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BLOG: 'Don't punish Scottish landlords for doing the right thing'

BLOG: 'Don't punish Scottish landlords for doing the right thing'

Opinion

Policymakers must act to right the wrongs that have been foisted upon the PRS in recent years, says Scottish landlord group.

Are your properties ready as the mercury falls?

Are your properties ready as the mercury falls?

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The clocks have gone back and there is a distinct chill in the air – and with the winter months almost upon us now is the perfect time to make sure your properties are prepared for a cold snap.

Landlords and agents slammed by BBC over 'bidding war' tactics

Landlords and agents slammed by BBC over 'bidding war' tactics

News

Many landlords and lettings agents are prepared to use a shortage of rental properties to their advantage, viewers of the BBC’s Morning Live show were told.

71% of tenants have 'no issues' paying their rent, reveals official data

71% of tenants have 'no issues' paying their rent, reveals official data

News

New official data about the private rented sector reveals that it is in better shape than some tenants’ rights groups like to claim.

Renting reforms will 'break' local councils warn environmental health officers

Renting reforms will 'break' local councils warn environmental health officers

News

The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) has warned that the Renters’ Rights Bill will place a huge enforcement burden on already stretched local councils.

What does it take to be a successful landlord in the new regime? with Suzanne Smith

What does it take to be a successful landlord in the new regime? with Suzanne Smith

Podcast

We talk to lawyer turned self-managing landlord, Suzanne Smith, founder of The Independent Landlord.blog and co-host of a weekly podcast called Good Landlording.

Council says £840 licencing scheme has seen 'incredible improvement'

Council says £840 licencing scheme has seen 'incredible improvement'

News

Nottinghamshire local authority Gedling Council is relaunching selective licensing in its Netherfield ward in the new year after seeing “incredible improvements” to living standards.

Government promises to tackle business rates anomalies

Government promises to tackle business rates anomalies

News

Following years of lobbying, Labour has promised to act on what is generally agreed is an unfair UK business rates system

Labour to 'go further' than Tories with holiday lets regulation

Labour to 'go further' than Tories with holiday lets regulation

News

Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook has hinted heavily that the government will go further than the Tories in its bid to regulate holiday lets.

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Rent controls 'will undermine investment in PRS' says expert

Rent controls 'will undermine investment in PRS' says expert

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
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Information

Rent controls will undermine investment in Scotland’s PRS unless there is more long-term certainty, according to one leading lettings expert.

London landlord narrowly avoids refunding tenant £32,000

London landlord narrowly avoids refunding tenant £32,000

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
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Information

A landlord has avoided a £32,000 rent repayment order after a judge ruled his flat was at an address not covered by a licensing scheme, but only just.

Section 21 increasingly being used by landlords to evict as ban looms

Section 21 increasingly being used by landlords to evict as ban looms

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
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Information

The latest quarterly homelessness figures from the Government for the final months of last year reveal that Section 21 notices as a reason for homelessness reached record levels during 2023.

'Time for bold action with rent controls has come' says mayor hopeful

'Time for bold action with rent controls has come' says mayor hopeful

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
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The Green Party’s mayoral candidate in London has said she will bring in rent controls saying the time for ‘bold action’ has come.

Landlords promised compensation as huge estate faces bulldozer

Landlords promised compensation as huge estate faces bulldozer

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
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Information

Landlords have been promised fair compensation by a developer planning to bulldoze scores of homes on one of England’s most deprived housing estates.

Letting agents call for short-lets crackdown in London

Letting agents call for short-lets crackdown in London

News
News
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Opinion
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Propertymark has urged London’s Mayor to crack down on short-term lets through licensing in a bid to tackle over-supply in the capital.

Struggling HMO giant sells off more properties

Struggling HMO giant sells off more properties

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
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Information

Troubled property development company Home Holdings has put another raft of HMOs onto the market in a bid to shore up losses.

Osborne's 3% extra stamp duty is reason for BTL buying slump

Osborne's 3% extra stamp duty is reason for BTL buying slump

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
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Information

The decision by George Osborne in 2015 to introduce a 3% additional stamp duty levy on landlords has seen a slump in the number of BTL properties bought in the Tory heartlands of Southern England.

'Scotland's fast-rising rents are the SNP/Green's fault'

'Scotland's fast-rising rents are the SNP/Green's fault'

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
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Information

A leading letting agent in Scotland has laid the blame for the country’s rental supply woes firmly at the feet of former Tenants’ Rights minister Patrick Harvie.

