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Letting agencies warned over 'illegal and outrageous' deposit deductions

Letting agencies warned over 'illegal and outrageous' deposit deductions

Opinion

A shocked landlord has revealed on social media that their letting agency illegally deducted its �tenant finding' fee from the tenancy deposits of the renters involved.</p

'Build-to-Rent doesn't cherry pick posh tenants' insists leading figure

'Build-to-Rent doesn't cherry pick posh tenants' insists leading figure

News

The boss of a build-to-rent (BTR) property search website has insisted the sector is not out to only attract more affluent tenants, despite criticism in the past that it does.

Official 'repairs tool' launches to help tenants fight landlords and agents

Official 'repairs tool' launches to help tenants fight landlords and agents

Information

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has launched a tool that helps tenants take on landlords or letting agents who are failing to repair or maintain properties to the required stand

Tribunals 'not fair and weighted towards tenants' says frustrated landlord

Tribunals 'not fair and weighted towards tenants' says frustrated landlord

News

A landlord who's being threatened with a massive rent repayment order has told of his frustration at a court system that is unfairly weighted towards tenants.

Landlords need clarity on changes to EPCs before it's too late, says property firm

Landlords need clarity on changes to EPCs before it's too late, says property firm

News

A well-known property firm has made the unusual move of criticising the Government for not letting landlords know how they will afford and implement the proposed tightending o

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

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Minister commits to ending leasehold and making commonhold 'default tenure'

Minister commits to ending leasehold and making commonhold 'default tenure'

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Landlords who have properties within ‘problem’ leasehold blocks have been given some good news following housing minister Matthew Pennycook confirmation that Labour will ‘end leasehold’ and make commonhold the ‘default’ tenure before the end of this parliament.

'We're being squeezed out in favour of corporates' says small portfolio landlord

'We're being squeezed out in favour of corporates' says small portfolio landlord

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News
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Smaller landlords are being forced out of the private rental sector in favour of corporate limited companies – and tenants will be the losers, according to one landlord who’s quitting.

Councils fine Midlands landlords £850,000 in ONE month

Councils fine Midlands landlords £850,000 in ONE month

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News
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Three rogue landlords have been fined a total of £403,079 for operating a network of unlicensed and unsafe HMOs, labelled “an orchestrated system of neglect for financial gain”.

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.

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

Section 8 Notices

Section 8 Notices

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Obtaining Possession Using Section 8 NoticesThis article explains how to gain possession of your residential rental property using the Section 8 procedure.Section 8 is a breach of contract court procedure.There are 17 grounds for possession listed in the Housing Acts 1988 &amp; 199

Get Notice Dates Right

Get Notice Dates Right

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How do I Ensure Notice Dates are Correct?Landlords and letting agents, at various times during a tenancy, may need to serve legal notices on their tenants.It is vital that not only do you complete and serve the notice in such as way that it is valid, but that you can

Section 21 Notices

Section 21 Notices

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Obtaining Possession - Section 21 Notices: This article explains how to gain possession of your residential rental property in the most efficient way. You may just want your property back for your own use, or to sell, or you may be having problems with the tenant, such as re