1.0 Introduction 1.1 - At rent review, the starting point obviously is to read the lease. I say obviously because it never ceases to amaze me just how many landlords and tenants I come across having a go at rent review without bothering to read the lease. Its as
Tenant Agreement: The Law of Property Act 1925 talks about having a maximum of 4 tenants on an agreement. So what to do when you have 5, 6 or more tenants sharing a house?There is a common misunderstanding of the rules here. Landlords and agents sometimes think or have heard
Advance Rent: Piggot v Slaven and Johnson v. OldThere are two important cases which clarify (though not necessarily decisively) the position on landlords accepting rent payments in advance. One concerns the accepting of the final two months rent in advance, a common devi
Following some confusion and debate about a deferral for the new standards following the MEES* deadline in April 2018, the new government has confirmed that changes to the EPC rules, preventing landlords from renting out homes below rating E, will definitely be introduced from April 2018.Accordin
Responsibility for Repairs: Who is responsible and who is obliged to pay for repairs to leasehold blocks and flats? What is the procedure if repairs are unnecessarily delayed or not carried out to the leaseholders satisfaction? What is the Section 20 procedure?T
In 1978, I published a pamphlet "The Framework of Rent Review Clauses" which was given free publicity in leading law and property journals. In 1983, I published a 28-page booklet ' How to do a Rent Review; priced at �5 it was an instant hit and in a letter to me was described by Professor Joh
Test Case Yeomans v Newell [2016]:When a landlord is in breach of the tenancy deposit rules he or she is prevented from serving a valid s21 notice for possession proceedings. Despite the fact that the tenancy deposit legislation has been in force since April 2007, landlords
Test Case: Superstrike Ltd v Marino. RodriguesThe case involved a landlord who had taken a deposit from the tenant before the deposit protection rules came into force in April 2007, since changed by the Deregulation Act 2015 see below. When the tenancy later became a st
Test Case: Leeds City Council v Broadley [2016]This case and the subsequent High Court ruling has brought some clarification about who is liable to pay council tax, tenant or landlord, when a rental property is vacant due to a tenant vacating early, that is, before the tena
Hostility from politicians is pushing landlords out of the Scottish rental market, new research has found.
A charity boxing event organised by TV star Paul Shamplina is celebrating its ten-year anniversary by revealing two events this year.
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.
Private landlords have been excluded from a new government Welsh government initiative that funds retrofit advice in residential properties and hands out interest-free loans for energy efficiency improvements.
Inspectors employed by a big London borough have started knocking on doors around Wembley to check whether landlords have a selective licence.
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.
