Property Fraud Nets £20 Million From Investors
Fraudsters running a property Ponzi-scheme conned 800 would-be investors out of almost £20 million. Essex and London Properties collapsed with debts of more than £11 million in January after promising an 8% return on money invested for a year or 12% for three years....
HMO Letters Another Financial Blow for Landlords
Tens of thousands of landlords are set to receive letters from their mortgage lenders after a change in the legal definition of which houses in multiple occupation require a licence. A legislation update on October 1 in England which changed the definition and meant...
New Energy Upgrade Rules for Buy to Let Homes
New rules aimed at making rented homes warmer and cheaper to run for tenants are on the way for 200,000 buy to let landlords. Landlords must upgrade the energy efficiency of tens of thousands of homes in England and Wales if they want to continue to rent them out. The...
Minister to Tighten Health and Safety Rules for Rented Homes
Landlords in England face a stricter health and safety regime as the government announces an overhaul of out-of-date rules. Housing Minister Heather Wheeler on rogue landlords renting out substandard homes to private tenants. The review will look at updating the...
Tax Checks for Landlords Licensing Homes on the Way
Landlords may have to prove they pay the right taxes if they apply for licences to rent out property. Squirrelled away in Chancellor Phillip Hammond’s Budget 2018 documents is a scant paragraph outlining the measure. The move is a follow-on to the almost forgotten...
Buy to Let Lender Backs Tenant Deposit Shake-Up
One in three renters have lost money from their deposits, while landlords and letting agents take too long to return the money at the end of a tenancy, says a new survey. Building society Nationwide is calling for a law change to help tenants find the cash to move...
Budget 2018 – Tax for Landlords at a Glance
Chancellor Phillip Hammond restrained from tinkering with landlord tax too much in his Budget 2018. The major changes impact on the capital gains tax reliefs available to buy to let landlords when they sell a property that they had lived in as their main home for some...How To Comply With The EPC Regulations
This article has been updated to incorporate amendments made by The Energy Performance of Buildings (England and Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2016 Introduction Since 1 October 2008, an energy performance certificate has been required on rented property in...
Licence Conditions and Occupation by Students
Under the Housing Act 2004, where a licence is required and a local authority issue a licence, they may impose conditions on the licence holder under section 67 Housing Act 2004: (1) A licence may include such conditions as the local housing authority consider...
Lawyers Called in as Court Defeats Undermine Licensing Schemes
Government lawyers are looking into how recent court defeats will impact how councils charge shared house licensing fees. In the first case, the High Court declared Richmond Council, in South West London, illegally levied a fee to cover the cost of managing a shared...
Petition Protest Against ‘No Benefits’ Buy to Let Lenders
A buy to let landlord who could only remortgage a rented home if she evicted her tenant has started a petition protest calling for the government to outlaw lenders with a ‘no benefits’ policy. NatWest told the landlord, Helen McAteer, that she could only increase her...
Buy to Let Rent Rises Slowing Down
UK average rents were up by 1.7% in the 12 months to the end of September, according to new data. Tenants are paying an average £943 a month. But they pay far more in London, where year-on-year rents increased by 3% to an average £1,640 a month. If the London figures...Does my HMO require a licence?
There are three types of licensing that is possible. Mandatory Licensing Section 55 Housing Act 2004 allows HMOs to require a mandatory licence if they fall within a prescribed description. The Licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation (Prescribed Descriptions)...
12 Considerations for Rent to Rent
Introduction In this article we take a detailed look at the things to look out for when considering a rent to rent. Some of the outline topics covered included: what is rent to rent? conflict of interest of agents and their fiduciary duty to landlord clients...
Landlords Building Insurance
Guild subscribers can get discounted landlords buildings insurance especially designed for landlords
