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Double whammy for landlords as costs & complexity rise, while rent increases stall

Double whammy for landlords as costs & complexity rise, while rent increases stall

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Letting costs and complexity increase, while tenant affordability stalls...

Number of new licensing schemes lined up has surpassed last year’s total

Number of new licensing schemes lined up has surpassed last year’s total

News

The number of licensing schemes lined up to launch this year has already surpassed last year’s total, as councils continue to put the financial squeeze on landlords.

Landlord avoids £29K rent repayment order after tribunal ruling

Landlord avoids £29K rent repayment order after tribunal ruling

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A landlord has avoided a £29,000 rent repayment order after a First Tier Property Tribunal ruled that he had been the victim of administrative failings by Southwark Council.

Renters' Rights Bill to be discussed by expert panel at National Landlord Investment Show

Renters' Rights Bill to be discussed by expert panel at National Landlord Investment Show

News

The huge changes that the Renters' Rights Bill will introduce for private landlords will be addressed by a panel of top experts at this year’s National Landlord Investment Show.

Tenants likely to go for every target when tougher rent repayment orders take effect, warns solicitor

Tenants likely to go for every target when tougher rent repayment orders take effect, warns solicitor

News

Tenants are likely to go after every plausible target when tougher rent repayment orders take effect later this year, a solicitor has warned.

Number of new tenancies agreed increases, Propertymark reveals

Number of new tenancies agreed increases, Propertymark reveals

News

The average number of new tenancies agreed per lettings agent branch climbed to around eight in the first month of this year, a new report has revealed

Rogue landlords face revised penalties of up to £30,000 per offence, Haringey Council warns

Rogue landlords face revised penalties of up to £30,000 per offence, Haringey Council warns

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Haringey Council has introduced tougher fines for errant landlords in a bid to raise housing standards across the London borough.

Shrinking pool of rental homes continues to drive up rents, reports RICS

Shrinking pool of rental homes continues to drive up rents, reports RICS

News

A shrinking pool of rental properties continued to drive up rents last month, despite reduced demand from tenants

Rental homes that aren’t up to scratch are under increased threat

Rental homes that aren’t up to scratch are under increased threat

News

Private landlords whose properties aren’t up to scratch face a significant increase in pressure and threat when the Decent Home Standard kicks in.

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Government releases 'How to Rent'� guide

Government releases 'How to Rent'� guide

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News
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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

Doing Right to Rent - Immigration Checks

Doing Right to Rent - Immigration Checks

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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

Tax Deductible Letting Expenses

Tax Deductible Letting Expenses

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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

Landlord uses hidden cameras to spy on tenants

Landlord uses hidden cameras to spy on tenants

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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

Comparable Evidence

Comparable Evidence

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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

What is a Section 20 Notice ?

What is a Section 20 Notice ?

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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

Who Pays for Maintenance and Repairs

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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

Inflation (RPI) and Rent

Inflation (RPI) and Rent

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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

Commercial Property Insurance - part 1

Commercial Property Insurance - part 1

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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

WATCH: We interview landlord blogger Suzanne Smith for our NEW podcast

WATCH: We interview landlord blogger Suzanne Smith for our NEW podcast

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LandlordZONE is launching a new podcast to enable our readers to gain entertaining insights into the world of landlording from some of the sector’s leading lights.

HMOs generating highest yields for landlords at 8.34%

HMOs generating highest yields for landlords at 8.34%

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BTL landlords enjoyed average yields of 6.72% in September, up from 6.69% at the end of the second quarter and 6.48% in the previous year.

REVEALED: Key reasons why landlord/tenant relationships sour

REVEALED: Key reasons why landlord/tenant relationships sour

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New report reveals that it doesn't take much to tip a landlord relationship into something that a tenant sees as negative, particularly when landlords are largely portrayed negatively in mainstream media.

Landlords warned after 10% of homes found without carbon monoxide alarms

Landlords warned after 10% of homes found without carbon monoxide alarms

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New research among tenants has found that nearly 10% of rented homes with gas appliances don’t have a carbon monoxide alarm fitted, leaving the landlords of these properties open to fines of up to £5,000.

HMO landlord loses fine appeal after blaming agent for rules breach

HMO landlord loses fine appeal after blaming agent for rules breach

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An HMO landlord who blamed a guaranteed rent firm for breaching his licence has failed in his bid to overturn a £7,500 fine.

