Concerns about whether new planning reforms go far enough to address the country’s housing shortage have been raised by estate agents.
Homelessness charities are requesting amendments to the Renters’ Rights Bill that would severely limit landlords’ right to use guarantor agreements
Inflation has dipped, boosting mortgage borrowers’ hopes of more interest rate cuts.
Average asking rents have risen to £557 a week, new Foxton figures have revealed.
Many flat sales are stalling due to a lack of meaningful progress on unsafe cladding repairs, estate agents have warned.
Landlords are being invited to a “five-star training day” to help them navigate the biggest changes in the rental market for 30 years.
Investors are targeting the Single-Family Housing (SFH) market as the booming sector aims to help fill the PRS shortfall.
A landlord company has failed in its bid to increase a tenant’s rent by 25% after a First Tier Property Tribunal heard that poor standards would lower the market rent.
The NRLA is hosting free "On Tour" events across England and Wales, offering expert advice on upcoming legislation. The first live Listen Up Landlords podcast will also be recorded to mark the NRLA's fifth anniversary. Details for the annual conference will be announced soon.
Ballooning mortgage costs will make an already tight rental market even harder for tenants seeking affordable homes to let, landlords have warned. Their representative body the NRLA has published research that shows nearly two-thirds of landlords, based on
Private landlords and agents have started helping the government to test its impending property portal. <figure id="" class="w-richtext-figure-type- " data-rt-type="" data-rt-align=""><div><img src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/63bef2f3c329eff8e3a4af45/64cb995528252df1fde666e6_dehenna
Half of all fraudulent tenancy applications involve fake or doctored pay slips, according to rent-tech platform Goodlord, which has warned landlords to be on their guard. Its anaylsis of more than 300,000 tenancy applications last year found that while only one in
Trading Standards has released new guidance to help landlords and leaseholders get to grips with the Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Act. The law https://www.landlordzone.co.uk/news/advice-are-you-ready-for-the-leasehold-reform-act-going-live-on-30th-june/" target="_
A landlord in Wales has set a cat among the legal pigeons after winning a landlord Japanese knotweed compensation case in the Court of Appeal. Its three judges have agreed that Marc Davies, 38, must be paid just shy of �5,000 by his local authority Bridgend council which, it wa
A property estate worth �15m has been sold off as part of a complex court case involving a pair of divorcing professional landlords. The portfolio of 25 buildings was spread across four London boroughs and included both residential and commercial properties. The portfolio inclu
Estate agents have criticised the Governments plans to usher in a single ombudsman for the property industry, claiming it will have unintended consequences. Under the plans, the existing redress schemes for estate agents and their customers will be replaced by an overarching
Most landlords are still in the dark about EPC changes, a new survey has found, raising fears that they could be blindsided when proposed new rules become law in 2025. Only 57% of landlords with a single property and 77% of those with four or more properties in their portfolio a
Property lawyers have flagged up potential problems with eviction reform measures within the Renters Reform Bill white paper. An amendment to Section 8 notice evictions will expand the range of circumstances where landlords can seek possession when needing to sell or allow thems
Deposit Scheme Scam: Mydeposits says it is aware of a new scam being used by a fraudulent company imitating mydeposits and targeting landlords and letting agent members of the mydeposits Custodial scheme in England & Wales.The scam uses an email which imitates one from m
Freezing Pipes: This time of year, as we head towards colder weather and freezing conditions, buy-to-let properties and indeed all rental properties are vulnerable to potentially expensive winter water damageIn this article digital inventory app developer Imfuna Le
Commercial Tenancies: The idea of the full repairing (including decorating) lease is that when the tenant yields up the premises on expiry of the contractual term, or sooner termination, the state of repair and condition that the premises are left in would be as envisaged in
Landlords and letting agents should by now be conversant with the 2014 regulations on blinds and curtains and the measures necessary to prevent accidents with children. It is particularly important to ensure that blinds and curtains supplied in rental properties meet these regulations, otherwise,
Changes to the law on Section 21 and in particular how landlords deal with reported repair issues is now of crucial importance if section 21 claims for possession are to be successful. Careful pre-planning is now essential at the time of setting-up Assured Shorthold Tenancies (AST).The Section 21
Assuming a commercial property is let already, the proposition an income-producing investment, the investor would be buying the building/property, not the tenant's business. Since the purchase price is geared to the passing and reversionary rent, it is normal to assess the tenant's ability to per
