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
Yorks Residential Landlords Association (York RLA) wants to clarify why it decided not to proceed with further legal action over the city councils proposals to bring in an Additional Licencing scheme for HMOs. Both local media and LandlordZONE recently reported that it had
Council leaders, unions and renters groups have urged Housing Secretary Michael Gove to bring in an immediate rent freeze in a bid to prevent widespread homelessness. In an open letter, the 34 groups and individuals including London Renters Union, mayor of London Sadiq Kh
A disgruntled landlord has convinced a judge to have his rent repayment order case re-heard after arguing that council systems hindered his ability to apply for an HMO licence during the pandemic. Paul Fashade was told to pay three tenants a total of �11,
The government should raise the stamp duty surcharge on BTL purchases to favour those buying their own home, according to a new report from Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF). The social change group believes the surcharge should at least double to effectively disincentivise specu
Citizens Advice has urged the government to extend Awaabs law to the PRS to help the estimated 1.6 million children living in damp, mouldy or excessively cold privately rented homes. Awaab Ishtak died aged just two years old after living in a mouldy and
A new survey has downplayed the scale of landlords ready to quit the sector due to heavy-handed government regulations and upcoming legislation. Leaders Romans Groups poll of 271 landlords found that only 7% plan to sell up in the next year while 12% aim to reduce their portf
Nottingham councillors have voted through a contentious additional HMO licensing scheme. The current scheme, covering central areas of the city, will soon come to an end and the council plans to introduce a new citywide scheme in January 2024. It says this would pre
Peers have slammed the governments Boiler Upgrade Scheme for attracting a disappointingly low� take-up of grants. Launched in https://www.landlordzone.co.uk/news/latest-official-boiler-upgrade-scheme-launches-today-but-is-it-enough/" target="_blank" <stron
A BBC investigation has uncovered a new property rental scam that uses Facebook Marketplace and then fake accommodation booking sites to lure in unsuspecting tenants. Called an advance rent payment scam, a technique that has been around for many years, this version of it is more
Pro-tenant campaigners have claimed that the Governments looming overhaul of the private rented sector will cost landlords a meagre �10 each per annum. The https://www.rentersreformcoalition.co.uk/" target="_blank" Renters Reform Coaliti
Tax increases on private landlords are reducing supply but not increasing owner occupation, making it difficult for the PRS to be commercially viable, according to a housing sector academic. Giving evidence to the Pensions and Work Committee on benefit levels, Prof
A major Midlands council is considering a selective licencing when its additional licencing scheme for HMOs finishes in 2025 as it seeks to answer critics who believe this type of property is damaging social cohesion in many areas. The Cabinet committee of West Northamptonshire
Living in an era where the UK has concerns about the security of energy supply, rising energy costs, and the need to meet environmental considerations, looking to innovative energy back-up alternatives makes sense. Since the shock of the war in Ukraine, it has become increasingl
Housing secretary Michael Gove has moved to reassure private landlords that the Government backs them, describing their work as vital to a functioning rented sector. His column for the https://www.nrla.org.uk/" target="_blank" NRLA </a
Strange proceedings have been reported at Bristol Magistrates Court after a landlord was fined �44,000 over serious fire safety issues at an HMO he operates. Joe Sutera attended the court hearing but refused to identify himself saying he was a man and that Joe Sutera h
A rogue landlord has been handed a hefty fine for renting out a dangerous and mouldy property his second in two years. Hazmar Fauz, of The Avenue in Welwyn, admitted several serious defects at the house in London Road, Luton, when he appeared before magistrates and was fined
Letting agents urge govt to annually increase Local Housing Allowance to at least the 30th percentile, helping benefits tenants afford rising rents.
Rising rents and frozen Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates mean that more and more tenants on low incomes cant find an affordable place to live. Whats more, for those lucky enough to find a rental that they can afford, invariably they will cost more to run.
The Renters Reform Bill wont lead to a mass landlord exodus as an army of youngsters are already starting to take older investors place. The https://www.thepropertysourcingcompany.co.uk/" Property Sourcing Companys poll of its 3
The Heat Pump Association (HPA) wants the government to firm up a date for phasing out traditional gas boilers as UK heat pump installations continue to trail the rest of Europe. The governmentshttps://www.gov.uk/government/publications/heat-and-buildings-strategy" i
Universal Credit expert Bill Irvine says the DWP is using the benefits cap as a reason to halt Alternative Payment Arrangements (APA) which goes against previous advice from the departments boss. In a letter to Irvine, at https://universalcreditadvice.com/our-service
A landlord in Mansfield has been ordered to pay a �17,000 penalty after renting out a sub-standard and unlicensed HMO. The landlord, who was investigated by Mansfield District Council officers after a complaint about alleged overcrowding, was found not to
Landlords and student groups have teamed up to tidy Leedss streets during student changeover week. The city hosts about 37,000 students, the vast majority of whom will move house each year at the same time, leaving behind large amounts of rubbish, overflowing bins, furniture
A twenty-something entrepreneurial pair aim to shake up the HMO sector by building on their upmarket guaranteed rent model. Liverpool-based Cosi Living founders Joe Duggan , 24 and Olivia Maher , 25, (main picture) only rented their fi
Omitting BTL landlords from the governments mortgage charter will only hurt supply and push up rents as landlords are forced to pass on their costs, says Labour. The new agreementhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_76Y3b2cjM" https://www.youtube.com
A tenant who failed to convince a judge that his landlord did not give him statutory tenancy deposit information is taking his case to the High Court. Merryck Lowes application relating to a claim for �120,888 against charitable landlord, the Governors of Suttons Hosp
Landlords should pay more tax to balance inequalities within the tax system, according to the Resolution Foundation. The think-tanks new report points out that while the top tax rate for employees stands at 53.4% including employer NICs, only 28% is paid on property gains. </
Are you confident your buildings will meet the coming changes to energy performance rules? Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) legislation has been in statute since 2008. Since then there has been a progression of increasingly stringent regulations to cajole property owners to
Landlords buying properties via personal buy-to-let mortgages are facing greater stress testing of their affordability as economic jitters unsettle lenders, it has been revealed. Financial expert Louisa Sedgwick (main picture) from broker ht
Despite previously saying it would consider rent controls, Labours shadow housing minister Lisa Nandy has now confirmed that the party now opposes them, it has been reported. Speaking at the Chartered Institute of Housings conference today, Nandy told delegates that the po
Illegal evictions and harassment are set to become more expensive for landlords who get caught, as councils will be able to fine them up to �30,000 as an alternative to prosecution under the Renters Reform Bill. Lawyer Sam Kharabanda Groom (main picture) at https://cor
Leading figures from the private rented sector including dozens of landlords gathered last week to raise over �15,000 for a food bank charity. <figure id="" class="w-richtext-figure-type- " data-rt-type="" data-rt-align=""><div><img src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/63bef2f3c329eff8e
Councils could struggle to enforce new eviction laws under the Renters Reform Bill, according to the Local Government Association. It has warned that authorities will need more staff and funding because every council in England already has a shortage of environmental health offi
Landlords who rent properties to vets are being encouraged to join a new group so they can discuss problems, exchange information and learn about what it means to be a professional landlord. The Veterinary Landlords Association (VLA) which has yet to es
