20 Mar, 2025

Library

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

Landlords who fail to address damp and mould problems ahead of Awaab’s Law risk legal action

Landlords who fail to address damp and mould problems ahead of Awaab’s Law risk legal action

News

Landlords who fail to address damp and mould problems ahead of Awaab’s Law risk legal action, reputational damage, and significant fines, an air quality monitoring firm has warned.

More companies are registered to hold buy-to-let property than for any other type of business

More companies are registered to hold buy-to-let property than for any other type of business

News

More companies are registered to hold buy-to-let property than for any other type of business as investors seek to reduce their tax burden, new data reveals.

Landlords have "plenty of opportunities" despite interest rates expected to remain at 4.5%

Landlords have "plenty of opportunities" despite interest rates expected to remain at 4.5%

News

Landlords still have 'plenty of opportunities’ despite interest rates expected to remain on hold this week, a specialist lender has suggested.

Number of tenants being asked for a guarantor could increase due to Renters’ Rights Bill, warns Generation Rent

Number of tenants being asked for a guarantor could increase due to Renters’ Rights Bill, warns Generation Rent

News

The Renters’ Rights Bill could lead to an increase in the number of tenants being asked to provide a guarantor and to further discrimination, charities and campaign groups have warned

Double whammy for landlords as costs & complexity rise, while rent increases stall

Double whammy for landlords as costs & complexity rise, while rent increases stall

News

Letting costs and complexity increase, while tenant affordability stalls...

Number of new licensing schemes lined up has surpassed last year’s total

Number of new licensing schemes lined up has surpassed last year’s total

News

The number of licensing schemes lined up to launch this year has already surpassed last year’s total, as councils continue to put the financial squeeze on landlords.

Landlord avoids £29K rent repayment order after tribunal ruling

Landlord avoids £29K rent repayment order after tribunal ruling

News

A landlord has avoided a £29,000 rent repayment order after a First Tier Property Tribunal ruled that he had been the victim of administrative failings by Southwark Council.

Renters' Rights Bill to be discussed by expert panel at National Landlord Investment Show

Renters' Rights Bill to be discussed by expert panel at National Landlord Investment Show

News

The huge changes that the Renters' Rights Bill will introduce for private landlords will be addressed by a panel of top experts at this year’s National Landlord Investment Show.

Tenants likely to go for every target when tougher rent repayment orders take effect, warns solicitor

Tenants likely to go for every target when tougher rent repayment orders take effect, warns solicitor

News

Tenants are likely to go after every plausible target when tougher rent repayment orders take effect later this year, a solicitor has warned.

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

Rent Review

Rent Review

Information
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Question - Rent Review - my landlord is asking for far more rent than I expected on review. Am I obliged to pay this?Answer - Commercial leases are contractual - the parties agree to and are bound by its clauses and that includes rent review provisions.The rent review process is a way of periodic

Re-selling Energy

Re-selling Energy

Information
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Re-selling Energy - As a landlord am I able to make a profit by re-selling electricity or gas?</h2>Resale of Gas and ElectricityThe maximum amount that Residential Landlords or resellers� are permitted to charge for gas or electricity is the amount they

Providing a Reference

Providing a Reference

Information
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Providing a Reference - I have been asked to provide a reference for one of my tenants who is moving on. What is my legal position in this and am I putting myself at risk if I say he was a bad tenant?</h2> Referencing (seeking verification of a tenants past performance) is an increasi

Polystyrene Ceiling Tiles

Polystyrene Ceiling Tiles

Information
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Polystyrene Ceiling Tiles - is it legal to have these tiles in the kitchen of a rental property?</h2> There are currently no regulations specifically banning the use of polystyrene ceiling tiles in existing rented property.However, it is unlikely that local authority fire officers and en

Misrepresentation

Misrepresentation

Information
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Misrepresentation - We recently rented out our rural cottage to a couple. As they wanted to use their computers I said it was possible to get high-speed broad-band. I thought this would be possible but it seems it is not at this time. The couple are now claiming that I misled them and that

Mail for Previous Tenants

Mail for Previous Tenants

Information
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

I'm receiving mail for previous tenants and some of them are from debt collectors. Will this get my property black listed and cause problems for my current tenants and myself in the future?</h2> It's fairly common to have mail arriving for months and even years after residents have left,

Long Term AST

Long Term AST

Information
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Long Term AST - My prospective tenant has asked for a tenancy term of 6 years. Can I use the usual Assured Shorthold Tenancy agreement for this?</h2> The Assured Shorthold Tenancy is the default tenancy for residential lettings and since October 2010 this applies to rents up to �100,000

Lodgers Limits

Lodgers Limits

Information
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Lodgers Limits - Is there any limit to the number of rooms I can rent out to lodgers, and are there any planning implications ?</h2> There are several parts of legislation in England and Wales that affect this question. Perhaps four main ones apply: Health &amp; Safety (HHSRS), HMO, Over

How long should accounts be kept

How long should accounts be kept

Information
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Question: How long should accounts be kept to satisfy the authorities, things like accounting files, invoices and tax records, as a property landlord?Answer: You must keep your records for 6 years after the tax year to which they apply, whether or not you complete a tax return.It's a good idea, a

UK rents fall, house sales rise and the commercial property recover stalls

UK rents fall, house sales rise and the commercial property recover stalls

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

It’s a mixed picture in the UK property markets - UK rents fall for first time in five years, house sales rise and commercial recovery property stalls

RICS warns landlords over 'unqualified' fire assessors' paperwork

RICS warns landlords over 'unqualified' fire assessors' paperwork

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has urged flat owners to check assessors’ credentials after a fire engineer was sanctioned by the Institution of Fire Engineers for unprofessional conduct.

