Tax Relief: Starting from 6th April 2017, those landlords with mortgages will have tax relief on their buy-to-let mortgage costs gradually reduce over a 4-year period.Many landlords dont have a mortgage (up to 50% it is said), so this change does not affect them, but many
Rent Arrears: At this time of year, soon after the Christmas spending spree, inevitably rent payments begin to suffer. If you are having problems with rent arrears, this article should help.As in most areas of life,prevention is better than cure . To re
Tax Return 2016-2017: As a general rule, and as outlined in the previous articles in this series on tax returns, landlords can claim the expenses of running and maintaining their rental properties.If the rent you charge includes additional services like water, or council tax
Tax Return 2016-17: With some costs its very easy to decide: a repair to a drain, downspout or roof tile are all allowable expenses, but what about replacing a broken single glazed window with a new plastic frame and double glazing, what about decorating and installing a
Penetrating damp, just as its name implies, is where water leaks into a building from outside the structure, through the walls or roof. Less common is where an internal leak from a water or drain pipe leaks into the structure of the building.Common causes of penetrating damp are: <ul <l
Fire Regulations in Rentals: There are several regulations relating to fire safety within rental dwellings; some affect all dwellings whereas others apply mainly to Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO).This looks complicated, but fire safety management in reality boils down t
Damp & Mould: You may have seen or heard of the 1970s TV series Rising Damp, which featured a landlord and his tenants (lodgers in this case) which rather implies that all rental properties are troubled with this kind of damp.Far from the case, but some are. In fact the
Renting Standards: Specialist residential property solicitor Amanda Sutcliffe of Bray & Bray looks at the importance of keeping a rental property in good condition.Research conducted by Endsleigh Insurance and TrustMark claimed that over 75% of landlords s
Sub-Letting Licenses: (SOLITAIRE) LIMITED Appellant and CHERRY LILIAN NORTON and other cases [2012]Landlords of leasehold buy-to-let flats are often asked to pay a fee (sub-letting licence or registration fee) to the freeholder when seeking permission to sub-let their flat,
Validity of Section 21 Notice: Amak Property Investments v Laura Sonny [2016]This case was an appeal by the tenant following a county court judgement relating to the validity of a s21 notice on the basis that the landlord had not complied with the deposit protection (MyDepo
Essential guide to rent reviews: why reading the lease is crucial for landlords and tenants to navigate rent adjustments effectively.
Tenant Agreement: The Law of Property Act 1925 talks about having a maximum of 4 tenants on an agreement. So what to do when you have 5, 6 or more tenants sharing a house?There is a common misunderstanding of the rules here. Landlords and agents sometimes think or have heard
Advance Rent: Piggot v Slaven and Johnson v. OldThere are two important cases which clarify (though not necessarily decisively) the position on landlords accepting rent payments in advance. One concerns the accepting of the final two months rent in advance, a common devi
Following some confusion and debate about a deferral for the new standards following the MEES* deadline in April 2018, the new government has confirmed that changes to the EPC rules, preventing landlords from renting out homes below rating E, will definitely be introduced from April 2018.Accordin
Responsibility for Repairs: Who is responsible and who is obliged to pay for repairs to leasehold blocks and flats? What is the procedure if repairs are unnecessarily delayed or not carried out to the leaseholders satisfaction? What is the Section 20 procedure?T
Essential guide on how to conduct a rent review, covering key clauses and best practices to protect landlord and tenant interests.
Test Case Yeomans v Newell [2016]:When a landlord is in breach of the tenancy deposit rules he or she is prevented from serving a valid s21 notice for possession proceedings. Despite the fact that the tenancy deposit legislation has been in force since April 2007, landlords
Test Case: Superstrike Ltd v Marino. RodriguesThe case involved a landlord who had taken a deposit from the tenant before the deposit protection rules came into force in April 2007, since changed by the Deregulation Act 2015 see below. When the tenancy later became a st
Tenants cite lazy landlords as the main reason for repairs and maintenance not being done in their rental homes.
