Date

Library

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

Renters (Reform) Bill - we take a first look at the radical new legislation

Renters (Reform) Bill - we take a first look at the radical new legislation

News

The Renters (Reform) Bill has finally had its first reading in Parliament, promising a fair deal to renters, faster redress for landlords and giving more details on how 'pets with lets' will work. Heralded as a once-in-a-generation overhaul of housing laws�, the government

Purplebricks sold to rival for �1 after senior team throw in the towel

Purplebricks sold to rival for �1 after senior team throw in the towel

News

Purplebricks, which at one stage was used by thousands of landlords to manage their properties, has announced that its assets and business are to be sold to rival Strike for �1, pending approval by its shareholders. Any funds remaining in the firm some �5.5 million are

Gove to approve looser rules for HMO landlords housing asylum seekers

Gove to approve looser rules for HMO landlords housing asylum seekers

News

Housing Secretary Michael Gove is set to push through new rules on HMO safety for housing asylum seekers with little fanfare on the same day that the Renters Reform Bill is published. The changes outlined in the proposed https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukdsi/2023/9780

BLOG: 'Reform bill will solve the problem of pet damage for landlords'

BLOG: 'Reform bill will solve the problem of pet damage for landlords'

News

The long-awaited Renters (Reform) Bill will finally be introduced in parliament after Prime Minister's Questions today. Setting out plans for 12 key reforms to the private rental sector, the 11th pledge - to give tenants the right in law to request a pet, which should not be unr

Agents who lack licencing law know-how 'putting landlords at risk'

Agents who lack licencing law know-how 'putting landlords at risk'

News

Bungling letting agents with a lack of legal understanding are putting landlords at risk of prosecution, it has been claimed. One landlord expert has advised caution when signing up with a firm in the current climate of increasing legislation and falling profits, particularly fo

Opinion: does Michael Gove know something we don't?

Opinion: does Michael Gove know something we don't?

Opinion

It would seem that successive Tory governments have waged an ongoing and progressively more vicious war on buy-to-let landlords, but this latest layer of legislation goes much further. Yes, this latest iteration, and one thats https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/1768/s

EXTRA red tape, scams and repairs drive more landlords to use agencies

EXTRA red tape, scams and repairs drive more landlords to use agencies

News

Almost two thirds (63%) of private landlords who manage their own properties are tired of sorting out repairs and dealing with red tape and considering using a letting agency or property manager instead.  A Uswitch poll of 2,000 landlords found that the most common reason t

Labour to 'go further than Tories' with harsher Decent Homes Standard

Labour to 'go further than Tories' with harsher Decent Homes Standard

News

Labour has promised to ramp up the pressure on private landlords by introducing a legally binding Decent Homes Standard 2. Its latest draft policy programme a provisional blueprint likely to shape the next general election manifesto includes a proposal to take the

Starmer 'set to U-turn on rent controls' as London Mayor pleads for more powers

Starmer 'set to U-turn on rent controls' as London Mayor pleads for more powers

News

Keir Starmer is set to rebuff previous calls by London mayor Sadiq Khan to bring in a rent freeze, it has been reported. Khan has been banging his rent freeze drum for months now as the cost-of-living crisis has hit many tenants personal finances, telling the BBC in Oct

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

City lauds highly unusual approach to 'non-compliant' landlords

City lauds highly unusual approach to 'non-compliant' landlords

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Liverpool Council has teamed up with the emergency services and HMRC to share intelligence and weed out 'non-compliant' landlords.

Mayor launches poster campaign urging tenants to report landlords

Mayor launches poster campaign urging tenants to report landlords

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

A new poster campaign on the London Underground is urging travellers to report dodgy landlords.

REVEALED: Real reason why rental supply is dwindling

REVEALED: Real reason why rental supply is dwindling

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

The number of buy-to-let properties bought by landlords as a percentage of all homes sales across the nation has sunk to its lowest level since records began.

