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Big city to expand licensing five-fold despite landlord concerns

Big city to expand licensing five-fold despite landlord concerns

News

Gateshead is to push ahead with new property licensing schemes despite local landlords and letting agents opposing them including 93% saying the fees are ‘too high’.

Is development more attractive than landlording?

Is development more attractive than landlording?

News

Rental property yields are shrinking as the costs created by more regulations and legislation eat into landlord profits – so is it time more BTL landlords became SME developers?

Tenant group says 'landlords can't be trusted' to regulate themselves

Tenant group says 'landlords can't be trusted' to regulate themselves

News

Scotland’s tenants’ union has warned that removing rent rise reprotections will lead to an uptick in de facto evictions and homelessness.

Big Kent council latest to offer landlords 'guaranteed rent'

Big Kent council latest to offer landlords 'guaranteed rent'

News

Maidstone Borough Council has become the latest authority hoping to entice private landlords to hand over their properties in exchange for guaranteed rent.

Landlord to pay £37,000 after running overcrowded illegal HMO

Landlord to pay £37,000 after running overcrowded illegal HMO

News

A rogue landlord who squeezed six people into one room of his HMO has been told to pay £37,000 in fines and costs.

CLAIM: Labour's 'new towns' will be all about BTR not private landlords

CLAIM: Labour's 'new towns' will be all about BTR not private landlords

News

The UK’s new towns will favour build-to-rent developers rather than private landlords, according to a think tank which labels them “profit-seeking institutional investors”.

Big London council to bring back selective licensing

Big London council to bring back selective licensing

News

Croydon has announced plans to bring back its selective licensing scheme after a five-year break.

Lettings agency pays high price for ignoring HMO regulations

Lettings agency pays high price for ignoring HMO regulations

News

A student housing firm has been told to pay £13,160 for breaching safety regulations at a Salford HMO.

Landlords in-line for a £20bn energy efficiency bill

Landlords in-line for a £20bn energy efficiency bill

News

Landlords will collectively have to spend more than £20billion making improvements to their rental properties to meet proposed new energy efficiency standards

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ELECTIONS: 'Get political and quiz candidates' landlords are told

ELECTIONS: 'Get political and quiz candidates' landlords are told

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Landlords should do their homework before voting in the local elections next week and take the chance to quiz candidates on issues affecting the PRS, advises Leaders Romans Group (LRG). It points to a number of pressing local issues which can be determined

WARNING: Landlords have just five weeks to comply with new Welsh renting laws

WARNING: Landlords have just five weeks to comply with new Welsh renting laws

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Landlords have until 1st June to comply with the new and relatively convoluted Rented Homes Wales legislation following its introduction last December. Under the new law, standard contracts have replaced assured shorthold tenancies a

Block managers under fire over 'large commissions' paid to them by insurance firms

Block managers under fire over 'large commissions' paid to them by insurance firms

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Companies selling multi-occupancy insurance will have to act in leaseholders best interests under new proposals from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). It is demanding new rights and protections to improve the transparency of the multi-occupancy leasehold buildings insura

EXCLUSIVE: Jersey landlord leader slams rent controls and 'open' tenancies plan

EXCLUSIVE: Jersey landlord leader slams rent controls and 'open' tenancies plan

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Jersey has launched a consultation into sweeping reforms including rent controls and open-ended tenancies, prompting fears that they could force more private landlords to quit the sector. The islands government aims to increase protections for both tenants and landlords

BREAKING: Government considers harsher penalties for 'sex for rent' landlords

BREAKING: Government considers harsher penalties for 'sex for rent' landlords

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A new law to crack down on predatory landlords who exploit vulnerable people for sex in return for free or discounted rent is being considered, Home Secretary Suella Braverman (main picture) has announced. Her department is seeking the views of victims, the police and charities

Mandatory five-year electrical checks are required

Mandatory five-year electrical checks are required

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There are heavy fines for those landlords who fail to have their rental properties tested by a qualified electrician before letting, and for existing tenancies, or if they fail to comply with any of the important recommendations made in a test report. The landlord will ordinarily have 28 da

Landlords 'should add licencing update clauses to agency contracts' says judge

Landlords 'should add licencing update clauses to agency contracts' says judge

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A Tribunal judge has warned landlords that unless they have a specific contractual arrangement with their letting agency to keep them abreast of licencing requirements it will - in most circumstances - be the landlord who pays the fine for non-compliance. Judge Phillip Barber ha

More landlords moving to limited companies as list tops 60,000

More landlords moving to limited companies as list tops 60,000

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The number of VAT and/or PAYE enterprises operating in the UKs residential and commercial rental sectors climbed 2% in the past year, despite the governments best efforts to deter investment. Analysis of government data by debt advisory firm https://siriusfinance.

Council tries AGAIN to start UK's most controversial licencing scheme

Council tries AGAIN to start UK's most controversial licencing scheme

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Luton Council is making yet another attempt to bring in two new licensing schemes after a string of false starts amid landlord opposition. Its overview and scrutiny board has agreed to recommend a town-wide additional scheme as well as a selective scheme in South ward, which now

UPDATE: NW council approves bigger selective licencing scheme

UPDATE: NW council approves bigger selective licencing scheme

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Two selective licencing schemes operated by Wirral Council in and around Birkenhead have been renewed with a further two schemes about to be launched following a consultation.

