Following the release of statistics showing that 206 of the 1,712 rental properties inspected in the district between 2011 and 2012 had legal notices served, Labour councillors in Westminster have called for a compulsory register of landlords in the area. 771 hazards were removed from homes in the central London borough by council officers during this…

A proposed bill for the regulation of the private rental sector was announced to the House of Commons this week. The bill, read by Jeremy Corbyn, MP for Islington, calls for new legislation in the PRS. Mr Corbyn began by saying that private rented accommodation was “very expensive”, and gave the reason for rising prices…

According to the Chartered Institute of Housing, landlords who purchase empty homes to bring them back into use should be exempt from paying stamp duty.  The CIH has called on the government to offer an incentive to purchasers to bring back into use some of the empty homes in England, which currently stands at approx…

High demand for rental accommodation has provided a significant boost to the buy-to-let mortgage sector, with a growing number of people using property as a profitable form of investment. It is important to bear in mind that leasing a home in the UK is subject to a number of taxes, such as income tax, regardless…

In April 2013, the “bedroom tax” will come in to force. The change to the housing benefit rules will see a cut in the housing benefit of claimants with a spare room.  The government will use it’s “size criteria” to determine the number of bedrooms that a family actually needs, and make housing benefit payments…

Tenants are typically viewed to be of higher risk than owner-occupiers, and for this reason regular homeowner insurance policies are often invalid for tenanted homes. Most mortgage lenders will require that you have buildings insurance in place. Landlords building insurance will cover you against a number of eventualities, and is specifically tailored to offer a…

We hear many reports of landlords who are not happy with their high street letting agents.  Many simply don’t realise that there is an alternative option, whereby they can advertise their property across the internet, have tenants fully reference checked, and be sure that they have a legally binding contract with any incoming tenant. Here…

Being a landlord is so much more than just owning a property and taking rent each month. Our good practice guide to ensure that you are not only a good landlord, but that you are compliant with all of the legal requirements. Insurance Tenants are typically viewed to be of higher risk than owner-occupiers, and…

Since the introduction of a compulsory registration scheme in Scotland 5 years ago which has cost £17.4m to date, only 100 landlords have been banned. Out of a total of 200,000, the 100 who have had their licences refused or revoked are equivalent to just 0.05% (figures obtained by the Scottish Conservative Party). Landlords have paid…

Labour leader, Ed Miliband, has accused David Cameron of being out of touch over the impact of the “bedroom tax”.   Milliband claimed the cut in benefits for tenants with spare rooms in social housing would hit disabled people as well as military families. The prime minister said the change represented part of an effort to reduce the…