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
A leading lettings agency boss has pinned rising rents and fewer properties to rent squarely on the previous Conservative Government, says its policies have ‘driven away’ landlords.
Bank of England cuts base rate to 5%, offering relief to landlords with buy-to-let mortgages nearing the end of fixed-rate deals.
Encouraging landlords to rent out more homes will not solve the housing crisis, it has been claimed.
A rogue landlord who was also a letting agent in Essex has been banned from being a landlord in England for three years.
A big council in the East Midlands has revealed plans to extend and widen its additional licencing scheme for HMOs.
Labour has moved to make good on its manifesto promise to reform and improve the Right to Buy scheme which, under the Tories, saw the number of publicly-funded affordable rented homes in England shrink dramatically.
Councils are failing in more ways than one. When it comes to complaints from their tenants, repairs and maintaining safety standards, councils are not performing
An HMO landlord has lost his appeal against an improvement notice ordering him to update a 'paddle staircase'.
Landlords should be prevented from serving an eviction notice for at least the first year of a tenancy, in the case of repossession for selling or occupying the property, according to a new report from the Fabian Society. The independent left-leaning
The Governments housing policies are coming home to roost as tenant demand continues to soar but the number of landlords advertising new properties to rent plummets, it has been revealed. RICS says that during June it found significantly more members (a net balance increase o
Landlords in one of London's biggest boroughs now need planning permission to convert family homes into HMOs for three to six tenants. After a year-long pilot and consultation with residents, the London Borough of Hounslow (main picture) has made its borough-wide A
Mortgage troubles spark surge in portfolio landlords selling up—explore what’s driving the exodus and what it means for the rental sector.
Government officials have reassured private landlords that judges will be able to consider a wider range of behaviours before using their judicial discretion in ASB eviction cases. Giving evidence to the Levelling Up Housing and Communities Committee into
Almost 250,000 BTL landlords face refinancing losses as borrowing rates near 7%, says Daily Telegraph.
The Governments Renters Reform Bill is unlikely to make progress through parliament until much later this year, housing minister Rachel Maclean has admitted. Maclean was unable to confirm when the bill would get a second reading during a Q&A with MPs from the Levelling Up
A team of independent fact checkers and campaigners has debunked Labours claims that most renters live in homes bought with a buy-to-let mortgage. Deputy leader Angela Rayner made the assertion last week, but charity Full Fact says the claim is technically incorrect, as it ho
A letting agency-owning landlord has been fined more than £17,000 for renting out one small room in an HMO to a family of five. Ruhul Shamsuddin and his company Lordsons Estates were found guilty of 23 housing offences relating to a
The Bank of England has warned that landlords with mortgages are under increasing strain from higher interest payments and other structural factors, all of which are likely to put pressure on their incomes�. The commentary is within the banks latest https:
Landlords arrears are growing at a faster rate than homeowners, according to new research that suggests fewer investors are being shielded from economic headwinds. https://www.octanecapital.co.uk/" Octane Capital found that buy-to-let arrears of more tha
Five tenants have shared a whopping �29,000 Rent Repayment Order after their landlord failed to licence its HMO. East London-based https://www.facebook.com/weletroomsuk/" We Let Rooms Ltd did not defend itself at a First Tier Property T
Corporate student housing giant expands as private HMO landlords exit, amid growing demand for purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA).
Landlord leader Ben Beadle has given Shelter a run for its money during a parliamentary committee evidence session on the Renters (Reform) Bill. Beadle, who is chief executive of the National Residential Landlords Association, wondered out loud during the meeting whether campaig
Changes in tax rules for buy-to-let landlords have definitely made the business of letting property more challenging, particularly with those who have taken on big mortgages to buy their rental properties. The removal of mortgage interest relief (Section 24 of the Finance Act) a
An Essex landlord has learned the hard way that unpicking rent-to-rent or guaranteed rent agreements can be a lot more difficult than many might believe. In a case handled by the Resolution Department Lead Suzy Hershman (main picture) and her team at
London letting agent fined £8,000 for misleading tenants and using intimidation tactics; company dissolved.
Jerseys private landlords have urged lawmakers to rethink radical plans to shake up the sector which they fear will exacerbate the housing crisis. The Jersey Landlords Association (https://www.jla.je/" JLA ) has
Landlords should give renters some of their equity gains when they sell up to stop the giant tenant rip-off, according to https://www.bigissue.com/ The Big Issue boss John Bird (main picture). Bird b
One hundred percent of letting agencies in Scotland say they have seen more landlords exiting the market since the countrys government brought in and then recently-extended a rent rise cap and evictions ban. Agents canvassed by trade organisation Propertymark also reported an
A consultation has opened into proposals not to charge landlords who are preparing a property to let or waiting to find a tenant the empty homes a council tax premium. The government wants to strengthen the existing long-term empty homes premium by applying this to properties th
UK house prices fell by 3.1pc on an annualised basis in the first quarter (Q1) of 2023 and an increase in interest rates have a dampening effect on the market. Inflationary pressures With inflation currently running at 8.7pc (CPI), this is well above the Bank of Engl
Statutory licensing scheme plans for visitor accommodation in Wales have got the thumbs down from many holiday home owners, short-lets landlords and residents. The proposals, which will see all holiday homes, https://www.landlordzone.co.uk/tag/airbnb-landlords/" target=
Leasehold properties are becoming harder to sell due to escalating ground rents and limited lease terms, despite recent reform efforts.
Loopholes in the Renters Reform Bill around alternative possession grounds leave it open to abuse by unscrupulous landlords, claims a Labour activist and lawyer. A landlord will simply need to demonstrate an intention to use the property to live in or sell before they can
