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EXCLUSIVE: More tenants failing reference checks as cost-of-living bites

EXCLUSIVE: More tenants failing reference checks as cost-of-living bites

News

The number of tenants passing referencing checks has dropped off drastically as the cost-of-living crisis bites. Rent guarantee firm Housing Hand reports that about 35% previously passed checks, but that the number is dropping and could now be as low as 25%. Another 40% will get

UPDATED: consider these things before you increase your tenant’s rent

UPDATED: consider these things before you increase your tenant’s rent

Information

With interest rates rising and this reflected in mortgage rates, landlords are being forced to contemplate rent increases. If you go down this road you need to be aware and follow the rules.

Powerless councils could make or break reforms, says Labour MP

Powerless councils could make or break reforms, says Labour MP

News

A Labour MP has called on the government to extend notice periods from two to four months to prevent landlords from unjustly evicting tenants. <figure id="" class="w-richtext-figure-type- " data-rt-type="" data-rt-align=""><div><img src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/63bef2f3c329eff8e3

Licencing scheme off to weak start after only a third of landlords register

Licencing scheme off to weak start after only a third of landlords register

News

Only one-third of Oxfords private rental properties have been registered for its city-wide selective licensing scheme and could soon face steeper fees or a hefty fine. The scheme, which launched last September, has received more than 10,500 licence applications from the 3

Landlord pleads with council to consider HMO tenants as housing shortages bite

Landlord pleads with council to consider HMO tenants as housing shortages bite

News

An https://www.landlordzone.co.uk/news/braverman-under-pressure-to-reverse-outrageous-new-hmo-rules-for-asylum-seekers/" HMO landlord says desperate new tenants are moving in hours after the previous tenants leave due to a dearth of available properties. In he

'Despicable fraudster' gets eight-year ban for stealing landlords' deposits and rent

'Despicable fraudster' gets eight-year ban for stealing landlords' deposits and rent

News

A letting agent who ripped off dozens of landlord clients has been banned from being a company director for eight years. https://www.landlordzone.co.uk/news/letting-agent-who-stole-80000-from-dozens-of-landlords-admits-fraud/" Frank Smart , 46, the owner of Sma

UPDATED: consider these things before you increase your tenant's rent

UPDATED: consider these things before you increase your tenant's rent

News

With interest rates rising and this reflected in mortgage rates, landlords are being forced to contemplate rent increases. If you go down this road you need to be aware and follow the rules.As landlord you can't legally increase your rent whenever you like, or by any amount you see fit. You need

Landlords encouraged to sell this month as property prices rise by 0.2%

Landlords encouraged to sell this month as property prices rise by 0.2%

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In a market where interest rates are sky high, tax bills are extortionate and mortgage payments are higher than rents, coupled with a backlog of refurb costs and difficult tenant situations, landlords are rushing to cash in and sell their property portfolios. If you were a landl

REFORM: 'We need legislation that works with landlords, not against them'

REFORM: 'We need legislation that works with landlords, not against them'

News

With one in five households now renting, the private rented sector is an essential part of the housing market. As the government has reduced its housebuilding strategy for all local authorities from mandatory to advisory, with some councils scrapping targets all together, the ho

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Business Tenancies: reviewing the Landlord & Tenant Act 1954

Business Tenancies: reviewing the Landlord & Tenant Act 1954

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The Law Commission is reviewing Part 2 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 (LTA) to “ensure that it works for today’s commercial leasehold market.”

TV star named 'best speaker' during landlord show awards

TV star named 'best speaker' during landlord show awards

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News
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TV star and Landlord Action founder Paul Shamplina has been named seminar speaker of the year, fighting off competition from 38 other candidates.

'Game changer' heat pump installation service for landlords launches

'Game changer' heat pump installation service for landlords launches

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News
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Home energy installation company BOXT aims to revolutionise the way heating systems are installed in private rented homes.

Landlords and agents slam Scots stamp duty hike

Landlords and agents slam Scots stamp duty hike

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News
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Landlords and agents have slammed the Scottish government’s decision to increase the Additional Dwelling Supplement (ADS) under Land and Buildings Transaction Tax from 6% to 8%.

Labour to make landlords renew EPCs more often

Labour to make landlords renew EPCs more often

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News
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Proposed changes to Energy Performance of Buildings regulations mean private landlords in England and Wales would have to get EPCs more frequently.

Tax hike prompts buying and selling rush among portfolio landlords

Tax hike prompts buying and selling rush among portfolio landlords

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News
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Landlords buying up property portfolios have helped non-residential property sales reach a new high this year as investors seek to capitalise on the existing tax rate, ahead of stamp duty changes.

