Hello, as it is not possible to ask for more than a 5 week deposit, and other fees are banned, what are the options available to a landlord if they are considering allowing a pet in the property? Is it actually ok to turn around and say a pet may be accepted BUT that as […]

A consultation on energy efficiency standards in the social housing sector will take place next year, according to new reports. In its Energy White Paper in 2020, the government committed to a review of the Decent Homes Standard to consider how it could better support the decarbonisation and energy performance of social housing. The government’s […]

We have written many articles about Hybrid LLP’s and how they have been abused. We also offered to help those who had fallen for a Hybrid LLP sales pitch to come clean with HMRC and correct matters before HMRC came knocking at their door. Today, HMRC issued Spolight article saying … Find out about a […]

Barclays put bad credit on my file 154 times while the Financial Service Ombudsman are investigating them, even though I OVERPAY my mortgages! I am not the only person to be affected. Customer accounts managed with the bank’s Trinity IT system did not accurately record monthly loan repayments, resulting in the bank wrongly flagging customers […]

The rental market in the UK is experiencing a frenzy of activity, as letting agents report an average of 25 enquiries from prospective tenants for every property on offer. And the chief executive of the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA), Ben Beadle, says the figures come as landlords see their lowest profits since 2006 and […]

Hello, can’t believe it – this is the second time we’ve had squatters move into one of our vacant rentals in Luton. The last time we agreed to pay a huge sum to the new owner of a property we sold, so we could walk away and leave the issue for him to deal with. […]

Millions of renters in England are suffering from poor mental and physical health, according to new research by Shelter. The charity claims 40% of renters in England have experienced poor health as a result of poor property conditions in the last year. Nearly two-thirds of tenants said their mental health had worsened due to housing […]

As many people face difficulties in finding affordable housing, a new study reveals that England has 676,000 empty homes worth £212 billion. These properties account for 2.7% of the nation’s housing stock, which is already in short supply. The study was conducted by House Buyer Bureau, which found that the North East has the highest […]

Bristol is the most expensive city to rent a property in England with tenants paying 41% more than they did in 2018, a study reveals. The research from Zero Deposit looked at how rents have changed across the country in the past five years. It found that the average rent in Bristol is now £1,513 […]

Hello, I have a flat that I am now selling to raise funds for other flats I rent. I should have completed it on the 12th September, but due to the delay in getting the management pack, that sale will probably go through the first week of October. I have just received the service charge […]

Renting a home in the UK has become more expensive than ever, as a new report reveals that the average rent for a new tenancy has risen by 10.3% in the past year. According to Zoopla, renters now pay £1,164 per month on average, which is £1,320 more per year than in September 2022. The […]

A consultation in Northern Ireland seeks to change fire safety measures to local buildings. The Department of Finance has issued proposals for new requirements for fire suppression systems and the duty to share fire safety information for buildings over 11 meters. One industry body is urging the consultation that guidance should be provided on how […]

Nearly 50% of private renters are reluctant to apply for grants that would make their homes more energy-efficient and reduce their bills, research reveals. The findings from Generation Rent show that tenants are afraid of rent increases and evictions if they ask for energy performance certificate (EPC) improvements. This affects 48% of tenants – and […]

Landlords and property professionals face a daunting array of laws and regulations that can lead to hefty fines, prosecutions, and disputes with tenants and councils – and the Compliance Event promises a crash course to stay on top of the latest changes in the sector. The Compliance Event is a one-day intensive training course that […]

In a speech to the Conservative Party Conference, Michael Gove made no mention of the Private Rented Sector or the Renters’ Reform Bill. Instead, the Housing Secretary focused on resisting plans to build on the green belt and plans to build more homes. Mr Gove also mentioned building new homes to energy efficiency standards. A […]

Hello, I have a fantastic tenant on a two-yearly AST and in February 2024 she would have completed 10 years, without a single problem, and the rent always paid on time (save for a short term during the covid period) In those 10 years, I have never increased the rent I never used an agent […]

Hello, why doesn’t compliance with Building Regs in 2020 automatically result in an EPC C rating? I converted a derelict Mixed Use building in Hastings into four new flats which involved a complete strip out including new floors and internal walls, double-glazed windows, UFH etc. Plans were approved in 2017 and the flats were signed […]

Kings Counsel has confirmed the correctness of our approach to incorporation. Why we have only published a holding response to Dan Neidle’s articles (until now!) Given the extremely damaging nature of Mr Neidle’s article, and the distress it has caused to our existing clients and their trusted advisors, we knew we needed to seek professional […]

The Government has promised to speed up the court process for landlords who want to evict their tenants as part of the proposed Renters (Reform) Bill. The bill, which will abolish Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions, was discussed by Housing Minister Rachel Maclean at a Conservative Party conference event. The event, hosted by the think tank […]

A Welsh government consultation presents plans to create an independent unified court system. The proposals by the Welsh government set out plans to consolidate nine devolved tribunals into a single coherent system which includes both First-Tier and Appeal tribunals. The Welsh government say the court reforms are intended to create a structure that is easier […]

Renters in London and the South East saw record-breaking rent rises in September, one rental index reveals. According to Goodlord, the average rent in England was £1,346.28 last month, a slight decrease of 91p from August. However, this figure masks the regional variations that occurred during the month. London and the South East were the […]