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How safe are classified sites? Another tenant scammed by fake landlord

How safe are classified sites? Another tenant scammed by fake landlord

News

A tenant has been scammed by a Gumtree advertiser who stole more than �2,000, leaving her facing homelessness. Mum-of-four, Shirley Jones, from Coventry, fell for the flat rental scam after answering the advert for a three-bedroom home in Nuneaton that was available to rent on

LATEST: Government's annual housing benefit bill rises to �30 billion

LATEST: Government's annual housing benefit bill rises to �30 billion

News

The government is expecting to spend and eye-watering �30 billion on housing benefit for tenants this year, DWP minister Will Quince has told parliament. This figure is �8-10 billion more than the Office for Budget Responsibility https://obr.uk/forecasts-in-depth/tax-

BREAKING: 'Half of tenants would take out pet insurance against damage', says expert

BREAKING: 'Half of tenants would take out pet insurance against damage', says expert

News

Half of all tenants who want to rent a home with their pet would be prepared to take out specialist insurance to cover their landlord against damage, a leading campaigner has revealed. Jennifer Berezai of AdvoCATS has researched an in-depth report into whether there is an appeti

Six month tenancy notice made permanent in Wales

Six month tenancy notice made permanent in Wales

News

Legislation has been passed in Wales that extends the amount of notice landlords must give to their tenants, from the two month s21 period, to six months. The Renting Homes (Amendment) (Wales) Bill means (because notice cannot be served within the initial term) that the minimum

Leading private landlord moves entire portfolio to Ltd company and saves �10 million

Leading private landlord moves entire portfolio to Ltd company and saves �10 million

News

One of Britains biggest private landlords is encouraging others to follow his lead by shifting property from their own name into a company structure. In what is thought to be the countrys largest ever mortgage transaction, Alastair Kerr (pictured) has transferred ownership

Regaining possession of a commercial property

Regaining possession of a commercial property

News

Landlords of commercial premises may consider it necessary to bring the lease to an end or to refuse to renew a lease. This course of action might be for a number of reasons: A tenant for example might not have a statutory right to a lease renewal under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954, the

MTD vs Self-Assessment Tax Returns - understanding the coming changes

MTD vs Self-Assessment Tax Returns - understanding the coming changes

Information

The big changes are in the submission frequency and digital submission process. Firstly, you will need to complete not one but five tax submissions per year � one every quar

BREAKING: Don't expect an extension to the electrical safety standards deadline, says ministry

BREAKING: Don't expect an extension to the electrical safety standards deadline, says ministry

News

Landlords have been warned not to expect a grace period or extension to the deadline for properties to confirm to the new electrical safety standards. Originally, an https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/electrical-safety-standards-in-the-private-rented-sector-guid

Average house price to rise by 17% over next ten years and to nearly �400,000 by 2050

Average house price to rise by 17% over next ten years and to nearly �400,000 by 2050

News

The average UK house price could surge by 17% in the next decade, based on historical data from the past 40 years, and is set to reach �400,000 by 2050. Property buying firm Good Move has studied house prices in the UK since 1980 to predict what the market might look like in th

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Renters' Rights Bill - a month on, what's happened?

Renters' Rights Bill - a month on, what's happened?

Opinion
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It's been just over a month since I last penned my thoughts for LandlordZONE, and in that brief period, the private rental sector has continued to evolve at rapid pace.

Landlord to pay £64,000 fine over 'hidden' HMO

Landlord to pay £64,000 fine over 'hidden' HMO

News
News
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A rogue landlord has been handed a whopping £64,000 fine after he was found renting a five-bedroom house to 13 people.

House raffle boss slams UK's 'unaffordable' rental market

House raffle boss slams UK's 'unaffordable' rental market

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News
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A prize company CEO says the UK’s rental stock shortage is driving tenants’ anxiety about rent rises.

