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
Half of private renters either don’t have contents insurance or don’t know what it is, leaving them financially vulnerable to theft, damage, or loss.
Only 2.5% of private rented properties listed in England were affordable for people on housing benefit between April and October last year according to Crisis, down from 12% in 2021 to 22.
A billionaire landlord has been ordered to repay tenants £263,555 for operating two East London buildings as unlicensed HMOs.
House price growth remained steady last month, but is expected to soften in the coming months as the stamp duty holiday comes to an end.
More than a third of landlords plan to offload some of their rental properties in the next 12 months, according to a new survey.
Letting agents have urged Scottish lawmakers not to repeat the mistake of restricting rents that has ultimately increased costs for tenants.
Almost £13million a week was raised in property taxes for the Scottish Government, new analysis has revealed.
Student rents could surge following the introduction of the Renters’ Rights Bill, say landlords, who have warned that it also discriminates against foreign students.
Landlords could face a hike in Capital Gains Tax (CGT) if the economy dips before the Autumn Budget, the Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS) has warned.
Buy-to-let is a long-term investment, often requiring 15+ years to maximise returns. To ensure success over time, landlords should take these key steps to protect their rental business.
The Government has promised to fix significant glitches that have been reported within its e-VISAs system, which is used by landlords and letting agents to verify the Right to Rent status of prospective tenants.
Lodgers’ rental costs could revert to 2017 levels if just 1% of the UK’s 26 million spare rooms were rented, according to flat sharing site SpareRoom.
Blackpool council has received the go-ahead to start selective licencing in eight inner wards despite worries among some landlords about the consultation process that preceded the decision.
Scotland’s animal welfare organisations have called on MSPs to support stronger protections for pet owners in the private and social rental sectors ahead of a crucial debate in Holyrood.
Property Redress, one of the UK’s leading independent redress providers for the property industry, is celebrating a decade of significant growth, with more than 20,000 member offices.
Small, proactive steps can make a big difference, keeping tenants comfortable and protecting buildings from problematic mould and damp.
There are optimistic signs, says Shawbrook Bank. Their data on the commercial property market shows a rebound
Accidental landlords are a dying breed, according to one mortgage expert, who blames government policy for their eventual demise.
The Government is to make it unlawful for landlords and agents to ask prospective tenants for large sums of rent in advance, housing minister Matthew Pennycook has confirmed.
A leading property lawyer has poured scorn on government estimates that the Renters’ Rights Bill will cost landlords £12 per rented property each year.
Landlords with holiday let properties in Wales will soon have to register their properties and collect a £1.25 per person, per night fee from clients.
West Northamptonshire Council has given the go-ahead for an extended additional licensing scheme in Northampton.
A big council in London has called on letting agents to stop pitting tenants against one other in “exploitative” bidding wars within the borough.
Keir Starmer got into hot water recently after saying landlords did not ‘work’ for their income, but Scotland’s housing minister has taken a very different approach.
Airbnb has teamed up with global landlord Greystar to allow tenants in three London apartment blocks to rent out their homes.
More than 100 local councils in England and Wales have not prosecuted any rogue landlords in the last five years despite getting thousands of complaints.
Ever since the government announced its new inheritance tax rules, there has been intense debate about how many people will be affected
The NRLA has insisted that its evidence around the Renters’ Rights Bill was not “alarmist” nor due to “fundamental opposition” to proposed changes as claimed by housing minister Matthew Pennycook.
Higher market rents is the most common reason given by landlords for a rent hike, affecting 20% of private renters, according to new research by Generation Rent.
Irish landlords are facing rent controls after one of the three main parties running for election next Friday (29th November) promised to ‘cut rents’ as the cost of living continues to be an issue.
Preventing landlords from raising rents in between tenancies is an idea - like rent controls - that simply “could not survive contact with reality”, says Scotland’s landlord body.
Landlords who have properties within ‘problem’ leasehold blocks have been given some good news following housing minister Matthew Pennycook confirmation that Labour will ‘end leasehold’ and make commonhold the ‘default’ tenure before the end of this parliament.
Smaller landlords are being forced out of the private rental sector in favour of corporate limited companies – and tenants will be the losers, according to one landlord who’s quitting.
Three rogue landlords have been fined a total of £403,079 for operating a network of unlicensed and unsafe HMOs, labelled “an orchestrated system of neglect for financial gain”.
