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1 week ago | 
landlordzone.co.uk | Helen Gregory
A tenant has built up more than £10,000 in rent arrears after the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) refused to accept her landlord’s word that the rent had increased. Brian Southern’s tenant has twice failed to report changes during the last five years when he issued a Section 13 notice, in line with increases in LHA rates. It means he is still only receiving direct payments based on the pre-2020 LHA rate of £499 when the uprated amount went up to £750 in April 2020 and £950 in April 2024.
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2 weeks ago | 
landlordzone.co.uk | Helen Gregory
Landlords could face higher mortgage rates for longer after inflation jumped by more than expected last month to 3.5%. The rise is the highest rate in more than a year, driven by higher energy costs, water bills and airfares, according to the latest ONS figures. Jeni Browne (pictured), business development director at MFB, says the news won’t halt interest rate cuts, although it could mean a delay in the next cut.
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2 weeks ago | 
landlordzone.co.uk | Helen Gregory
A leading academic has warned the Scottish government that its rent control stance risks turning investment away from the country. Professor Duncan McLennan believes imposing a control system on any sector, where the normal rate of return dips below what’s available in other sectors, means deterring investors. As part of the Housing (Scotland) Bill, the government has agreed to limit increases to a fixed rent cap of CPI annual rate of inflation +1%, up to a maximum of 6%.
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2 weeks ago | 
landlordzone.co.uk | Helen Gregory
The lack of appetite for short-term rentals among tenants suggests the Renters’ Rights Bill is seeking to solve a problem that doesn't exist, new research reveals, while swinging the balance of power entirely towards renters.
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3 weeks ago | 
landlordzone.co.uk | Helen Gregory
The government has been warned that its failure to acknowledge the true state of the courts risks further eroding landlord confidence and undermining investment. The NRLA says the system isn't ready to handle the volume of possession cases following the end of Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions as new Ministry of Justice data shows that the average time for landlords to regain possession of a property through the courts has increased yet again.
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3 weeks ago | 
landlordzone.co.uk | Helen Gregory
A fall in the number of bungalows to rent is disproportionately affecting the growing number of older and disabled tenants, according to new research by Propertymark. It reveals that across the UK, the availability of privately rented bungalows has dropped by nearly 5% year on year, equating to almost 1,000 homes. In the year to April, there were 19,161 bungalows to rent compared to 20,138 in the year to April 2024.
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3 weeks ago | 
landlordzone.co.uk | Helen Gregory
A landlord pair have failed to convince a tribunal judge that their tenants’ relationship excused them from getting an HMO licence. Ketan and Shwetaben Gohil believed that two of the four tenants were a couple and the other two were related, which meant they did not need a licence under Hounslow Council’s additional HMO scheme. However, a First Tier Property Tribunal found that even if the tenants were related, this was not a defence and ordered the landlords to pay a £11,250 Rent Repayment Order.
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3 weeks ago | 
landlordzone.co.uk | Helen Gregory
Tewkesbury Council is bucking the national trend by punishing landlords with failing EPCs.It has issued several fines against one landlord totalling £4,500 and wants tenants to report those who could be letting out energy inefficient properties rated F or G. LandlordZONE recently reported that some of the country’s biggest councils are failing to investigate those private landlords who can’t provide a valid EPC certificate.
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3 weeks ago | 
landlordzone.co.uk | Helen Gregory
The government has revealed that it is looking into measures that will add landlords’ eviction activity to the looming PRS database. During the latest House of Lords debate on the Renters’ Rights Bill, Housing Minister Baroness Taylor of Stevenage said it was “actively exploring collecting possession information on the database” after an amendment - later withdrawn – suggested that it should contain entries about Section 8 possession notices, within seven days of the landlord serving them.
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1 month ago | 
landlordzone.co.uk | Helen Gregory
Landlords struggling to get their properties back through the heavily backlogged County Court system have been urged to consider enforcing their judgments through the High Court. Delays of up to a year or more before an eviction takes place are commonplace in some parts of England and Wales, particularly London – and sometimes even when a Possession Order has been granted.
