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Tenant campaigners call for landlords to pay compensation for evictions

Tenant campaigners call for landlords to pay compensation for evictions

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Tenants’ groups want the government to also introduce longer protected periods.

Can landlords afford property refurbishments and EPC upgrades?

Can landlords afford property refurbishments and EPC upgrades?

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Property refurbishments are becoming increasingly important for landlords as the Government prepares to force the sector to upgrade properties to minimum levels of energy performance by 2030.

Banning Section 21 evictions will be 'catastrophe' say 75% of landlords

Banning Section 21 evictions will be 'catastrophe' say 75% of landlords

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The majority of landlords (75%) are very concerned about plans to abolish no-fault evictions, labelling it “a catastrophe”.

More must be done to stop rogue tenants, says exiting landlord

More must be done to stop rogue tenants, says exiting landlord

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A fed-up landlord wants the government to legislate for more stringent referencing after being hit by rent dodging and criminal tenants.

Compliance – can you afford to get it wrong?

Compliance – can you afford to get it wrong?

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Landlords and agents could face fines of up to £40,000 for breaching new rules set to be introduced as part of the Government’s Renters’ Rights Bill.

Landlord wins battle with council over leasehold survey costs

Landlord wins battle with council over leasehold survey costs

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Nottingham Council has been told to hand back more than £2,800 to landlord Mick Roberts after a court ruled it had overcharged for lease extension surveys.

Shelter boss and architect of Section 21 ban to stand down

Shelter boss and architect of Section 21 ban to stand down

News

Shelter chief executive Polly Neate is to leave the homelessness charity next March after more than seven years.

Could this £15 box help reduce damp and mould in rented homes?

Could this £15 box help reduce damp and mould in rented homes?

News

A trade association’s new tech solution aims to help landlords identify and resolve the root causes of damp and mould in rented properties.

Should I think about passing on wealth before the budget?

Should I think about passing on wealth before the budget?

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Will you be passing on your hard-earned wealth to the next generation before the budget, you don't have long

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'Base rate rise will put landlords and tenants under even more financial strain'

'Base rate rise will put landlords and tenants under even more financial strain'

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Landlords have warned the Bank of England that its decision to raise the base rate by a quarter of a percent to 5.25% will only put more pressure on to renters and buy-to-let

ANALYSIS: Short term lets under threat...

ANALYSIS: Short term lets under threat...

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The rental market in the UK has undergone something of a revolution in recent years, with a significant shift away from permanent or long-term renting towards Airbnb style hol

Unusual legal win by landlord shows appealing council fines can be worth it

Unusual legal win by landlord shows appealing council fines can be worth it

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Landlords operating good-quality and well managed rented properties and who are of good character should fight unfair council fines for failing to licence properties, an unusu

Landlord company registrations rise as many seek to avoid higher tax bills

Landlord company registrations rise as many seek to avoid higher tax bills

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Higher taxes and the pandemic have significantly increased the number of landlords starting up limited companies rather than owning and operating properties personally, new re

MARKET: Rents hit historic high of £1,367 a month as void periods plunge

MARKET: Rents hit historic high of £1,367 a month as void periods plunge

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The average rent for a property in the UK has hit a historic high of �1,367 a month, helping push void periods between tenancies down to their lowest ever, an average of nine

Is it fair that councils can fine landlords even though they too break the law?

Is it fair that councils can fine landlords even though they too break the law?

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There is a burning issue within the rented homes market that is grossly unfair on private landlords and that is never discussed by politicians or the trade associations that o

Landlord to pay tenants £12,500 because 'innocence of law is no defence'

Landlord to pay tenants £12,500 because 'innocence of law is no defence'

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Being ignorant of landlord law is no defence, a brutal legal point that has cost a landlord duo in London dearly after they were told by judges to repay their tenants �12,500

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

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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

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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

Sub-letting Leasehold

Sub-letting Leasehold

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Sub-letting leasehold - I want to rent out my leasehold flat but the managing agent says the freeholder wont allow it. I know that other flats in the block are rented out, so what can I do? Landlords usually prohibit sub-letting to safeguard the interest.Landlords usually prohibit sub-letting

Renting to a 17 year old

Renting to a 17 year old

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What are the implications of renting to a 17 year old or someone who is under the age of 18? We have an application from a 17-year old that is keen to rent but Im not sure this would be legal?</h2> Many landlords and housing providers would be concerned and therefore refuse to let to

Rent Review

Rent Review

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Question - Rent Review - my landlord is asking for far more rent than I expected on review. Am I obliged to pay this?Answer - Commercial leases are contractual - the parties agree to and are bound by its clauses and that includes rent review provisions.The rent review process is a way of periodic

Re-selling Energy

Re-selling Energy

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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

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