LANDLORD NEWS AND ADVICE FROM UK'S LARGEST ONLINE LETTING AGENT
The latest from the world of lettings and written for landlords. Top stories, advice, commentary and analysis...
Keep the discussion lively, if you read an article and have some thoughts, please comment. We’re always looking for new landlord tips and stories so if you have something you’d like to share please let me know, simon@upad.co.uk (editor).
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Archive for the ‘Legal’ Category
Portsmouth landlord fined £12,000 for sub-standard housing
A Portsmouth landlord has been ordered to pay £12,000, for letting an unsafe house. The student accommodation in St James’s Street, Portsea had sleeping accommodation that was too small and cooking facilities that were sub-standard. Fareham magistrates’ court found the company guilty of failing to comply with two housing prohibition orders, and failing to provide Portsmouth City Council... Read more
£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
New HMRC tax guidance on rental income
Don't get too excited, but word has reached us here at Upad Towers that new guidance has been released by Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) related to taxation on income from property. The new information is published in the Trusts, Settlements & Estates Manual (TSEM) at TSEM9000 to 9978. We're reliably informed that much of the recently released information is absolutely new, has... Read more
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
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
Ask Upad: Do I need a special bank account for my landlord earnings?
Q: I rent out a 2 bedroom flat in London. I receive the rent by bank transfer monthly into my personal bank account. Do I need a special bank account for my landlord earnings? In particular, I don't want to incur the expense of a bank account if I can avoid it. A: There are no legal requirements to have a specific, dedicated bank account for your landlord earnings. It's perfectly permissable... Read more
Student tenants: What’s fair wear and tear?
Exams are looming and the dissertation's done. For students, the academic year is almost over and soon students up and down the country will be moving on or back home and leaving student digs. And one thing every student wants is their deposit back in full. We have a couple of tips to help you. Plenty of tenants (and doubtless quite a number of landlords and lettings agents too) think that a... Read more
The cost of letting out a sub-standard property
A landlord has been ordered to pay £30,000 in prosecution costs because his property was considered dangerous and sub-standard. In additional to the financial penalty he was sentenced to six months in jail, suspended for 12 months and made to complete 200 hours of community service. The Coventry landlord Steven Boote failed to comply with an Improvement Notice from Coventry City Council... Read more
£42,000 of tenants’ deposits stolen
A lettings agent has gambled and frittered £42,000 of his tenants’ deposits away on gambling and lap dancing nights. He raided his company’s bank accounts to fund the trips. Moorfoot Estates, the company Brendan Taylor worked for were at the sharp end of his out-of-control habit. Taylor owned the business which went bankrupt during the prime time of his misdemeanours. He continued to run... Read more
Green party leader wants more energy efficiency rules for landlords.
Leader of the Green Party and the MP for Brighton Pavilion Caroline Lucas, has criticized the government's "green deal" and claims that it doesn’t go far enough to tackle poorly insulated privately rented accommodation. Under the terms of the currently proposed law, from 2015 tenants in accommodation rated E or less on their EPC, can request reasonable improvements to improve the energy... Read more
The tale of two lettings agencies
Two lettings agencies in the UK have been expelled from the Property Ombudsman Scheme. The firms will remain in business; however they will no longer be accredited by the Property Ombudsman. A London-based lettings agent claimed fraudulent benefits in a shocking case. She used her son as a way to gain £10,000 from painful and gruelling medical treatment by claiming he was "desperately... Read more
Landlords: Don’t forget the 2011 census!
For two hundred years, the national census has been held every decade and the time is nearly upon every citizen on the land to be counted. The Census 2011 form has been arriving at every household over the last few weeks and as a landlord you may have some responsibilities to fulfil. If your rental property is occupied, then it is up to your tenants to ensure that the form is filled out... Read more
Tenant nightmare: my rented flat was repossessed
Dave from Eastbourne told us about a recent experience he had with a private landlord: I came back from a year travelling in urgent need of a flat. I found one I liked and quickly agreed terms with the landlord. She seemed honest and decent, I didn’t have a job yet but did have some savings. We agreed that I would pay six month’s rent in advance. She promised me a Tenancy Agreement, but I... Read more
Fighting fire with new laws
A new bill is currently in front of Parliament, that of The Fire Safety (Protection of Tenants) Bill. The aim is to ensure that all private rental properties have a fire detection system which is up to scratch and complies with modern standards. All landlords will have to install a battery powered smoke alarm BEFORE the tenancy agreement is signed. If this legislation makes it through... Read more
Avoid fake and bad landlords
There are many fake landlords and scams on the web, each with different way of taking your money with you never seeing it again. A good way to avoid this is to get to know the landlord and scrutinise the advert. Here are some things to keep in mind: Check where the advert is listed. If it is on one of the free sites then it’s unlikely to have been vetted and could be a scam. Ask for the... Read more
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