Wily landlord wins licencing battle after standing up to city council

Wily landlord wins licencing battle after standing up to city council

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
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Information

A canny landlord who stood up to council inspectors has successfully challenged a licence condition to install a new fire door at his student HMO. Roger Braithwaite, a career and expert environmental health officer, was told by Coventry Council that he could only have a licence

TV star to lead debate on 'dramatic' changes due in Renters Reform Bill

TV star to lead debate on 'dramatic' changes due in Renters Reform Bill

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
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Information

Readers concerned by the looming Renters Reform Bill should make their way to the National Landlord Investment Show on 14th March were Paul Shamplina will be leading a debate on its radical measures. Panellists on the stage with him will i

Tenants with pets should pay higher rent to cover costs, says big agency

Tenants with pets should pay higher rent to cover costs, says big agency

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
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Information

Landlords should consider charging tenants with pets more rent to cover possible extra costs as well as conducting more frequent routine property visits, according to leading letting agency Johns & Co. The London firm advises that potential expenses could include an addition

Staggering inaccuracies in EPCs undermine net zero efforts

Staggering inaccuracies in EPCs undermine net zero efforts

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
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Information

The Government puts its faith in EPC ratings to measure property energy usage in order to drive up energy efficiency in properties towards its energy targets, but can owners have the same faith? Are EPCs as they stand robust enough? Do they give valid and reliable ratings when t

1000s of 'mortgage prisoner' landlords still need help, says Martin Lewis

1000s of 'mortgage prisoner' landlords still need help, says Martin Lewis

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
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Information

Mortgage prisoners - many of them landlords - should be offered free financial advice and interest-free equity loans from the government to prevent them from losing their properties, a new study suggests. About 195,000 households are still trapped in expensive variable-rate mort

WARNING: Rent reforms 'could reverse RRO court judgement' for landlords

WARNING: Rent reforms 'could reverse RRO court judgement' for landlords

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
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Information

Superior landlords could find themselves hit by Rent Repayment Orders if the government decides to amend the upcoming Renters Reform Bill. Property lawyer at https://www.jmw.co.uk/" JMW , David Smith (main picture), says that despite the

This company will sell your tenanted properties fast - in just 28 days so you can exit your portfolio

This company will sell your tenanted properties fast - in just 28 days so you can exit your portfolio

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News
Podcast
Opinion
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Information

We've all seen the news, with changes in regulations and tax and interest rate rises, landlords have been flocking to sell their property portfolios. But with so many properties, all full with tenants, some of them with problems, low rents or even rent skipping, how can you get out fast?

REPORT: Leading HMO sector figures gather to debate rising energy prices

REPORT: Leading HMO sector figures gather to debate rising energy prices

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
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Information

A group of 40 leading HMO operators have gathered at an an unusual conference to discuss the big issues facing the sector including one of the most pressing how to manage costs when many properties come with bills included. The HMO ManorMinds event, hosted by

Link landlord EPC costs to rents instead of �10k cap' politicians told

Link landlord EPC costs to rents instead of �10k cap' politicians told

News
News
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Opinion
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Information

Landlords financial contribution to upgrading properties in Wales should be linked to average market rents in any given area, suggests the NRLA . Under its proposals, landlords would need to contribute a minimum of �5,000, while those renting properties

BIG GUIDE: How to spot a terrible tenant before you sign them up

BIG GUIDE: How to spot a terrible tenant before you sign them up

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News
Podcast
Opinion
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I'm Richard Jackson. Here are some of the best tips I've learnt in my 30 years of being a landlord, designed to help you spot a potential problem tenant before you sign a tenancy agreement.

BREAKING: Supreme Court rules 'superior landlords' not liable for rent repayment orders

BREAKING: Supreme Court rules 'superior landlords' not liable for rent repayment orders

News
News
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Opinion
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The Supreme Court has ruled that Rent Repayment Orders cannot be made against a superior landlord. The landmark ruling has implications for rent-to-rent arrangements and means tenants cannot go after superior landlords property owners or leaseholders - when seeking redress.

