This is a Guide to Tax Deductible Letting Expenses for Landlords under the new tax rules following the Summer Budget 2015. These may be subject to change and you are advised to consult a tax specialist before making any decisions.From April 2016 landlords will no longer be able to automatically d
An Edinburgh landlord set-up hidden cameras in the bedroom and bathroom of his flat, to film people in bed and in the shower.The cameras were discovered by a young couple, friends of the landlord who allowed them to use the accommodation. The couple found a box on the living room table with a cam
Amongst the ways to agree or ascertain the (open) market rent at rent review or on renewal of a lease, (per s.34-s35 Landlord and Tenant Act 1954), is the use of comparable evidence.At rent review, the market rent for the premises is not what rent the actual tenant would agree or could afford, bu
There are two instances of section 20 notices in property in England:(1) is the notice served in relation to early shorthold tenancies under the Housing Act 1988, and the other,(2) refers to section 20 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, as amended by the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act (CLR
Who pays for maintenance and repairs in a residential letting, landlord or tenant?Is it, for example, a tenants responsibility once they occupy my building to look after most of the regular house maintenance items? If the fridge stops working does the tenant or the landlord need to repair it?Y
With commercial property, rent reviews are generally to the open market rent, but sometimes the rent would be adjusted to the Retail Price Index (RPI). RPI is generally considered more favourable to landlords than CPI or other methodologies.There is no link between open market rent and inflatio
Amongst the thorny issues in the relationship between landlord and tenant is the building insurance premium. Unlike residential property where the landlord has a vested interest in making sure the premium is competitive, because more than likely the premium would not be recoverable from the tenan
Theres recently been a spate of press reports and political wrangling about the existence of Zero-Hour Contracts. This has become something of a hot political issue as we approach a general election, and one surprising development is recent attempts to embroil landlords in the issue, as if the
Traditionally, with commercial (business) leases, a contractual provision within the lease specifies the use, or uses to which a property may be put and the uses which are prohibited.The formal classification of Uses� are set out in the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987 as a
As most Assured Shorthold Tenancies (AST) are by definition, short, there is usually no need for landlords to get involved in processing a rent increase.However, some ASTs run for long periods after the fixed term has ended, i.e., when the tenancy becomes a statutory periodic tenancy, hence there
The ideal for any landlord is for the tenant to have a guarantor and provide a rent deposit. But which is better when the landlord has to choose?The starting point is the status of the tenant. With a tenant that is one person (an individual) the likelihood of that person being of independent fina
When you rent out a property two vital stages in the process are when you check-in your tenants at the start of the tenancy and check-out at the end.Preparation is the key to a trouble free let. When you prepare properly you are carrying out management processes so that nothing is left to chance
Elsewhere on LandlordZONE (at https://www.landlordzone.co.uk/information/what-is-a-section-25-notice" https://www.landlordzone.co.uk/information/what-is-a-section-25-notice and https://www.landlordzone.co.uk/information/what-is-a-section-26-notice-2 ) you can find out about sec
Contrary to popular belief, 'upward-only' rent review does not mean the rent must increase.An 'upward-only' review means that the rent payable after the review to open market rental is agreed or ascertained would not be less than the rent payable before the rent review, even if the open market re
There are dangers with using the Section 8 possession claims process under the Housing Act 1988 which are not always apparent to landlords and agents.There is always a temptation to use section 8 because the shorter notice period (usually 2 weeks) is much quicker to court than the alternative - s
What is a Section 25 Notice? My business lease is coming to an end and my landlord has served on me a Section 25 Notice.Commercial (Business) Tenancies in England & Wales are regulated by the Landlord & Tenant Act 1954 (Part 2).This means that when the fixed term ends (end of lease) the b
Section 48 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1987 states that landlords of residential tenancies in England and Wales must furnish their tenants with an address in England & Wales at which notices can be served. Failure to do so will mean that any claim for rent, rent arrears or service charges
Should landlord insist on renewing fixed term tenancies or allow them to lapse into periodic tenancies?In essence a tenancy is the right to possess and occupy land belonging to another. A tenancy gives the occupier a legal interest in the land for a defined period of time.A relationship of landlo
Tenant groups have laid into landlords as the Renters’ Rights Bill passes through the Lords.
Landlords have been encouraged to sign up to HMRC’s testing programme, with less than a year to go until those earning more than £50,000 need to use Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax.
The Mortgage Works has boosted its support for limited company landlords by removing the need for all mortgage applicants to be directors.
Despite promises by government & developers, house building progress is slow to affect rent levels
Government launches new consultation to help make your rental property more sustainable
The Renters’ Rights Bill could trigger an exodus among landlords, reducing the supply of affordable housing, industry leaders have warned.
Landlords should target student housing and build-to-rent (BTR) if they want a secure investment with decent yields, it has been suggested
Experts urge a fair and balanced Renters’ Rights Bill that protects both landlords and tenants as it reaches the committee stage in the House of Lords
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
A rogue landlord who ignored fire risks and serious hazards at his flats and caravans has been fined £32,000.
Landlords can effectively now charge what they like as the government’s draconian policies are stifling competition, says Nottingham benefits landlord Mick Roberts.
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 days required, it has been reported. A tenant deposit protection scheme was introduced on Jersey in 2015 and landlords, as in mai
The National Residential Landlords Association has warned the Government that the crumbling courts system for evictions will undermine its hoped-for reforms of the private renting sector unless they are reformed.
A landlord who ignored his tenants' pleas to fix their boiler during sub-zero temperatures has been ordered to pay out nearly �10,000 in fines and compensation.
A leading buy-to-let mortgage broker has said the Government has ‘needlessly spooked’ landlords with its rhetoric designed to ‘curry favour with tenants’.
Wandsworth Council is to launch a consultation into borough-wide additional licensing and a selective licensing scheme in three of its wards.
A landlord who ignored his tenants’ pleas to fix their boiler during sub-zero temperatures has been ordered to pay out nearly £10,000 in fines and compensation.
Rental properties with an EPC certificate below a band C are becoming more difficult to sell to other landlords, new research has suggested.
Latest rental market data from London reveals a private rental sector still on fire as rents rise by 11% year-on-year, says agency Foxtons.
The latest government guidance places the responsibility for damp, mould and condensation firmly in the lap of the landlord, whatever the cause!
