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Looming EPC changes already skewing the buy-to-let market, claims finance boss

Looming EPC changes already skewing the buy-to-let market, claims finance boss

News

The Governments plans to force landlords to upgrade their properties to a minimum C energy efficiency standard is already affecting how rental properties are being purchased, the boss of a big money firm has claimed. Louisa Sedgwick, Commercial Director at Paragon Bank

City office space under threat as personified by Canary Wharf exodus

City office space under threat as personified by Canary Wharf exodus

News

The pattern of office working is changing and nowhere is its effect on commercial property being felt more strongly than in Londons Docklands Canary Wharf. A once thriving financial centre The development of the wharf into a thriving financial centre just outsi

BREAKING: Gove green lights expensive new licencing scheme in Nottingham

BREAKING: Gove green lights expensive new licencing scheme in Nottingham

News

Michael Gove has given Nottingham city council the green light to proceed with one of the UKs most expensive and controversial selective licensing schemes. Due to start on December 1st, it will require all rented properties within 20 of its wards to be licenc

Government is afraid EPC upgrades will be final straw for landlords, says big bank

Government is afraid EPC upgrades will be final straw for landlords, says big bank

News

A leading lender believes the governments likely decision to row back on EPCs is linked to fears that it will hit an already struggling PRS. Earlier this week, Housing Secretary Michael Gove suggested a delay in bringing in energy efficiency plans for rental properties to

Property firm reports more landlords selling up as 'red tape' burden rises

Property firm reports more landlords selling up as 'red tape' burden rises

News

Home buying company the Open Property Group (OPG) has reported a 56% jump in PRS property purchases during the past year, with landlords blaming red tape for their decision to sell up. It bought nearly �6 million worth of property from homeowners and landlords looking for a fas

Payday! Three tenants to share �20,000 after landlord fails to licence property

Payday! Three tenants to share �20,000 after landlord fails to licence property

News

Three tenants have won a �20,160 rent repayment order from their landlord who failed to licence his HMO. A First Tier Property Tribunal found that Simon Freed let out the three-bedroom flat in Frognal Court, Camden (main picture), a

Scots Ministers avoid revealing how many landlords are seeking big rent rises

Scots Ministers avoid revealing how many landlords are seeking big rent rises

News

The Scottish Government has decided not to publish details of how many landlords north of the border have applied to raise their rent above the 3% maximum allowed under the countrys Cost of Living (Tenant Protection) (Scotland) Act. This controversial legislation was first in

Landlords warned over increase in unauthorised and illegal sub-letting by tenants

Landlords warned over increase in unauthorised and illegal sub-letting by tenants

News

Sub-letting is on the increase within the private rented sector as the cost of living crisis bites, it has been reported. Direct Line says nearly half of all tenants who sublet rooms within their property have not told their landlord or checked they are allowed to within their r

Council's desperate measures to stop landlords evicting tenants revealed

Council's desperate measures to stop landlords evicting tenants revealed

News

Brent Council is paying a landlord to house the tenant he was trying to evict after failing to come up with any alternative accommodation. The authority paid the legal fees and took over responsibility for paying the rent as long as the landlord continued to let his tenant stay

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OUT OF TOUCH? Minister claims landlords 'support rent controls'

OUT OF TOUCH? Minister claims landlords 'support rent controls'

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Scotland’s new housing minister Paul McLennan has surprised landlords by controversially claiming that the country’s private rented sector supports rent controls.

Labour casts doubt on Tory's CGT exemption scheme for landlords

Labour casts doubt on Tory's CGT exemption scheme for landlords

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News
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Labour has cast doubt on the Conservatives’ proposal for a two-year temporary capital gains tax break for landlords who sell to their existing tenants

New report says EPCs 'riddled with inaccuracies'

New report says EPCs 'riddled with inaccuracies'

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News
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A snapshot investigation by Which? has revealed that property owners are being given Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) riddled with inaccuracie.

BLOG: What next for leaseholders facing remediation nightmares?

