Section 8 and a Section 21 notices are both used to serve notice on a tenant, however they are very different, and it is vitally important that the correct notice is served to avoid delay and expense. Section 8: A Section 8 notice (also known as a Notice to Quit) is most often served when…

Jeremy Corbyn has said that Labour would introduce rent controls across UK cities were the party to come into power – a move the RLA described as an attack on landlords. The announcement, made at the Labour Party Conference yesterday, was described as “disappointing” by RLA policy director David Smith. He said: “Rent controls would be a…

If you have a property to let, the quickest and easiest way to find new tenants is through a letting agent who advertises on the major property websites, particularly rightmove and zoopla. In a previous post, we have discussed high street letting agents vs online letting agents, but if you’ve already opted for the low…

Changes to buy-to-let lending criteria being introduced at the end of this month could encourage a surge of rental stock as landlords look to offload their ‘weakest’ properties. From 30th September 2017, the Bank of England’s Prudential Regulation Authority will tighten lending criteria further, following the introduction of more stringent ‘stress tests’ earlier this year….

Housing Minister Supports Government Report which Calls for New Measures to Protect Rental Money Letting agents across the country will soon be required to protect rental monies through an approved Client Money Protection (CMP) scheme, following the recommendations made in a new Government report. The Online Letting Agents is already offering local landlords and tenants across…

Two-thirds of individual landlords are only liable for the basic rate of income tax according to data released by the Government. The Residential Landlords Association says that it challenges the myth that landlords have large incomes and so can cope with tax rises. According to the figures obtained in response to parliamentary questions from DUP…

Anyone hoping the fallout of the General Election or Brexit negotiations would push the lettings fee ban into the long grass was bitterly disappointed yesterday after it was included in the Queen’s Speech. A draft Tenants’ Fee Bill was among 27 proposed laws that MPs will be working on over the next parliamentary term, however…

It’s true that the vast majority of properties on our books don’t accept tenant’s who are in receipt of housing benefit. We’re often asked why this is the case, hearing time and again from prospective viewers that their being eligible for housing benefit does not mean they are unable to pay the rent in full…

The ban on letting agents in England imposing fees on tenants is unlikely to be implemented before late next year according to analysis by the Residential Landlords’ Association. The proposed ban is currently at its formal consultation stage and is open for responses up to June 2; the Department of Communities and Local Government has…

Chancellor Phillip Hammond gave buy to let landlords little cause to cheer his Budget 2017. Property investors wanted to hear that he was scrapping or watering down the tax changes on the way in April, but to no avail. He did not mention mortgage interest tax relief – leaving the way open for higher rate…