Online repairs service for self-managing landlords launched

Online repairs service for self-managing landlords launched

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News
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A new online property maintenance platform aims to help landlords stay on top of repairs, raise standards and attract and retain good tenants.

'Time to fight back against those who say every landlord's bad'

'Time to fight back against those who say every landlord's bad'

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News
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A leading landlord has slammed the pressure groups and campaigns who have been calling recently for landlords to be ‘eradicated’ from the housing market

Lawyers call for 'millions' more for renter representation during evictions

Lawyers call for 'millions' more for renter representation during evictions

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News
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The Law Society of England and Wales has called for a multi-million-pound investment in renters’ representation via legal aid following a rise in eviction numbers.

Landlords must help make rent control in Scotland workable, says committee

Landlords must help make rent control in Scotland workable, says committee

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News
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Landlords in Scotland should be made to routinely provide data rather than simply respond to requests from local authorities, according to a report into the Housing Bill by the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee.

REPORT: Twice as many landlords selling homes than those buying

REPORT: Twice as many landlords selling homes than those buying

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News
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More landlords are selling their properties than those buying, new research has highlighted

'Lack of bailiffs lengthening evictions process for landlords'

'Lack of bailiffs lengthening evictions process for landlords'

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News
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Landlords are having to wait longer and longer to evict tenants particularly for those using London’s County Courts, says specialist firm Landlord Action, which blames the problems to a greater extent on a lack of bailiffs.

New rules on Gas Safety Checks give more flexibility

New rules on Gas Safety Checks give more flexibility

Information
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Gas Safety Checks: Similar the car MOT, where the test can be done ahead of time, while retaining the existing renewal date, landlord gas checks will now be allowed on the same basis, up to 2 months ahead of time

County courts inquiry to probe slowdown in cases

County courts inquiry to probe slowdown in cases

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News
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The Justice Committee has launched an inquiry into the work of county courts amid long-standing concerns over capacity and resources.

Letting agents 'falling foul of holding deposit rules'

Letting agents 'falling foul of holding deposit rules'

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Ignorance and bad practice around these legitimate deposits is creating one of the biggest areas of illegal activity in the PRS.

Family's tax ploy ends in £10,000 fine

Family's tax ploy ends in £10,000 fine

News
News
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A father and daughter who lied about the tenancy of a dangerously overcrowded and unlicensed HMO have lost their appeal.

Ministers back council tax change for HMO landlords

Ministers back council tax change for HMO landlords

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News
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The government is to end the practice of banding individual rooms in HMOs separately for council tax purposes.

Ignore the buy-to-let doom mongers says Paragon

Ignore the buy-to-let doom mongers says Paragon

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News
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Paragon Mortgages the buy to let specialist admits that there is a challenge from rising rates, but it's not all bad news.

Landlords more resilient than they look says estate agency chief

Landlords more resilient than they look says estate agency chief

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News
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Most landlords are committed to their property portfolios, according to new research from Leaders Romans Group (LRG), with 68% planning to maintain their existing holdings, and 6% set to expand their investments.

Thinking of selling up? Don’t do it says Phil Spencer

Thinking of selling up? Don’t do it says Phil Spencer

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News
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Property surveyor, landlord and property show host Phil Spencer says landlords should “hold firm and remember their reasons for investing.”

TENANCIES: Housing minister bats off calls for two-year fixed periods

TENANCIES: Housing minister bats off calls for two-year fixed periods

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News
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Housing Minister Rachel Maclean has rejected another call for new tenants to be given two years before landlords can pursue a possession order.

Landlord fined £47,000 over dodgy Electrical Condition Report

Landlord fined £47,000 over dodgy Electrical Condition Report

News
News
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A landlord has been ordered to fork out more than £47,000 for failing to licence his eight rental properties, after ignoring numerous written and verbal warnings.

Landlord leader backs selective scheme 'crackdown' by council

Landlord leader backs selective scheme 'crackdown' by council

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News
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A landlord leader has backed Southend-on-Sea Council’s crackdown on failing private rented homes.

