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Landlord news
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21/09/10 |
| Buy to let landlords see rental voids hit eight-year low |
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The average void period has fallen to its lowest level for eight years as demand for rental property remains high.
The Association of Residential Lettings Agents (ARLA) says that according to a survey of members, the average void period has fallen from 3.6 weeks to 3.2... MORE
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21/09/10 |
| Property investment can earn you energy saving tax breaks |
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Property investors should take advantage of a government initiative helping them to improve the energy performance rating of their homes and reduce the amount of tax they pay in the process says tenant eviction and rent collection firm Landlord Assist. MORE |
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21/09/10 |
| Landlord organisations and lettings agents risk legal action over data protection says privacy watchdog |
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The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is concerned that some lettings and estate agents are failing to notify the privacy watchdog that they are handling people’s personal financial information.
It is a legal requirement under the... MORE
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21/09/10 |
| Property investment values fall again for third month running |
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Property investors have seen the value of their portfolios dip again after property prices in both England and Wales fell for a third consecutive month in September.
All in all they have lost half of the total gains they made in the first six months of the year, a new survey has... MORE |
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21/09/10 |
| London buy to let landlord back in court for having no HMO licence |
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| A London landlord has been hit with a hefty fine just two months after being forced to repay £37,000 in rent. Rizwan Ahmed rented out a nine-bedroom property in Fulham but did not have the House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) license needed to rent a... MORE |
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17/09/10 |
| ARLA issues advice to new buy to let landlords as demand soars |
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With 70 percent of ARLA (the Association of Residential Lettings Agents) member offices reporting that demand is outstripping supply, the body is releasing fresh advice to landlords new to the market.
Ian Potter, operations manager at ARLA, wants new property investors to be aware of the essentials they should... MORE |
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17/09/10 |
| Graduates offered management training in property investment market |
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Five of the country’s most promising graduates are celebrating after landing places on a top management training scheme run by Spicerhaart Residential Lettings.
The scheme, now in its fourth year, is designed to cover every aspect of the residential lettings business from induction to management. MORE |
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17/09/10 |
| Rogue landlords have fleeced a million tenants claims housing charity |
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Almost one million people have fallen victim to landlord and private tenancy scams in the last three years, according to new research.
YouGov surveyed 2,234 UK adults and two percent admitted a bogus landlord had duped them. MORE |
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17/09/10 |
| Buy to let landlords urged to target students by Upad |
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Upad is advising landlords to embrace the opportunity of letting to students as the new university year gets underway.
Although with fewer undergraduate places up for grabs this year, landlords will have to work harder to attract the best tenants to their properties. MORE |
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17/09/10 |
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Four charged in alleged buy to let
property investment fraud
Four men have been charged with participating in a fraudulent business after the collapse of a property development business in York. MORE |
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14/09/10 |
| More property investment red tape on the horizon for private landlords |
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Private landlords face new red tape from next month and hefty fines if they do not comply with changes to Assured Shorthold Tenancies.
Until now, many tenants paying more than £25,000 a year, the equivalent of about £2,085 a month, fell outside the AST classification, but from 1October the threshold increases to £100,000. MORE |
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14/09/10 |
| Survey exposes nightmare tenants for buy to let landlords |
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Growing cannabis plants in the airing cupboard and building an extension without permission are just a few incidents involving UK tenants in the last 12 months, a new survey reveals.
The Video Inventory Agency’s (TVIA) top 10 worst incidents include a tenant who... MORE |
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14/09/10 |
| Protect yourself with a reference website says fed up landlord |
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A despairing landlord is urging others to use new website www.dodgytenants.org.uk to do a search for information on their prospective tenants.
Launched by TenantCheck (Nationwide) Ltd, the website’s blurb claims it ‘avoids data protection issues by... MORE |
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14/09/10 |
| Landlord says person who moved in 60 dogs to his property was 'tenant from hell' |
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| A landlord has branded a woman allegedly found with 50 cats, 10 dogs and a squirrel in her home ‘the tenant from hell’.
RSPCA officers made the bizarre discovery at a home in Anlaby, East Riding recently, where many of the cats were reportedly found in cages and with... MORE |
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14/09/10 |
| Councils must crack down on 'small but dangerous group' of landlords says NLA |
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| Local authorities must prosecute landlords who wilfully ignore laws aimed at protecting tenants, according to the National Landlords Association (NLA).