REPORT: Landlords spend £34,000 over lifetime maintaining a property

REPORT: Landlords spend £34,000 over lifetime maintaining a property

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
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A landlord will need to carry out repair or maintenance work on a buy-to-let property 72 times during their ownership, costing them more than £34,000, it has been revealed. Research by lettings and estate agent Benham and Reeves found that while pests are

NEW: Competition watchdog to probe 'consumer rights' within rental market

NEW: Competition watchdog to probe 'consumer rights' within rental market

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
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Information

The UKs competition watchdog is to launch an investigation into consumer rights for those rent their homes and the activities of landlords and letting agents. This announcement, which has been made by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), reveals that it intends to she

MPs say landlords who don't upgrade homes should pay higher mortgages

MPs say landlords who don't upgrade homes should pay higher mortgages

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
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Information

A cross-party group of MPs and peers has suggested that landlords who dont upgrade their properties should be liable for mortgage penalties. The All-Party Group on a Green New Deal believes there should be a 1% mortgage interest rate premium levied on all buy-to-let propertie

Government adds thousands of HMOs to energy bills support scheme

Government adds thousands of HMOs to energy bills support scheme

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
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Information

The government has announced support for thousands more households including tenants living in HMOs - to help pay their energy bills. Households without a direct relationship to an electricity supplier are covered by thehttps://www.gov.uk/get-help-energy-bills/getti

Council wins �1m funding for HMO improvements

Council wins �1m funding for HMO improvements

News
News
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Opinion
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Information

As part of the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) levelling up� fund the money is to be used by the council to work proactively and engage with landlords�, in particular with those landlords who rent out houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) and own con

Bailiffs accused of confusing vulnerable tenants with 'lookalike' police outfits

Bailiffs accused of confusing vulnerable tenants with 'lookalike' police outfits

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News
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Opinion
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Information

Private bailiffs dressed in stab vests, wearing bodycams and driving white vans covered in fluorescent police-style trim have been accused of confusing vulnerable tenants, a housing charity warns. Safer Renting is worried it is becoming a growing problem after stepping in during

'Why won't Government regulate agents like it does social housing managers?'

'Why won't Government regulate agents like it does social housing managers?'

News
News
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Opinion
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Property expert Kate Faulkner (main pic) says new rules to introduce professional qualifications for social housing managers are a slap in the face for the PRS� after years of lobbying for similar standards. The government has a

WARNING: Scots rent cap will 'shrink stock and push up costs for tenants'

WARNING: Scots rent cap will 'shrink stock and push up costs for tenants'

News
News
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Opinion
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Information

The Cost of Living Act is prompting greater numbers of landlords to quit the sector in Scotland or increase rents between tenancies to cover future costs. Giving evidence to the Scottish Parliaments Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee on the temporary legislation

Official �3 million evictions mediation service 'offered too late' to landlords

Official �3 million evictions mediation service 'offered too late' to landlords

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News
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Opinion
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Information

A paltry nine cases were mediated in the governments pilot Rental Mediation Service - nowhere near the 3,000 cases it expected, it has been revealed. The Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and the Minister of Justice had hoped that the pilot, which offered te

Half of landlords unaware of boiler upgrade scheme, expert warns parliament

Half of landlords unaware of boiler upgrade scheme, expert warns parliament

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News
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Opinion
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Landlords and letting agents need more information and financial help if the Boiler Upgrade Scheme is to succeed, according to Propertymark. In its evidence to the Lords Built Environment Committee inquiry into the scheme, the group says 48% of Propertymar

Test Case: enforcing legal protections for leaseholders

Test Case: enforcing legal protections for leaseholders

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News
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Opinion
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Information

New leaseholder protections in the Building Safety Act 2022 came into force on 28 June 2022, with new financial protections for leaseholders in buildings above 11 metres or five storeys, those with historical safety defects. The new Building Safety Act 2022 was introduced follow

OPINION: It's time Facebook took action to stop rent scams on Marketplace

OPINION: It's time Facebook took action to stop rent scams on Marketplace

Opinion
News
Podcast
Opinion
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Information

Facebook is facing mounting calls to more effectively police its Marketplace classified listings platform after numerous investigations by national media outlets. The most recent was last night (23rd February)https://www.itv.com/news/channel/2023-02-23/prolific-scammer-

LAW: Landords who illegally evicted tenants landed with �22,300 rent repayment order

LAW: Landords who illegally evicted tenants landed with �22,300 rent repayment order

News
News
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Opinion
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Information

A landlord pair who assaulted one of their tenants while trying to illegally evict her from their unlicensed HMO have been handed a rent repayment order totalling more than �22,300. Guangyu Chen and Xing Guo argued that their poor English and understanding of the PRS was an exc

EXCLUSIVE: 'End of an era' for Shamplina as he steps back from popular TV show

EXCLUSIVE: 'End of an era' for Shamplina as he steps back from popular TV show

News
News
Podcast
Opinion
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Evictions expert Paul Shamplina has revealed that hes stepping back from his long-running role in TV series Nightmare Tenants, Slum Landlords. <figure id="" class="w-richtext-figure-type- " data-rt-type="" data-rt-align=""><div><img src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/