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71% of tenant deposits returned in full

One thing that concerns landlords more than most, is the worry that their property won't be returned to them in a state similar to that which it was let in. New landlords in particular are often concerned that their tenants will trash the joint, rather than look after it. But the latest figures in the English Housing Report suggest that these fears may be overstated by overly jittery... Read more

Posted by Dan @ Upad on August 5th, 2011 in Property Rental, Renting a Property, Tenancy Deposit Scheme

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Every tenant a gardener

It's one of the pleasures of this time of year: the garden is coming into bloom and many gardeners are already enjoying the fruits of early harvested crops. You might not have acres or indeed even a yard, but even if you have any outdoor space at all, or even a sunny windowsill, you can get something growing. Even a few salad leaves for the kitchen, some fresh herbs or a bunch of homegrown... Read more

Posted by Dan @ Upad on June 13th, 2011 in Green, Renting a Property

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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

Posted by Dan @ Upad on June 6th, 2011 in Legal, Renting a Property

Rogue_landlords

Would you like to be able to evict your landlord?

Shelter has launched a campaign to evict so called “rogue landlords”. A promotional video for the campaign is currently doing the viral rounds, starring Shaun Lock, Mike Fielding, Oliver Chris and Sally Bretton (see here). The key part of the campaign is to raise the awareness of rogue landlords in the UK. According to Shelter 1 million tenants have been affected by a scam involving a... Read more

Posted by Simon @ Upad on May 19th, 2011 in Renting a Property

Savings

Student tenant tips: Is your landlord reputable?

It’s that time of year. Undergraduates across the nation are looking around for somewhere to live once they move out of their first year digs. For many it will be the first time they have entered the private lettings market; renting from a landlord rather than the university directly. Perhaps you’re one of them? And as you start sizing up properties, don’t forget to take time to consider... Read more

Posted by Dan @ Upad on May 19th, 2011 in Renting a Property

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Upward Graph

51% more tenants looking for a property

Tenant demand has gone through the roof in 2011. Demand is up 51% in the first quarter of 2011 compared to the last quarter of 2010. Whilst this is a large jump, it is not surprising. Renting has become the affordable option for those looking for a property, with owner-occupier mortgages requiring a substantial deposit. More and more buy-to-let mortgage offers are being made available so there... Read more

Posted by Simon @ Upad on May 19th, 2011 in Renting a Property

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moving day box

Nine prospective tenants to every room in the capital

Rents keep on rising due to the continued tenant demand. At the moment it is reported that there are 5 prospective tenants on average to every vacant room and as a result, it is estimated that over 40% of landlords have raised their rent by 4% or more per annum. London is seeing a considerable amount of this demand. Tenants are being forced out of the capital because of the demand for rental... Read more

Posted by Simon @ Upad on May 9th, 2011 in Renting a Property

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Family Home

Increase in the number of higher value homes

According to ARLA, more higher-value homes have appeared in the private rental sector. The average rental property cost is now £447,990 up 11.6% on the previous quarter. London & the South East are largely responsible for the rise with family homes having the most prominent increase. 39% of ARLA members had noticed more rental properties appearing on the market with the biggest proportion... Read more

Posted by Simon @ Upad on April 28th, 2011 in Finding a Home, Renting a Property

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LHA tenants

No immediate tenancies for life for social housing tenants

Haringey Council have brought in new measures aimed to curb anti-social behaviour in social housing tenants. The aim is to offer benefits to those who behave and to make it easier to evict those that don’t. The difference between now and before, is that before a social housing tenant received a guaranteed tenancy for life. Now they will receive a one-year introductory tenancy. On the... Read more

Posted by Simon @ Upad on April 28th, 2011 in Renting a Property

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Search of code

£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

Posted by Simon @ Upad on April 27th, 2011 in Legal, Renting a Property, Tenant Stories

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Burn Derelict House

Private rental properties not up to standard

41% of tenants are living in a property that is in a “non-decent” condition, according to the English Housing Survey. This amounts to 1.4 million properties in the UK. The criteria set out for a decent house are: a kitchen no more than 20 years old, a bathroom less than 30 years old, good noise insulation, energy efficiency features and the property should be of an adequate size and space,... Read more

Posted by Simon @ Upad on April 14th, 2011 in Renting a Property

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Tenants resigned to rents rising

Over half of tenants are expected their rents to rise over the next 12 months. This is due to the shortage of rental properties available, especially in London and the South-East. The housing market is still a difficult place to get a foothold. The unwillingness of banks to lend to consumers, along with the large deposits needed up front means more and more people are turning to... Read more

Posted by Simon @ Upad on April 13th, 2011 in Renting a Property

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Is a tenant database ethical?

Tenants, how do you feel about a tenant database aimed at filtering out the so-called "bad tenants"? The site, created by landlords Gary and Ruth Henderson can be found here. For the majority of tenants this database will have no bearing on their renting experience. For those with a chequered renting history, this database may expose those issues and complicate the process of finding a new... Read more

Posted by Simon @ Upad on April 12th, 2011 in Renting a Property

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Ask Upad: how do I get my property repaired?

If something breaks or stops working in your property, the first course of action should be informing your landlord that something has gone wrong. If your tenancy agreement is for less than 7 years, it is their responsibility to keep your property in "proper repair". "Proper repair" means: the structure of the rental property, plus the supply of gas, water, electricity, sanitation, space and... Read more

Posted by Simon @ Upad on April 12th, 2011 in Renting a Property

Worried Woman

Beware Gazumping

Gazumping is an issue that has been brought to the fore by high tenant demand. The chronic lack of rental properties available has meant more and more tenants are competing for them. Because of this, landlords can pick and choose which tenants they want and feel they can charge a higher rent due to the demand. This process of achieving a higher rent has caused a lot of problems for tenants with... Read more

Posted by Simon @ Upad on April 11th, 2011 in Renting a Property

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