Number of landlords fined for Right to Rent breaches triples

Number of landlords fined for Right to Rent breaches triples

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News
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The number of Right to Rent penalties handed to landlords have tripled so far this year under a crackdown on illegal renting and working.

Phil Spencer warns landlords over tenant 'bidding wars'

Phil Spencer warns landlords over tenant 'bidding wars'

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News
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Property expert Phil Spencer has urged landlords to be reasonable when signing up tenants who get into a bidding war – but recognises that competition is down to market forces.

Reform bill 'won't help landlords facing rent debt' admits minister

Reform bill 'won't help landlords facing rent debt' admits minister

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News
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Housing Secretary Michael Gove has admitted that the Renters Reform Bill won’t help landlords claw back money from absconding tenants.

Renting reforms are a 'half baked cake' says sector leader

Renting reforms are a 'half baked cake' says sector leader

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The government has created a “half-baked cake” in the Renters Reform Bill, leaving the PRS desperate for clarity, says one industry boss.

Tax moves afoot to help give landlords financial relief says Gove

Tax moves afoot to help give landlords financial relief says Gove

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News
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The Government is looking at how to give landlords more tax breaks in order to reassure those who are looking nervously at the looming radical renting reforms for the sector, changes which are due to sweep in next year.

Great news for landlords as private buying firms rush to snap up buy-to-let portfolios in bulk

Great news for landlords as private buying firms rush to snap up buy-to-let portfolios in bulk

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After a tough week, starting with reports from the Telegraph urging banks to “stop treating landlords like cash cows” we finally have some good news.

'Many non-compliant landlords are offshore' claims Gove

'Many non-compliant landlords are offshore' claims Gove

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News
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Housing secretary Michael Gove has pinned the blame for non-compliance within the private sector on foreign offshore landlords during a Q&A session at yesterday’s NRLA Conference in Birmingham.

Give more legal aid to tenants facing eviction, say lawyers

Give more legal aid to tenants facing eviction, say lawyers

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News
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The government is being urged to consider hard-up renters who won’t be able to take on their landlords despite any court system upgrade ahead of the Renters Reform Bill.

Landlord jailed for eight weeks following 'deplorable' behaviour

Landlord jailed for eight weeks following 'deplorable' behaviour

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News
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A rogue landlord who tried to evict his tenant using “deplorable behaviour” has been jailed for eight weeks.

HMOs offer TWICE the returns of traditional rental properties, it is claimed

HMOs offer TWICE the returns of traditional rental properties, it is claimed

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News
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A costly HMO conversion could prove a worthwhile long-term investment, with the average 8.1% HMO yield far higher than the 4.4% generated by a regular rental property, according to research by Octane Capital.

Property Portal could be deathknell for big selective licencing schemes, says MP

Property Portal could be deathknell for big selective licencing schemes, says MP

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News
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The mandatory national Property Portal for landlords to be introduced by the Renters (Reform) Bill next year will stop the spread of borough-wide selective licencing schemes, a leading MP has claimed.

Gove slams rent controls and defends Section 21 abolition

Gove slams rent controls and defends Section 21 abolition

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News
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Michael Gove used his speech to introduce the second reading of his Renters (Reform) Bill to pour cold water on calls for rent controls while also trying to reassure ‘good’ landlords that the abolition of Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions will not affect them.

BLOG: 'Landlords as well as tenants face a cost of renting crisis'

BLOG: 'Landlords as well as tenants face a cost of renting crisis'

Opinion
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Following months of uncertainty, this year will be looked back upon as a tumultuous one for landlords.

Legal matters: terminology, lease or licence, what's the difference?

Legal matters: terminology, lease or licence, what's the difference?

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Yes, legal terms confuse and like many specialisms, the confusion is added to by the fact that different terms often have essentially the same meaning.