A new investigation by the housing charity, Shelter, found that a ‘small but dangerous’ group of landlords are... MORE |
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10/09/10 |
| Supply-demand imbalance in property investment causes a flat market |
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House prices are ‘stagnating’ and seem likely to fall over the next few months, according to the Nationwide building society.
The news comes when experts are predicting house prices will fall in real terms to 2003 levels by 2015. MORE |
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10/09/10 |
| Buy to let landlords accept invitation to lay down the law |
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Private residential landlords have listed the top law reforms they feel would revitalise the private rented sector.
They have submitted their wish list to Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg in response to the Government’s invitation to identify laws that... MORE |
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10/09/10 |
| Buy to let landlords lobby government over county court closures |
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Private sector landlords are joining forces in a bid to save the UK’s network of county courts.
The Residential Landlords Association (RLA) is lobbying the government to re-think its plans to scrap some of the UK’s courts and RLA members are also individually lobbying the Ministry of Justice. MORE |
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10/09/10 |
| Landlords could be trapped in negative equity for another four years warns NHF |
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| Landlords who bought during the housing boom face another four years of being trapped in negative equity, according to a new forecast by the National Housing Federation (NHF).
Investors who purchased a property at the peak of the market in 2007 would have... MORE |
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06/09/10 |
| More buy to let property investment needed to satisfy buoyant lettings market |
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UK rents are increasing as tenant demand and a shortage of properties dominate a buoyant lettings market, according to a new report.
For the second consecutive quarter lettings demand has risen at a pace above the long run average, says... MORE |
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06/09/10 |
| Buy to let landlords pick up more tenants as 'golden age of home ownership' comes to an end |
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Experts believe this is an excellent time to buy to let as yields and portfolio values are holding steady. The number of private rented properties in the UK currently stands at 3.2 million as ‘the in-betweens’, those on incomes between £12,000 and £25,000, struggle to purchase their own property... MORE |
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06/09/10 |
| Bogus landlord who tried to sell luxury rental property jailed for three years |
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A tenant who posed as a landlord to sell a luxury property he was renting has been jailed for three years.
Forty-three-year-old Steven Rice fraudulently sold the home in London’s Kensington and Chelsea for £1.47 million, which was just half of its real value. MORE |
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06/09/10 |
| Letting agent up for four gongs in 2010 awards |
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Lettings agent Countrywide has announced it has been short listed as a finalist in four categories for the 2010 Negotiator Awards.
The firm has been nominated for National Estate Agency Chain of the Year, National Lettings Chain of the Year, Residential... MORE |
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06/09/10 |
| Landlord fined for breaching fire regulations in student accommodation |
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A landlord was ordered to pay £8,500 in fines and £2,287 in costs for breaches of fire safety and environmental health regulations at his rental property.
Peter Teifion Jones, from Swansea, was also hit with... MORE |
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01/09/10 |
| Landlords stay positive as rise in rents helps overcome falls in capital gains |
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Landlord confidence has taken a hit in the last three months, according to a survey, but 42 percent still think now is a good time to invest.
Increasing tenant demand has fuelled optimism and cushioned slower capital gains, said property services company LSL... MORE |
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01/09/10 |
| Any buy to let landlord offering unregulated lease options could be heading for disaster, says expert |
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A property expert is warning tenants to stay away from landlords and companies that provide unregulated schemes offering the chance to rent a property with an option to buy it.
David Lawrenson of Lettingfocus.com, a private rented sector consultant, has... MORE |
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01/09/10 |
| For property investment portfolio profit head to a university town |
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Private landlords with properties in university towns may discover their portfolios are of greater value, according to figures from Lloyds TSB.
The statistics show the majority of cities that are home to educational establishments have seen increased house prices... MORE |
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01/09/10 |
| New scheme provides back-up for buy to let landlords |
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| A West Country company leading an initiative to combat rogue tenants has received backing from lettings agents and landlords.
TenantVet, which is based in Swindon, Wiltshire, has developed a database system telling agencies whether a prospective tenant has... MORE |
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01/09/10 |
| Landlords see slowdown in value of their properties but - prices continue to rise |
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| Average UK property prices were 6.1 percent higher this July than last, currently standing at £200,913.
The figures published in the Assetz House Price Watch are collated from five leading house price indices - Halifax, Nationwide, RightMove, CLG House Price... MORE |
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27/08/10 |
| New landlord partnership aims to promote best practice |
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A new initiative to bring local authorities and residential landlords closer together has been launched by the Residential Landlords Association (RLA).
