Illegal evictions and harassment are set to become more expensive for landlords who get caught, as councils will be able to fine them up to �30,000 as an alternative to prosecution under the Renters Reform Bill. Lawyer Sam Kharabanda Groom (main picture) at https://cor
Leading figures from the private rented sector including dozens of landlords gathered last week to raise over �15,000 for a food bank charity. <figure id="" class="w-richtext-figure-type- " data-rt-type="" data-rt-align=""><div><img src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/63bef2f3c329eff8e
Councils could struggle to enforce new eviction laws under the Renters Reform Bill, according to the Local Government Association. It has warned that authorities will need more staff and funding because every council in England already has a shortage of environmental health offi
Landlords who rent properties to vets are being encouraged to join a new group so they can discuss problems, exchange information and learn about what it means to be a professional landlord. The Veterinary Landlords Association (VLA) which has yet to es
A petition has been launched calling on the Government to establish a national register of rogue tenants to help landlords and agents spot troublemakers before they move into properties. The petition has been launched by property lawyer Nyree Applegarth (m
Labour MP Chris Bryant has pleaded with the government to rethink its housing policies or face a perfect storm of a housing crisis� in his Rhondda constituency. He told the Commons that the frozen housing benefit cap was now completely out of kilter with reality� for m
It used to be the case that you could let your residential rental property and forget it, leaving your tenants to enjoy the accommodation in peace, without any disturbances. However, these days, with regular changes in the law, risks of none compliance and your insurance require
Rising interest rates are piling the pressure on landlords and leaving some as mortgage prisoners, according to one mortgage expert. With most fixed rates now well over 6%, the interest costs can have tripled since some landlords last mortgage was taken, causing a perfe
More landlords looking for a quick and painless exit from the PRS are considering concessionary mortgages, it has been claimed. These little-known mortgage deals allow a sitting tenant to buy the property at a discounted price, based on a valuation. The seller must b
Average rent arrears owed by tenants to landlords have climbed by 27% so far this year, new data reveals.
The government has urged the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to review the boiler supply market amid fears that a lack of competition is leading to higher prices.
Evictions expert Paul Shamplina has called for a rogue tenant database to be established, pointing out that bad letting agents and landlords face being named and shamed via official schemes, but tenants do not.
Rental reform campaigners have staged a protest outside Michael Gove’s official residence in central London, calling on the housing secretary to implement his promised Section 21 evictions ban.
More than 84,000 households have been put at risk of homelessness due to no-fault evictions since 2019, renting campaigners have claimed.
As we enter April it’s been a mixed bag for landlords, with many “nervous" landlords looking to sell amidst a growing apprehension of market conditions and general elections.
A leading businessman has entered the political fray with a book in which he lays out his ideas on how to solve the housing crisis including planning and rental market reform.
An HMO landlord who added another storey on his property to squeeze in more tenants has been ordered to pay £26,535 for breaching numerous safety rules.
HMOs are becoming more popular among landlords as many turn to them as a ‘surer bet’ than other types of rental property in a time of economic uncertainty, it has been claimed.
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.
Landlords’ bank accounts could be monitored as part of new legislation that aims to reduce overpayments to people claiming benefits and fraudulent claims.
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.
Landlords are more concerned about tenants’ right to request to keep a pet than the potential abolition of Section 21, a new poll reveals.
More landlords can now try out Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax after HMRC paused the pilot last February.
Average rental yields have hit a six-year high with HMOs and properties in the North East offering landlords the best returns.
Consumer organisation Which? says there is considerable evidence that many EPCs are ‘not accurate’.
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 in Portsmouth say vulnerable tenants are being unfairly displaced due to the council’s draconian additional licencing scheme.
A group of 30 Tory MPs have written to the Chancellor Jeremy Hunt warning that they may vote against the Government’s Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill unless ground rents are abolished for both future and existing leaseholds.
Rent controls will undermine investment in Scotland’s PRS unless there is more long-term certainty, according to one leading lettings expert.
A landlord has avoided a £32,000 rent repayment order after a judge ruled his flat was at an address not covered by a licensing scheme, but only just.
The latest quarterly homelessness figures from the Government for the final months of last year reveal that Section 21 notices as a reason for homelessness reached record levels during 2023.
The Green Party’s mayoral candidate in London has said she will bring in rent controls saying the time for ‘bold action’ has come.
Landlords have been promised fair compensation by a developer planning to bulldoze scores of homes on one of England’s most deprived housing estates.
Propertymark has urged London’s Mayor to crack down on short-term lets through licensing in a bid to tackle over-supply in the capital.
Troubled property development company Home Holdings has put another raft of HMOs onto the market in a bid to shore up losses.
The decision by George Osborne in 2015 to introduce a 3% additional stamp duty levy on landlords has seen a slump in the number of BTL properties bought in the Tory heartlands of Southern England.
A leading letting agent in Scotland has laid the blame for the country’s rental supply woes firmly at the feet of former Tenants’ Rights minister Patrick Harvie.
A rogue landlord and fugitive fraudster who intimidated his tenants is in jail after more than five years on the run.
A landlord who used an agreement that tried to undermine her tenants’ rights has been fined a total of £5,800.
Financially challenged Somerset Council has capitulated after a concerted campaign by protesters force it to abandon one of its business tenants
Signs that the market is moving into a recovery phase, though there is still ample evidence that there remains a challenging backdrop.
New changes to planning rules mean rogue landlords who illegally convert HMOs could face an unlimited fine.
The Scottish government has been urged to reverse its anti-landlord policies after the SNP ended their power-sharing agreement with the Greens.
