6 Jun, 2025

Library

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

Tricky tradespeople, red tape and fraud driving landlords into agents’ arms

Tricky tradespeople, red tape and fraud driving landlords into agents’ arms

News

Increasing regulation of the private rented sector, the pain of finding tradespeople to do property repairs and increasing fraud are pushing more landlords into the arms of letting agents, it has been revealed.

Mayor and Trading Standards urge tenants to report rogue landlords via new tool

Mayor and Trading Standards urge tenants to report rogue landlords via new tool

News

London renters can flag up breaches of the Tenant Fees Act to Trading Standards by using a new reporting tool.

CONFERENCE: Tories prioritise housing, but no mention of landlords

CONFERENCE: Tories prioritise housing, but no mention of landlords

News

The Conservatives have put housing high on the agenda at their upcoming party conference, with at least 30 fringe meetings scheduled to discuss the topic.

Homeowners snapping up homes sold by landlords ‘key reason for higher rents’

Homeowners snapping up homes sold by landlords ‘key reason for higher rents’

News

Homeowners are buying the vast majority of rental properties being offloaded by landlords, reducing local rented supply.

Prime Mininster has ‘betrayed landlords’ by ditching EPC upgrade scheme rules

Prime Mininster has ‘betrayed landlords’ by ditching EPC upgrade scheme rules

News

Many landlords have spent thousands of pounds on energy efficient upgrades in readiness to meet regulations that have now been ditched by Rishi Sunak.

Landlords offered higher rents by new ground-breaking ‘rent to buy’ service

Landlords offered higher rents by new ground-breaking ‘rent to buy’ service

News

A ground-breaking ‘rent to buy’ service that helps tenants get on the property ladder has been expanded to include private landlords.

Eviction courts to close this week as strike action by security guards goes ahead

Eviction courts to close this week as strike action by security guards goes ahead

News

More evidence of trouble within the courts system and in particular for landlords seeking to evict tenants via possessin hearings has emerged, LandlordZONE can report.

NEW: Official 'How to Rent' guide out next Monday, confirms Government

NEW: Official 'How to Rent' guide out next Monday, confirms Government

News

The government has confirmed that the latest How to Rent guide will go live on Monday, 2nd October, including details on the new Housing Loss Prevention Service.

New landlords: are you properly prepared for letting a property for the first time?

New landlords: are you properly prepared for letting a property for the first time?

Information

Letting for the first time can be a daunting prospect. Here is a summary of the key points you should look out for...

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

Periodic tenancies 'pose huge risks for landlords' warns expert

Periodic tenancies 'pose huge risks for landlords' warns expert

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Government plans to abolish assured shorthold tenancies and replace them with periodic lets could put landlords’ properties at risk, according to inspection specialists NoLettingGo.

SW agents say landlords quitting sector 'in droves'

SW agents say landlords quitting sector 'in droves'

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Two letting agents in the South West has claimed that landlords are leaving the private rental market in droves.

Scotland to give landlords more time to meet minimum EPC rules

Scotland to give landlords more time to meet minimum EPC rules

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

The Scottish government has backtracked on plans to force the private rented sector to meet energy efficiency deadlines by 2025.

Judge slams 'disrespectful' council over landlord's licencing complaint

Judge slams 'disrespectful' council over landlord's licencing complaint

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

A First Tier Property Tribunal has criticised Barking and Dagenham Council for failing to support a landlord who mistakenly failed to get a selective licence.

Government works with Facebook to end property rental scams

Government works with Facebook to end property rental scams

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

A new Online Fraud Charter aims to thwart property rental scams including fake accommodation listings on Facebook Marketplace used to lure in unsuspecting tenants.

Will landlords HAVE to use new ombudsman? Yes, says Court of Appeal

Will landlords HAVE to use new ombudsman? Yes, says Court of Appeal

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Landlords have been warned that a Court of Appeal decision issued late last week will mean that in future they will have to settle their differences with tenants via an ombudsman before going to court.

Landlords battle council over 'bad' new HMO licencing system

Landlords battle council over 'bad' new HMO licencing system

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

New licensing application software introduced by Portsmouth City Council has been slammed for being badly written, hard to use and too demanding.

Serving fire officer to pay £25,000 over HMO blaze risks

Serving fire officer to pay £25,000 over HMO blaze risks

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

A serving fire officer whose tenants were at risk of dying in a fire in his unsafe HMO has been fined more than £15,000.

Reform bill will make PRS 'more hostile' to landlords, warn letting agents

Reform bill will make PRS 'more hostile' to landlords, warn letting agents

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

The UK's leading property trade association has warned MPs that the Renters Reform Bill contains measures likely to make the PRS increasingly hostile to landlords.

Landlord exodus to limited companies drives up BTL lending

Landlord exodus to limited companies drives up BTL lending

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Landlords moving into limited companies and HMOs have fuelled a big jump in lending.

MP to stop holiday let owners dodging council tax via Bill

MP to stop holiday let owners dodging council tax via Bill

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

A Cornwall MP has launched a bid to ban short-let and holiday let landlords from switching to business lets.

Scotland moves closer to inflation-linked rent controls in 'hotspots'

Scotland moves closer to inflation-linked rent controls in 'hotspots'

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Scotland's parliament has finished scrutiny of its Government's plans to restrict how landlords can raise rents, and much more.