The Local Authority Network is designed to involve local councils, share information and promote best practice. MORE |
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27/08/10 |
| Tenants under pressure as buy to let landlords continue to increase rents |
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Landlords have pushed up rents for the sixth consecutive month according to the latest Buy to Let Index from LSL Property Services.
Prices were raised by 0.5 percent in July, which means the average UK rent is now £676 and stands 2.3 percent higher than a year ago. MORE |
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27/08/10 |
| Property investment activity is on the rise but right advice is essential says expert |
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Residential property company homes4u has reported a substantial increase in investor enquiries, signalling the property market is getting back on its feet.
But at the same time the Manchester-based company is calling for caution among those new to investing, following... MORE |
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27/08/10 |
| Buy to let landlord fights back against power-stripping legislation |
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| A landlord with more than 100 properties in his portfolio is fighting back against what he calls ‘one-sided legislation against landlords’.
Paul Routledge says that poorly thought-out legislation has meant landlords and their agents have become totally defenceless against rogue tenants. MORE |
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27/08/10 |
| TV show warning landlords of renting pitfalls features record rent arrears case |
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| Landlord Action founder Paul Shamplina has appeared in a television programme which featured cases where rogue tenants owe landlords thousands of pounds in unpaid rent.
The ITV Tonight’s Nightmare Tenants gives a stark warning to landlords about the dangers... MORE |
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23/08/10 |
| Landlords should be tempted to invest more in buy to let, urges Countrywide |
Soaring demand for rental accommodation has led to calls for more incentives to encourage buy to let landlords to invest in the market.
According to Countrywide, tenant demand is at a record high with up to nine tenants competing for each property. MORE |
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23/08/10 |
| Now is a great time to be a landlord, says expert |
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A lettings specialist is claiming there is no better time to be a landlord and advises homeowners struggling to sell a property to rent it instead.
But Andrew Youd, area manager for Andrews Letting & Management in the South East recognises that the market still still has its challenges. Only 18 months ago the lettings... MORE |
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23/08/10 |
| Buy to let loan approvals still not affecting whopping rates faced by landlords |
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Massive mortgage fees are still being asked of landlords despite the fact there has been a surge in loans being approved.
In the second quarter of 2010 there were 24,900 buy to let mortgages granted, which represents a 13 percent increase on the previous quarter. MORE |
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23/08/10 |
| Buy to let landlords to benefit from revised property portal |
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| A new Google-powered free to use property portal claims it will help make landlords’ lives easier.
The Big Property List, an independent business, initially came under fire for publishing estate agency sale and rental listings under a Google map viewing format. MORE |
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23/08/10 |
| Rent arrears is financial headache for landlords in more ways than one says NLA |
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Nearly a fifth of private residential landlords had tenants in rent arrears during the second quarter of this year according to recent research published by the National Landlords Association (NLA).
The new figures reveal that while one third of landlords had never sought to... MORE |
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06/08/10 |
| Buy to let landlords in strong position as rental levels hit a record high |
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There has been some good news for landlords after one property specialist reported that demand for rental accommodation has reached record levels in the second quarter of the year.
Countrywide plc has recorded that 50,480 new tenants registered with them for... MORE |
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06/08/10 |
| Landlords must hurry to bag a bargain before Olympics drives up prices |
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Landlords looking to jump on the Olympics bandwagon must act fast as property prices in east London are set to increase faster than anywhere else in the capital in the run up to the 2012 games.
Research for Lloyds TSB has found property prices in 14 postal districts of... MORE |
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06/08/10 |
| Suspected gas leak kills two teens at rented buy to let holiday home |
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Two teenagers have died of suspected carbon monoxide poisoning at a holiday home in Northern Ireland.
Police and Heath and Safety experts are now examining why Aaron Davidson and Neill McFerran, both 18, died at in a rented seaside apartment block in Castlerock. MORE |
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06/08/10 |
| Are you a landlord thinking of selling? Think again says agent |
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| Letting specialists Leaders are urging landlords considering selling a property to think again.
The agency says the rental market is seeing exceptionally high demand and not enough rental properties to go around. According to Leaders this situation is pushing rents up and void periods are virtually... MORE |
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06/08/10 |
| Rental increases put Belfast on the prime portfolio map for property investment |
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| Belfast rents were pushed up an average 3.7 percent in the second quarter of 2010 says a new report.