South Coast councillors approve plan to crack down on HMOs

South Coast councillors approve plan to crack down on HMOs

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

The South Coast seaside resort ofEastbourne is to crack down on the town’s growing number of HMOs andcouncillors are soon to make a decision on what to do.

COMMENT: Labour’s rental reforms, have they been watered down?

COMMENT: Labour’s rental reforms, have they been watered down?

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Labour’s rental reforms, has Labour's Rental Charter have they been watered down in the King's speech?

Enfield HMO landlords face licence fee hike

Enfield HMO landlords face licence fee hike

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Landlords in the London borough face paying an extra £174 for an additional HMO licence if plans get the green light.

Welsh tax grab plans could hammer PRS investment

Welsh tax grab plans could hammer PRS investment

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

The Welsh government has been warned it risks reducing the supply of student accommodation if changes to tax reliefs are introduced.

Higher costs curb new student home building

Higher costs curb new student home building

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Fewer than 17,500 purpose-built student beds are expected to be added in the coming academic year, representing only 0.6% growth.

'Labour will NOT wait for court upgrades before banning Section 21 evictions'

'Labour will NOT wait for court upgrades before banning Section 21 evictions'

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

The new Labour government won’t wait to improve the court system before abolishing Section 21, predicts a top property lawyer.

Paragon Bank paints optimistic picture for private rented sector

Paragon Bank paints optimistic picture for private rented sector

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

The bank puts a positive spin on buy-to-let, despite others regularly asking, “should I give up on buy-to-let?” And Savills reveals a secret market segment that heralds growth.

Heat pumps costing landlords £5,800 each AFTER grant

Heat pumps costing landlords £5,800 each AFTER grant

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Landlords and homeowners are paying an average of £5,787 to buy and fit a heat pump after deducting the £7,500 government grant.

Lawyer says some landlords 'in cahoots' with cannabis growing tenants

Lawyer says some landlords 'in cahoots' with cannabis growing tenants

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

More landlords are working together with tenants to commit fraud while running illegal cannabis farms, according to one property lawyer.

Furious investor slams 'anti landlord' Keir Starmer

Furious investor slams 'anti landlord' Keir Starmer

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

A furious landlord has criticised Keir Starmer for claiming landlords are ripping off tenants and making a fortune from huge deposits.

Does it still make sense to be a landlord? Or should we be looking to exit?

Does it still make sense to be a landlord? Or should we be looking to exit?

Sponsored
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

It’s time to cut to the chase. We’ve all been thinking it: is property becoming more hassle than it’s worth? If you’re questioning your property portfolios, you’re not alone.

Scots Government waters down holiday let regulations

Scots Government waters down holiday let regulations

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

All eyes are on Scotland where a scheme to regulate the holiday lets sector has caused a storm after the new licences, which cost between £260 and £520 per property, were introduced.

EXCLUSIVE: Landlord reveals how tenant's actions made him homeless

EXCLUSIVE: Landlord reveals how tenant's actions made him homeless

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

A despairing landlord has resorted to protesting on his roof after failing to evict a rogue tenant for the last 25 years.

So much for Gove's 'landlord crackdown' as just 5% of tenants say they will vote Tory!

So much for Gove's 'landlord crackdown' as just 5% of tenants say they will vote Tory!

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

The Conservatives’ anti-landlord policies have failed to win much favour among tenants who are most likely to vote Labour in the general election, it has been revealed.

London woman banned from PRS after 'egregious' sub-letting case

London woman banned from PRS after 'egregious' sub-letting case

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

A council in London has taken the unusual step of banning a woman from renting homes in the private sector for three years after she illegally sub-let a property in a case that is one of the worst LandlordZONE has ever reported on.

'Why one rule for councils, but another for landlords' asks expert

'Why one rule for councils, but another for landlords' asks expert

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

A housing safety law expert has called for Southwark Council to be hit with a multi-million pound fine after it failed to carry out required electrical safety tests at its properties.

