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WARNING: 'Unintended consequences of leasehold reforms'

WARNING: 'Unintended consequences of leasehold reforms'

News

A legal expert has warned that an amendment to the recently-passed Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act that raises the 25% non-residential limit in collective enfranchisement claims to 50% will have serious consequences for mixed-use developments.

NRLA to drop 'landlord' in bid to change public perceptions of sector

NRLA to drop 'landlord' in bid to change public perceptions of sector

News

The NRLA is to drop the word ‘landlord’ from its strapline in a bid to change public attitudes of those who rent out and manage properties.

GUIDE: Guarantors in rental agreements - what are they and what to look out for?

GUIDE: Guarantors in rental agreements - what are they and what to look out for?

Information

Now more than ever, it makes sense to take extra precautions when letting a property. Taking a guarantor or rent guarantee insurance are great ways to protect yourself against rent arrears and other issues in a tenancy

Labour will allow 'bidding wars' but only if tenants start them

Labour will allow 'bidding wars' but only if tenants start them

News

The Labour party has clarified that although it will seek to stop agents and landlords encouraging bidding wars, tenants will be allowed to make ‘voluntary’ higher offers above the original rental asking price.

NRLA backs Labour's plan to stop bidding wars for rental homes

NRLA backs Labour's plan to stop bidding wars for rental homes

News

The NRLA has backed Labour’s proposal to stop landlords and letting agents enabling ‘bidding wars’ by requiring them to advertise a proposed rent based on market rates, with bids above that figure prohibited.

Landlord to repay tenants £21,500 after Tribunal probe

Landlord to repay tenants £21,500 after Tribunal probe

News

Four tenants will share a £21,515 rent repayment order after they took their landlord to court for repeatedly failing to licence his HMO.

JUDGE: Landlords cannot charge tenants who leave early for 'losses'

JUDGE: Landlords cannot charge tenants who leave early for 'losses'

News

A landlord has been ordered to pay two former tenants £2,252 after a judge ruled that his letting agent agreement contravened the Tenant Fees Act.

Tenants want rent controls and more rights, new poll reveals

Tenants want rent controls and more rights, new poll reveals

News

Private renters want the next government to control the pace of rent rises, build more homes and increase their rights and protections.

Section 21 evictions ban will not be 'immediate' Rayner interview reveals

Section 21 evictions ban will not be 'immediate' Rayner interview reveals

News

Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner has admitted her promise to ban Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions immediately after a General Election win isn’t quite what it seems.

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NRLA slams Ministers over 'gimmicky' £10,000 fines for Right to Rent breaches

NRLA slams Ministers over 'gimmicky' £10,000 fines for Right to Rent breaches

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Both landlords and letting agents have slammed the Government's proposal to hugely increase fines for property managers who breach existing Right to Rent check laws.

Landlord wins praise for offering 'only locals' affordable property in town

Landlord wins praise for offering 'only locals' affordable property in town

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A landlord in the Kent seaside town of Whitstable has won plaudits after deciding to rent her rental property to local people, it has been reported.

COMMENT: Government has got itself in a muddle over the rental market

COMMENT: Government has got itself in a muddle over the rental market

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Bidding wars, tenant CVs, queues outside properties � these phenomena have become common in the rental market across Britain.� So runs the editorial in this week's Su

Northern council prepares planning crackdown against HMO conversions

Northern council prepares planning crackdown against HMO conversions

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Bolton council has revealed its intention to begin a coordinated campaign to rein-in the creation of more HMOs within its boundary including via planning and parking rules and

BREAKING: Fines for Right to Rent breaches to rise from £80 to £5,000 per tenant

BREAKING: Fines for Right to Rent breaches to rise from £80 to £5,000 per tenant

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The Home Office has revealed plans to hugely increase the level of fines that landlords can face if they are found to have not checked tenants properly to see if they have the

Landlord fined £36,000 by court after fire reveals his property wasn't licenced

Landlord fined £36,000 by court after fire reveals his property wasn't licenced

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A landlord in the North West has been handed a �36,000 fine after a fire at his property revealed it had not been licenced.

Warwick to charge landlords £1,116 as it doubles size of HMO licencing

Warwick to charge landlords £1,116 as it doubles size of HMO licencing

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Warwick is the latest local authority planning to more than double the size of its HMO licencing scheme, starting in January 2024. This follows a public consultation earlier t

Government tax 'windfall' revealed as more landlords sell their properties

Government tax 'windfall' revealed as more landlords sell their properties

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Official figures out today revealing a huge increase in capital gains tax paid on residential property sales can be explained by more landlords than usual selling rental homes

'Base rate rise will put landlords and tenants under even more financial strain'

'Base rate rise will put landlords and tenants under even more financial strain'

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Landlords have warned the Bank of England that its decision to raise the base rate by a quarter of a percent to 5.25% will only put more pressure on to renters and buy-to-let

Evictions taking over six months on average, says MoJ

Evictions taking over six months on average, says MoJ

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County courts are taking over half a year on average to process legitimate evictions by landlords and agents, it has been revealed.

Student landlord slams council over 'unfair' £45,000 licencing fee

Student landlord slams council over 'unfair' £45,000 licencing fee

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A property management company has slammed its local council for charging a student accommodation block nearly £45,000 under the selective licensing scheme.

LibDems promise to give landlords tax breaks for green upgrades

LibDems promise to give landlords tax breaks for green upgrades

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Landlords should be allowed to offset spending on insulation and energy-saving improvements against tax, according to the Liberal Democrats.

