What Tenants Want From a Rented Home
The easy way to become a successful landlord is to boost the appeal of a buy to let home by giving tenants what they want from a property. The problem is uncovering what they like and dislike about a home. To help, consumer watchdog Which? took the survey results and...
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Poor Buy to Let Housing Is the Government’s Fault, Say Academics
Buy to let regulation is too confusing and patchy because the government does not have a joined up policy for the private rental sector, claims a new report. Too many departments and agencies are involved and make decisions without evidence leaving landlords and...
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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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HMRC Cracks Down on Home Owners Claiming CGT Relief
The tax man is cracking down on cases where home owners are claiming reliefs against capital gains tax. Two recent appeals before the First Tier Tax Tribunal demonstrate how HM Revenue & Customs is scrutinising filings by home owners living in properties for a short...
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Ruling Outlaws Landlord Eviction Services as Illegal
Landlords instructing rent eviction specialists who are not solicitors to evict tenants need to be careful as the eviction specialist will normally not be allowed to represent the landlord. A judge has ruled that eviction services that take tenants to court are acting...
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Landlord Damage Claims Curtailed in Tenants Fees Bill
Landlords will no longer be able to claim excessive fees for minor damage or lost keys when tenants move out of a private rented home. The move is a much-sought after amendment to the Tenant Fees Bill which bans landlords and letting agents claiming upfront fees at...
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Shared House Was Worst Housing Officers Had Seen in a Decade
Landlord David Green owns the worst letting property housing officers have seen in Birmingham for a decade. Inspecting his four-storey shared house split into 10 flats, they recorded a catalogue of shameful breaches of fire, health and safety rules. The home had...
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How Buy to Let Profits Can Fund Uni Tuition Fees
Investing in buy to let to help children through university is proving profitable with landlords. Property prices in the leading university towns and cities have risen so fast over the past three years that the profits in some easily cover tuition fees. Coventry leads...
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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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Tenant Demand Is Drying Up, Says Buy to Let Lender
Buy to let tenant demand is stagnating and stands at the lowest level for six years, according to research by a leading lender. The study by The Mortgage Works, the buy to let arm of the Nationwide Building Society, shows 37% of landlords report no change in tenant...
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Longer Tenancies Could Backfire on Problem Renters
Politicians, lobby groups and the buy to let industry seem to have a different view of how longer tenancies will help private renters. The government, backed by housing charities and think tanks, wants to extend tenancy terms from 12 months to 36 months to give...
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Letting Agents See More Tenants but Have Fewer Homes to Rent
Tenant demand for private rented homes has hit the highest level this year, according to new data. Inquiries from renters seeking a new home have climbed by 13% year-on-year, says the latest report from letting agent trade body ARLA Propertymark. But the number of...
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Buy to Let Will Bounce Back in Five Years, Predicts Bank
Buy to let will continue to suffer from a tax crackdown over the next three years before bouncing back to growth, argues a new economic report. The ‘dampening’ of the market forecast by Shawbrook Bank coincides with the phasing in of more cuts to mortgage interest...
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Buy to Let Rents Stuck in a Rut
The cost of renting a buy to let home is standing still, according to the latest official figures. Rents paid by private tenants increased by 0.9% in the year to the end of July 2018, reports the Office of National Statistics - down from 1% in the 12 months to the end...
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Judges Rule Council’s HMO Licence Fees Unlawful
Landlords may be overpaying shared house licensing fees and could claim hundreds of pounds in refunds from local councils, according to a ruling from the High Court. The shock decision came from a legal challenge by landlord Peter Gaskin, who refused to pay £1,799...
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Various Updates to Website and Forms
During August, it’s generally a lot quieter on the help-line so we’ve been able to get lots of improvements to the website done! Let’s have a look at what’s changed and what’s new … New Ask a Question Service We have today launched a whole new ask a question system....
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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...
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Landlord Crammed 40 Tenants in Dilapidated Former Pub
A landlord ended with a £15,000 court bill for shoehorning 40 tenants into a dilapidated former pub. Hayden Rogers failed to turn up before magistrates at Mold, Flintshire, to plead to 12 breaches of house in multiple occupation regulations. He was convicted and fined...
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