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Making tax digital as a landlord: What you need to know

Making tax digital as a landlord: What you need to know

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Making tax digital (MTD) for income tax is part of the governments long-term strategy to digitalise tax and will have implications for how landlords pay tax on their income. For those used to self-assessment, it will represent a change, but providing digital records will give businesses

What are the special rules for VAT on commercial property?

What are the special rules for VAT on commercial property?

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VAT on Commercial Property is a complex topic and anyone wishing to understand these complexities in relation to their own situation should seek specialist advice. This article should give a broad brush general overview but you really should seek advice because errors can be irredeemable an

Landlord banned from letting properties in England for five years

Landlord banned from letting properties in England for five years

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A rogue portfolio landlord has been banned from letting properties for five years after she admitted multiple offences relating to fire safety issues. Naomi Knapp, a landlord with 34 properties in Bristol, was convicted of eight banning order offences and will now be added to th

'Spray foam must be regulated to stop properties becoming un-mortgageable'

'Spray foam must be regulated to stop properties becoming un-mortgageable'

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Urgent regulation of the spray foam industry is needed to prevent making thousands of homes un-mortgagable, warn leading property groups. Sprayed polyurethane expanding foams are often used in lofts, either to stabilise a failing roof covering or to provide extra insulation. But

EXCLUSIVE: Landlords battle city council over HMO council tax re-valuations

EXCLUSIVE: Landlords battle city council over HMO council tax re-valuations

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Portsmouths HMOs are in the firing line again as growing numbers are being referred to the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) to have their council tax bands reassessed. Rather than paying tax on the whole property, each room can be classified as a band A at a cost of �1,200, wit

LEGAL LATEST: Can the eviction of a disabled tenant ever be fair?

LEGAL LATEST: Can the eviction of a disabled tenant ever be fair?

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A severely disabled tenant and his family have barricaded themselves into their home in a bid to prevent a controversial eviction. Quadriplegic Harvey Cowe, 62, and his wife Sheree, 55, have lived at the house in Brittany Road, Hove, for 25 years after Brighton & Hove C

'Selective licencing fees will push up rents as cost of living rises squeeze landlords too'

'Selective licencing fees will push up rents as cost of living rises squeeze landlords too'

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A leading letting agent has criticised the reasoning behind the UKs ever-growing list of selective licensing schemes. Selective licensing covers all rented property in a given area or council borough and landlords are required to pay a five-yearly fee of between �500 and �9

More HMO restrictions in Bristol as battle over fast-expanding sector hots up

More HMO restrictions in Bristol as battle over fast-expanding sector hots up

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Landlords in Bristol will soon be required to gain planning permission to convert properties into HMOs in three key areas, it has been revealed. South Gloucestershire Council is to bring in Article 4 directions in the Bristol neighbourhoods of Stoke Park and Cheswick and parts o

LATEST: London mayor urges private landlords to sell their homes to councils

LATEST: London mayor urges private landlords to sell their homes to councils

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Londons mayor Sadiq Khan has urged private landlords who are planning to exit the private rented market to sell their properties to local councils instead of other landlords. Khan made the comments within a self-congratulatory statement on his website l

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Rents rise and void periods shorten, reveals Goodlord

Rents rise and void periods shorten, reveals Goodlord

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Average rents in England jump 4% in a year to February while voids dropped from 24 to 20 days

Younger people targeted in tenant fraud

Younger people targeted in tenant fraud

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Almost three quarters of rental fraud involves young people, official data has revealed.

Book Review: Carl Bayley’s book, Shelter your Family from the Taxman: How to Save Inheritance Tax

Book Review: Carl Bayley’s book, Shelter your Family from the Taxman: How to Save Inheritance Tax

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Carl Bayley is the author of more than twenty ‘Plain English’ TaxCafe published tax guides designed for the layperson and the non-specialist

Expert sounds alarm over rent arrears court decision

Expert sounds alarm over rent arrears court decision

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An expert has warned that a court's decision to allow tenants to challenge landlord-requested rental arrears deductions from their UC payments will see more landlords shun tenants in receipt of benefits.

Big East of England town rushes in anti-HMO rules

Big East of England town rushes in anti-HMO rules

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Fenland Council has introduced an immediate Article 4 Direction before its consultation in a bid to clamp down on burgeoning HMOs in Wisbech.

Northern council heralds landlord fines of £1.38 million... so far!

Northern council heralds landlord fines of £1.38 million... so far!

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Landlords in County Durham have had to fork out fines totalling £1.38 million in the three years since selective licensing was introduced.

Dozens of new amendments proposed for Renters' Right Bill

Dozens of new amendments proposed for Renters' Right Bill

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Peers have tabled amendments to the Renters’ Rights Bill which, if approved, would shape the legislation into a version of the previous Renters’ Reform Bill.

'Chancellor must boost rental homes supply or risk economy'

'Chancellor must boost rental homes supply or risk economy'

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Chancellor Rachel Reeves has been warned that unless more rental properties are built her recent promise to ‘attract the best talent to the UK’ and boost economic growth will fall flat.

Build-to-rent giant celebrates as landlords exit student sector

Build-to-rent giant celebrates as landlords exit student sector

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Private HMO landlords leaving the sector have created a shortage of student housing, according to Unite Students, which boasts that it can help fill the gap with purpose-built student accommodation.

Landlords could put new life into UK high streets

Landlords could put new life into UK high streets

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Investing in commercial property can be an attractive alternative to buy-to-let

Landlords and tenants warned over shocking Facebook scams

Landlords and tenants warned over shocking Facebook scams

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An investigation has revealed that nearly all the flat listings on Facebook Marketplace in central Glasgow were potential scams.

