Landlords across the UK can look forward to having more rights and tax relief on their costs if Reform UK gains power in the 2024 General Election. In an exclusive interview with Property118, landlord David McLennan is representing Reform UK in the Livingstone seat in Scotland. As a former policeman who once delivered a baby […]

Consumer champion Which? is urging the government to reform the system for Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs), saying they are ‘unreliable’. It carried out an investigation that revealed inaccurate assessments and unhelpful recommendations from EPC surveys. These could leave landlords and homeowners out of pocket and with misleading information about their homes’ energy use. Which? wants […]

Back in August 2022, I became an accidental landlord and it’s been an interesting learning curve. I’ve been quite lucky that I’ve had good tenants and the property is still in good condition. However, the issue has been the letting agents with which I’ve had consistent issues. I decided to use agents because we were […]

In this episode of Property Breaking News, we explore the hot topic: “Will Landlords Be Made to Accept Pets?” Join us as we delve into the latest discussions and potential policy changes that could impact landlords and tenants alike. Find out what these changes could mean for pet owners looking to rent and landlords managing […]

Protecting a deposit in real life, is not something most legal professionals would have likely ever done. Their interpretation of the law, must therefore sometimes be questioned. I have been advised by two experienced lawyers, that “all deposits must be protected within 30 days of receipt”. As a landlord, I cannot agree with such a […]

Hi, I have had a tenant for 10 years who was in rental arrears in 2022. After obtaining a possession order and bailiffs writ of eviction the tenant pleaded to be allowed to stay and said they would pay up. I allowed the tenant to stay but by August 2023 they had not finished paying […]

Among the promises being made by Reform UK to boost the UK’s private rented sector (PRS) is a pledge to abolish section 24 in its first 100 days in office. Section 24 was introduced in the Finance Act 2015 by the then Chancellor George Osbourne which removed a landlord’s ability to offset all of their […]

Two buy to let lenders have revealed a raft of new rates for BTL mortgages. First up is specialist BTL lender CHL Mortgages which has revamped its buy to let product range, including significantly lowering rates and introducing new criteria for landlords. Ross Turrell, the commercial director, said: “This range refresh is the latest example […]

Hello everyone, I recently had a side extension built next to our main home. It has its own front and back door and there are no doors between our property and the new building. It’s one room and is self-contained, meaning it has its own bathroom and kitchen. If in the future we decide to […]

The London lettings market is returning to a ‘normalised’ with a rise in property listings, according to Foxtons. The firm’s data shows a big rise in property listings in May compared to April (36%) – which is 10% higher than last year. This growth in available properties has reduced competition among renters, allowing them to […]

I have discovered that, although my tenants are still paying their rent to me in full, they moved out of the house some weeks ago and are now living in a chalet in a nearby holiday park. They have been my tenants for the last six years, and apart from the fact that they lived […]

The UK’s housing market is showing resilience despite the upcoming General Election with the average price now £375,110 – a drop of just £21 on May’s figure. That’s according to Rightmove which adds that the minor adjustment mirrors the typical seasonal trajectory seen in previous years. There are still geographic price disparities as homes in […]

Hi, I live in a small block of flats (6), with six individual owners on the outskirts of Glasgow. The communal charge is low, at £30 a month, but only 5 owners are paying. The non-payer is a lawyer who says he is under no legal obligation to pay the service charge. Can anyone give […]

“Abolish Section 21 from day one” I’m assuming Labour would use ‘COVID style special powers’ to do this, as primary legislation would take us into next year. Question – would abolishing, include cases where the S21 legal process has already been started? I imagine some of these will have been running for over a year, […]

One of the most common questions landlords ask is how to give notice to end a tenancy. To address this, I’ve crafted this article to explore the various scenarios under which a standard Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST) may be terminated and to outline the correct processes for each situation. Throughout this article, we will assume […]

A landlord organisation has released a manifesto outlining 14 recommendations including a bold reform for Section 21. ihowz says the recommendations aim to create a fair and efficient rental market that works for landlords and tenants. Recommendations include fair taxation for landlords and training for landlords and tenants. Two months Rather than abolish Section 21, […]

Sandwell Council says it will use additional licensing to tackle the ‘poor management of properties’ and the scheme will cover all HMOs (Houses in Multiple Occupation) with three or more occupants. This new borough-wide scheme aims to improve housing standards and tackle anti-social behaviour – though the council is warned ‘there is a risk that landlords […]

As a landlord, ensuring timely and reliable rent collection is crucial to maintaining a steady cash flow and reducing administrative headaches. The method you choose for collecting rent can significantly impact both your efficiency and your tenants’ satisfaction. In the UK, landlords have several options, including Standing Orders and Direct Debits. Utilising a specialised Direct […]

I’ve got election overload. The editorial team thought it might be time for something slightly different, and so an article journaling my relatively fast rise to being a landlord in volume would make sense. I’ll start by saying – the property world is full of fluff. Puffery, they call it in American commercial law – […]

Well, what do landlords make of the political party manifestos this week? The big one is Labour which is promising to ban Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions on day one. There’s still no indication of how they will do that. The Tories say they will resurrect the Renters (Reform) Bill which has been such a success […]

There has been a surge in tenant requests for eco-friendly features in rental properties as 92% of investors report this rise, research reveals. The survey by Handelsbanken found that more tenants have been asking about sustainable features like heat pumps and solar panels in the past year. Plus, more than a quarter (28%) of renters […]