How to rent – new guide just released by the government
How to Rent and How to Let guides have been updated by the government and have implications for landlords when applying for an eviction.
Renting and repairs: My landlord won’t fix the heating, what can I do?
Landlords are responsible for certain repairs in your home. Find out what you can do if they refuse to repair your heating or boiler.
Assignment of Tenancy – can agents and landlords charge tenants?
Assignment of Tenancy is in the limelight with a recent First-Tier Tribunal decision that could have a serious impact on agents and private landlords.
Government to crack down on Rogue Landlords
The Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick MP has made an announcement, that over 100 councils will now be provided access to funds in order to stop rogue landlords and/or letting agents. We understand that the majority of Landlords provide and want to provide decent homes for their tenants and their tenants’ families. However there is always a small element that is seeking to maximise their profit at the expense and hardship of those tenants. This minority of bad Landlords, who do break the law, and provide properties which are unfit for…
Top Tips for Landlords: Complying with the new Energy efficiency legislation (EPC tests)
As if landlords didn’t have enough paperwork to worry about, as of the 1st April 2018, things got even more complicated. The minimum ratings for Energy Performance Certificates (which have been mandatory for some time) got a lot tougher, and now any rental property must achieve at least an ‘E’ rating for it to be rented out. Whereas before this only applied to new tenancies, now, it covers existing rental agreements too. That means that even if your tenants have been in your property for years, the house or flat…
Landlords – your legal obligations regarding smoke alarms, CO detectors and other safety features
All landlords have to fulfil certain legal obligations if they’re to rent their property. Some of the most important legal requirements are those that cover basic safety practices and equipment. Keeping tenants safe should be a landlord’s principal concern, so ensuring that these obligations are met is of the utmost importance. Here, we take a look at what landlords have to do when it comes to fire, gas, and electrical safety and also detail the relevant UK legislation. Relevant legislation A landlord’s legal safety obligations are legislated for by a…
Renting property – Will the slow-down of the housing market have a knock-on effect for landlords and their tenants?
For years, homeowners have come to expect that their property value will increase. But headlines predicting a housing slump are backed by figures that show a sustained slow-down of activity in the housing market and a dip in the rate of growth for house prices too. Could this also have a knock-on effect for rental prices? And what is a ‘fair rent’ for the average property? Is the housing market really slowing down? While the long feared property market crash actually hasn’t happened (and may just be the paranoid reporting…
2018 EPC regulations: Notes for Landlords
We all want to be greener, more energy efficient, and have warm, comfortable homes that don’t leak heat or let in the cold. If you’re a landlord, though, you now have a responsibility to ensure your rental properties are energy efficient. After much to-ing and fro-ing, the 2018 EPC regulation amendments have finally landed, with the changes finalised by the Dept. for Energy & Climate Change. In a nutshell, it means it will be unlawful to let or lease a property (both residential and commercial) that has a poor EPC…
Property Ownership – who is the real beneficial owner?
The UK has become one of the most popular destinations for foreign investment in real estate over recent years. Such investment has significant benefits to the economy and provides many jobs for the construction industry. When overseas companies invest in the UK this gives concern for potential illegal activity to take place. This concern has been voiced by the UK government and has led to the proposed introduction of a beneficial ownership register. The UK government seek to have clear corporate transparency in order that properties which are owned through…
Private tenants are spending more than half of their income on rent
According to research carried out by the Local Government Association (LGA), one in seven private renters are having to spend more than half of their total income on rent, this being in stark contrast to homeowners, where only 2% pay more than half of their income on their mortgage. Further figures from the LGA suggest that the average deposit for a property now costs up to 71% of a first time buyer’s annual income and that under 25 year olds today are now half as likely to be homeowners than…