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Landlords with leasehold properties in line for Ground Rent rip-off refunds

Landlords with leasehold properties in line for Ground Rent rip-off refunds

News

More than 5,000 leaseholders including landlords could get refunds on their ground rent after the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) secured assurances from nine firms that bought freeholds from housing developer Taylor Wimpey. Those leaseholders who paid a doubled

EXPERT: Number of councils seeking to stop HMO conversions is on the rise

EXPERT: Number of councils seeking to stop HMO conversions is on the rise

News

More councils are set to introduce Article 4 directions in a bid to clamp down on HMO development, with six currently waiting for approval. There are already about 45 local authorities in England partly or entirely affected by Article 4 which means planning permission is nee

Unintended consequences of plans to ban Section 21 evictions 'already happening'

Unintended consequences of plans to ban Section 21 evictions 'already happening'

News

A new landlord survey has revealed the effects of the Government's proposals to ban Section 21 evictions already feeding into the private rented sector. Evictions specialist Landlord Action canvassed some 1,500 landlords and found that 26% of those who had evicted a tenant over

Speculation grows that Rees-Mogg will be Housing Secretary if Liz Truss wins

Speculation grows that Rees-Mogg will be Housing Secretary if Liz Truss wins

News

Its known as silly season when the media focuses on light-hearted stories, but news that Jacob Rees-Mogg (pictured) is being mooted as the new Levelling Up Secretary has been seen by some as no laughing matter. As the leadership contest draws to a close, preparations fo

Making tax digital as a landlord: What you need to know

Making tax digital as a landlord: What you need to know

Information

Making tax digital (MTD) for income tax is part of the governments long-term strategy to digitalise tax and will have implications for how landlords pay tax on their income. For those used to self-assessment, it will represent a change, but providing digital records will give businesses

What are the special rules for VAT on commercial property?

What are the special rules for VAT on commercial property?

News

VAT on Commercial Property is a complex topic and anyone wishing to understand these complexities in relation to their own situation should seek specialist advice. This article should give a broad brush general overview but you really should seek advice because errors can be irredeemable an

Landlord banned from letting properties in England for five years

Landlord banned from letting properties in England for five years

News

A rogue portfolio landlord has been banned from letting properties for five years after she admitted multiple offences relating to fire safety issues. Naomi Knapp, a landlord with 34 properties in Bristol, was convicted of eight banning order offences and will now be added to th

'Spray foam must be regulated to stop properties becoming un-mortgageable'

'Spray foam must be regulated to stop properties becoming un-mortgageable'

News

Urgent regulation of the spray foam industry is needed to prevent making thousands of homes un-mortgagable, warn leading property groups. Sprayed polyurethane expanding foams are often used in lofts, either to stabilise a failing roof covering or to provide extra insulation. But

EXCLUSIVE: Landlords battle city council over HMO council tax re-valuations

EXCLUSIVE: Landlords battle city council over HMO council tax re-valuations

News

Portsmouths HMOs are in the firing line again as growing numbers are being referred to the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) to have their council tax bands reassessed. Rather than paying tax on the whole property, each room can be classified as a band A at a cost of �1,200, wit

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Healthy rental demand increasingly attracts money from institutional investors

Healthy rental demand increasingly attracts money from institutional investors

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Private equity firms and pension funds have been upping the ante with their investments in the UK rental market

More landlords risk falling foul of new licensing rules

More landlords risk falling foul of new licensing rules

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Landlords should check whether they’re in one of 37 licensing schemes under consultation or about to be implemented – or risk a huge fine.

Rayner confirms ambition for rent in advance controls

Rayner confirms ambition for rent in advance controls

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Landlords would be banned from demanding several months’ rent in advance under new amendments to the Renters’ Rights Bill.

Electrical safety shake-up for Northern Ireland landlords

Electrical safety shake-up for Northern Ireland landlords

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Landlords in Northern Ireland must soon guarantee that electrical safety checks have been carried out at private tenancies.

Council U-turns on licensing after damming report

Council U-turns on licensing after damming report

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Councillors have labelled a proposed voluntary landlord initiative to raise standards in North East Lincolnshire, “a waste of time”.

Saying social housing is good and private housing bad 'false and unrealistic'

Saying social housing is good and private housing bad 'false and unrealistic'

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A leading Scots letting agent has warned that policies which seek to undermine the PRS are damaging tenants’ wellbeing.

Landlords await welcome reprieve from boiler ban

Landlords await welcome reprieve from boiler ban

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Landlords could get longer to replace gas boilers if the government makes an expected announcement to allow their sale beyond 2035.

Where landlords can find bargains with a £50K budget

Where landlords can find bargains with a £50K budget

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Wales and the North East are the best areas for hard-hit buy-to-let investors looking for above-inflation returns.

Agents report slightly improved picture for tenants

Agents report slightly improved picture for tenants

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The average number of available rental properties at letting agencies jumped to a two-year high last November.

Victory for landlord leaseholders in landmark case

Victory for landlord leaseholders in landmark case

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Grey GR has been ordered to fix serious building safety issues at Stevenage’s Vista Tower following a long-running dispute.

Tenants to be given right to live with more than one pet

Tenants to be given right to live with more than one pet

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The government has promised to clarify guidance outlining that tenants can soon request to keep more than one pet.

Landlords have longer to wait for mortgage rate cuts

Landlords have longer to wait for mortgage rate cuts

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The Bank of England has left UK interest rates on hold at 5.25% for the sixth time in a row, delaying any reduction in mortgage rates.

