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Scottish government unveils controversial rent reform plans

Scottish government unveils controversial rent reform plans

News

Scotland’s Housing Bill proposes rent controls, winter eviction bans, pet rights & tougher eviction penalties in private sector overhaul.

Bristol significantly expands HMO and selective licensing schemes

Bristol significantly expands HMO and selective licensing schemes

News

Bristol has approved plans to extend landlord licensing in Brislington West, Bedminster and Horfield wards in a bid to raise PRS standards. The scheme includes additional licensing - HMOs with three or more unrelated people sharing facilities and selective licensing - privat

Durham’s new licensing scheme for 29,000 homes: What you need

Durham’s new licensing scheme for 29,000 homes: What you need

News

Durham County Council's selective licensing scheme covers 29,000 homes, requiring landlords to apply by 31 July for a £350–£500 licence fee.

Test Case: Council advising tenants to stay put after valid s21 notice served

Test Case: Council advising tenants to stay put after valid s21 notice served

News

This is a Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman case involving an unnamed landlord (LandlordX or MrX) and Brentwood Borough Council. The case revolves around a common situation where the landlord required possession of the property after serving a valid section 21 notice un

'Let’s not forget property remains the best performing investment'

'Let’s not forget property remains the best performing investment'

Opinion

I've been in the property investment business for almost 30 years and during this period opportunities have come and gone but I've yet to discover an asset class that perf

OPINION: The EPC ratings system is 'not fit for purpose'

OPINION: The EPC ratings system is 'not fit for purpose'

Opinion

Ever since I started to market one of my commercial buildings around 10 years ago now, I began to doubt the efficacy of the EPC rating system. The guy that came along to do the inspection told me himself he had just completed a 6 week course, or whatever it was, to train to be a

BREAKING: Government toughens up smoke and C0 alarm regulations

BREAKING: Government toughens up smoke and C0 alarm regulations

News

Social and private landlords are to face tougher new rules which make it mandatory to fit smoke alarms in all rented accommodation regardless of tenure, and widen the conditions under which they must be fitted. Revisions to the smoke and carbon monoxide detector regulations also

ANALYSIS: Does buy-to-let still beat the stock market?

ANALYSIS: Does buy-to-let still beat the stock market?

News

If you had �50k to invest right now, where would you put it, buy-to-let property or stocks and shares? Certainly leaving it in a traditional savings account, with interest rates as they are at rock bottom, thats out of the question. And with the threat of rising inflation ea

EXCLUSIVE: Costliest and most common landlord insurance claims

EXCLUSIVE: Costliest and most common landlord insurance claims

News

Research carried out by LandlordZONEs insurance partner, Hamilton Fraser Total Landlord Insurance, revealed that the vast majority of landlords, https://hamiltonfraser.co.uk/knowledge/good-landlord-quiz-results/?utm_source=landlordzone&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=lz_november

Opinion: Should landlords dive into heat pumps?

Opinion: Should landlords dive into heat pumps?

Opinion

The move to provide home heating and hot water by this method is part of a Government strategy aimed at making deep cuts to greenhouse gas emissions and decarbonizing the UK's power sector by 2035. Prime Minister Boris Johnson says the scheme was designed to bring low-carbon hea

UPDATED: Bailiff evictions to be suspended over Xmas and New Year for a month

UPDATED: Bailiff evictions to be suspended over Xmas and New Year for a month

News

Tenants facing eviction in England are to be protected from losing their homes during the Christmas and New Year period, HM Courts and Tribunal has confirmed. Between 13th December and 10th January no evictions should be s

Tax changes for Airbnb landlords 'in the pipeline' to stop gaming of the rates system

Tax changes for Airbnb landlords 'in the pipeline' to stop gaming of the rates system

News

Some holiday lets owners are gaming the system to claim business rate relief, comments made by the Housing Minister Lord Greenhalgh suggest, who has promised action to clamp down on the practice. In a Lords debate on second homes, peers voiced concerns that second homeo

Asylum seeker HMO operator fined �60,000 for running house without licence

Asylum seeker HMO operator fined �60,000 for running house without licence

News

A company that houses asylum seekers has been fined more than �60,000 for HMO offences in Newport. Clearsprings Ready Homes, which has the contract for operating accommodation for asylum seekers in Wales, was found guilty of letting an HMO in Redland Street (pictured), in the B

Bill to make EPC rules mandatory early 'unlikely to become law' after stabbing

Bill to make EPC rules mandatory early 'unlikely to become law' after stabbing

News

The Minimum Energy Performance of Buildings Bill, which aimed to advance the governments energy efficiency commitments, is in doubt following the tragic death of David Amess MP. He was the presentation bills main sponsor in the Commons, launching it at the same time as Lor

Should holiday-let owners be paying council tax?

Should holiday-let owners be paying council tax?

