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
Ending a Tenancy: What are the rules governing the ending of a statutory periodic tenancy (SPT) by the tenant, especially when the periods of the tenancy are not the standard 1 month?The answer to this question is not easily defined as it is not covered by one rule or a sing
Deposit Scheme Scam: Mydeposits says it is aware of a new scam being used by a fraudulent company imitating mydeposits and targeting landlords and letting agent members of the mydeposits Custodial scheme in England & Wales.The scam uses an email which imitates one from m
Freezing Pipes: This time of year, as we head towards colder weather and freezing conditions, buy-to-let properties and indeed all rental properties are vulnerable to potentially expensive winter water damageIn this article digital inventory app developer Imfuna Le
Commercial Tenancies: The idea of the full repairing (including decorating) lease is that when the tenant yields up the premises on expiry of the contractual term, or sooner termination, the state of repair and condition that the premises are left in would be as envisaged in
Landlords and letting agents should by now be conversant with the 2014 regulations on blinds and curtains and the measures necessary to prevent accidents with children. It is particularly important to ensure that blinds and curtains supplied in rental properties meet these regulations, otherwise,
Changes to the law on Section 21 and in particular how landlords deal with reported repair issues is now of crucial importance if section 21 claims for possession are to be successful. Careful pre-planning is now essential at the time of setting-up Assured Shorthold Tenancies (AST).The Section 21
Assuming a commercial property is let already, the proposition an income-producing investment, the investor would be buying the building/property, not the tenant's business. Since the purchase price is geared to the passing and reversionary rent, it is normal to assess the tenant's ability to per
I have always found the holding deposit (an initial retainer paid to the landlord or agent to reserve a tenancy) is a very useful device to commit the tenant to your letting. But is it legal to withhold the advance deposit you take from a prospective tenant if they back out?In my experience a pro
Carl Bayley is the author of more than twenty ‘Plain English’ TaxCafe published tax guides designed for the layperson and the non-specialist
An expert has warned that a court's decision to allow tenants to challenge landlord-requested rental arrears deductions from their UC payments will see more landlords shun tenants in receipt of benefits.
Fenland Council has introduced an immediate Article 4 Direction before its consultation in a bid to clamp down on burgeoning HMOs in Wisbech.
Landlords in County Durham have had to fork out fines totalling £1.38 million in the three years since selective licensing was introduced.
Peers have tabled amendments to the Renters’ Rights Bill which, if approved, would shape the legislation into a version of the previous Renters’ Reform Bill.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has been warned that unless more rental properties are built her recent promise to ‘attract the best talent to the UK’ and boost economic growth will fall flat.
Private HMO landlords leaving the sector have created a shortage of student housing, according to Unite Students, which boasts that it can help fill the gap with purpose-built student accommodation.
Letting costs and complexity increase, while tenant affordability stalls...
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.
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.
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 are likely to go after every plausible target when tougher rent repayment orders take effect later this year, a solicitor has warned.
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
Haringey Council has introduced tougher fines for errant landlords in a bid to raise housing standards across the London borough.
A shrinking pool of rental properties continued to drive up rents last month, despite reduced demand from tenants
Private landlords whose properties aren’t up to scratch face a significant increase in pressure and threat when the Decent Home Standard kicks in.
Tenants are being urged by the housing minister to challenge unfair rent increases.
The ‘parent landlord’ phenomenon has caused increasing numbers of adult children to put a strain on family life, a new survey finds.
Student landlords have been warned their existing contracts won’t be entirely accurate once the Renters’ Rights Bill takes effect after the summer.
Small landlords with one or two properties could end up being replaced by larger portfolio or corporate landlords as part of the Government’s push to improve standards, according to a top property lawyer.
The agent’s professional body NAEA Propertymark has raised concerns about the running of the rental auctions scheme
A Utilita study shows 25% of UK households pay up to four times more for heating by using electric heaters instead of gas central heating, with added CO₂ emissions of 34 kg per year.
Empty homes should be targeted by the Government, rather than punishing the short-let sector, a holiday let firm has argued.
Less than one in ten rental properties currently on the market are pet-friendly, new research has revealed.
Tenants lodged an estimated 47,405 disputes across the PRS in 2024, a 13% increase on the previous year and the highest number in the past five years.
The Government has vowed that “seismic reforms” in its new Planning and Infrastructure Bill will help get families out of temporary accommodation.
Rents in purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) continue to outpace HMOs, with foreign students particularly bolstering their growth.
First-time buyers are paying 20% less a month on their mortgage payments compared to what tenants pay in rent, new figures have revealed.
Nottingham benefits landlord Mick Roberts has slammed Barclays after it sent letters to 22 of his tenants, listing his monthly payments and erroneously alerting them that he is in mortgage arrears.
A rogue landlord duo has been fined more than £90,000 for safety offences that led to the death of one of their tenants in a fire.
Not all poor housing standards are in the private sector, many social landlords have problems reaching the new higher standards
House prices dipped by 0.1% in February, but annual growth held steady at 2.9%, with the cost of an average property down £213 to £298,602.