Landlords tell Labour it must unfreeze 'unjust' LHA rates

Landlords tell Labour it must unfreeze 'unjust' LHA rates

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Landlords have called on a future Labour government to scrap the ‘unjust’ Local Housing Allowance (LHA) freeze which has seen many tenants on benefits struggling to make up the gap between their rent and their housing payments.

Occupiers' Liability: What happens when a tenant is injured?

Occupiers' Liability: What happens when a tenant is injured?

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Liability for personal injury. What is the landlord's position on liability for injuries to persons on or near his premises?

Bizarre link made between ageing and renting a home

Bizarre link made between ageing and renting a home

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Tenants in the private rented sector age biologically faster than homeowners, according to new research, which believes scrapping Section 21 will help reverse the process.

Deposits scheme removes fee to make renting cheaper

Deposits scheme removes fee to make renting cheaper

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Tenants using Jersey’s tenancy deposit scheme will no longer have to pay a protection fee from next month.

BEWARE: 'Online self-employed sex workers targeting rented homes'

BEWARE: 'Online self-employed sex workers targeting rented homes'

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Landlords and letting agents should be aware that a new breed of online self-employed sex worker is targeting privately rentedproperties as ideal premises for their businesses, which two recent caseshandled by my team have highlighted.

Banned landlord takes on critics, claiming tenants 'love him'

Banned landlord takes on critics, claiming tenants 'love him'

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A slum landlord who received the longest ever banning order has insisted that his tenants love him.

'Labour must help landlords if they want to solve housing crisis'

'Labour must help landlords if they want to solve housing crisis'

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The NRLA has told the Labour party leadership to follow its own MPs advice and encourage landlords to provide more privately rented properties if it wants to solve the housing crisis.

Tory MP denies harrassing tenant over unpaid rent

Tory MP denies harrassing tenant over unpaid rent

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A Tory MP has been accused of intimidating a tenant he is trying to evict from his farm.

Green Party leader says landlords 'lining their pockets'

Green Party leader says landlords 'lining their pockets'

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The Green party has promised to introduce rent controls and force landlords to make energy efficient improvements.

Tenancy deposit disputes on the rise as cost of living crisis bites

Tenancy deposit disputes on the rise as cost of living crisis bites

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Complaints involving disputed tenancy deposits have been rising after TDS, which operates three deposit schemes in the UK, recorded a 20% increase over the past 12 months.

UPDATED: Tenancy surrender and mitigating losses

UPDATED: Tenancy surrender and mitigating losses

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Commercial and Residential: Can a landlord insist his tenant pays rent until the end of the tenancy term when the tenant abandons the property

UPDATED: Lease agreements for commercial property explained

UPDATED: Lease agreements for commercial property explained

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Commercial Leases: When leasing a commercial property, its important to know where your responsibilities as a landlord

Millions awarded to 'safer renting' scheme for landlords, tenants and letting agents

Millions awarded to 'safer renting' scheme for landlords, tenants and letting agents

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Councils in Suffolk are embarking on an unusually collaborative approach that’s set to improve the county’s PRS homes and is understood to be the first to go ahead with such a scheme.

Famous village votes to ban holiday lets and second homes‍

Famous village votes to ban holiday lets and second homes‍

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Locals in a Norfolk seaside village have voted to ban people from buying second homes in a bid to help locals find affordable properties.

HMRC warns landlords over 'hybrid' tax avoidance scheme

HMRC warns landlords over 'hybrid' tax avoidance scheme

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A tax avoidance scheme being marketed to private landlords ‘will not work’ and could lead those who take them paying more tax in the long run, HMRC has warned.

TOM'S GUIDE: Doing risk assessments

TOM'S GUIDE: Doing risk assessments

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A fire risk assessment is a mandatory requirement for HMOs and some commercial landlords

Landlords to see '6.5% rise in rental income this year'

Landlords to see '6.5% rise in rental income this year'

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Rental prices will continue to increase during the next three months, predicts agent Knight Frank which has revised its growth forecasts for 2023 to 6.5%, with a further 5% expected in 2024.

Landlord chief says Tory rented sector policies a 'failure'

Landlord chief says Tory rented sector policies a 'failure'

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The gloves are off among landlords after NRLA chief Ben Beadle today said figures showing 25 tenants chasing each available rental property are proof Tory policies have been a ‘failure’.

Scottish consultation on renting reforms 'unfair and too narrow'

Scottish consultation on renting reforms 'unfair and too narrow'

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The Scottish government’s PRS reform consultation does not give landlords and agents the ability to get their views across, according to the boss of automated rental payment firm PayProp UK.

EXCLUSIVE: Big city reveals plans to expand selective licencing

EXCLUSIVE: Big city reveals plans to expand selective licencing

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Manchester landlords look set to face more selective licencing after the council revealed it was recruiting a project manager to research new licensing areas.

Rogue landlord handed maximum £30,000 fine

Rogue landlord handed maximum £30,000 fine

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A rogue landlord has been handed the maximum £30,000 fine after 17 people were found living in a four-bedroom house which posed a fire risk to its vulnerable tenants.

Generation Rent: Rishi's EPC U-turn 'cruel and reckless'

Generation Rent: Rishi's EPC U-turn 'cruel and reckless'

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Generation Rent has labelled Rishi Sunak’s EPC upgrade U-turn as “cruel, disproportionate and reckless”, forcing many renters to suffer poor health in cold homes for years to come.

Council makes unusual move to stop licencing small HMOs

Council makes unusual move to stop licencing small HMOs

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Bath has made the unusual decision to ditch its additional licensing scheme because it has done such a good job of improving standards.