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Labour and Green MPs call for rent controls in England

Labour and Green MPs call for rent controls in England

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A group of MPs have lodged an Early Day Motion calling for rent controls in the PRS to stem the threefold increase in rents during the last 34 years.

NE city reveals plans for unusual licencing scheme

NE city reveals plans for unusual licencing scheme

News

Newcastle Council has revealed plans for an unusual selective licensing scheme that includes building-specific zones.

Tom's landlord guide to winning deposit disputes

Tom's landlord guide to winning deposit disputes

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It's frustrating when the landlord-tenant relationship has to end with a dispute over damages in the property, with a need for deep cleaning, or rent owing, but the deposit is there for these reasons.

Rent-to-rent sector 'must be cleaned up', warn agents

Rent-to-rent sector 'must be cleaned up', warn agents

News

Rent-to-rent operators will try to avoid the changes set out in the Renters (Reform) Bill by not using ASTs, a leading property industry body has warned.

OFFICIAL: Rent increases hit record high of 9.2% year-on-year

OFFICIAL: Rent increases hit record high of 9.2% year-on-year

News

The rate at which rents have been rising has increased across the UK to record levels, official figures reveal today.

Letting agents call for radical action to solve rental housing crisis

Letting agents call for radical action to solve rental housing crisis

News

A group representing letting agents has slammed the chaotic growth of the private rented sector in recent years, calling for radical changes to solve the rental housing crisis this has created.

Jersey launches island-wide selective licencing scheme

Jersey launches island-wide selective licencing scheme

News

All Jersey’s landlords will need a licence from the beginning of next month after the Island’s government launched a scheme to improve standards in the PRS.

Average rent arrears jump 27% to £1,800 in a year

Average rent arrears jump 27% to £1,800 in a year

News

Average rent arrears owed by tenants to landlords have climbed by 27% so far this year, new data reveals.

Minister slams gas boiler suppliers over price rises

Minister slams gas boiler suppliers over price rises

News

The government has urged the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to review the boiler supply market amid fears that a lack of competition is leading to higher prices.

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One council goes against the grain with short-term lets

One council goes against the grain with short-term lets

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Northumberland council has refused owners consent to convert their short-term holiday let cottages into permanent private residences.

AI firm urges landlords to embrace 'snooping' sensors

AI firm urges landlords to embrace 'snooping' sensors

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Landlords in the South West are being encouraged to access technology that detects heat loss, draughts, damp and mould.

Landlord to pay £220,000 after illegally converting flat

Landlord to pay £220,000 after illegally converting flat

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A rogue landlord firm which illegally converted a property into six flats and ignored an enforcement order has been ordered to pay more than £220,000.

Big London council reveals carrots and sticks for landlords

Big London council reveals carrots and sticks for landlords

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Hackney Council has promised landlords financial support to stay in the PRS while beefing up licensing and getting tough on short-term lets.

Record number of landlords taking courses, says NRLA

Record number of landlords taking courses, says NRLA

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Rising levels of national and local regulation across the UK have persuaded some 10.500 landlords to sign up for NRLA training, whether it’s technical safety knowledge, or how to deal with an anti-social tenant

Chancellor's tax grab set to make housing crisis worse - claim

Chancellor's tax grab set to make housing crisis worse - claim

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Abolishing Multiple Dwellings Relief will intensify problems of chronic undersupply in the property market, according to one tax expert.

Landlords reprieved from new empty homes crackdown

Landlords reprieved from new empty homes crackdown

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Landlords who are preparing a property to let or waiting to find a tenant will get a reprieve from empty homes council tax premiums.

Landlords begin returning to market in London

Landlords begin returning to market in London

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Landlords appear to be returning to the capital, with new instructions in February up 19% year-on-year, according to London agent Foxtons.

NE Landlords gets new look in push across UK

NE Landlords gets new look in push across UK

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North East Landlords has rebranded as GB Landlords as it expands its reach into the capital ahead of its first London event.

Providing a Reference

Providing a Reference

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Providing a Reference - I have been asked to provide a reference for one of my tenants who is moving on. What is my legal position in this and am I putting myself at risk if I say he was a bad tenant?</h2> Referencing (seeking verification of a tenants past performance) is an increasi

Polystyrene Ceiling Tiles

Polystyrene Ceiling Tiles

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Polystyrene Ceiling Tiles - is it legal to have these tiles in the kitchen of a rental property?</h2> There are currently no regulations specifically banning the use of polystyrene ceiling tiles in existing rented property.However, it is unlikely that local authority fire officers and en

Misrepresentation

Misrepresentation

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Misrepresentation - We recently rented out our rural cottage to a couple. As they wanted to use their computers I said it was possible to get high-speed broad-band. I thought this would be possible but it seems it is not at this time. The couple are now claiming that I misled them and that

Mail for Previous Tenants

Mail for Previous Tenants

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I'm receiving mail for previous tenants and some of them are from debt collectors. Will this get my property black listed and cause problems for my current tenants and myself in the future?</h2> It's fairly common to have mail arriving for months and even years after residents have left,

Long Term AST

Long Term AST

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Long Term AST - My prospective tenant has asked for a tenancy term of 6 years. Can I use the usual Assured Shorthold Tenancy agreement for this?</h2> The Assured Shorthold Tenancy is the default tenancy for residential lettings and since October 2010 this applies to rents up to �100,000

