has urged the Welsh government to ditch rent control proposals as the worst possible idea for a PRS facing a chronic supply and demand crisis.
A property management firm and its fire risk assessors face a hefty fine for fire safety breaches following a blaze which saw 17 people evacuated.
Sunak to U‑turn on boiler ban & ditch EPC fines for landlords, easing thousands in green‐policy costs.
In an unusual move the Jersey government is to give local authorities on the island more powers to prosecute landlords who do not protect tenants' deposits within the 30 day
