How to Understand Which Section 21 Rules Apply From October 2018
From 1 October 2015, big changes were made to section 21 Housing Act 1988 for tenancies in England. Extra requirements were introduced whereby a section 21 notice (two months no fault notice) could not be served unless EPC, gas safety and How to Rent Guide have been...
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New Law Demands Better Living Standards for Tenants
New rules setting raising the bar for living standards in private rented homes in England come into force from March 20 2019. The good news is the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 does not introduce any new obligations for landlords but is designed to...
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Landlords to Spend Up to £3,500 Under Energy Rating Rules
Since 1 April 2018, new tenancies, renewals or extensions require the property to have a minimum “E” energy rating. From 1 April 2020, all existing tenancies must comply. If a property does not meet the minimum “E” rating, the property can be registered on an...
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EPC Minimum Energy Levels Explained
This article includes changes made by The Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property) (England and Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2018 We have previously reported on the publishing of guidance for the new minimum energy levels for rented property which are being...
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New Landlord and Agent Legislation Commencing During 2019
Below are links to articles which refer to new legislation that commence in 2019.
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Agents Must Have Client Money Protection From 1 April 2019
The Client Money Protection Schemes for Property Agents (Requirement to Belong to a Scheme etc.) Regulations 2019 have been approved and will commence from 1 April 2019. The regulations apply to property agents operating in the course of English letting agency or...
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How To Comply With The Consumer Rights Act 2015
The main parts of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 which affect landlords and letting agents are now in force for England and Wales. Duty of letting agents to publicise...
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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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Introduction Since 1 October 2008, an energy performance certificate has been required...
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Understanding the Tenant Fees Act 2019
Exclusively available to subscribers of the Guild of Residential Landlords, you can download an ebook version of this article for convenient reading on your device of choice. The Tenant Fees Act 2019 commences from 1 June 2019 and applies to England only...
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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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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...
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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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