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Legislation update – the Green Deal

Britain’s landlords are proving reluctant to join in the government’s Green Deal and help make the nation’s homes more energy efficient, research has shown, and the government is now threatening to compel (rather than persuade) landlords to join in. Launched in October 2012, the Green Deal enables both landlords and tenants to apply for a loan of up to £10,000 to improve a property’s... Read more

Posted by Simon @ Upad on March 15th, 2013 in Green, Landlord Legislation

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Councils could charge £500 for Landlord Registration

Private landlords who rent out property in the London Borough of Newham could face compulsory registration at a cost of £500. A 10 week consultation is already under way on proposals that would see landlords proving that they are “fit and proper persons” to be landlords, and possibly having to undertake a Criminal Record Bureau (CRB) check. A trial of the scheme has already been piloted over... Read more

Posted by Dan @ Upad on October 6th, 2011 in Buy-to-let, Landlord Legislation, Tips for New Landlords

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£100k lettings agent fraudster escapes jail

A lettings agent who defrauded tenants to the tune of £137,660 has escaped a jail sentence. Brandon Weston of Premeier Places Lettings located in Worcester and Redditch used tenancy deposits from 203 tenants to fund other business projects. Weston pleaded guilty to four counts of fraud between 2007 and 2009. An accomplice, Chris Williams, pleaded guilty to three counts of forgery. Weston... Read more

Posted by Dan @ Upad on September 28th, 2011 in Landlord Legislation, Legal, Property Rental

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Landlords and tenancy deposits – the current legal state of play

Following the introduction of the Tenancy Deposit Scheme under Part I of the Housing Act 2004 (‘the 2004 Act’) most landlords are aware that deposits taken from tenants in connection with a shorthold tenancy must now be registered with an authorised scheme such as The Deposit Protection Service (“DPS”), the Tenancy Deposit Scheme (“TDS”) and mydeposits. Conversely, clued-up... Read more

Posted by Dan @ Upad on September 20th, 2011 in Landlord Legislation, Property Management, Property Rental, Tips for New Landlords

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Judge forces Camden Council to reveal empty property list to squatters

A judge has ordered Camden Council to reveal its list of empty properties to a squatter under the Freedom of Information Act (FOI). Under the terms of the ruling, Camden must publish details on all unoccupied council-owned properties and also information regarding private properties belonging to non-individuals that it knows to be unoccupied. Camden Council have 28 days to comply with the... Read more

Posted by Dan @ Upad on September 8th, 2011 in Evicting Tenants, Landlord Legislation, Property Rental

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Are Buy to Let landlords to blame for Britain’s housing crisis?

An article in The Daily Telegraph this week focussed on the causes of Britain's acute housing problems. The article by Ed Howker, associate editor of 'The Spectator’ and co-author of 'Jilted Generation: How Britain Has Bankrupted its Youth', cited Buy to Let landlords as part of the problem. The article entitled “Britain has too few homes for sale” claims that one of the major reasons... Read more

Posted by Dan @ Upad on September 2nd, 2011 in Buy-to-let, Landlord Legislation, Landlord Tax

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Landlord convicted of £21k benefit fraud

A Sussex landlord has been convicted of a £21k benefit fraud, after it was revealed that he had failed to declare rental income from a property he was letting out. Bab Saracouli, 43, of Barons Way, Polegate in East Sussex was found guilty of pocketing more £21,391 in council tax relief and housing benefits whilst also trousering £775 in monthly rental payments from a property he part owns... Read more

Posted by Dan @ Upad on August 30th, 2011 in Housing Benefit, Landlord Legislation

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Landlords: bulletproof your Section 21 notices

Mistakes in Section 21 notices are among the most common reasons for delays and increased costs when a landlord tries to recover possession from a tenant who has an Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST). Judges are well aware of the complicated statutory provisions that govern such notices. And the slightest mistake, such as an incorrect expiry date, is harshly dealt with, usually resulting in... Read more

Posted by Dan @ Upad on August 3rd, 2011 in Evicting Tenants, Landlord Legislation, Property Rental, Tenant Rights, Tips for New Landlords

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Coroner calls for tougher smoke alarm laws

West Sussex coroner Penelope Schofield has called for tougher laws requiring landlords to fit smoke alarms inside rental properties after a woman died in Lancing. Mary Moss, 64, was killed in a blaze at her rental flat last august after dropping a match on the floor. Although she had a battery powered smoke alarm in the flat, it had no battery installed. Schofield says she will be writing to... Read more

Posted by Dan @ Upad on July 18th, 2011 in Landlord Legislation, Legal, Property Rental, Tips for New Landlords

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Are you definitely compliant with the gas safety regulations?

One of the few stringent rules that apply to landlords and rental properties is the Gas Safety Certificate laws. Every rental property must be checked and declared safe every twelve months by a registered expert to ensure that the gas appliances and systems are safe. The main risk of gas appliances comes from carbon monoxide poisoning. This occurs by poorly maintained boilers, gas fires and... Read more

Posted by Dan @ Upad on July 6th, 2011 in Landlord Legislation, Property Rental, Tips for New Landlords

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Another daft idea… Conservative calls for register of tenancies

John Moss, Conservative candidate for the London Assembly has proposed an online register of all private tenancies, believing it to be preferable to a register of landlords. Tenants and landlords would also be encouraged to rate each other under the scheme. Moss also says that the register would help the HMRC collect tax revenues from landlords. Moss says: “Tenants can look up a property to... Read more

Posted by Dan @ Upad on July 5th, 2011 in Landlord Legislation, Legal, Property Rental

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Boris: The Landlords’ Champion?

One year into the coalition government, it's difficult to see what has changed to the advantage of private residential landlords. Many had high hopes after 13 years of Labour government, that the promised "bonfire of red tape" would be a boon for landlords. Instead, the significant changes to housing benefit and local housing allowance are the biggest development for landlords and those changes... Read more

Posted by Dan @ Upad on July 1st, 2011 in Housing Benefit, Landlord Legislation, Property Rental, Social Housing

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Ask Upad: What sort of records does a landlord need to keep?

Q: I have recently started letting a property in Birmingham but I don't know what sort of records I need to keep. Can you help? A: There are some records that you're required as a landlord to keep by law. The most complex regard your tax records and accounts like with any other enterprise. You'll probably need to file a self-assessment tax return so you'll need full records of income and... Read more

Posted by Dan @ Upad on June 30th, 2011 in Ask Upad, Landlord Legislation, Landlord Tax, Tips for New Landlords

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MP slams “amateur” landlords and calls for regulation

A Labour MP has condemned "amateur" landlords and called for greater regulation of private residential landlords in the House of Commons. Phil Wilson, Member of Parliament for Sedgefield introduced his Private Landlords (Register and Duties) Bill on Tuesday, but it is unlikely to become law due to a lack of parliamentary time. The bill calls for a register of private landlords and a... Read more

Posted by Dan @ Upad on June 23rd, 2011 in Buy-to-let, Landlord Legislation, Tips for New Landlords

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Purchasing buy-to-let property at auction

Buying property at an auction is a popular and potentially efficient way of getting your hands on one. Lots of landlords swear by auctions as a way of buying property at a good price, but if you’ve never been to an auction before then you might be daunted by the process or even mystified by how it all works. As always, a bit of research goes a long way. If you’ve never been to an auction... Read more

Posted by Dan @ Upad on May 23rd, 2011 in Buy-to-let, Landlord Legislation, Property Rental

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