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Landlords say they'll 'shut down HMOs' if new rules aren't amended

Landlords say they'll 'shut down HMOs' if new rules aren't amended

News

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.

Court delays for landlords at their worst for 30 years

Court delays for landlords at their worst for 30 years

News

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.

NEW: More landlords selling properties than buying as pressure builds on BTL

NEW: More landlords selling properties than buying as pressure builds on BTL

News

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)

Landlords looking to re-mortgage 'should fix ASAP before another rate rise'

Landlords looking to re-mortgage 'should fix ASAP before another rate rise'

News

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

Court delays for landlords evicting tenants 'at their worst for 30 years'

Court delays for landlords evicting tenants 'at their worst for 30 years'

News

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.

Mortage interest rate rises chop £4,317 off average landlord's income

Mortage interest rate rises chop £4,317 off average landlord's income

News

Landlords have effectively lost more than �4,000 in earnings per property during the last year thanks to soaring mortgage rates and rising costs.

Landlord shocked after bank paints unauthorised mural all over rented house

Landlord shocked after bank paints unauthorised mural all over rented house

News

Even upmarket landlords face 'stark choices' now says leading property figure

Even upmarket landlords face 'stark choices' now says leading property figure

News

Landlords in the capital's prime rental sector are facing a stark choice between topping up a rent shortfall or selling up.

Impending oil boiler ban will affect many rental properties

Impending oil boiler ban will affect many rental properties

Information

An oil boiler ban would prevent all new oil boiler sales to homes in off-the-grid areas - that is homes without access to mains gas - by 2026. It is part of the government's p

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Renters' Rights Bill could exclude scores of private tenants

Renters' Rights Bill could exclude scores of private tenants

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A leading property lawyer warns that removing risk mitigation strategies will make many tenants on lower incomes “unlettable”.

Landlord slapped with £20,000 repayment order for unlicensed HMO

Landlord slapped with £20,000 repayment order for unlicensed HMO

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News
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A landlord must repay tenants £20,000 in rent after he failed to convince a tribunal he wasn’t aware of a licensing scheme.

London borough forces all landlords to license properties

London borough forces all landlords to license properties

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All private landlords in Barking and Dagenham must get a licence from April following the introduction of its selective scheme.

Divorce rates have their impact on rental demand

Divorce rates have their impact on rental demand

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News
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There’s an often-overlooked impact of couples splitting on the demand for housing and particularly for rentals as splits occur every year in the UK

NRLA slams Welsh tenant compensation plan

NRLA slams Welsh tenant compensation plan

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News
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The Welsh government has agreed to explore the possibility of making landlords give tenants compensation if they are evicted.

New book helps landlords prepare for renters' rights shake-up

New book helps landlords prepare for renters' rights shake-up

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News
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A former solicitor and property expert has penned a book on how landlords can avoid litigants and potential crippling fines.

Landlords warned to look out for fake document scam

Landlords warned to look out for fake document scam

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Landlords have been reminded to double check tenants’ documents after several London landlords were handed fake payslips.

Leasehold property listings miss out vital facts

Leasehold property listings miss out vital facts

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News
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Property portals and estate agents are failing buyers of leasehold properties by not flagging up legally required information.

Landlords face higher bills to join new government schemes

Landlords face higher bills to join new government schemes

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Fees for joining the redress scheme and landlord database could be “significantly higher” following amendments to the Renters’ Rights Bill.

Warnings about Gumtree advertised letting scams

Warnings about Gumtree advertised letting scams

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News
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The Residential Landlords Association (RLA) and the National Landlords Association (NLA) have called on the classified online listings service Gumtree to issue clear guidance over possible scams involving bogus letting scams.The warning has been issued to Gumtree by the NLA and the RLA after f

Dispute Resolution Procedure at Rent Review

Dispute Resolution Procedure at Rent Review

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At rent review, the phrase 'going to arbitration' is often bandied about during negotiations as a means for one party to get its own way. Whether or not the parties can agree the rent without involving the dispute resolution procedure, it is common for a represented or experienced party to inv

Government releases 'How to Rent'� guide

Government releases 'How to Rent'� guide

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News
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From the 1st of October 2015 it became a statutory requirement that landlords issue all new tenants after that date with the latest edition of a Government publication The How to Rent Guide�, along with a current Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) and a current Gas Safety

Doing Right to Rent - Immigration Checks

Doing Right to Rent - Immigration Checks

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From 1st February 2016 all new tenants in England must be given Right-to-Rent (Immigration) Checks to determine their "right-to-rent" or "right-to-reside" in the country, BEFORE they can be given a tenancy. Landlords or letting agents must do the checks - letting agents where the

Tax Deductible Letting Expenses

Tax Deductible Letting Expenses

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This is a Guide to Tax Deductible Letting Expenses for Landlords under the new tax rules following the Summer Budget 2015. These may be subject to change and you are advised to consult a tax specialist before making any decisions.From April 2016 landlords will no longer be able to automatically d

Landlord uses hidden cameras to spy on tenants

Landlord uses hidden cameras to spy on tenants

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News
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An Edinburgh landlord set-up hidden cameras in the bedroom and bathroom of his flat, to film people in bed and in the shower.The cameras were discovered by a young couple, friends of the landlord who allowed them to use the accommodation. The couple found a box on the living room table with a cam

Comparable Evidence

Comparable Evidence

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Amongst the ways to agree or ascertain the (open) market rent at rent review or on renewal of a lease, (per s.34-s35 Landlord and Tenant Act 1954), is the use of comparable evidence.At rent review, the market rent for the premises is not what rent the actual tenant would agree or could afford, bu

What is a Section 20 Notice ?

