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Landlord slapped with �40,700 fine after 'honest mistake' over HMO licence

Landlord slapped with �40,700 fine after 'honest mistake' over HMO licence

News

A lettings agency boss and landlord has been slapped with a �40,700 Rent Repayment Officer despite claiming that his failure to licence an HMO was an honest mistake. A First Tier Property Tribunal handed five former tenants the maximum award for the period from September 2019 t

LATEST: Scottish Government sets out its controversial rental reform plans

LATEST: Scottish Government sets out its controversial rental reform plans

News

Scotland has launched plans for an overhaul of its rented sector that include a controversial system of rent controls. Proposals also include increasing penalties for illegal evictions, restricting evictions during winter, giving tenants greater flexibility to keep pets, introdu

Bristol significantly expands HMO and selective licensing schemes

Bristol significantly expands HMO and selective licensing schemes

News

Bristol has approved plans to extend landlord licensing in Brislington West, Bedminster and Horfield wards in a bid to raise PRS standards. The scheme includes additional licensing - HMOs with three or more unrelated people sharing facilities and selective licensing - privat

EXCLUSIVE: 'We listened to landlords' claims Durham selective licensing chief

EXCLUSIVE: 'We listened to landlords' claims Durham selective licensing chief

News

Durham has been given the green light for a huge new selective licensing scheme although it is 40% smaller than its original plan. The scheme will cover about 29,000 homes, 42% of the countys private rented sector, and will go live on 1st April when landlords will need a

Test Case: Council advising tenants to stay put after valid s21 notice served

Test Case: Council advising tenants to stay put after valid s21 notice served

News

This is a Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman case involving an unnamed landlord (LandlordX or MrX) and Brentwood Borough Council. The case revolves around a common situation where the landlord required possession of the property after serving a valid section 21 notice un

'Let’s not forget property remains the best performing investment'

'Let’s not forget property remains the best performing investment'

Opinion

I've been in the property investment business for almost 30 years and during this period opportunities have come and gone but I've yet to discover an asset class that perf

OPINION: The EPC ratings system is 'not fit for purpose'

OPINION: The EPC ratings system is 'not fit for purpose'

Opinion

Ever since I started to market one of my commercial buildings around 10 years ago now, I began to doubt the efficacy of the EPC rating system. The guy that came along to do the inspection told me himself he had just completed a 6 week course, or whatever it was, to train to be a

BREAKING: Government toughens up smoke and C0 alarm regulations

BREAKING: Government toughens up smoke and C0 alarm regulations

News

Social and private landlords are to face tougher new rules which make it mandatory to fit smoke alarms in all rented accommodation regardless of tenure, and widen the conditions under which they must be fitted. Revisions to the smoke and carbon monoxide detector regulations also

ANALYSIS: Does buy-to-let still beat the stock market?

ANALYSIS: Does buy-to-let still beat the stock market?

News

If you had �50k to invest right now, where would you put it, buy-to-let property or stocks and shares? Certainly leaving it in a traditional savings account, with interest rates as they are at rock bottom, thats out of the question. And with the threat of rising inflation ea

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Landlords still want to buy despite stamp duty hike, survey reveals

Landlords still want to buy despite stamp duty hike, survey reveals

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Hikes in stamp duty rates have failed to dampened landlords’ appetite to buy more properties, a new survey has revealed.

The areas where landlords face the most challenges with deposits are revealed

The areas where landlords face the most challenges with deposits are revealed

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News
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The areas where landlords face the most challenges with deposits have been revealed, with Oxford leading the way.

Landsec rebalancing to residential signifies a growing trend…

Landsec rebalancing to residential signifies a growing trend…

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Land Securities (Landsec), last week reaffirmed its intention to reduce exposure away from office developments towards higher-yielding residential assets

Landlord couple told to pay £8,748 back to five tenants

Landlord couple told to pay £8,748 back to five tenants

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News
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A landlord couple who blamed Lambeth Council’s maladministration of its online application system for their unlicensed HMO have been told to pay £8,748 back to five tenants.

Concerns raised in House of Commons about new EPC rules for landlords

Concerns raised in House of Commons about new EPC rules for landlords

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Concerns have been raised in the House of Commons about the impact of new EPC regulations on landlords.

Risk to rental sector in Wales as taxes raised, Propertymark warns

Risk to rental sector in Wales as taxes raised, Propertymark warns

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News
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Letting agents have warned that stifling rental home supply in Wales through higher taxes or by landlords passing on costs to tenants could jeopardise the PRS.

Scottish First Minister warned against promoting hydrogen boilers

Scottish First Minister warned against promoting hydrogen boilers

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News
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Housing and industry groups have warned Scottish First Minister John Swinney against promoting hydrogen boilers to heat homes.

North Hants Council creates tenants’ charter to boost standard of homes

North Hants Council creates tenants’ charter to boost standard of homes

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News
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North Herts Council has created a tenants’ charter to set out the rights and responsibilities of tenants, landlords and the council, in a bid to keep private rented homes up to scratch.

Rents grow at slowest level for three and a half years

Rents grow at slowest level for three and a half years

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News
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Rents are growing at their slowest level for more than three years, but a limited supply of new rental homes will help keep prices high, it has been revealed.