RICS member agents predict growing rental shortages

RICS member agents predict growing rental shortages

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RICS survey predicts growing shortage of rental properties. Demand is predicted to grow while supply declines.

HMO planning register rejected in East of England

HMO planning register rejected in East of England

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Councillors in Ipswich have rejected plans for a register of all HMO licensing applications in the town.

Renting reforms will pose 'serious risk' to self-managing landlords

Renting reforms will pose 'serious risk' to self-managing landlords

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Landlords face considerable risks from self-managing their properties when the Renters’ Rights Bill goes live, according to a letting agent expert.

Rent controls will backfire, landlords warn Scots ministers

Rent controls will backfire, landlords warn Scots ministers

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Scotland’s landlords and letting agents have warned that the country’s imminent rent controls will backfire.

Rent rewards app urges tenants to pay by card not BACS

Rent rewards app urges tenants to pay by card not BACS

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Landlords could soon be paid their rent via credit cards rather than bank transfer after a Spanish company said it plans to launch in the UK.

Renters' Rights Bill - a month on, what's happened?

Renters' Rights Bill - a month on, what's happened?

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It's been just over a month since I last penned my thoughts for LandlordZONE, and in that brief period, the private rental sector has continued to evolve at rapid pace.

Landlord to pay £64,000 fine over 'hidden' HMO

Landlord to pay £64,000 fine over 'hidden' HMO

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A rogue landlord has been handed a whopping £64,000 fine after he was found renting a five-bedroom house to 13 people.

House raffle boss slams UK's 'unaffordable' rental market

House raffle boss slams UK's 'unaffordable' rental market

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A prize company CEO says the UK’s rental stock shortage is driving tenants’ anxiety about rent rises.

Online repairs service for self-managing landlords launched

Online repairs service for self-managing landlords launched

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A new online property maintenance platform aims to help landlords stay on top of repairs, raise standards and attract and retain good tenants.

'Time to fight back against those who say every landlord's bad'

'Time to fight back against those who say every landlord's bad'

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A leading landlord has slammed the pressure groups and campaigns who have been calling recently for landlords to be ‘eradicated’ from the housing market

Lawyers call for 'millions' more for renter representation during evictions

Lawyers call for 'millions' more for renter representation during evictions

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The Law Society of England and Wales has called for a multi-million-pound investment in renters’ representation via legal aid following a rise in eviction numbers.

Landlords must help make rent control in Scotland workable, says committee

Landlords must help make rent control in Scotland workable, says committee

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Landlords in Scotland should be made to routinely provide data rather than simply respond to requests from local authorities, according to a report into the Housing Bill by the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee.

REPORT: Twice as many landlords selling homes than those buying

REPORT: Twice as many landlords selling homes than those buying

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More landlords are selling their properties than those buying, new research has highlighted

'Lack of bailiffs lengthening evictions process for landlords'

'Lack of bailiffs lengthening evictions process for landlords'

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Landlords are having to wait longer and longer to evict tenants particularly for those using London’s County Courts, says specialist firm Landlord Action, which blames the problems to a greater extent on a lack of bailiffs.

Landlords rush to sell before Xmas ahead of the Stamp Duty increase

Landlords rush to sell before Xmas ahead of the Stamp Duty increase

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It seems it’s one step forward, two steps back for landlords with the recent Budget introducing significant changes to Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) that will impact property transactions from April 2025. The changes have caused panic amongst landlords, with a spike in numbers looking to sell before Ch

Will failure to present accurate documentation styme eviction under the Renters’ Rights Bill?

Will failure to present accurate documentation styme eviction under the Renters’ Rights Bill?

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It is likely that under the Renters’ Rights legislation due in 2025, tenancy documentation will be highly scrutinised before an eviction trial is allowed

OFFICIAL: Time taken for landlords to evict tenants increases

OFFICIAL: Time taken for landlords to evict tenants increases

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The time taken for landlords to evict tenants has increased, latest Government figures show.

Landlords persuade Government to U-turn on pet rules in Jersey

Landlords persuade Government to U-turn on pet rules in Jersey

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Jersey landlords have avoided new rules that would have made imposing blanket bans on keeping pets illegal.

Big Norfolk council reveals new selective licencing plans

Big Norfolk council reveals new selective licencing plans

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Great Yarmouth is asking landlords for their views on extending selective licensing in the town.

Landlord reveals nightmare cannabis factory saga

Landlord reveals nightmare cannabis factory saga

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I’m writing this article to highlight the pitfalls landlords can face, and to share what I’ve learned from my experience.