General Election 2024; Setting the standard

General Election 2024; Setting the standard

Sponsored
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

All the major political parties have now released their manifestos ahead of the July general election. Here James Kent, the NRLA’s Chief Innovation Officer, and founder of digital compliance platform Safe2, looks at what they are promising when it comes to PRS property standards and compliance.

Landlord loses appeal against £35,000 licencing fine

Landlord loses appeal against £35,000 licencing fine

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

A rogue landlord who was fined £34,640 for having eight unlicensed HMOs has failed in an attempt to have his conviction overturned.

Labour's bidding wars proposal 'impossible' to enforce says legal senior

Labour's bidding wars proposal 'impossible' to enforce says legal senior

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Labour party figures’ desire to end tenant bidding wars is unworkable in practice, while unenforced legislation would not lead to any real improvement, according to a top property lawyer.

WARNING: 'Unintended consequences of leasehold reforms'

WARNING: 'Unintended consequences of leasehold reforms'

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

A legal expert has warned that an amendment to the recently-passed Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act that raises the 25% non-residential limit in collective enfranchisement claims to 50% will have serious consequences for mixed-use developments.

NRLA to drop 'landlord' in bid to change public perceptions of sector

NRLA to drop 'landlord' in bid to change public perceptions of sector

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

The NRLA is to drop the word ‘landlord’ from its strapline in a bid to change public attitudes of those who rent out and manage properties.

GUIDE: Guarantors in rental agreements - what are they and what to look out for?

GUIDE: Guarantors in rental agreements - what are they and what to look out for?

Information
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Now more than ever, it makes sense to take extra precautions when letting a property. Taking a guarantor or rent guarantee insurance are great ways to protect yourself against rent arrears and other issues in a tenancy

Labour will allow 'bidding wars' but only if tenants start them

Labour will allow 'bidding wars' but only if tenants start them

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

The Labour party has clarified that although it will seek to stop agents and landlords encouraging bidding wars, tenants will be allowed to make ‘voluntary’ higher offers above the original rental asking price.

NRLA backs Labour's plan to stop bidding wars for rental homes

NRLA backs Labour's plan to stop bidding wars for rental homes

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

The NRLA has backed Labour’s proposal to stop landlords and letting agents enabling ‘bidding wars’ by requiring them to advertise a proposed rent based on market rates, with bids above that figure prohibited.

Landlord to repay tenants £21,500 after Tribunal probe

Landlord to repay tenants £21,500 after Tribunal probe

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Four tenants will share a £21,515 rent repayment order after they took their landlord to court for repeatedly failing to licence his HMO.

JUDGE: Landlords cannot charge tenants who leave early for 'losses'

JUDGE: Landlords cannot charge tenants who leave early for 'losses'

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

A landlord has been ordered to pay two former tenants £2,252 after a judge ruled that his letting agent agreement contravened the Tenant Fees Act.

Tenants want rent controls and more rights, new poll reveals

Tenants want rent controls and more rights, new poll reveals

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Private renters want the next government to control the pace of rent rises, build more homes and increase their rights and protections.

Section 21 evictions ban will not be 'immediate' Rayner interview reveals

Section 21 evictions ban will not be 'immediate' Rayner interview reveals

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner has admitted her promise to ban Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions immediately after a General Election win isn’t quite what it seems.

BLOG: What do the new 'material information' rules mean for landlords?

BLOG: What do the new 'material information' rules mean for landlords?

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Letting agents and landlords must now provide much more information before a property can be advertised 'to rent' on portals, new National Trading Standards stipulate - but what does that mean in practice for the UK's 2.4 million landlords?

TOM's Ultimate Guide for landlords, whose tenants can't pay the rent

TOM's Ultimate Guide for landlords, whose tenants can't pay the rent

Information
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

More than half of landlords have reported having lost some rental income due to their tenants struggling to afford the rent

'Rent rises must be allowed in Scotland or supply will dwindle more'

'Rent rises must be allowed in Scotland or supply will dwindle more'

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

A leading Scots letting agent has warned that unless the Scottish government amends its rent control plans to allow for future increases, the level of investment in the country’s PRS will continue to slide.