Landlords should do their homework before voting in the local elections next week and take the chance to quiz candidates on issues affecting the PRS, advises Leaders Romans Group (LRG). It points to a number of pressing local issues which can be determined
Landlords have until 1st June to comply with the new and relatively convoluted Rented Homes Wales legislation following its introduction last December. Under the new law, standard contracts have replaced assured shorthold tenancies a
Companies selling multi-occupancy insurance will have to act in leaseholders best interests under new proposals from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). It is demanding new rights and protections to improve the transparency of the multi-occupancy leasehold buildings insura
Jersey has launched a consultation into sweeping reforms including rent controls and open-ended tenancies, prompting fears that they could force more private landlords to quit the sector. The islands government aims to increase protections for both tenants and landlords
A new law to crack down on predatory landlords who exploit vulnerable people for sex in return for free or discounted rent is being considered, Home Secretary Suella Braverman (main picture) has announced. Her department is seeking the views of victims, the police and charities
There are heavy fines for those landlords who fail to have their rental properties tested by a qualified electrician before letting, and for existing tenancies, or if they fail to comply with any of the important recommendations made in a test report. The landlord will ordinarily have 28 da
A Tribunal judge has warned landlords that unless they have a specific contractual arrangement with their letting agency to keep them abreast of licencing requirements it will - in most circumstances - be the landlord who pays the fine for non-compliance. Judge Phillip Barber ha
The number of VAT and/or PAYE enterprises operating in the UKs residential and commercial rental sectors climbed 2% in the past year, despite the governments best efforts to deter investment. Analysis of government data by debt advisory firm https://siriusfinance.
Luton Council is making yet another attempt to bring in two new licensing schemes after a string of false starts amid landlord opposition. Its overview and scrutiny board has agreed to recommend a town-wide additional scheme as well as a selective scheme in South ward, which now
Gateshead is to push ahead with new property licensing schemes despite local landlords and letting agents opposing them including 93% saying the fees are ‘too high’.
Rental property yields are shrinking as the costs created by more regulations and legislation eat into landlord profits – so is it time more BTL landlords became SME developers?
Scotland’s tenants’ union has warned that removing rent rise reprotections will lead to an uptick in de facto evictions and homelessness.
Maidstone Borough Council has become the latest authority hoping to entice private landlords to hand over their properties in exchange for guaranteed rent.
A rogue landlord who squeezed six people into one room of his HMO has been told to pay £37,000 in fines and costs.
The UK’s new towns will favour build-to-rent developers rather than private landlords, according to a think tank which labels them “profit-seeking institutional investors”.
Croydon has announced plans to bring back its selective licensing scheme after a five-year break.
A student housing firm has been told to pay £13,160 for breaching safety regulations at a Salford HMO.
Landlords will collectively have to spend more than £20billion making improvements to their rental properties to meet proposed new energy efficiency standards
Re-selling Energy - As a landlord am I able to make a profit by re-selling electricity or gas?</h2>Resale of Gas and ElectricityThe maximum amount that Residential Landlords or resellers� are permitted to charge for gas or electricity is the amount they
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 - 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 - 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
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 - 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 - 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 & Safety (HHSRS), HMO, Over
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 - 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 - 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
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
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.
<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
The Possession Procedure - 1988 Housing ActThe possession procedure under Section 8 of the Housing Acts 1988 & 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 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,
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
<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
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
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
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
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
Letting and residential property fully furnished, part-furnished or unfurnished in England & 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
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
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
Running a Successful Bed & Breakfast Guest HouseRunning a successful Bed & Breakfast Business from the comfort of your own home has many advantages and rewards as far as being self employed is concerned:</
