Landlords Switch on to New Electrical Safety Laws
Housing Minister Heather Wheeler is switching landlords in England to new electrical safety rules for buy to let and shared rented homes. She has promised to bring in the new measure as soon as parliamentary time allows. The updated regime will ensure landlords have...
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Buy to Let Ombudsman to Deal With Repair Complaints
The government has given the go-ahead to a complaints service for buy to let tenants. Communities secretary James Brokenshire has confirmed all private landlords in England will have to sign up for the scheme which will allow tenants to claim compensation if landlords...
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Date Set for Tenant Fee Ban to Start
Landlords and letting agents in England face a ban on charging private renters fees on setting up a tenancy from 1 June 2019. The date the Tenants Fees Bill comes into force was announced in the House of Lords by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth. “We need to enable agents...
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Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018
Introduction The Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 received Royal Assent on 20 December 2018 and comes into force on 20 March 2019. The Act extends to England and Wales but its practical changes are only for England. Wales has had its own fitness...
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How To Comply With The Heat Network Regulations
There has been little publicity about The Heat Network (Metering and Billing) Regulations 2014 (as amended by The Heat Network (Metering and Billing) (Amendment) Regulations 2015) which are being phased in but the majority commenced on 18 December 2014 and 31 December...
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Minister Limits Security Deposit Cap for Landlords
Landlords will have the amount they can set for a security deposit for a privately rented home in England capped at the value of five weeks’ rent. The measure is part of the Tenants Fees Bill going through Parliament. The cap will apply to rents under £50,000 a year -...
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Tenant Fees Ban on the Way for Wales
The tenant fees ban for letting agents is likely to stretch across Wales if a new law is passed by the Welsh Assembly. Lawmakers in Wales are already replacing assured shorthold tenancies with new standard contracts under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016, which may...
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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...
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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...
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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...
read moreHow To Comply With The EPC Regulations
Introduction Since 1 October 2008, an energy performance certificate has...
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Prescribed Information (How To Rent Guide) To Be provided
Prescribed Information (How To Rent Guide) To Be provided The next job for landlords in England is to provide "prescribed information" which should be given to a tenant at the time of granting a new tenancy and ultimately before a section 21 notice can be served in...
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Hefty Penalties for Landlords Missing HMO Licensing Deadline
Time is running out for landlords to apply for shared house licences in England under new legislation that starts from October 1. Around 160,000 houses in multiple occupation in England need a licence under the new rules even though they fall outside of the current...
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Banning Orders – Housing and Planning Act 2016
As previously reported, from 6 April 2018, parts of the Housing and Planning Act 2016 commence introducing banning orders and a database of rogue landlords and property agents in England. Banning orders If a landlord is convicted of a “banning order offence” a local...
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New Law to Tackle Bad Landlords and Unsafe Rented Homes
Landlords will have to take a more professional approach to managing rental property if a bill before Parliament becomes law. The Homes (Fit for Human Habitation) Bill is awaiting the last stage of debate and amendment in Westminster. Having won government backing,...
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The Changes to HMOs You Need to Know About
From 1 October 2018, significant changes are being made to which HMOs are licensable and minimum room sizes in HMOs in England. Changes to mandatory licensing Currently, a property requires a mandatory licence if all of the following apply: the property is a House in...
read moreRedress Schemes for Lettings Agency and Property Management Work
As previously reported, from 1 October 2014 all agents who carry out letting agency or property management works will be required to join a redress scheme. The legislation appears at first glance to be remarkably straightforward for brand new legislation. This is...
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AirBnB Loophole Plugged for Landlord Tax Cheats
New rules are on the way to stop landlords and property owners pocketing tax-free cash on bed-and-breakfast and holiday let income. Rent-a-room relief was aimed at helping home owners let their spare rooms in a bid to reduce the housing crisis. Instead, many have...
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New How to Rent Guide Published (July 2018)
A new How to Rent guide which is mandatory to give to assured shorthold tenants in England has been published despite it only being a couple of weeks since the last one was published! The title has changed from: HOW TO...RENT A guide for current and prospective...
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Government Finally Reveals New HMO Guidance
The government has finally revealed to landlords how health and safety rules for shared houses will impact their property businesses. From October 1, private landlords renting out homes to five or more tenants from two or more separate households must have a local...
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