Commercial tenants may reclaim millions after landmark ruling

Commercial tenants may reclaim millions after landmark ruling

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Commercial landlords are now on high alert following a recent high court ruling over insurance commissions

Timetable for landlords to upgrade rental homes to minimum EPC band 'unachievable'

Timetable for landlords to upgrade rental homes to minimum EPC band 'unachievable'

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

The UK’s largest landlord association has called out the Government’s plans to make rental properties reach a minimum EPC ‘C’ band by 2028 as ‘unachievable’.

'Immigration and too few landlords real reason for high rents'

'Immigration and too few landlords real reason for high rents'

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Rising immigration is likely to push rental demand to new heights, a banking boss has warned.

40 landlords join agent's fight-back against 'extortionate' licensing fees

40 landlords join agent's fight-back against 'extortionate' licensing fees

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Landlords have been urged to join a legal action to challenge Leicester Council’s “unreasonably extortionate” selective licensing fees.

Senior letting agent slates 'too few' amendments to Renters' Rights Bill

Senior letting agent slates 'too few' amendments to Renters' Rights Bill

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

A leading letting agent has criticsed the progress of the Renters’ Rights Bill which left the House of Lords with few amendments.

Beware using WhatsApp to discuss rental contracts, warns lawyer

Beware using WhatsApp to discuss rental contracts, warns lawyer

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

A property lawyer has warned that landlords might fail to realise their tenant has given notice after a court ruled that a WhatsApp exchange was sufficient to create a contract.

CLAIM: Fees ban has saved tenants £1bn and 'didn't push up rents'

CLAIM: Fees ban has saved tenants £1bn and 'didn't push up rents'

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Private renters in England have saved nearly £1 billion in letting agent fees since the 2019 Tenant Fees Act, research by Generation Rent has found.

Student HMO landlords face tenancies-in-advance 'crunch' this November

Student HMO landlords face tenancies-in-advance 'crunch' this November

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

One of the UK’s leading student lettings agencies has pointed out a huge ‘crunch point’ for HMO landlords when the Renters’ Rights Bill goes live later this year.

Landlords to raise rents when reform restrictions go live

Landlords to raise rents when reform restrictions go live

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

New poll shows landlords are planning to raise rents in response to new restrictions within the looming Renters' Rights Bil.

BLOG: 'Tenants and landlords will see harder times when section 21 is abolished'

BLOG: 'Tenants and landlords will see harder times when section 21 is abolished'

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Property lawyer Ian Narbeth takes a detailed but scathing look at Labour's looming Renters' Rights Bill and predicts there is trouble ahead.

London politician calls for action against rogue landlords

London politician calls for action against rogue landlords

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Comments have been made after residents at a property that was illegally converted into 11 bedsit flats remain worried about its condition.

Landlord trio sell portfolio for £22m citing 'complex renting environment'

Landlord trio sell portfolio for £22m citing 'complex renting environment'

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Three landlord brothers have had a whopping £22 million pay day after selling their property portfolio to an investment trust.

EXPERT: Renting reforms will make 'horrendous housing crisis' worse

EXPERT: Renting reforms will make 'horrendous housing crisis' worse

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

A leading property expert says the UK is heading for a “horrendous housing crisis” that could worsen with the advent of the Renters’ Rights Bill.

Social housing in crisis as tenants’ complaints go through the roof

Social housing in crisis as tenants’ complaints go through the roof

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

New report from the Housing Ombudsman shows complaints about substandard living conditions in social housing in England are five times higher than they were five years ago

Midlands council to stop landlords evicting tenants via new scheme

Midlands council to stop landlords evicting tenants via new scheme

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Wolverhampton Council has launched a mediation service for private landlords and tenants to help prevent evictions.

HMOs 'a real real problem' and need restricting says Reform

HMOs 'a real real problem' and need restricting says Reform

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

HMOs in Southend face a crackdown as the council considers proposals to limit landlords’ future applications.

Latest EPC shake-up to be 'good for flats, bad for houses'

Latest EPC shake-up to be 'good for flats, bad for houses'

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Upcoming changes to EPCs next month could end up costing landlords more and see properties downgraded if they don’t have energy upgrade documents, it has been claimed.

OPINION: Landlords and agents had a chance to avoid licensing, and blew it

OPINION: Landlords and agents had a chance to avoid licensing, and blew it

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

It is not unusual to hearletting agents and their landlord clients complaining that operating within theprivate rented sector is has become increasingly tangled with red tape.

WARNING: Money lost to 'investment scams' rises to £144 million

WARNING: Money lost to 'investment scams' rises to £144 million

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

The public has been warned to be vigilant following a new report that shows the number of people relieved of their savings by ‘investment scams’ has increased by value for the first time since 2021, reaching £144 million.

'Blue-rinse' seaside resort seeks to restrict number of HMOs

'Blue-rinse' seaside resort seeks to restrict number of HMOs

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

The borough council’s planning committee will vote on whether to introduce an Article 4 direction next week.

Council secures criminal conviction for landlord over unlicensed HMO

Council secures criminal conviction for landlord over unlicensed HMO

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

A West Sussex landlord has been prevented from letting out HMOs after he admitted operating an unlicensed property.

Landlords WILL be allowed to raise rents to pay for EPC upgrades

Landlords WILL be allowed to raise rents to pay for EPC upgrades

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Despite Energy Secretary Ed Miliband’s insistence that rents hadn’t increased when standards were raised during previous initiatives, Justice Minister Sarah Sackman has now said there are grounds for “higher market rents”.