BLOG: What next for leaseholders facing remediation nightmares?

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News
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Cross-bench peer the Earl of Lytton reveals his attempts to make the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill a better piece of legislation for landlords and leaseholders.

Political parties largely misunderstand the business rates issues

Political parties largely misunderstand the business rates issues

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News
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The three main parties manifestos' proposals fail to instil confidence in Colliers business rates expert, John Webber.

17% of deposits 'don't cover rent arrears or damage by tenants'

17% of deposits 'don't cover rent arrears or damage by tenants'

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News
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Cash deposits increasingly don’t cover landlords’ claims for rent arrears or damage, according to a new study.

55% of tenants support rent controls says Generation Rent

55% of tenants support rent controls says Generation Rent

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News
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More than half of private renters (55%) reckon a new government should introduce rent controls.

Welsh nationalists back rent controls in manifesto

Welsh nationalists back rent controls in manifesto

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News
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Plaid Cymru has come out in favour of rent controls in the PRS as part of its housing strategy in the party’s manifesto.

BLOG: Why accurate inventories are more important than ever

BLOG: Why accurate inventories are more important than ever

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News
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The first thing I tell anyone is how important 'evidence' is in both deposit disputes and, now more than ever, monitoring fire safety compliance.

Holiday let landlords to collect new tourism levy AND register properties

Holiday let landlords to collect new tourism levy AND register properties

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News
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Landlords with holiday let properties in Wales will soon have to register their properties and collect a £1.25 per person, per night fee from clients.

Big Midlands council green lights more HMO licencing

Big Midlands council green lights more HMO licencing

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News
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West Northamptonshire Council has given the go-ahead for an extended additional licensing scheme in Northampton.

Big London council moves to stamp out bidding wars

Big London council moves to stamp out bidding wars

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News
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A big council in London has called on letting agents to stop pitting tenants against one other in “exploitative” bidding wars within the borough.

Landlords ARE 'working people' says housing minister

Landlords ARE 'working people' says housing minister

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News
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Keir Starmer got into hot water recently after saying landlords did not ‘work’ for their income, but Scotland’s housing minister has taken a very different approach.

Airbnb encourages tenants to sublet their homes

Airbnb encourages tenants to sublet their homes

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News
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Airbnb has teamed up with global landlord Greystar to allow tenants in three London apartment blocks to rent out their homes.

Full details of landlord fines and prosecutions (or lack of them) revealed

Full details of landlord fines and prosecutions (or lack of them) revealed

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News
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More than 100 local councils in England and Wales have not prosecuted any rogue landlords in the last five years despite getting thousands of complaints.

Farmers and farm tenants “up in arms” over budget measures

Farmers and farm tenants “up in arms” over budget measures

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News
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Ever since the government announced its new inheritance tax rules, there has been intense debate about how many people will be affected

NRLA and minister lock horns over ongoing eviction court delays

NRLA and minister lock horns over ongoing eviction court delays

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News
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The NRLA has insisted that its evidence around the Renters’ Rights Bill was not “alarmist” nor due to “fundamental opposition” to proposed changes as claimed by housing minister Matthew Pennycook.

REVEALED: Main reasons given by landlords for raising rents

REVEALED: Main reasons given by landlords for raising rents

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Higher market rents is the most common reason given by landlords for a rent hike, affecting 20% of private renters, according to new research by Generation Rent.

Irish landlords to face rent controls promises Sinn Féin

Irish landlords to face rent controls promises Sinn Féin

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News
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Irish landlords are facing rent controls after one of the three main parties running for election next Friday (29th November) promised to ‘cut rents’ as the cost of living continues to be an issue.

Stopping landlords raising rents in between tenancies 'will not survive contact with reality'

Stopping landlords raising rents in between tenancies 'will not survive contact with reality'

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News
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Preventing landlords from raising rents in between tenancies is an idea - like rent controls - that simply “could not survive contact with reality”, says Scotland’s landlord body.

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

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

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News
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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.

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?

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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.