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Hardship test “bombshell” for landlords

Hardship test “bombshell” for landlords

News

Labour’s housing minister Matthew Pennycook is said to be planning a “hardship test”

New minister says transfer from housing benefit to Universal Credit 'smooth' but expert disagrees

New minister says transfer from housing benefit to Universal Credit 'smooth' but expert disagrees

News

Claims by the new Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) minister of state Stephen Timms that the transfer of remaining housing benefit claimants to Universal Credit is being done ‘as smoothly as possible’ have been questioned by a leading expert.

Landlord fined £10,000 over failure to do £169 safety check

Landlord fined £10,000 over failure to do £169 safety check

News

Booking in a five-yearly Electrical Safety Installation Certificate (ESIC) check for your rented property often seems like one of the plethora of minor tasks on the ‘to do’ list.

Higher BTL repossessions making rental shortage worse says Law Society

Higher BTL repossessions making rental shortage worse says Law Society

News

An increase in buy-to-let repossessions is exacerbating the rental supply shortage and leaving evicted families without legal aid needed to fight their case.

'We're seeing mostly older landlords selling up' says agency boss

'We're seeing mostly older landlords selling up' says agency boss

News

An exodus of older landlords is paving the way for build-to-rent investors and younger landlords looking to capitalise on higher yield properties, according to a big estate agency boss.

Landlord property repossessions continue upward trajectory

Landlord property repossessions continue upward trajectory

News

At least 710 buy-to-let mortgaged properties were repossessed in the second quarter of the year, 13% up on the previous quarter and 51% up year-on-year.

OpenRent and Rightmove's 'war of words' ends with new deal

OpenRent and Rightmove's 'war of words' ends with new deal

News

Online lettings firm OpenRent and Rightmove have signed a new property listings deal after several weeks of corporate brinkmanship over fees.

COURTS: Time to evict a tenant jumps 15% to 25 weeks

COURTS: Time to evict a tenant jumps 15% to 25 weeks

News

The average time from claim to landlord repossession has jumped to 25.4 weeks, up from 22.1 weeks in the same period in 2023, according to the latest government figures.

'Supply of rented property thinning out, and Labour's not helping'

'Supply of rented property thinning out, and Labour's not helping'

News

Gloomy letting agents have reported a fall-off in private rentals coming onto the market around the country.

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Higher costs and eviction reform worrying hard-pressed landlords

Higher costs and eviction reform worrying hard-pressed landlords

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News
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Landlords are becoming increasingly worried about both rising costs and the Government’s plans to scrap ‘no fault’ Section 21 evictions next year, it has been claimed.

Shelter refutes claim it has 'become too big'

Shelter refutes claim it has 'become too big'

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News
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Shelter has told a BBC TV show that the organisation has not become too big.

Merry Xmas - here's a bit of festive landlord poetry fun!

Merry Xmas - here's a bit of festive landlord poetry fun!

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News
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A very Merry Christmas to all our readers from the LandlordZONE editorial team.

The war on landlords: are these “bogeymen” to blame for the housing crisis?

The war on landlords: are these “bogeymen” to blame for the housing crisis?

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News
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Are landlords to blame for our housing crisis, or are they on the receiving end of a very raw deal?

Scottish minister ploughs on with EPC rules plan for landlords

Scottish minister ploughs on with EPC rules plan for landlords

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News
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Scottish ministers have defended proposals to introduce minimum energy efficiency standards in the private rented sector by 2028.

Ballooning rents 'entirely the Government's fault', says leading figure

Ballooning rents 'entirely the Government's fault', says leading figure

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News
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A leading figure in the property world has pinned the blame for the UK’s rocketing rent rises on the Government, claiming that it’s absurd to accuse landlords and letting agents of profiteering from huge demand.

Big energy firm reveals move into rented property sector

Big energy firm reveals move into rented property sector

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News
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Octopus Energy is launching its first private rental properties in the new year, kitted out with solar panels, heat pumps, and home storage batteries, where tenants are guaranteed to pay no energy bills for a minimum of five years.

City reveals official go-ahead for £908 landlord licencing scheme

City reveals official go-ahead for £908 landlord licencing scheme

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News
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The government has given Peterborough Council the green light for its new selective licensing scheme, covering 40% of the city’s private rental properties.

Three more lenders commit to helping 'in limbo' leaseholders

Three more lenders commit to helping 'in limbo' leaseholders

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News
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Landlords who are unable to sell apartments because the block they are in continue to suffer from post-Grenfell fire safety issues have been given some additional Xmas cheer.

WATCH: We interview landlord blogger Suzanne Smith for our NEW podcast

WATCH: We interview landlord blogger Suzanne Smith for our NEW podcast

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News
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LandlordZONE is launching a new podcast to enable our readers to gain entertaining insights into the world of landlording from some of the sector’s leading lights.

HMOs generating highest yields for landlords at 8.34%

HMOs generating highest yields for landlords at 8.34%

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News
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BTL landlords enjoyed average yields of 6.72% in September, up from 6.69% at the end of the second quarter and 6.48% in the previous year.

REVEALED: Key reasons why landlord/tenant relationships sour

REVEALED: Key reasons why landlord/tenant relationships sour

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News
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New report reveals that it doesn't take much to tip a landlord relationship into something that a tenant sees as negative, particularly when landlords are largely portrayed negatively in mainstream media.

