New government funding to explore how technology can help dispute resolution could reduce the backlog of court cases, including possession hearings. The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has been awarded �119,691 from the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial St
Investigations have thrown new light on a series of solar energy investments which failed to switch the lights on for Thurrock Council. Conservative led Thurrock Council has saddled itself with an almost �500 million debt when it tried to bridge a funding gap by taking on risky
In this episode of the property cast, Eddie and Paul are joined by Nigel Lewis - award-winning property journalist and Editor in Chief at LandlordZONE, the most visited landlord news website in the UK. Nigel Lewis is a property writer and editor with a 27-year track record working for nation
In this episode of The Property Cast, we discuss the myriad of issues surrounding damp, mould and condensation a common problem for landlords and letting agents alike. To explore this topic, Sean Hooker, Head of Redress at the Property Redress Scheme, steps into Eddies sh
In this episode of The Property Cast, Eddie and Paul are joined by Maxine Fothergill, President of the leading membership body for property agents, ARLA Propertymark. The trio discuss the topical issue of rental reform and ROPA, delving into the detail of what lies ahead for age
Portsmouth is to go ahead with its contested additional licensing scheme but has promised to reward good landlords by charging them a lower licence fee and doing fewer inspections. Landlords had urged their council not to go ahead with plans to extend licensing to about 4,000 th
The long awaited renting reforms first muted in 2019 will be implemented next year, promises Housing Secretary, Michael Gove MP. Admitting that the Government should have moved more quickly� on these reforms to protect tenants following the Grenfell Tower tragedy, Mr Gove
A landlord battling to evict his nightmare tenants using a Section 8 order is exasperated that county court bailiffs encouraged them to stay put. The Cumbrian-based landlord had been granted a possession order, but his tenants - on bail for alleged drug offences and owing �3,00
The Government has averted a looming crisis in the HMO sector that would have seen many tenants charged individually for council tax, rather than paying a share of the propertys annual bill. As LandlordZONEhttps://www.landlordzone.co.uk/news/exclusive-official-counci
London Renters Union will picket successful estate agents across the capital next week who it blames for pushing up rents to unaffordable levels. Protests are planned in Tower Hamlets, Hackney and Crystal Palace on 3rd December by activists who have taken partic
The Welsh government has given a strong indication that landlords and property owners operating Airbnb holiday homes within its borders are to face a compulsory licensing scheme similar to the Rent Smart Wales scheme for the traditional private rental sector. This follows a parl
Landlords long-standing criticisms of health and safety regulation that tenants are often the cause of problems such as mould or water leaks look set to be addressed in new government guidance. Councils inspecting rented properties will be formally instructed to exami
Housing Secretary Michael Gove has ordered council bosses to prove they are assessing and improving damp and mould problems in the PRS. Following the death of toddler Awaab Ishak as a direct result of mould in his family home, Gove says theres an urgent need to ensure a decen
The tragedy of the death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak in a Rochdale social housing flat rests heavily on the minds of landlords across the country: could this happen in one of my own properties they might well ask? The answer is probably, yes it easily could. In a winter with ris
A Japanese knotweed infestation caused homeowner Charron Ishmael to take her neighbour, retired NHS consultant Dr Sheila Clark, to court over a dispute about the plant. Charron Ishmael was selling her property but because of the presence of the invasive plant in her neighbour
HMO landlords have again been warned that they must pass on the Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBSS) rebate to tenants as the first payments are made, this time by business secretary Grant Shapps (pictured). https://www.landlordzone.co.uk/news/latest-official-plans-to-for
Merton Council, which includes the famous Wimbledon lawn tennis centre, is embarking on a big push to license all rented properties and HMOs in the borough as well as limiting the growth of small HMOs. It wants landlords to take part in its new consultation on plans for <strong
Complaints from landlords and letting agents have been passed to LandlordZONE about a rent-to-rent provider whose founder is lauded online for raking in up to �12,000 a month. <figure id="" class="w-richtext-figure-type- " data-rt-type="" data-rt-align=""><div><img src="https://uploads-
Compulsory EPC band C by 2025 causing confusion There have been recent confusing reports put out that from 2025, all newly rented properties in England & Wales will be required to have an EPC rating of band C or above. This is somewhat misleading and jum
LandlordZONE sits down with one of Londons most prolific but little-known landlords who has spent 30 years amassing a huge portfolio in the East End and West End areas of the capital. For reasons of privacy, and a desire to remain behind the scenes, he doesnt want to
So, we ended 2021 after twenty-one months since the first Covid lockdown with the new variant, Omicron, spreading fast, and with Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland putting in stricter measures and speculation that England may follow with an announcement early in the New Year.