Lodgers Limits

Lodgers Limits

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Lodgers Limits - Is there any limit to the number of rooms I can rent out to lodgers, and are there any planning implications ?</h2> There are several parts of legislation in England and Wales that affect this question. Perhaps four main ones apply: Health &amp; Safety (HHSRS), HMO, Over

How long should accounts be kept

How long should accounts be kept

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Question: How long should accounts be kept to satisfy the authorities, things like accounting files, invoices and tax records, as a property landlord?Answer: You must keep your records for 6 years after the tax year to which they apply, whether or not you complete a tax return.It's a good idea, a

Expiry of Section 21 Notice

Expiry of Section 21 Notice

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Expiry of Section 21 Notice - I have served a Section 21 (s21) Notice on my tenant but don't wish to start proceedings immediately. Can I wait without the notice expiring?Once a Section 21 notice has been served correctly it continues indefinitely, until such time as the tenancy is ended, either

Covenant and Covenant Strength

Covenant and Covenant Strength

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Covenant and Covenant Strength - What is a legal covenant and what is the significance of the terms in relation to rental property and lettings ?</h2>The term covenant can have several meanings and has biblical origins but it is of particulalry significance

10 year lease

10 year lease

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2 years ago I purchased a company with a 10 year lease from my ex boss, on a 10 year lease, the lease was set up by a solicitor. After 2 years the business is struggling and is not viable. I feel that my solicitor ill advised me as there was no break clause mentioned. Where do I stand on t

Uncollected Goods

Uncollected Goods

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Good Left in the Premises or Uncollected GoodsFrequently, tenants leave goods after their tenancy has concluded or when they have abandon the premises during a tenancy. Uncollected goods and possessions left or abandoned in premises by tenants can pose a real problem for landlords.

Standing Order

Standing Order

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<h1 Standing Order</h1>What are Bankers' Standing Orders?</h3><ul <li Standing Orders allow landlords to automate the process of collecting rents</li> <li They safeguard tenants in that the landlord cannot change the payment amount, as is the case with direct debit

Section 8 Procedure

Section 8 Procedure

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The Possession Procedure - 1988 Housing ActThe possession procedure under Section 8 of the Housing Acts 1988 &amp; 1996 is known as the Section 8 Route and is available to landlords where the tenant is in breach of one or more terms of

Renting Business Premises

Renting Business Premises

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Renting or Leasing Commercial Property Renting commercial property usually represents a major part of the operating costs involved in running any business. If you include surveyor's and solicitor's fees, rent, business rates, insurance,

License Agreement

License Agreement

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Types of Tenure: A tenancy gives the tenant a legal interest in the land and property - in effect, legal ownership for the period of the tenancy. Tenancies can take several forms: <ul <li Rent Act or Regulated Tenancies - pre </li> <li

Joint or Single Tenancies

Joint or Single Tenancies

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<h1 Joint or Single Shared Tenancies</h1>Shared House (Joint Tenants) or Individual Rooms (Single Tenants)? Where a landlord lets to multiple and usually unrelated tenants there are two main ways of doing this:(1) As a Joint Tenancyng

Common Law Tenancies

Common Law Tenancies

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These are tenancies that fall outside the scope of the Housing Acts (1988, 1996, 2004), including the Regulated Tenancies, Assured Tenancies (AT) and Assured Shorthold Tenancies ASTs.In the case of a common law residential tenancy , the tenant's rights and obligations are ma

Business Tenancies

Business Tenancies

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What are Business Tenancies ?A tenancy is an "estate in land", granted for a determined period of time (term of years or fixed term - 6 months,1 year, 21 years, 99 years etc) or a specific period (a periodic tenancy - yearly, monthly, weekly, even daily).In return for the "time lim

Gas Safety

Gas Safety

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Landlord's Duty to Ensure Installations are SafeAll Landlords have a common law duty to ensure that gas installations and appliances supplied with their properties are safe. Tenants also have certain legal obligations when it comes to gas safety - see below.I

Gas & Electrical Certificates

Gas & Electrical Certificates

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Landlords' Gas and Electrical Safety Certificates:As a landlord, or as a letting agent acting on the landlord's behalf, you have a legal obligation to ensure that your accommodation is completely safe for your tenants.Several statutory regulations and general common law requirement

Furnished or Unfurnished

Furnished or Unfurnished

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Letting and residential property fully furnished, part-furnished or unfurnished in England &amp; Wales no longer has any implications regarding security of tenure for the tenant or for taxation. However, Council Tax and the 10% Depreciation Allowance may be affected - you don't pay Council Tax du

Fire Certificate

Fire Certificate

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What was the Fire Certificate is no longer required as it was previously under the Fire Precautions Act 1971 for hotels, boarding houses, factories, offices, shops and railway premises. All these premises must comply with Fire Regulations, now covered by t

False Statements By Tenants

False Statements By Tenants

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Ending a residential tenancy on the ground of "false statement by the tenant "The Housing Act 1988 as amended by the Housing Act 1996 makes provision for the possession of residential properties let under Assured and Assured Shorthold Tenancies.However

Bed & Breakfast Business

Bed & Breakfast Business

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Running a Successful Bed &amp; Breakfast Guest HouseRunning a successful Bed &amp; Breakfast Business from the comfort of your own home has many advantages and rewards as far as being self employed is concerned:</

Taking in a Lodger

Taking in a Lodger

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Taking in a LodgerIf you're considering taking a lodger there are some important things to think about first. Most of its common sense, but its a good idea plan carefully and get things right.[list type='3'] <ul <li Taking in Lodgers is a good way to earn extr