Council moves to ban 'To Let' boards in central London

Council moves to ban 'To Let' boards in central London

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Letting agents have warned Westminster Council that its plan to ban advertising boards outside landlords' properties borough-wide could cause delays for renters.

Tenants in England now pay half their income in rent

Tenants in England now pay half their income in rent

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Rightmove says the average rent in the UK now eats up 50% of the net income of those living within the private rented sector where the monthly rent per property is now £1,526.

Housing quality in rented sector rising - but so's damp

Housing quality in rented sector rising - but so's damp

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Numbers of non-decent homes and Category 1 hazards in the PRS have fallen in recent years, although problems with damp are on the rise.

Rent controls in Scotland 'favour landlords' says Generation Rent

Rent controls in Scotland 'favour landlords' says Generation Rent

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

The Scottish government’s proposed rent control formula is generous to landlords but would leave tenants vulnerable to unaffordable rent rises, says Generation Rent.

Big council urges public to report rogue HMO landlords

Big council urges public to report rogue HMO landlords

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Croydon Council is calling on local residents to report concerns about unauthorised HMOs as it ramps up action against errant landlords.

Landlords 'bewildered and frustrated' by Scotland's latest rent controls

Landlords 'bewildered and frustrated' by Scotland's latest rent controls

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

There is still widespread frustration and bewilderment among landlords and agent that rent controls are the only policy intervention to help tackle affordability in Scotland

CLAIM: Investors 'moving out of residential into commercial'

CLAIM: Investors 'moving out of residential into commercial'

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Investors have started buying up shops and offices in London rather than houses in order to turn a profit.

Midlands landlord to pay £20,000 after ignoring improvement notice

Midlands landlord to pay £20,000 after ignoring improvement notice

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

A landlord in Telford is to pay a huge fine after his local council took him to court over a substandard property he rented out within the town.

Landlords caught up in latest cladding remediation problems

Landlords caught up in latest cladding remediation problems

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

A Lib Dem MP has highlighted what he describes as an unfolding EWS1 form scandal after a fire safety consultant was sanctioned for unprofessional conduct.

How will landlords handle risky tenants when 'rent in advance' is banned?

How will landlords handle risky tenants when 'rent in advance' is banned?

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

One of the seismic changes for landlords and letting agents this year will be when the Renters’ Rights Bill bans taking rent in advance.

Big London borough to renew HMO licensing and raise fees

Big London borough to renew HMO licensing and raise fees

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Camden Council wants to renew its additional licensing scheme with a potential £82 hike in fees.

NE town reveals plans to start selective licensing for landlords

NE town reveals plans to start selective licensing for landlords

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Landlords in Grimbsy are being asked for their views on a new selective licensing scheme for parts of the East Marsh ward.

NEW: Research reveals key reason for political action on 'unfair' PRS

NEW: Research reveals key reason for political action on 'unfair' PRS

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Over two thirds of private renters in the UK believe it is ‘too easy’ for landlords to take advantage of tenants, much higher than the global average of 59%.

Uswitch has produced the latest ‘Mouldy Nation Report’

Uswitch has produced the latest ‘Mouldy Nation Report’

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

The energy specialist, comparison website operator Uswitch, has released its latest “Mouldy Nation Report”

TV presenter warns landlords over Ofgem's eletricity meter 'cliff face'

TV presenter warns landlords over Ofgem's eletricity meter 'cliff face'

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Landlords have been warned to swap their Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS) meters at rental properties by 30th June or face possible legal action.

Is Scotland getting ready for its own EPC minimum for landlords?

Is Scotland getting ready for its own EPC minimum for landlords?

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

The Scottish Government is to upgrade its Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) system.

Government raises legal aid fees for tenants' eviction solicitors

Government raises legal aid fees for tenants' eviction solicitors

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

A new consultation has been launched into how tenants at risk of unfair eviction could benefit from a £20 million a year boost in legal aid.

Rogue tenant prosecuted after running barking business from filthy home

Rogue tenant prosecuted after running barking business from filthy home

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

A rogue tenant has been prosecuted for running an illegal dog breeding service inside her filthy rented property.

Falling rates trend brings surge in demand for commercial property investment

Falling rates trend brings surge in demand for commercial property investment

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

Commercial property portal Rightmove sees a 28% increase across all sectors

Government kicks dozens of eco installers off schemes used by landlords

Government kicks dozens of eco installers off schemes used by landlords

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

The Energy Company Obligation 4 (ECO4) and Great British Insulation Scheme - used by landlords to insulate homes - have been hauled up for fitting substandard solid wall insulation.

High Court decision complicates rent collection for landords with UC tenants

High Court decision complicates rent collection for landords with UC tenants

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

The High Court has ruled that the Department of Work and Pensions acted unlawfully by making deductions from a tenant’s Universal Credit payments to his landlord without first consulting him – a decision which could impact thousands of other claimants.

MPs grill Angela Rayner over Local Housing Allowance freeze

MPs grill Angela Rayner over Local Housing Allowance freeze

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

MPs are continuing to press Housing Secretary Angela Rayner about the impact of freezing Local Housing Allowance rates on families in the PRS.

New HMO yields report reveals best regions for yields

New HMO yields report reveals best regions for yields

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
Sponsored
Information

The North East offers BTL investors the best HMO rental yields in the UK, with the highest rental income to be found in the South East.