What is a Section 20 Notice ?

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There are two instances of section 20 notices in property in England:(1) is the notice served in relation to early shorthold tenancies under the Housing Act 1988, and the other,(2) refers to section 20 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, as amended by the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act (CLR

Who Pays for Maintenance and Repairs

Who Pays for Maintenance and Repairs

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Who pays for maintenance and repairs in a residential letting, landlord or tenant?Is it, for example, a tenants responsibility once they occupy my building to look after most of the regular house maintenance items? If the fridge stops working does the tenant or the landlord need to repair it?Y

Inflation (RPI) and Rent

Inflation (RPI) and Rent

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With commercial property, rent reviews are generally to the open market rent, but sometimes the rent would be adjusted to the Retail Price Index (RPI). RPI is generally considered more favourable to landlords than CPI or other methodologies.There is no link between open market rent and inflatio

Commercial Property Insurance - part 1

Commercial Property Insurance - part 1

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Amongst the thorny issues in the relationship between landlord and tenant is the building insurance premium. Unlike residential property where the landlord has a vested interest in making sure the premium is competitive, because more than likely the premium would not be recoverable from the tenan

Can Landlords Discriminate when Selecting Tenants?

Can Landlords Discriminate when Selecting Tenants?

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News
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Theres recently been a spate of press reports and political wrangling about the existence of Zero-Hour Contracts. This has become something of a hot political issue as we approach a general election, and one surprising development is recent attempts to embroil landlords in the issue, as if the

User Clauses - in Commercial (Business) Leases

User Clauses - in Commercial (Business) Leases

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Traditionally, with commercial (business) leases, a contractual provision within the lease specifies the use, or uses to which a property may be put and the uses which are prohibited.The formal classification of Uses� are set out in the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987 as a

Rent Increases with Assured Shorthold Tenancies

Rent Increases with Assured Shorthold Tenancies

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As most Assured Shorthold Tenancies (AST) are by definition, short, there is usually no need for landlords to get involved in processing a rent increase.However, some ASTs run for long periods after the fixed term has ended, i.e., when the tenancy becomes a statutory periodic tenancy, hence there

Guarantor or Rent Deposit

Guarantor or Rent Deposit

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The ideal for any landlord is for the tenant to have a guarantor and provide a rent deposit. But which is better when the landlord has to choose?The starting point is the status of the tenant. With a tenant that is one person (an individual) the likelihood of that person being of independent fina

Checking Tenants In and Out

Checking Tenants In and Out

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When you rent out a property two vital stages in the process are when you check-in your tenants at the start of the tenancy and check-out at the end.Preparation is the key to a trouble free let. When you prepare properly you are carrying out management processes so that nothing is left to chance

s.25 and s.26 notices - the landlord's perspective

s.25 and s.26 notices - the landlord's perspective

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Elsewhere on LandlordZONE (at https://www.landlordzone.co.uk/information/what-is-a-section-25-notice" https://www.landlordzone.co.uk/information/what-is-a-section-25-notice and https://www.landlordzone.co.uk/information/what-is-a-section-26-notice-2 ) you can find out about sec

"Upward-only" rent review

"Upward-only" rent review

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Contrary to popular belief, 'upward-only' rent review does not mean the rent must increase.An 'upward-only' review means that the rent payable after the review to open market rental is agreed or ascertained would not be less than the rent payable before the rent review, even if the open market re

The Dangers with Section 8 Possession Claims

The Dangers with Section 8 Possession Claims

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There are dangers with using the Section 8 possession claims process under the Housing Act 1988 which are not always apparent to landlords and agents.There is always a temptation to use section 8 because the shorter notice period (usually 2 weeks) is much quicker to court than the alternative - s

What is a Section 25 Notice

What is a Section 25 Notice

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What is a Section 25 Notice? My business lease is coming to an end and my landlord has served on me a Section 25 Notice.Commercial (Business) Tenancies in England & Wales are regulated by the Landlord & Tenant Act 1954 (Part 2).This means that when the fixed term ends (end of lease) the b

What is a Section 48 Notice?

What is a Section 48 Notice?

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Section 48 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1987 states that landlords of residential tenancies in England and Wales must furnish their tenants with an address in England & Wales at which notices can be served. Failure to do so will mean that any claim for rent, rent arrears or service charges

Fixed-Term or Periodic Tenancy?

Fixed-Term or Periodic Tenancy?

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Should landlord insist on renewing fixed term tenancies or allow them to lapse into periodic tenancies?In essence a tenancy is the right to possess and occupy land belonging to another. A tenancy gives the occupier a legal interest in the land for a defined period of time.A relationship of landlo

What is a Section 213 Notice?

What is a Section 213 Notice?

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A section 213 notice is a prescribed form notice which must be served on your tenant, or another person, if they provided a deposit for a rental.If you have taken a deposit for an Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST) in England & Wales (the rules in Scotland & Northern Ireland are similar but

A Check List for Serving a Valid Section 21 Notice

A Check List for Serving a Valid Section 21 Notice

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This is a handy check list for use to help you ensure you are serving a valid section 21 notice. Section 21 of the Housing Act 1988 (as amended 1996 & 2004) provides a means of re-gaining possession of a residential property in England & Wales. Other UK jurisdictions are similar but there

Tenant's Notice to Quit

Tenant's Notice to Quit

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How can a tenant end a residential tenancy and stay within the law - usually with a Tenant's Notice to Quit?In practice most residential tenancies in England and Wales end (over 90 per cent of them) with tenants giving their landlord notice. These guidelines are based on English law and are not a