An updated version of Form 6a has been released confirming that after the introduced Tenant Fees act a landlord cannot serve a Section 21 notice if they have taken a Prohibited Payment from a tenant and that payment has not been refunded in full. The new Form 6a must be used from 1 June 2019: […]

Being a battered Landlord, I have endured most of the problems that we all read about on these Property118 pages. In 6 days time my latest section 21 notice expires and I am bracing myself for what comes next. Will the tenant go or what? This raises my point. The tenant owes 5 months rent […]

Just to add to the introduction of the Tenant Fees act on the 1st of June the government has updated the ‘How to Rent’ booklet the day before. This updated version must now be given to tenants at the start of all new tenancies from the date it was changed – 31/05/2019. Click Here to […]

On Thursday 23rd May, the fifth annual ‘Rumble with the Agents’ white-collar charity boxing event took place at The Holiday Inn in Finchley Central.  The sell-out event, attended by more than 300 property professionals, raised in excess of £19,000 for Make-A-Wish UK, with the final total still being tallied, which will enable eight children with […]

Caridon Landlord Solutions (CLS) was contacted by a landlord whose tenant was in more than 10 months of rent arrears.  The landlord had served the tenant with a Section 8 notice as a precaution but did not necessarily want to evict her if the Housing Benefit claim was reinstated. The landlord provided CLS with the […]

Firstly, the new tenants are a married couple with two children. The wife has no income. The letting agent has named both husband and wife as tenants on the AST even though the wife will be contributing no rent. The letting agent is advising that this is normal practice. I would have presumed that the […]

I have been wondering about the tenant fee ban and how it may affect situations that are not addressed. My starting point is as an agent we have never issued a non-student tenancy solely for a fixed term unless we were asked to, or to fill a specific void. More than 95% of our non-student […]

The National Landlords Association (NLA) is concerned the Tenant Fees Act 2019 may limit access to rented property for tenants in areas with selective licensing. The Tenant Fees Act, which comes into effect on 1 June, limits the fees landlords and letting agents can charge tenants. Because of this, many agents have signalled they are […]

I nearly died of shock today! My inbox contained a request for a tenant eventually evicted last November, which began in April 2018. Yes, it was one of those Section 21s, the so-say ‘no fault’ eviction route to ensure I got possession without contest. ‘No fault’ included rent debt of several £1000’s plus the breach […]

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has published its latest newsletter designed to keep landlords who let to tenants on Universal Credit informed of the most recent updates and current position of the roll out. Click here to view the full May 2019 edition. UC roll out: April 2019, just under 2 million people […]

Should mortgage companies be able set the requirement to use a closed panel of solicitors as one of the criteria for obtaining a loan from them? I have a cousin who has his own legal practice in my area and there are a significant number of partners, enough there for any lender to allow them […]

The UK’s towns and cities where homeowners are making the most money by renting out their driveways as parking spaces have been revealed by online parking portal YourParkingSpace.co.uk. Its research shows that empty driveways, garages and secure parking spaces made more than £1,000 for their owners in 25 cities and towns across the UK over […]

Have any Property118 readers and contributors read the thorough Crisis report on homelessness? You seem to have a number of luminaries who could throw some light on what appears to be a thorough and detailed report. There may be an alternative valid view point on the way forward for the PRS. Yours sincerely, Reader‎ The […]

NAEA Propertymark has issued its April Housing Report1  with the headline – Number of property transactions increases despite fall in supply and demand. Mark Hayward, said: “Despite a fall in housing supply and demand, it’s encouraging to see an increase, for the first time this year, in the number of sales going through. This means […]

Am I correct in assuming that if my 6 month AST’s then revert to Periodic Tenancies after the 6th month, I don’t need to issue another How to Rent guide, even if a new version has been introduced by the Government, since my AST was issued? I realise that if I issue a new Tenancy […]

For the first time the government has produced a practical guide highlighting all the Council Tax discounts and exemptions to ensure families aren’t paying more than their fair share of Council Tax. Local Government Minister Rishi Sunak MP, said: “Council Tax is a vital source of funding for local government, supporting most of the day-to-day […]

Thousands of homeowners will be able to extend their properties quickly and easily without the need for a full planning application, under rules made permanent today (25 May 2019). In a wide-reaching package of reforms, rights allowing larger home extensions have been made permanent, following its introduction in 2013. Today’s news gives homeowners certainty to […]

On 1st June, The Property Ombudsman (TPO) scheme’s updated Codes of Practice will become effective. The revisions are substantial, and incorporate the Tenant Fees Act, Client Money Protection and GDPR requirements. Key revisions to the Lettings Code include: Tenant Fees: The Code reflects changes imposed on agents by the Tenant Fee Act 2019, with new […]

I purchased property which had many defects in its condition outlined below. I was wondering if after the recent ruling where a property was considered uninhabitable if this property I have purchased would be stamp duty exempt? Could this be claimed back now or does it have to be done at time of purchase? Defects: […]

The Customer is always right! Even when he is wrong he is right! The problem the Conservative Party had was that they can never be wrong and even when they are not right they are never wrong. The rot all started with my MP, Helen Whately, asking a question in the House of Commons. She […]

The act states that a payment is permitted, if a landlord makes a Variation, Assignment or Novation to a tenancy at the tenants request to allow a pet or another person to stay at the dwelling. So if I draw up a renewal with higher rent, would this qualify for the fee of up to […]