New Rules for Section 21 :Landlords and Agents need to be aware of the changes affecting Section 21 rules and Notices and other changes for the letting of residential properties in England (and in many cases Wales) introduced during 2015 . This article explains the new rules
Many landlords have long suspected that the DCLG approved national calculation methodologies and software programs were seriously flawed when they produced EPC ratings for buildings following energy assessments.So news that new software is being introduced which is claimed to be more accurate is
Serving Notices: Landlords and agents often get confused as to how they should serve Notices on their tenants.Ordinarily it wouldnt matter what method is used, but if you end up in court with a possession or money claim, or some such court action, then what and how you se
Tenant are Consumers: The UK Consumer Protection law applies to letting agents and landlords alike when they advertise a property to let or create a new tenancy. It also applies to most private landlords when they deal with letting agents, unless they operate as a company.
Obtaining Possession Using Section 21 Notices Updated October 2016This article explains how to gain possession of your residential rental property in the most efficient way possible. You may just want your property back for your own use, or to sell, or you may be having prob
Winter Condensation: Its that time of year again, a time when tenants are most likely to complain about the mould appearing in those corners of the property where the walls and ceilings are really cold, and hot air with moisture always rises to the top. If its black mo
Tax Relief: Starting from 6th April 2017, those landlords with mortgages will have tax relief on their buy-to-let mortgage costs gradually reduce over a 4-year period.Many landlords dont have a mortgage (up to 50% it is said), so this change does not affect them, but many
Rent Arrears: At this time of year, soon after the Christmas spending spree, inevitably rent payments begin to suffer. If you are having problems with rent arrears, this article should help.As in most areas of life,prevention is better than cure . To re
Tax Return 2016-2017: As a general rule, and as outlined in the previous articles in this series on tax returns, landlords can claim the expenses of running and maintaining their rental properties.If the rent you charge includes additional services like water, or council tax
Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has warned the government that renter reforms would still allow landlords to make “excessive profits” unless rent controls are introduced.
Councillors in Worcester have agreed to extend the city’s additional licensing scheme for another five years.
A prolific fraudster has admitted scamming numerous would-be tenants out of hundreds of pounds.
The NRLA has warned of potentially devastating consequences for the PRS unless the House of Lords approves new amendments to the Renters’ Rights Bill.
The use of ‘rent in advance’ is widespread among landlords in the UK, the leader of a coalition of tenants’ rights groups has claimed
It’s a mixed picture in the UK property markets - UK rents fall for first time in five years, house sales rise and commercial recovery property stalls
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has urged flat owners to check assessors’ credentials after a fire engineer was sanctioned by the Institution of Fire Engineers for unprofessional conduct.
Letting agents have warned Westminster Council that its plan to ban advertising boards outside landlords' properties borough-wide could cause delays for renters.
Rightmove says the average rent in the UK now eats up 50% of the net income of those living within the private rented sector where the monthly rent per property is now £1,526.
A landlord in Wembley, North London has been fined £49,500 after a court heard that he rented out a five-bedroom two-storey unlicenced house in very poor condition to eight people including two children.
The Chancellor is expected to leave the rate of capital gains tax (CGT) on the sale of second homes and buy-to-let properties untouched amid concerns that increasing it would cost money.
England’s overburdened tribunal system is ill-equipped to handle the potential influx of new claims from the Renters’ Rights Bill, according to proptech firm Reapit.
Barking and Dagenham is to go ahead with an HMO licensing extension in January and has asked the government to approve a new selective scheme.
One of the UK’s largest BTL mortgage lenders has urged the Government to give landlords more financial support to reach the recently-announced 2030 deadline for all rental properties to reach a minimum EPC band C.
Newham Council has apologised to council tenants after the Regulator of Social Housing found serious failings in safety standards at its properties.
A coalition of leading property groups has called on the government to put the Unique Property Reference Number (UPRN) at the heart of the UK residential market.
Many politicians and campaigners have, in support of the Government’s looing renting reforms, claimed that tenants feel insecure when living in their homes and are worried about the high rents.
Rightmove has called on the Government to support landlords, not load them with more tax, ahead of the Chancellor’s budget on 30th October.
After feedback from landlords, energy firm Utilita has published a free guide on the LandlordZONE Forum on retrofitting scheme eligilility.
Haringey Council has made a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) for a derelict house, demonstrating the lengths to which authorities are going to repossess landlord properties.
The UK government has committed to its targets to reach net zero emissions by 2050. As part of this initiative the Government is looking to reduce emissions across a wide range of sectors, including commercial and residential property.
One quarter of private landlords plan to sell their properties needing energy upgrades due to the government’s ambition for the sector to reach EPC targets by 2030.
The UK’s largest union wants Labour to go further with its plans to reform the PRS and has labelled the Renters’ Rights Bill as only the ‘first step’.
Data from a leading estate agency shows just 35% of former rental homes go to those entering the owner-occupier market.
A property leader has warned that Scotland's upcoming Housing Bill must not hamper much-needed investment in the rental sector.
Tenants’ union Acorn is pushing Labour to introduce tougher rent caps or face undermining work to reform renters’ rights.
A rogue landlord has been ordered to hand back nearly £34,000 to five tenants after failing to license his mouse-infested HMO.
Ben Beadle, the Chief Executive of the NRLA, has told LandlordZONE that abolishing Section 21 evictions might sound noble, but it's won't make the private rented sector fairer overnight, as many campaigning groups and Labour MPs often claim.
The UK commercial property market is in a downturn right now. As with the wider economy, commercial property is subject to economic cycles
Tenants’ union Acorn has urged Labour to curb ‘upfront payments’ for new tenants to one month’s rent in a bid to make rented homes more affordable.
Milton Keynes City Council has come up with an innovative scheme to top up rents for those moving from temporary accommodation into the PRS.
Propertymark has warned that the Renters’ Rights Bill poses critical unintended consequences unless the government ensures a fair and balanced approach between landlord and tenant rights.
A landlord with a string of more than 5,000 rental properties across the UK has been fined a whopping £97,000 over the ‘serious and deliberate’ failure to manage a block of flats in Sheffield.