I have always found the holding deposit (an initial retainer paid to the landlord or agent to reserve a tenancy) is a very useful device to commit the tenant to your letting. But is it legal to withhold the advance deposit you take from a prospective tenant if they back out?In my experience a pro
What do I need to do when I protect my tenant/s deposit? If you take a deposit from your tenant/s you MUST protect the deposit and serve your tenants with the correct documentation within 30 days or face having to pay a fine and the prospect that you cannot use the s21 evict
I am revisiting ITZA in the light of an experience I am enduring concerning some tenants that are inexperienced of rent review. Tenant contention is that an ITZA adopted/agreed for a previous review should be used again for a current review.Unless the ITZA is documented in a binding agreement, th
Basically, what is known as a Calderbank offer is a 'without prejudice;' offer to settle a dispute to avoid the extra costs and associated risks of a full referral.From Calderbank v Calderbank [1976] and originally confined mainly to family property disputes, an offer of settlement made before th
According to research from the NLA, 4 in 10 landlords are either seriously considering forming a limited company or looking into the option in the coming months.Can you - and more importantly should you - set up a company to pay less tax? Heres my complete guide on becoming incorporated.<stron
What heating system should you use in your rental property? Is there a heating system that could solve landlords condensation claims problems?Its one of the most important questions to ask when letting a property for the first time. Whatever system you choose carries implications for the ef
The Residential Landlords Association (RLA) and the National Landlords Association (NLA) have called on the classified online listings service Gumtree to issue clear guidance over possible scams involving bogus letting scams.The warning has been issued to Gumtree by the NLA and the RLA after f
At rent review, the phrase 'going to arbitration' is often bandied about during negotiations as a means for one party to get its own way. Whether or not the parties can agree the rent without involving the dispute resolution procedure, it is common for a represented or experienced party to inv
From the 1st of October 2015 it became a statutory requirement that landlords issue all new tenants after that date with the latest edition of a Government publication The How to Rent Guide�, along with a current Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) and a current Gas Safety
From 1st February 2016 all new tenants in England must be given Right-to-Rent (Immigration) Checks to determine their "right-to-rent" or "right-to-reside" in the country, BEFORE they can be given a tenancy. Landlords or letting agents must do the checks - letting agents where the
This is a Guide to Tax Deductible Letting Expenses for Landlords under the new tax rules following the Summer Budget 2015. These may be subject to change and you are advised to consult a tax specialist before making any decisions.From April 2016 landlords will no longer be able to automatically d
An Edinburgh landlord set-up hidden cameras in the bedroom and bathroom of his flat, to film people in bed and in the shower.The cameras were discovered by a young couple, friends of the landlord who allowed them to use the accommodation. The couple found a box on the living room table with a cam
Amongst the ways to agree or ascertain the (open) market rent at rent review or on renewal of a lease, (per s.34-s35 Landlord and Tenant Act 1954), is the use of comparable evidence.At rent review, the market rent for the premises is not what rent the actual tenant would agree or could afford, bu
There are two instances of section 20 notices in property in England:(1) is the notice served in relation to early shorthold tenancies under the Housing Act 1988, and the other,(2) refers to section 20 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, as amended by the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act (CLR
Who pays for maintenance and repairs in a residential letting, landlord or tenant?Is it, for example, a tenants responsibility once they occupy my building to look after most of the regular house maintenance items? If the fridge stops working does the tenant or the landlord need to repair it?Y
With commercial property, rent reviews are generally to the open market rent, but sometimes the rent would be adjusted to the Retail Price Index (RPI). RPI is generally considered more favourable to landlords than CPI or other methodologies.There is no link between open market rent and inflatio
Amongst the thorny issues in the relationship between landlord and tenant is the building insurance premium. Unlike residential property where the landlord has a vested interest in making sure the premium is competitive, because more than likely the premium would not be recoverable from the tenan
Theres recently been a spate of press reports and political wrangling about the existence of Zero-Hour Contracts. This has become something of a hot political issue as we approach a general election, and one surprising development is recent attempts to embroil landlords in the issue, as if the
Traditionally, with commercial (business) leases, a contractual provision within the lease specifies the use, or uses to which a property may be put and the uses which are prohibited.The formal classification of Uses� are set out in the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987 as a
