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Don’t Panic if You Haven’t Filed a Tax Return Yet
The tax man reckons around 5.5 million people have left filing their self-assessment returns to the last minute and are rushing to beat the deadline of midnight on January 31. In last year’s final fling to send in tax returns online, nearly 759,000 taxpayers still had...
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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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Landlord Rights When a Tenant Moves Out Early
What rights do landlords have when a tenant appears to have left a buy to let home before the tenancy agreement has ended? Moving out early creates a tricky situation for landlords who must decide if the tenant has abandoned the property or surrendered the tenancy...
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Landlords See Buy to Let Rents Stagnate for Months
Rent rises have stood still for the past five months, according to the latest official data. Buy to let rents increased 0.9% in the year to the end of November - the same rate as every month since July 2017, says the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The rise...
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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...
read moreNo Breach of Repairing Obligation Until Notice and Reasonable Time (Within Demise)
Requirement of notice Where the landlord covenants to keep in repair property which is the possession of the tenant, his obligation is subject to an implied term to the effect that his liability does not arise until he has notice of the defect. ([Makin v Watkinson...
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Buy to Let Rents Rise 1.5% in a Year
Private tenants were paying an average of 1.5% more in rent than a year ago, according to the latest data. The average UK rent is £918 a month, says buy to let tracker Homelet. But a more detailed breakdown shows rents fell year-by-year in the North East (-3.0%),...
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Letting Agent Banned After £34,000 Deposits Go Missing
Letting agent Kari Ridout has been banned from acting as a company director for failing to protect thousands of pounds of deposits taken from private renters as her business failed. Ridout collected £34,600 of deposits for 24 homes she was managing and spent the money...
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House Prices Down £10,000 and They Take 65 Days to Sell
House prices have fallen by almost £10,000 in the past months and homes are taking longer to sell. The asking price of an average £297,000 home has fallen by 3.2% in the past two months and is the biggest drop in price over two months in a row since 2012. Agreed sales...
read moreDoes 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)...
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Landlords Building Insurance
Guild subscribers can get discounted landlords buildings insurance especially designed for landlords