Report reveals shock gap between Chinese and UK student rents

Report reveals shock gap between Chinese and UK student rents

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Wealthy Chinese students are paying £66 a week or 42% more in rent than their British counterparts, according to the latest StuRents annual report.

Will councils begin selling off empty landlord properties?

Will councils begin selling off empty landlord properties?

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A property expert has voiced concerns that councils won’t have the resources to implement the government’s new high street auctions initiative.

'Lackadaisical' landlord to repay tenants £10,538

'Lackadaisical' landlord to repay tenants £10,538

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News
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A landlord in London has been ordered to repay three of his tenants £10,538 after they applied successfully for a rent repayment order (RRO).

Legal: UK Supreme Court ruling favours landlord in service charge dispute

Legal: UK Supreme Court ruling favours landlord in service charge dispute

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News
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The case involved Sara &amp; Hossein Asset Holdings Ltd v Blacks Outdoor Retail Ltd and revolved around a service charge certificate (SCC) issued by the landlord (SHAH), and the question of whether this was considered to be "conclusive" (meaning final) for the amount due. Servic

Landlords to challenge Scottish rent control extension

Landlords to challenge Scottish rent control extension

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A coalition of landlords and letting agencies are to seek a legal challenge to the Scottish Government's rent control and eviction ban legislation and its proposed extension from April. The Scottish Association of Landlords, Scottish Land and Estates, and Propertymark have together submitte

City council launches major crackdown on revenge evictions

City council launches major crackdown on revenge evictions

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News
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Brighton &amp; Hove Council has launched a crackdown on revenge evictions as it works towards a zero-tolerance approach to rogue landlords. In a review of its PRS enforcement policy, the authority will look at measures to reduce the risk of revenge evictions by serving improveme

Adult content star reveals plan to become affordable rent landlord

Adult content star reveals plan to become affordable rent landlord

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A single mother who used to survive on charity hand-outs but who now claims to earn up to �100,000 a month from creating online adult content has announced plans to join the ranks of UK landlords. 28-year-old Rebecca Goodwin (main picture, inset), who previously struggled to su

Planners force landlord to return �42,637 in rent after 'illegal gains'

Planners force landlord to return �42,637 in rent after 'illegal gains'

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A rogue landlord who created three tiny flats in the basement of one of his properties has been ordered to pay back more than �42,000 in illegal gains. Mawan Musa , 63, of Maude Road, Camberwell, admitted breaching planning rules at two properties in the s

BREAKING: Evidence heard in final day of landmark rent-to-rent court case

BREAKING: Evidence heard in final day of landmark rent-to-rent court case

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News
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The Supreme Court is debating a key legal case around rent-to-rent operators today to decide if the superior landlord, or any landlord in the chain, should be responsible for a rent repayment order. <figure id="" class="w-richtext-figure-type- " data-rt-type="" data-rt-align=""><div><img

Barclays to stop telling tenants credit card debt 'helps them pass referencing'

Barclays to stop telling tenants credit card debt 'helps them pass referencing'

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News
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Barclays has been rapped on the knuckles for a radio advert that urged tenants to rack up credit card debt and increase their credit score to help them rent a flat. The adverts voiceover explained: Using my Barclaycard Forward credit card to pay for the stuff I need now co

Shamplina webinar reveals biggest issues vexing landlords right now

Shamplina webinar reveals biggest issues vexing landlords right now

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News
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The most pressing questions on LandlordZONE readers minds were revealed during a recent webinar hosted by Chief Commercial Officer of the HFIS group, Paul Shamplina (main pic). He joined forces with industry figure David Coughlin

Minister told looming tenancy reform will reduce student housing supply

Minister told looming tenancy reform will reduce student housing supply

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The government has been urged to exempt all student housing from its plans for open-ended tenancies or risk making it harder for students to enter higher education. <figure id="" class="w-richtext-figure-type- " data-rt-type="" data-rt-align=""><div><img src="https://uploads-ssl.webflow.

BTL lender reveals unusual EPC-linked mortgage deal just for expats

BTL lender reveals unusual EPC-linked mortgage deal just for expats

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Suffolk Building Society has launched a new mortgage aimed at expat landlords with properties that boast a high EPC rating. Its five-year fixed expat buy-to-let product for properties with an Energy Performance Certificate rating of A to C is available on

NEW: Activists urge landlords and agents to stop property 'bidding wars'

NEW: Activists urge landlords and agents to stop property 'bidding wars'

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Tenants union Acorn has pledged to continue targeting letting agents in the city until they stop encouraging 'bidding wars' to help landlords achieve higher rents. Members launched a noisy protest outside a number of branches; some agents which had started talks with Acorn ab