News

However, Carol Lewis writing for the Sunday Times newspaper thinks that holiday let owners should be paying council tax. Given that levelling up is the government's buzzword du jour, it is time to level the playing field and bring holiday-home owners in line wi

Landlords left struggling to claw back deposits owed after property firm ceases trading

Landlords left struggling to claw back deposits owed after property firm ceases trading

News

Landlords and letting agents hit by the collapse of Ash Residential Property Management Limited (ARPM) have been left struggling to claw back deposits and fees after it ceased trading last month with debts of almost �1.5m. At least 8,000 properties and their landlords are affec

HMRC warns holiday let owners about their tax obligations

HMRC warns holiday let owners about their tax obligations

News

HMRC warns that owners must accurately declare these earnings on their self assessment tax returns or face criminal charges if in default. A boom in bookings The Covid pandemic has stored up excess demand for stay at home Britains under the foreign holiday restrictio

LATEST: Scots landlords face new EPC rules but up to �15,000 to pay for upgrades

LATEST: Scots landlords face new EPC rules but up to �15,000 to pay for upgrades

News

Scottish landlords have until 2028 to meet energy efficiency standards but can access interest-free loans of up to �15,000 to help them spread the cost. The Scottish government has published its Heat In Building Strategy setting out that, by 2030, greenhouse gas emissions from

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EPCs are misleading, inaccurate and need reform, says Which?

EPCs are misleading, inaccurate and need reform, says Which?

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News
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Consumer organisation Which? says there is considerable evidence that many EPCs are ‘not accurate’.

Landlord fined £528,000 after fence mending work leads to burns

Landlord fined £528,000 after fence mending work leads to burns

News
News
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Opinion
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A large landlord has been fined £528,000 after a maintenance crew member repairing a fence post inadvertently struck an underground cable, suffering facial burns.

Landlords slam 'infuriating' licencing rules now driving evictions

Landlords slam 'infuriating' licencing rules now driving evictions

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News
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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

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News
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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

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News
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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

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News
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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
News
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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

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News
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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

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

England to get its own 'rent service' says housing minister

England to get its own 'rent service' says housing minister

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News
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A new body will help decide rents in a bid to prevent over-loading the tribunal service with rent disputes.

Landlord fined £75K for illegally letting properties

Landlord fined £75K for illegally letting properties

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News
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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

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News
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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

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News
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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

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News
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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

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News
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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

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News
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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

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News
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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

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News
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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

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

What have been agents been doing to temper Governments' renting reforms

What have been agents been doing to temper Governments' renting reforms

Podcast
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Podcast
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The LandlordZONE podcast invites one of the agents who has been leading the charge to temper Ministers' reforming zeal.

Could the Renters’ Rights Bill result in hundreds of tenants forced out?

Could the Renters’ Rights Bill result in hundreds of tenants forced out?

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News
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The bill is designed to afford tenants more protections, but could it lead to them being ‘forced out’ of their homes?

Lettings agency fined £66,500 after council discovers 'dirty' HMO

Lettings agency fined £66,500 after council discovers 'dirty' HMO

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News
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The HMO that AM PM Estates managed in Slough was found to be dirty and in a poor state of repair inside and out, including a

Build to rent to take 30% of rental market, says big lettings agency

Build to rent to take 30% of rental market, says big lettings agency

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News
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More landlords are selling up than buying new properties to rent, a new Savills report highlights.

Government U-turns on RTS electricity meter switch off

Government U-turns on RTS electricity meter switch off

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News
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The Government has, following feedback from various property and other industry bodies, delayed the 'big switch off'.

Four 'profit before people' landlords banned for life

Four 'profit before people' landlords banned for life

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News
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In an unusual move, a Midlands local authority has added the four men to the national rogue landlords database.

Tough tenant referencing to be 'crucial' after renting reforms

Tough tenant referencing to be 'crucial' after renting reforms

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News
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Robust tenant referencing will be increasingly important for landlords when the Section 8 process becomes more protracted.

Labour U-turn on pet insurance a 'betrayal' says campaigner

Labour U-turn on pet insurance a 'betrayal' says campaigner

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News
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Labour's bewildering decision to U-turn on requiring tenants to have pet insurance has been slammed.

HMOs up to 50% more valuable than average house price

HMOs up to 50% more valuable than average house price

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News
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New research reveals how higher yields make licensed HMOs much sought after among investors.

Greater Manchester landlords urged to sign up to Andy Burnham’s Charter

Greater Manchester landlords urged to sign up to Andy Burnham’s Charter

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News
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All landlords in Greater Manchester will be expected to sign up for the Charter scheme which is the first of its kind in the UK

South coast city councillors greenlight 'Airbnb' offensive

South coast city councillors greenlight 'Airbnb' offensive

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News
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Brighton & Hove Council has given the go-ahead for a crackdown on short lets in a bid to reclaim homes.

'Let only' agent wins appeal against licensing fine

'Let only' agent wins appeal against licensing fine

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News
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A letting agent who was fined for letting a room in an unlicensed HMO has won his appeal.

Landlords' relief at new rent in advance rule

Landlords' relief at new rent in advance rule

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News
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Landlords with existing tenancy agreements which have rent payable in advance can continue collecting it until the tenancy ends.

Tenants' dismay at likely rental reform delay

Tenants' dismay at likely rental reform delay

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News
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The Renters’ Rights Bill is being held up and isn’t expected to become law until at least the autumn, according to reports.

EPC rules will force scores of tenants to move out

EPC rules will force scores of tenants to move out

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News
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Nearly a quarter of tenants face being moved out of their homes when landlords start energy efficiency improvements.