Hello, I had a selective license that ran for less than 5 years. I now need to apply and pay for a new selective license. I have been told there was a Court case that set out that my original license should last for 5 years. Has anyone heard of this? Thank you, Chris

The government is looking at shelving legislation that would ban no-fault evictions, a newspaper reports. According to The Times, the move to end no-fault evictions which enable landlords to end a tenancy without reason will not only be shelved – but may be scrapped completely. The Prime Minister, Liz Truss, is looking at measures that […]

Can someone please advise me whether a deed of variation for a will is our best option? My mother-in-law died leaving her house worth approx £480,000 to my husband who was her only child. He would like to gift it jointly to our 2 sons who wish to live in it but is worried that […]

While the rise of holiday lets in the UK has met the growing boom in staycations and led to impressive yields for landlords, there is an issue over damage caused by guests. According to one insurer, one in ten (11%) holidaymakers have accidentally caused damage to a UK holiday home, and one in five (19%) […]

The new law that will see rents being frozen and evictions banned in Scotland will see a drop in the number of homes to rent ‘in the coming months and years’. That’s the view of Scottish Land & Estates who point out that the new law has led to a ‘disproportionate shift in the balance […]

Landlords who want to express their views about the Government’s Decent Homes Standard proposals have until Friday to do so. That’s when the six-week consultation period ends and opinions about the new standard that was unveiled in the Fairer Private Rented Sector White Paper will see social housing sector standards being met by the private […]

Hello, The access to the front of my property is through a neighbour’s garden. It is an agreed width – 12 ft. We own the boundary. The properties are at the end of a cul de sac, up a narrow drive. Their ‘garden’ is their car park. Our front garden has space for a car […]

Hello, In recent months I purchased several residential rental investments in Wales. The rents for a few of these are currently significantly below market value. When I purchased these, it was my intention to ease the rents up over the next 12 to 18 months, unless there was a change of occupier. As it is […]

One of the unintended consequences of the Government’s recent mini-Budget could be more demand in the rental market, says one leading industry figure. That’s the view of Nicky Stevenson, the managing director of Fine and Country, who adds that with the prospect of rising interest rates, would-be purchasers may opt to ‘wait and see’, choosing […]

Hello, I have a leasehold flat that I bought 4 years go, it’s about 50 years old, above shops. I thought I had parking allocated as there is parking which we’ve been using, and we were told parking was included, recently they have outsourced management to a parking company. Unfortunately, I didn’t read the lease […]

Hello, I have a few properties tied into mortgages. I will be selling due to S24, the White Paper and EPC regs due to come. My question is: Can I serve a S21 now to my tenants but with a date to move out in approx two years time to avoid problems evicting them? Would […]

Letting agents are leaving themselves open to fines or imprisonment if they fail to comply with the new guidelines for Right to Rent, one technology firm says. From 1 October, the UK government introduced new rules for both Right to Work and Right to Rent but Credas Technologies says there is a potential lack of […]

If you’re looking to invest in HMOs or want to expand your existing portfolio, then buying an existing HMO with tenants in situ can be an attractive option offering landlords a guaranteed income with no additional tenancy-find fees and a potentially lower refurbishment cost. However, it is not without pitfalls, which can be complicated and […]

Our Hon. Legal Counsel, Mark Smith, Head of Chambers at Cotswold Barristers, will be presenting in person an overview of several landlord tax strategies at the Progressive Property Network Bournemouth meeting Thursday 20th October. Ocean Beach Hotel & Spa, 32 East Overcliff Drive, Bournemouth, BH1 3AQ – Hosted by Leigh Ashbee PPN Bournemouth is an […]

A council that breached the Home Standard after it was found to have 3,000 fire doors overdue for replacement has not been fined by the sector’s regulator. The English regulator’s latest judgements reveal that the London Borough of Redbridge Council also had 2,000 properties with no electrical installation condition report (EICR). If a private landlord […]

Hello, Maybe this would work to help the BTL market to lessen the blow. Increase the 20% tax credit to 40% but allow landlords just 30% and pass over the 10% to the tenant to reduce rent or pay for their energy bills. Tenant happy, landlords get another 10% relief so they should be happy […]

Hello, Can anyone help? We are leaseholders in a 1980s block of about 20 flats in Chiswick. About 10 years ago the roof was replaced. Our current surveyor claims that the roof now needs replacing at great expense. He claims the works were badly carried out by the roofing contractor and the then surveyor did […]

Hi, I just wondered if anyone knows if I still need to file a notice of Coronavirus impact on tenants after completing the N5b form? I can’t find any up-to-date information on the government website. Thanks, Neil

A controversial law to bring in a rent freeze and a ban on evictions in Scotland until March next year has been passed. The Scottish government refers to the temporary new law as a ‘tenant protection bill’ and it will now see tenants being protected from rent rises and evictions during the cost-of-living crisis. The […]

I scoured the Conservation Party’s agenda – all 120 pages of it – for their conference in Birmingham this week, and did I find any mention of the ‘housing crisis’ that we are suffering from? You know the one. Awful landlords putting up rents, pushing families onto the streets – running dilapidated properties and telling […]

The UK’s house prices fell slightly in September and the market is showing signs of cooling, Halifax reports. The latest house price index shows that prices dropped by -0.1% with house buyers worried about rising mortgage interest rates. However, the annual rate of growth fell +9.9% – down from August’s figure of +11.4%. Halifax says […]