Landlord mortgage arrears jump by 29%, official figures show

Landlord mortgage arrears jump by 29%, official figures show

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The tough economic conditions bearing down on landlords are starting to push up mortgage arrears, latest data from lenders’ trade body UK Finance has revealed.

Mystery shopper research 'proves landlords racially profile applicants' - claim

Mystery shopper research 'proves landlords racially profile applicants' - claim

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New research by Generation Rent reveals that white people are 36% more likely to receive a positive response when applying to rent on SpareRoom than black people.

Agents report fewer landlord instructions as 'unintended consequences' kick in

Agents report fewer landlord instructions as 'unintended consequences' kick in

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Signs that the Government’s assault on landlords coupled with higher mortgage costs are chasing more out of the market than usual have come from the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) this morning.

Tory MP says court delays MUST be fixed before Section 21 is abolished

Tory MP says court delays MUST be fixed before Section 21 is abolished

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Tory MP and former cabinet minister Theresa Villiers (main picture) has warned her own Government that the ongoing delays within the court system risk persuading more landlords to leave the sector and worsen the already acute rented home supply problem.

New way to control HMOs revealed in Coventry - but will rest of UK follow suit?

New way to control HMOs revealed in Coventry - but will rest of UK follow suit?

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Coventry Council is hailing its crackdown on unlicensed HMOs a success after it fined landlords more than £100,000 in just two of the city’s streets.

Notorious landlord to pay staggering £480,000 fine over damp HMO

Notorious landlord to pay staggering £480,000 fine over damp HMO

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A notorious rogue landlord and his property management company have been handed a staggering £480,000 fine for renting out an HMO so damp that mushrooms were growing on the upper floors.

Property market 'past peak pain' but values still down 7% in 12 months

Property market 'past peak pain' but values still down 7% in 12 months

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The UK’s housing market is past ‘peak pain’ after a rollercoaster 12 months and is forecast to grow by 17.9% – equivalent to a £45,521 gain on the average home – within five years.

Airbnb 'irresponsible' for encouraging tenants to sublet rented homes

Airbnb 'irresponsible' for encouraging tenants to sublet rented homes

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A legal expert has warned that landlords face prosecution for running illegal HMOs if tenants follow Airbnb’s suggestion that they sub-let their homes.

Landlords WILL get eviction certainy from reform Bill, King tells MPs

Landlords WILL get eviction certainy from reform Bill, King tells MPs

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King Charles has heralded the government’s commitment to the Renters Reform Bill in his first King’s speech as monarch.

'Short-lets offer returns of up to five times traditional rents'

'Short-lets offer returns of up to five times traditional rents'

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Homes bought by landlords to rent out via short-let contracts create gross returns of between 12% and 20%, an estate agency has claimed.

The Section 21 Ban, will it progress?

The Section 21 Ban, will it progress?

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Will the Renters (Reform) Bill progress and ban Section 21, despite mounting opposition from Conservative back-benchers?

Landlord fined thousands AGAIN for same offence in same building

Landlord fined thousands AGAIN for same offence in same building

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A rogue landlord firm has been handed a £18,300 fine for letting out an unsafe, unlicensed property - only three months after being fined for the same offence in the same building.

Concern mounts over Government's 'weak' leasehold reforms

Concern mounts over Government's 'weak' leasehold reforms

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New leasehold reform legislation faces tough scrutiny from MPs and leasehold groups who are frustrated by an expectation that it will only cover houses, not flats.

Goverment tax grab on landlords prompts a third to go 'limited'

Goverment tax grab on landlords prompts a third to go 'limited'

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A third of landlords who own rental property in their personal name plan to incorporate their portfolio into a limited company structure within the next three years, according to Paragon Bank.

Landlord to pay £8,000 after ignoring 'shed with bed' prohibition order

Landlord to pay £8,000 after ignoring 'shed with bed' prohibition order

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Rogue landlords who assume they can convert outbuildings into ‘sheds with beds’ have been reminded of the likely fines they will face following a shocking case in Hertfordshire.

LATEST: Renting reforms to be within tomorrow's King's Speech

LATEST: Renting reforms to be within tomorrow's King's Speech

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The Prime Minister has confirmed that the Renters Reform Bill will be carried over to the next Parliament, as part of this week’s King’s Speech.

Subletting by tenants on Airbnb now 'growing problem' says NRLA

Subletting by tenants on Airbnb now 'growing problem' says NRLA

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The National Landlords Association (NRLA) has backed claims that the buy-to-let sector faces a significant subletting epidemic following an investigation by a national newspaper.

Can the leasehold system in England be easily changed?

Can the leasehold system in England be easily changed?

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Plans to phase out leaseholds, a reform is to feature in the King’s Speech on 7 November

Landlord's 'sham' defence fails to avoid licensing fine

Landlord's 'sham' defence fails to avoid licensing fine

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A professional landlord who tried to dodge responsibility for his HMO has been ordered to pay two former tenants more than £10,000.

Edinburgh housing services at breaking point

Edinburgh housing services at breaking point

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Edinburgh councillors have declared a housing emergency in a bid to force Holyrood to boost funding.

Welsh tenants see bigger annual rent rise

Welsh tenants see bigger annual rent rise

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Private tenants in England were most likely to face a rent hike in the last year, while tenants in Wales saw a larger average increase.

Extra landlords boost property income tax pot

Extra landlords boost property income tax pot

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Average income from UK property remained relatively stable at about £16,700 between 2017/18 and 2021/22, according to the latest HMRC data.