Southcoast city latest to charge landlords £500 for improvement notices

Southcoast city latest to charge landlords £500 for improvement notices

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Landlords in Brighton and Hove face a £500 charge if they are handed an improvement notice, as part of a council crackdown on failing properties.

How bad is the rental crisis? Latest figures reveal reality not the hype

How bad is the rental crisis? Latest figures reveal reality not the hype

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One of the key arguments used by housing campaigners to criticise the private rented sector and its landlords has been contradicted by the latest English Housing Survey.

Nightmare tenant sentenced after stealing landlord's furnishings

Nightmare tenant sentenced after stealing landlord's furnishings

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A tenant who stole almost £2,000 of furnishings from his elderly landlord has been handed a suspended jail sentence

MPs warn renting reforms could make PRS worse, not better

MPs warn renting reforms could make PRS worse, not better

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A cross-party group of MPs and peers has warned that the government needs to get its Renters Reform Bill right if it is to avoid exacerbating the housing crisis.

The US CoStar Group has completed a takeover of UK property portal OnTheMarket.com

The US CoStar Group has completed a takeover of UK property portal OnTheMarket.com

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US based CoStar, a force to be reckoned with in property, has completed a takeover of UK property portal, OnTheMarket.com

Lettings firm accused of breaking evictions ban

Lettings firm accused of breaking evictions ban

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Three students have threatened to take their landlord to tribunal for allegedly flouting eviction ban regulations which meant they were forced out of their flat while studying for exams.

Landlord given £485,000 fine over ‘sheds with beds’

Landlord given £485,000 fine over ‘sheds with beds’

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A rogue landlord who used a fake name to evade the law has been handed a whopping £485,000 in fines after he was found illegally renting out a large shed as five flats.

US bank predicts rebound in UK property prices

US bank predicts rebound in UK property prices

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US bank predicts turnaround in UK property market - inflation down to 3 per cent in two years

London's most expensive selective licencing scheme revealed

London's most expensive selective licencing scheme revealed

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Landlords in one of London’s biggest boroughs face a new selective schemes following a consultation launched by Lambeth council.

Recent research by Savills points to more landlords being priced out of BTL

Recent research by Savills points to more landlords being priced out of BTL

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More landlords to be priced out of BTL as rent increases slow from their peak

MP in second bid to stop landlords evicting benefits tenants in arrears

MP in second bid to stop landlords evicting benefits tenants in arrears

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An SNP MP has made another attempt to prevent PRS landlords from evicting benefit tenants who are in arrears.

Unusual portal and app that pays landlords seeks £5m funding

Unusual portal and app that pays landlords seeks £5m funding

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A property start-up hoping to the next big thing in the student housing market is looking for a £5 million cash injection to help it launch across four more cities.

Wales changes guidance after 'uncertainy' over occupation contracts

Wales changes guidance after 'uncertainy' over occupation contracts

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Landlords in Wales need to update their occupation contract templates after the Welsh government amended part of the document.

Initiative launched to better regulate property 'deal sourcers'

Initiative launched to better regulate property 'deal sourcers'

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The world of property deal sourcing is to become better regulated following the launch of a new partnership between the sector’s trade association and the Property Redress Scheme.

HMRC targetting 'under declaring' limited company landlords

HMRC targetting 'under declaring' limited company landlords

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A property lawyer has warned that HMRC believes buy-to-let landlords may be under-declaring taxes, and that it has them in their sights.

Smaller landlords offloading properties the most - claim

Smaller landlords offloading properties the most - claim

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Twice the number of landlords with one or two properties plan to sell up compared with those who own more than 10 properties, according to a new survey.

Judge slams AI following landlord's inaccurate tax bill appeal

Judge slams AI following landlord's inaccurate tax bill appeal

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A landlord who tried to challenge a tax fine by unwittingly using fake rulings generated by an artificial intelligence (AI) system like ChatGPT has had her appeal dismissed.

London council sweeps 20,000 rented properties into licencing

London council sweeps 20,000 rented properties into licencing

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Landlords in Lewisham are the latest within the London to face a selective licencing scheme now that permission has been granted by the Secretary of State for the scheme.

Higher mortgage costs driving higher rents say landlords

Higher mortgage costs driving higher rents say landlords

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Three-quarters of buy-to-let landlords (76%) increased rent during the past 12 months, most of whom blamed higher mortgage costs.

London's largest selective licencing scheme given green light

London's largest selective licencing scheme given green light

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The government has given the go-ahead to Brent’s selective licensing scheme, with the council labelling it, “a major win for both renters and landlords”.

Landlord licencing should be harsher says health chief

Landlord licencing should be harsher says health chief

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Environmental health officers want more robust landlord licensing schemes under the Renters Reform Bill, says the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH).

Letting agent sentenced after stealing landlord cash

Letting agent sentenced after stealing landlord cash

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A letting agent who swindled £128,000 from her employer to fund an affair with her personal trainer was rumbled after landlords complained they had not received their rent.

NRLA and Shelter chiefs lock horns over reform bill

NRLA and Shelter chiefs lock horns over reform bill

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NRLA chief executive Ben Beadle has called for pragmatism and unity in response to Shelter’s new anti-landlord campaign.

London landlord to pay largest rent repayment order so far this year

London landlord to pay largest rent repayment order so far this year

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A landlord in London has been landed with one of the largest rent repayment orders so far this year after failing to licence their HMO property in Tottenham.