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Landlord uses hidden cameras to spy on tenants

Landlord uses hidden cameras to spy on tenants

News

An Edinburgh landlord set-up hidden cameras in the bedroom and bathroom of his flat, to film people in bed and in the shower.The cameras were discovered by a young couple, friends of the landlord who allowed them to use the accommodation. The couple found a box on the living room table with a cam

Comparable Evidence

Comparable Evidence

Information

Amongst the ways to agree or ascertain the (open) market rent at rent review or on renewal of a lease, (per s.34-s35 Landlord and Tenant Act 1954), is the use of comparable evidence.At rent review, the market rent for the premises is not what rent the actual tenant would agree or could afford, bu

What is a Section 20 Notice ?

What is a Section 20 Notice ?

Information

There are two instances of section 20 notices in property in England:(1) is the notice served in relation to early shorthold tenancies under the Housing Act 1988, and the other,(2) refers to section 20 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, as amended by the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act (CLR

Who Pays for Maintenance and Repairs

Who Pays for Maintenance and Repairs

Information

Who pays for maintenance and repairs in a residential letting, landlord or tenant?Is it, for example, a tenants responsibility once they occupy my building to look after most of the regular house maintenance items? If the fridge stops working does the tenant or the landlord need to repair it?Y

Inflation (RPI) and Rent

Inflation (RPI) and Rent

Information

With commercial property, rent reviews are generally to the open market rent, but sometimes the rent would be adjusted to the Retail Price Index (RPI). RPI is generally considered more favourable to landlords than CPI or other methodologies.There is no link between open market rent and inflatio

Commercial Property Insurance - part 1

Commercial Property Insurance - part 1

Information

Amongst the thorny issues in the relationship between landlord and tenant is the building insurance premium. Unlike residential property where the landlord has a vested interest in making sure the premium is competitive, because more than likely the premium would not be recoverable from the tenan

Can Landlords Discriminate when Selecting Tenants?

Can Landlords Discriminate when Selecting Tenants?

News

Theres recently been a spate of press reports and political wrangling about the existence of Zero-Hour Contracts. This has become something of a hot political issue as we approach a general election, and one surprising development is recent attempts to embroil landlords in the issue, as if the

User Clauses - in Commercial (Business) Leases

User Clauses - in Commercial (Business) Leases

Information

Traditionally, with commercial (business) leases, a contractual provision within the lease specifies the use, or uses to which a property may be put and the uses which are prohibited.The formal classification of Uses� are set out in the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987 as a

Rent Increases with Assured Shorthold Tenancies

Rent Increases with Assured Shorthold Tenancies

Information

As most Assured Shorthold Tenancies (AST) are by definition, short, there is usually no need for landlords to get involved in processing a rent increase.However, some ASTs run for long periods after the fixed term has ended, i.e., when the tenancy becomes a statutory periodic tenancy, hence there

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Salvation Army joins growing calls for Labour to unfreeze LHA

Salvation Army joins growing calls for Labour to unfreeze LHA

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The Salvation Army has joined calls for the UK government to help prevent homelessness in Scotland by scrapping the planned freeze on Local Housing Allowance (LHA).

Labour to force landlords to achieve EPC band C minimum

Labour to force landlords to achieve EPC band C minimum

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The government has confirmed its plan to force all private landlords to get their rental properties up to an EPC C – from the current EPC E – by 2030.

Renters’ Rights could scupper students’ uni plans

Renters’ Rights could scupper students’ uni plans

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Students from the UK and overseas could miss out on a university education unless the Government makes urgent changes to its Renters’ Rights Bill.

Tenants rescued by inspection officers after ignoring CO alarm

Tenants rescued by inspection officers after ignoring CO alarm

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A Birmingham Council officer has saved the lives of a family of renters during a selective licensing compliance visit.

Comment: The Rental Reforms, controversy in the House of Lords

Comment: The Rental Reforms, controversy in the House of Lords

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Despite warnings about potential unintended consequences of the Renters’ Rights Bill, the Bill is speeding through Parliament

Minister reveals end to rent controls in Scotland

Minister reveals end to rent controls in Scotland

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The Scottish government will scrap its temporary rent control legislation on 31st March, in a move which promises to boost landlords’ confidence.

Big company makes shock claim about 'small landlords'

Big company makes shock claim about 'small landlords'

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Build-to-rent developer Grainger has seen impressive growth thanks to a supportive government and the battering of smaller private landlords.

Landlords are rushing to sell while demand for property is high

Landlords are rushing to sell while demand for property is high

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From dwindling profits to tenant pressure groups and legislative interventions – landlords all over the UK have had enough.

LATEST: Bank of England lowers base interest rate to 4.5%

LATEST: Bank of England lowers base interest rate to 4.5%

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The Bank of England has cut interest rates by 0.25 percentage points to 4.5%, raising hopes of better mortgage deals for landlords.

Landlord leader backs selective scheme 'crackdown' by council

Landlord leader backs selective scheme 'crackdown' by council

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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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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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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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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.

Landlord jailed for eight weeks following 'deplorable' behaviour

Landlord jailed for eight weeks following 'deplorable' behaviour

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

Give more legal aid to tenants facing eviction, say lawyers

Give more legal aid to tenants facing eviction, say lawyers

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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.

'Many non-compliant landlords are offshore' claims Gove

'Many non-compliant landlords are offshore' claims Gove

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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.

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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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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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.

Landlords told to check tenancy contracts after landmark court case

Landlords told to check tenancy contracts after landmark court case

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A judge has opened the door to higher compensation being paid by landlords if they fail to protect their tenants’ rental deposits within one of the official schemes.

Details of compulsory national Portal for landlords revealed

Details of compulsory national Portal for landlords revealed

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More detail on what information landlords will have to provide to the looming Property Portal have been revealed by the Government.

LATEST: Landlords WILL be allowed to demand tenants have pet insurance

LATEST: Landlords WILL be allowed to demand tenants have pet insurance

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The Government has said it supports measures that will allow landlords to either charge tenants with cats or dogs both pet insurance at the beginning of tenancies or request that they take out a policy themselves.

Majority of renters support banning Section 21 evictions and rent controls - claim

Majority of renters support banning Section 21 evictions and rent controls - claim

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A renters’ lobbying says its polling of England’s private renters has found a majority support the changes within the looming Renters (Reform) Bill getting its second reading today in parliament.

Government U-turns on eviction and tenancy reforms

Government U-turns on eviction and tenancy reforms

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The Government has confirmed that it will not bring in its controversial ban on Section 21 evictions within the looming Renters (Reform) Bill until problems with the courts have been fixed.

Court shake-up vital in next week's Bill debate

Court shake-up vital in next week's Bill debate

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The NRLA has urged the government to address court hold-ups while debating the Renters Reform Bill – or risk undermining work to improve the sector.

Scottish eviction law continues to hamper PRS growth

Scottish eviction law continues to hamper PRS growth

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Investors are losing confidence in the Scottish PRS, while rent caps and increased construction costs are halting rental developments, says one property solicitor.

The importance of the "How to Rent" Guide and Section 21

The importance of the "How to Rent" Guide and Section 21

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How to Rent Guide : very important when setting up a new tenancy, or on renewal, and when serving a section 21 notice.

Agents and student landlords are top of the class in Bath

Agents and student landlords are top of the class in Bath

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University students rate Bath as having the best letting agents in the UK based on the number of reviews and average ratings.

Family operation ran string of unlicensed HMOs

Family operation ran string of unlicensed HMOs

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A rogue landlord has been prosecuted for letting eight unlicensed HMOs which breached health and safety rules that put his tenants at risk.