TAX: Raise stamp duty for landlords urges leading Tory MP

TAX: Raise stamp duty for landlords urges leading Tory MP

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Leading Tory MP Anthony Browne (main pic) has urged the government to ditch stamp duty for home buyers but increase the tax rate for investors. The chair of the 1922 Backbench Treasury Committee says people buying homes to live in are over-taxed while those buying properties for

RENT RISE: Landlord pushes back against tenant's public complaint

RENT RISE: Landlord pushes back against tenant's public complaint

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A landlord has spoken out to defend a substantial rent increase after its tenant complained about his eviction to the local newspaper. Richard Symonds told https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/" target="_blank" Sussex World tha

Opinion: dealing with the thorny issue of damp and mould

Opinion: dealing with the thorny issue of damp and mould

Opinion
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Damp and mould has always been a very difficult issue to deal with for landlords, but the recent case of Awaab Ishak and the rapid and direct involvement of Government has really brought matters to a head. The death of a Rochdale social housing tenants son, Awaab Ishak, has l

NEW: Shelter says landlords 'still rejecting tenants based on race'

NEW: Shelter says landlords 'still rejecting tenants based on race'

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The boss of housing charity Shelter has repeated the organisations previous assertion that tenants seeking properties in the private rented sector (PRS) too often face racism from both landlords and letting agents. Polly Neates comments have been published by the BBC withi

MOULD: Minister vows to speed up 'Awaab's Law' as thousands sign petition

MOULD: Minister vows to speed up 'Awaab's Law' as thousands sign petition

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The government has vowed to expedite a proposed law forcing landlords to respond quickly to complaints about damp and mould. Housing minister Felicity Buchan (pictured) told MPs that proposals were being worked through, after it announced plans last week t

Birmingham proceeds with HMO licensing expansion despite opposition

Birmingham proceeds with HMO licensing expansion despite opposition

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Birmingham council has concluded its consultation into an additional licensing scheme across the city that would include 9,500 properties in all 69 wards. Following a full cabinet meeting report on the scheme's consultation which included several landlords sessions organised by

Heartless' landlord fined �175,000 over dilapidated and unlicensed HMO

Heartless' landlord fined �175,000 over dilapidated and unlicensed HMO

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A rogue landlord who let out an unlicensed HMO with no working kitchen, unusable toilets, blocked drains and rats, has been fined a whopping �175,000. Adam Ali had turned the former Anchor Hotel in Cobham Road, Westcliff-on-Sea (pictured), into an HMO whe

Former Tory housing ministers call for radical shake-up of policy

Former Tory housing ministers call for radical shake-up of policy

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Four former housing ministers have backed a Tory thinktank policy paper that urges a radical rethink of government housebuilding policies. The Centre for Policy Studies report, The Case for Housebuilding , explains how the UKs massive shortfall in homes

Big Issue founder: Ministers must help landlords to prevent evictions

Big Issue founder: Ministers must help landlords to prevent evictions

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Big Issue founder John Bird has called on the government to help landlords prevent rent rises. The magazines editor-in-chief - a crossbench peer in the House of Lords - says it needs to stop households who cannot pay their rent from being evicted, warning of a surge in homele

BREAKING: Scots government U-turns on rent freeze after 'listening to landlords'

BREAKING: Scots government U-turns on rent freeze after 'listening to landlords'

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The Scottish government has seen sense and converted its controversial rent freeze announced last September into a rent cap, limiting rent rises in the private sector to between 3% and 6% from April 1st this year. This decision was announced by housi

NEW: Serial NW rogue landlord banned from PRS for three years

NEW: Serial NW rogue landlord banned from PRS for three years

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A serial rogue landlord has become the first in the North West region to be served with a banning order after he failed to improve poor housing conditions in his unlicensed properties. Wirral Council had previously prosecuted Frank Morrow from New Brighton

Landlords and agents seek judicial review of Scots rent controls

Landlords and agents seek judicial review of Scots rent controls

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A coalition of landlords and letting groups is seeking a judicial review of the Scottish governments rent control and eviction ban legislation.&nbsp; The Scottish Association of Landlords , Scottish Land and Estates and <strong id=

Deadline looms for overseas landlords to register homes or face jail

Deadline looms for overseas landlords to register homes or face jail

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Overseas entities that bought UK property before 1st August 2022 must register with Companies House by 31st January or risk a fine and jail time. Thehttps://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3120" https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3120" target="_blank" id=""

HMRC defends mortgage tax relief cuts as 'fair' in petition response

HMRC defends mortgage tax relief cuts as 'fair' in petition response

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A petition urging the reversal of the controversial Section 24 https://www.landlordzone.co.uk/news/autumn-statement-chancellor-reveals-tax-rises/" tax changes for landlords has received a written response from the government after reaching some 28,000 signatures. <p id