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Ask Upad: As a tenant, do I have to maintain the garden?

Q: I rent a house with a small garden. There are some pots, shrubs in open beds and a paved area. It’s not huge but I have no experience of gardening and there are no tools in the property to maintain the garden. It is my responsibility to keep it up? A: Your responsibilities will be laid out in the tenancy agreement, so make sure you read that carefully and understand what you need to do. But... Read more

Posted by Dan @ Upad on February 4th, 2011 in Renting a Property

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Ask Upad: I can’t afford the rent this month. What should I do?

Q. I recently suffered a financial setback and incurred some unexpected emergency expenses. The result of all this is that I can’t afford to pay the rent this month. I don’t expect this to be an ongoing problem but I am anxious that I don’t get evicted. What do I do? This is a serious situation. Under the terms of the tenancy agreement you signed when you started living in the property you... Read more

Posted by Dan @ Upad on February 3rd, 2011 in Renting a Property

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February 89, 2010 - Packing

My tenant hasn’t given me notice that she will be leaving

Q: I’ve had a tenant in a flat I let on a twelve month fixed term for nearly a year. I offered to move the AST onto a periodic basis in writing but heard nothing. I assumed that she would be staying. I was quite surprised to receive a reference request from a letting agent about my tenant. It turns out that she will be moving out but she hasn’t informed me of this. It’s a real pain because... Read more

Posted by Dan @ Upad on January 28th, 2011 in Property Rental

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Are you complying with the law on tenants’ deposits?

There are lots of laws and regulations that landlords need to keep up with and some of the case law and important changes don’t always get much publicity. Keeping up with the changes takes a bit of time and interest but it is vital: failure to comply can be a criminal offence and might attract a hefty penalty. One recent event that seems to have passed many landlords by, regards a legal case... Read more

Posted by Dan @ Upad on September 27th, 2010 in Landlord Legislation, Legal, Tenancy Deposit Scheme

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AST rent threshold to increase

It’s more bad news for landlords who want to see less red tape and less badly implemented regulation on the private lettings. The coalition government has confirmed that rumoured changes to the rent thresholds will be going ahead. From the 1st October 2010, all properties with annual rents up to £100k will be subject to ASTs. That means that deposits for such properties will also need to be... Read more

Posted by Dan @ Upad on September 10th, 2010 in Landlord Legislation, Property Management, Property Rental

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Q&A What happens at the end of a fixed term tenancy?

Q: Does a new tenancy agreement have to be drawn up at the end of a 12 month fixed term tenancy? A: The short answer: no, it doesn't. Assuming the property is in England or Wales, once the original fixed term comes to an end, the tenancy continues as a "periodic tenancy", with the same terms and conditions as the original AST. This happens automatically and it's not necessary to fill out any... Read more

Posted by Sue @ Upad on February 16th, 2010 in Ask Upad, Tips for New Landlords

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Quizzical

When does my tenant’s guest become an extra tenant?

Most landlords will happily allow their tenants to have overnight guests now and again. But what if that guest stays on – a week, a month, or indefinitely? Is there any need to worry, and if so, what can be done about it? There is one compelling reason to try to regularise the situation and get both tenant and guest to sign a new contract which names them both. In a joint Assured Shorthold... Read more

Posted by Sue @ Upad on December 11th, 2009 in HMOs, Landlord Legislation, Legal, Property Management