NRLA partially backs reform proposals for Welsh landlords

NRLA partially backs reform proposals for Welsh landlords

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The NRLA has backed many of the measures within a new report from a Welsh parliamentary committee which recommends big changes for the country's private rented sector.

Campaign group presses another council to get tough on landlords

Campaign group presses another council to get tough on landlords

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Tenants’ union Acorn is lobbying Norwich City Council to introduce a selective licensing scheme and to better enforce its housing policies.

Tenants want energy efficient homes...but don't want to pay for them!

Tenants want energy efficient homes...but don't want to pay for them!

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News
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Only 6% of tenants would pay more rent to help fund energy efficiency measures, despite 80% being in favour of their properties getting an upgrade to an EPC rating of C.

Big portfolio landlord to pay tenants £15,000 over missing licence

Big portfolio landlord to pay tenants £15,000 over missing licence

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A very big portfolio landlord has been ordered to pay £15,290 to former tenants after it failed to license one of its 750 properties.

Landlords to pay back rent if they ignore tenant complaints

Landlords to pay back rent if they ignore tenant complaints

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News
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Landlords may soon have to repay up to two years rents to tenants if they fail to comply with decisions with the sector’s looming new ombudsman.

'Private rented sector better than council housing, let's not forget'

'Private rented sector better than council housing, let's not forget'

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News
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The government must focus on sustaining a vibrant PRS and not “hark back to the wonders of the 1970s with social housing and council housing…as being a really great thing,” warns NRLA boss Ben Beadle.

Labour's 'anti-landlord' stance will hurt benefits tenants, warns Mick Roberts

Labour's 'anti-landlord' stance will hurt benefits tenants, warns Mick Roberts

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News
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Benefits landlord Mick Roberts is losing patience with MPs whose continued ‘anti-landlord’ policies have only made more people homeless and increased rents.

Big law firm reports landlords 'rushing to liquidate assets'

Big law firm reports landlords 'rushing to liquidate assets'

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News
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Landlords and businesses are rushing to transfer and liquidate assets ahead of a potential Capital Gains Tax hike in next week’s budget.

'This is why I've sold nearly half my portfolio', landlord tells BBC show

'This is why I've sold nearly half my portfolio', landlord tells BBC show

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A landlord who used to have a property portfolio of 100 homes has told the BBC that multiple pressures on the sector including looming regulations, higher interest rates and costs have persuaded him to cut his portfolio down to 65 units.

Student landlord group warns Labour over banning fixed-term tenancies

Student landlord group warns Labour over banning fixed-term tenancies

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News
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A group of student accommodation landlords have warned the Government that its plans to dispense with fixed-term tenancies and move to open ended ones will lead to fewer providers and homes within this market.

North East delivers 'strongest yields' for landlords in UK

North East delivers 'strongest yields' for landlords in UK

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News
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Landlords in the North East are pocketing the highest rental yields in the UK, according to Paragon Bank’s latest lending data.

23% more landlords rush to adopt limited company operations

23% more landlords rush to adopt limited company operations

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Hamptons reports that 46,449 companies have been set up to hold buy-to-let property in Great Britain between January and September, a 23% increase on the same period last year.

What expenses can I claim for my rental property?

What expenses can I claim for my rental property?

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To maximise your profits as a landlord, it's crucial to minimise your tax liability by claiming all allowable expenses.

Leading figures call for Government to embrace private landlords

Leading figures call for Government to embrace private landlords

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A group of high-profile housing leaders, lawyers and economists have urged the Government to include private landlords within its plans to solve the housing crisis, instead of casting them as the villains of the piece.

The great British shopping revival, could the exodus be reversing?

The great British shopping revival, could the exodus be reversing?

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News
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The British High Street has been in decline for some years now, but could it be that there are signs of a revival?

Landlord reveals nightmare of illegal holiday let tenants

Landlord reveals nightmare of illegal holiday let tenants

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A landlord fears neighbours may force him out for breaking lease conditions due to rogue renters illegally sub-letting his flat.

EXCLUSIVE: Welsh Government says landlords 'will get retrofit cash'

EXCLUSIVE: Welsh Government says landlords 'will get retrofit cash'

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News
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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.

Council sends out inspectors on foot to check selective licencing

Council sends out inspectors on foot to check selective licencing

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Inspectors employed by a big London borough have started knocking on doors around Wembley to check whether landlords have a selective licence.

Landlord fined £50,000 over 'house of horrors' rental

Landlord fined £50,000 over 'house of horrors' rental

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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.

Chancellor to leave BTL landlords alone in budget, claims report

Chancellor to leave BTL landlords alone in budget, claims report

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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.

Tribunal system woefully unprepared for Labour's rent rise appeal plans

Tribunal system woefully unprepared for Labour's rent rise appeal plans

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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.

London borough to go ahead with more HMO licencing

London borough to go ahead with more HMO licencing

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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.

Give landlords more money to upgrade properties, urges Nationwide

Give landlords more money to upgrade properties, urges Nationwide

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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.

Landlord-bashing council slammed over its own property failings

Landlord-bashing council slammed over its own property failings

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Newham Council has apologised to council tenants after the Regulator of Social Housing found serious failings in safety standards at its properties.

Housing must be a (unique reference) numbers game, Rayner told

Housing must be a (unique reference) numbers game, Rayner told

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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.