Paul Gibbens, Author at Property118

Financial penalties won’t solve empty homes crisis – Propertymark

3rd April 2026, 4 weeks ago

There’s some truth in this. Penalties sound good on paper, but a lot of empty homes aren’t sitting there because owners are ignoring them, it’s often probate delays, funding issues, or properties needing serious work. Hitting people with higher council...

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Landlord says council has ‘ditched’ a vulnerable tenant as clean-up bill mounts

26th February 2026, 2 months ago

This is one of those horrible grey areas where the law and reality don’t line up. In practice, councils almost always go after the landlord because you’re the easiest lever they have, even if the root cause is a vulnerable...

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Punish the landlord victim?

12th January 2026, 4 months ago

I can see why that feels completely unfair, and you’re not alone in this. From what I’ve seen, councils often recover their costs from the property owner because it’s the quickest and most straightforward route for them, even if the...

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Landlords face filing burden under Making Tax Digital

12th January 2026, 4 months ago

This is what worries a lot of landlords I speak to. It’s not even the tax itself, it’s the admin creep. Quarterly updates plus the usual annual returns feels like duplication, especially for people with fairly simple portfolios. MTD might...

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Landlords face tougher penalties as rent repayment orders expanded

17th December 2025, 4 months ago

It’s basically more pressure on landlords. Rent repayment orders are being widened so tenants and councils can claim back up to 24 months of rent instead of 12, and more things now count as offences including giving wrong info to...

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The tenancy agreement template trap that cost a landlord dearly

11th December 2025, 5 months ago

It’s a good reminder that free templates can be risky. A tenancy agreement is only as strong as the clauses inside it, and a lot of the downloads online are old or don’t cover key legal requirements. When something goes...

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Government issues guidance on court eviction process for landlords

3rd December 2025, 5 months ago

Thanks for sharing. The split system feels like it’s going to make things even slower. PCOL only for arrears and everything else still on paper sounds like a recipe for delays and confusion, especially if you’ve got mixed issues. The...

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Do head lease terms override tenant pet requests?

27th November 2025, 5 months ago

Yes if the head lease bans pets, that overrides any tenant request. You can decline on that basis and the Renters’ Rights Act doesn’t change that. And if the lease only allows one AST to a single household, you’re still...

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