Landlords warned after 10% of homes found without carbon monoxide alarms

Landlords warned after 10% of homes found without carbon monoxide alarms

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News
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New research among tenants has found that nearly 10% of rented homes with gas appliances don’t have a carbon monoxide alarm fitted, leaving the landlords of these properties open to fines of up to £5,000.

HMO landlord loses fine appeal after blaming agent for rules breach

HMO landlord loses fine appeal after blaming agent for rules breach

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News
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An HMO landlord who blamed a guaranteed rent firm for breaching his licence has failed in his bid to overturn a £7,500 fine.

RICS member agents predict growing rental shortages

RICS member agents predict growing rental shortages

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News
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RICS survey predicts growing shortage of rental properties. Demand is predicted to grow while supply declines.

HMO planning register rejected in East of England

HMO planning register rejected in East of England

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News
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Councillors in Ipswich have rejected plans for a register of all HMO licensing applications in the town.

Renting reforms will pose 'serious risk' to self-managing landlords

Renting reforms will pose 'serious risk' to self-managing landlords

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News
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Landlords face considerable risks from self-managing their properties when the Renters’ Rights Bill goes live, according to a letting agent expert.

Rent controls will backfire, landlords warn Scots ministers

Rent controls will backfire, landlords warn Scots ministers

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News
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Scotland’s landlords and letting agents have warned that the country’s imminent rent controls will backfire.

Rent rewards app urges tenants to pay by card not BACS

Rent rewards app urges tenants to pay by card not BACS

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News
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Landlords could soon be paid their rent via credit cards rather than bank transfer after a Spanish company said it plans to launch in the UK.

Renters' Rights Bill - a month on, what's happened?

Renters' Rights Bill - a month on, what's happened?

Opinion
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It's been just over a month since I last penned my thoughts for LandlordZONE, and in that brief period, the private rental sector has continued to evolve at rapid pace.

Landlord to pay £64,000 fine over 'hidden' HMO

Landlord to pay £64,000 fine over 'hidden' HMO

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News
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A rogue landlord has been handed a whopping £64,000 fine after he was found renting a five-bedroom house to 13 people.

House raffle boss slams UK's 'unaffordable' rental market

House raffle boss slams UK's 'unaffordable' rental market

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News
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A prize company CEO says the UK’s rental stock shortage is driving tenants’ anxiety about rent rises.

Online repairs service for self-managing landlords launched

Online repairs service for self-managing landlords launched

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News
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A new online property maintenance platform aims to help landlords stay on top of repairs, raise standards and attract and retain good tenants.

'Time to fight back against those who say every landlord's bad'

'Time to fight back against those who say every landlord's bad'

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News
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A leading landlord has slammed the pressure groups and campaigns who have been calling recently for landlords to be ‘eradicated’ from the housing market

Lawyers call for 'millions' more for renter representation during evictions

Lawyers call for 'millions' more for renter representation during evictions

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News
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The Law Society of England and Wales has called for a multi-million-pound investment in renters’ representation via legal aid following a rise in eviction numbers.

Landlords must help make rent control in Scotland workable, says committee

Landlords must help make rent control in Scotland workable, says committee

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News
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Landlords in Scotland should be made to routinely provide data rather than simply respond to requests from local authorities, according to a report into the Housing Bill by the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee.

REPORT: Twice as many landlords selling homes than those buying

REPORT: Twice as many landlords selling homes than those buying

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News
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More landlords are selling their properties than those buying, new research has highlighted

'Lack of bailiffs lengthening evictions process for landlords'

'Lack of bailiffs lengthening evictions process for landlords'

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News
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Landlords are having to wait longer and longer to evict tenants particularly for those using London’s County Courts, says specialist firm Landlord Action, which blames the problems to a greater extent on a lack of bailiffs.

Landlords rush to sell before Xmas ahead of the Stamp Duty increase

Landlords rush to sell before Xmas ahead of the Stamp Duty increase

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It seems it’s one step forward, two steps back for landlords with the recent Budget introducing significant changes to Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) that will impact property transactions from April 2025. The changes have caused panic amongst landlords, with a spike in numbers looking to sell before Ch

Will failure to present accurate documentation styme eviction under the Renters’ Rights Bill?

Will failure to present accurate documentation styme eviction under the Renters’ Rights Bill?

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It is likely that under the Renters’ Rights legislation due in 2025, tenancy documentation will be highly scrutinised before an eviction trial is allowed

OFFICIAL: Time taken for landlords to evict tenants increases

OFFICIAL: Time taken for landlords to evict tenants increases

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News
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The time taken for landlords to evict tenants has increased, latest Government figures show.

Landlords persuade Government to U-turn on pet rules in Jersey

Landlords persuade Government to U-turn on pet rules in Jersey

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News
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Jersey landlords have avoided new rules that would have made imposing blanket bans on keeping pets illegal.

Big Norfolk council reveals new selective licencing plans

Big Norfolk council reveals new selective licencing plans

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News
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Great Yarmouth is asking landlords for their views on extending selective licensing in the town.

Landlord reveals nightmare cannabis factory saga

Landlord reveals nightmare cannabis factory saga

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News
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I’m writing this article to highlight the pitfalls landlords can face, and to share what I’ve learned from my experience.