Rents should emulate energy prices, with a cap used to help people pay a fairer price for bills, says Generation Rent.
Landlords with small portfolios are being disproportionately impacted by an increasingly regulated PRS, according to Shadow Housing Minister Kevin Hollinrake.
We thought it fitting that one of the first people our new The LandlordZONE series talked to should be the current public face of the industry.
Stringent new energy efficiency rules could see landlords hit with bills totalling tens of thousands of pounds. James Kent explains more.
The NRLA has urged the government to rethink its “unworkable and unrealistic” energy efficiency plans for the private rented sector.
A holiday property investment company has had its knuckles rapped over a misleading advert in The Times that promised investors whopping returns.
The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) has secured two amendments around tougher licensing rules in the next Renters’ Rights Bill debate.
Surprising new research has revealed that three quarters of landlords would allow a tenant to redecorate their home, and half of landlords would pay for the costs of completing the work.
An investigation has revealed that nearly all the flat listings on Facebook Marketplace in central Glasgow were potential scams.
Landlords urge Labour to unfreeze 'unjust' Local Housing Allowance rates, citing rising rent arrears and limited affordable housing options.
Liability for personal injury. What is the landlord's position on liability for injuries to persons on or near his premises?
Tenants in the private rented sector age biologically faster than homeowners, according to new research, which believes scrapping Section 21 will help reverse the process.
Tenants using Jersey’s tenancy deposit scheme will no longer have to pay a protection fee from next month.
Alert: self-employed sex workers using rented homes is rising—learn the risks and how landlords can act.
A slum landlord who received the longest ever banning order has insisted that his tenants love him.
The NRLA has told the Labour party leadership to follow its own MPs advice and encourage landlords to provide more privately rented properties if it wants to solve the housing crisis.
A Tory MP has been accused of intimidating a tenant he is trying to evict from his farm.
The Green party has promised to introduce rent controls and force landlords to make energy efficient improvements.
Complaints involving disputed tenancy deposits have been rising after TDS, which operates three deposit schemes in the UK, recorded a 20% increase over the past 12 months.
Commercial and Residential: Can a landlord insist his tenant pays rent until the end of the tenancy term when the tenant abandons the property
Commercial Leases: When leasing a commercial property, its important to know where your responsibilities as a landlord
Councils in Suffolk are embarking on an unusually collaborative approach that’s set to improve the county’s PRS homes and is understood to be the first to go ahead with such a scheme.
Locals in a Norfolk seaside village have voted to ban people from buying second homes in a bid to help locals find affordable properties.
A tax avoidance scheme being marketed to private landlords ‘will not work’ and could lead those who take them paying more tax in the long run, HMRC has warned.
A fire risk assessment is a mandatory requirement for HMOs and some commercial landlords
Rental prices will continue to increase during the next three months, predicts agent Knight Frank which has revised its growth forecasts for 2023 to 6.5%, with a further 5% expected in 2024.
The gloves are off among landlords after NRLA chief Ben Beadle today said figures showing 25 tenants chasing each available rental property are proof Tory policies have been a ‘failure’.
The Scottish government’s PRS reform consultation does not give landlords and agents the ability to get their views across, according to the boss of automated rental payment firm PayProp UK.
Manchester landlords look set to face more selective licencing after the council revealed it was recruiting a project manager to research new licensing areas.
A rogue landlord has been handed the maximum £30,000 fine after 17 people were found living in a four-bedroom house which posed a fire risk to its vulnerable tenants.
Generation Rent has labelled Rishi Sunak’s EPC upgrade U-turn as “cruel, disproportionate and reckless”, forcing many renters to suffer poor health in cold homes for years to come.
Bath has made the unusual decision to ditch its additional licensing scheme because it has done such a good job of improving standards.
A slum landlord in Sheffield has been given the longest banning order ever after being prevented from managing or letting properties for ten years.