An example of the difficulty of prediction is the conclusion to a detailed study recently published on the private rented sector by the London School of Economics (a study commissioned by the NRLA) Individually and cumulatively, the recent tax changes
A lettings agency boss and landlord has been slapped with a �40,700 Rent Repayment Officer despite claiming that his failure to licence an HMO was an honest mistake. A First Tier Property Tribunal handed five former tenants the maximum award for the period from September 2019 t
Scotland’s Housing Bill proposes rent controls, winter eviction bans, pet rights & tougher eviction penalties in private sector overhaul.
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 County Council's selective licensing scheme covers 29,000 homes, requiring landlords to apply by 31 July for a £350–£500 licence fee.
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
Serviced offices one would surmise, offer the ideal solution in a post-Covid world. Mainstream office investments are struggling in a world where a good proportion of most com
Renters looking to live in the capital can sign up for a new alternative renting concept that blurs the lines between traditional hotels, serviced apartments and private
Read the UK property market recap with expert forecasts for 2023 and 2024, from price trends to investor insights.
Northern Ireland officials have refused to get tougher on HMO landlords despite pleas from Belfast councillors that parts of the city are becoming over-run and affected by ant
In an almost unanimous decision, landlords are throwing in the towel, opting to take the cash and sell their property portfolios. It seems that the gravy train for buy-to-lets
Growing numbers of tenants are turning to deposit alternative products as inflation, high rents and interest rate rises make it more attractive to hold on to their money to sp
A shocked landlord has revealed on social media that their letting agency illegally deducted its �tenant finding' fee from the tenancy deposits of the renters involved.</p
The boss of a build-to-rent (BTR) property search website has insisted the sector is not out to only attract more affluent tenants, despite criticism in the past that it does.
The Ministry of Justice launches a tool to help tenants address repair issues with landlords, guiding them through legal options and support services.
A landlord who's being threatened with a massive rent repayment order has told of his frustration at a court system that is unfairly weighted towards tenants.
A well-known property firm has made the unusual move of criticising the Government for not letting landlords know how they will afford and implement the proposed tightending o
Scores of HMO landlords in Portsmouth have threatened to sell up or convert their properties to family lets once a new additional scheme launches next month.
Evictions expert Paul Shamplina says UK court delays for landlords are the worst ever he’s seen during his legal career within the private rented sector.
The full impact of Tory policies and rising mortgage interest rates have been highlighted by new research commissioned by the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA)
Specialist buy-to-let broker Mortgages For Business (MFB) has urged landlords approaching re-mortgage to secure a new rate as early as possible following the latest update on
Evictions expert Paul Shamplina says UK court delays for landlords are the worst ever he's seen during his career within the private rented sector.
Landlords have effectively lost more than �4,000 in earnings per property during the last year thanks to soaring mortgage rates and rising costs.
Landlords in the capital's prime rental sector are facing a stark choice between topping up a rent shortfall or selling up.
UK's oil boiler ban for off-grid homes delayed to 2035; landlords face retrofit challenges with heat pumps in rural properties.
New data analysis confirms a rise in buy-to-let landlords selling properties during the past two years and the potential for more properties to leave the sector.
Nearly 60% of landlords are either against or not convinced by the Government's plans to bring in mandatory membership of an ombudsman for all landlords in England, it has b
A mortgage expert has advised landlords not to be put off by high arrangement fees on BTL mortgages, but some landlords and brokers have accussed lenders of profiteering.
The number of selective and HMO additional licensing schemes launched this year has already equalled last year's total as councils come under pressure to tackle private rent
A town council in the SW has declared a �housing crisis' blaming affluent new arrival renters but also 'landlords pulling out of the market' for rapidly-rising rents.