Lancashire borough bids to bring back licensing and raise standards

Lancashire borough bids to bring back licensing and raise standards

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Blackburn with Darwen Council is consulting on a new selective licensing scheme on the edge of its town centre.

Vocal landlord critic Elphicke defects to Labour

Vocal landlord critic Elphicke defects to Labour

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Conservative MP Natalie Elphicke has defected to the Labour party after years of pushing tenant-friendly policies and decrying rogue landlords.

Landlords in Scotland 'feel like pariahs' amid political rhetoric

Landlords in Scotland 'feel like pariahs' amid political rhetoric

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Red tape and hostility from Holyrood has caused some landlords to defer investments or take properties off the rental market.

Cuckoos: not just a springtime problem but a year-round threat

Cuckoos: not just a springtime problem but a year-round threat

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News
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Landlords should be on the lookout for the growing threat of cuckooing, which can jeopardise both their property and tenant safety.

Renters are just 'working for their landlords' as housing shortages bite - claim

Renters are just 'working for their landlords' as housing shortages bite - claim

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Renters in England worked 125 days of the year solely to pay their rent, says The Adam Smith Institute.

Nottinghamshire landlord fined £17,500 after ignoring licencing scheme

Nottinghamshire landlord fined £17,500 after ignoring licencing scheme

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A Nottinghamshire landlord has been fined £17,500 after local council officers discovered he was operating two properties without a licence.

Rents have risen 35% since 2020 reveals latest lettings index

Rents have risen 35% since 2020 reveals latest lettings index

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Rental prices could increase by almost 20% over the next 12 months, putting the country in a cost of renting crisis, warns one lettings boss.

Ousted Scots minister tells SNP to honour rent controls plan

Ousted Scots minister tells SNP to honour rent controls plan

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Ousted tenants right minister Patrick Harvie has urged the SNP’s new leader John Swinney to honour the government’s Bute House pledge to deliver rent controls and stronger tenant rights.

Renting reforms 'to outlaw rent in advance' claims expert

Renting reforms 'to outlaw rent in advance' claims expert

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News
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Landlords could find themselves in a legal tangle when asking for rent in advance if the Renters Reform Bill goes forward as drafted.

Government reforms undermining landlord confidence, says big firm

Government reforms undermining landlord confidence, says big firm

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A leading letting agency in London has claimed that the Government’s Renters (Reform) Bill going through parliament, along with promises by Labour to go even further than the Tories if they gain power, are eroding landlord confidence in the private rented sector.

Letting agency to appeal banning order that will close it down

Letting agency to appeal banning order that will close it down

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A letting agency in Liverpool has vowed to appeal a banning order successfully sought by the city’s council after the firm was found to have been operating unlicenced HMOs.

Think about how an Energy Efficient Home Design will improve your tenant’s lives

Think about how an Energy Efficient Home Design will improve your tenant’s lives

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Improving your rental properties will make your property more efficient, easier to let and get your tenants to stay longer

Capital Economics predicts US commercial real estate won't recover until 2040‍

Capital Economics predicts US commercial real estate won't recover until 2040‍

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News
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High interest rates, higher operating costs and a shift to remote working have conspired against office space in particular

UK Commercial property market is still feeling the effects of Covid‍

UK Commercial property market is still feeling the effects of Covid‍

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COVID impact still being felt on UK high streets four years on from the first lockdowns: commercial real estate lending is down but agents see signs of optimism.

DWP to snoop on benefit landlords' bank accounts

DWP to snoop on benefit landlords' bank accounts

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Landlords’ bank accounts could be monitored as part of new legislation that aims to reduce overpayments to people claiming benefits and fraudulent claims.

EXPERT: Removal of Furnished Holiday Lets relief 'may never happen'

EXPERT: Removal of Furnished Holiday Lets relief 'may never happen'

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Plans to abolish the Furnished Holiday Lets (FHL) regime could be delayed by at least a year from April 2025, and might never happen, according to one tax expert.

More pet rights for tenants tops landlords worries over reforms

More pet rights for tenants tops landlords worries over reforms

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Landlords are more concerned about tenants’ right to request to keep a pet than the potential abolition of Section 21, a new poll reveals.

HMRC restarts landlord pilots for its 'Making Tax Digital' scheme

HMRC restarts landlord pilots for its 'Making Tax Digital' scheme

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More landlords can now try out Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax after HMRC paused the pilot last February.

Rise in HMOs pushes BTL yields to highest for six years

Rise in HMOs pushes BTL yields to highest for six years

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Average rental yields have hit a six-year high with HMOs and properties in the North East offering landlords the best returns.

EPCs are misleading, inaccurate and need reform, says Which?

EPCs are misleading, inaccurate and need reform, says Which?

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Consumer organisation Which? says there is considerable evidence that many EPCs are ‘not accurate’.

Landlord fined £528,000 after fence mending work leads to burns

Landlord fined £528,000 after fence mending work leads to burns

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A large landlord has been fined £528,000 after a maintenance crew member repairing a fence post inadvertently struck an underground cable, suffering facial burns.

Landlords slam 'infuriating' licencing rules now driving evictions

Landlords slam 'infuriating' licencing rules now driving evictions

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Landlords in Portsmouth say vulnerable tenants are being unfairly displaced due to the council’s draconian additional licencing scheme.