A combination of fears over jobs, worries of continued declines in house prices across Northern Ireland and a lack of bank lending are responsible for... MORE |
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04/08/10 |
| Tax overhaul could favour UK rather than European holiday let property investment |
Property investors are being warned to keep an eye out as furnished holiday let tax is due for a huge overhaul in the next budget.
Around 20,000 owners will lose tax breaks that let them set off holiday home losses against other income... MORE |
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04/08/10 |
| Bogus buy to let landlords targeting tenants on Gumtree website |
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A new scam on online classified website Gumtree has been uncovered by the National Landlords Association (NLA).
Potential tenants, usually from overseas, reply to advertisements on the website for rental accommodation in the UK. After supposed satisfactory emails, tenants are asked to send money to the ‘landlord’... MORE |
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04/08/10 |
| Buy to let landlords may decide it's best to come from a broken home |
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Landlords thinking outside the box could consider the increasing trend of splitting their own homes in two to rent the other half.
According to the most recent data collated by Communities and Local Government (CLG), there were 18.5 million separate owner... MORE |
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04/08/10 |
| New loan package helps buy to let landlords bridge the gap |
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Buy to let and commercial mortgage specialist TBMC has launched a semi-exclusive bridge-to-let scheme with Tiuta. The deal comprises a six-month bridging loan up to 75 percent of the open market value at 1.65 percent per month, while works are carried out, followed by a two-year 6.99 percent fixed buy to let mortgage. MORE |
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04/08/10 |
| Landlord refused family access to their rented accommodation on farm |
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| Forest of Dean District Council has successfully prosecuted a woman who illegally evicted a family from a property in Newent.
Judith Barrington, 52, of Gunns Mill Farm, Mitcheldean, pleaded guilty to illegal eviction when she appeared at Gloucester Magistrates’ Court. MORE |
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30/07/10 |
| London buy to let landlords to cash in on tourist rentals during 2012 Olympics |
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New figures suggest savvy property investors stand to make an average £4,500 renting out their homes during the London 2012 Olympics.
Online firm HomeAway Holiday-Rentals say buy to let and holiday home owners could expect to generate a healthy £2,000 a... MORE |
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30/07/10 |
| Property investment gets a boost as experts predict low interest rate is here for three years |
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Landlords concerned about the cost of keeping up with multiple mortgage payments will welcome predictions from economists that low rates of interest are here for at least another three years.
According to experts associated with Ernst & Young, the Bank of... MORE |
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30/07/10 |
| Buy to let Landlords concerned about 'no-go HMO zone' threat for shared housing |
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Local authorities may soon have the power to declare their own ‘no-go’ zones for privately rented shared houses.
This would replace the current need to obtain planning permission if a landlord wanted to rent out an existing family home to a group of tenants such... MORE |
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30/07/10 |
| Buy to let landlords in luck as mortgage struggle drives up Scottish rentals |
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| First time buyers struggling to get on to the property ladder are helping to drive up Scotland’s rental market, according to Citylets.
Research from the lettings portal suggests rents across the country are continuing to rise, while the typical time needed to let a property... MORE |
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30/07/10 |
| Landlords' financial restrictions could impact on student population |
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| A lack of mortgage finance for landlords could hit students hard, according to Landlord Assist.
The tenant eviction and rent collection specialist is expecting a shortage of student lets for the 2010/11 academic year, as buy to let lending remains tight... MORE |
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26/07/10 |
| Government moves to simplify tax rules affecting buy to let property investment |
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A move by the Coalition Government to simplify the taxation system will undoubtedly be welcomed by residential landlords, says Alex Huxley of Potential 2 Lettings in Ellesmere.
Many buy to let landlords have struggled to keep up with the numerous... MORE |
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26/07/10 |
| Landlords see significant drop in tenant rent arrears during Q2 |
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A fifth of private-residential landlords have had tenants in rent arrears over the last three months, according to new research published today by the National Landlords Association (NLA).
During Q2 2010, just over 21 percent of landlords experienced rental arrears. MORE |
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26/07/10 |
| London buy to let landlords see conditions improve in prime residential areas |
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Rents in London’s prime residential market are on the rise, up 9.2 percent in the 12 months to the end of June 2010 according to the Knight Frank London Lettings Index for Q2 2010.
The improving picture for landlords continued into the second quarter of 2010, with a rise of 2.6 percent in the three months to June. MORE |
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26/07/10 |
| City council gets tough on landlords and letting agents |
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Private housing landlords have been warned that Peterborough City Council does take matters seriously when landlords fail to comply with housing enforcement notices that require properties to be brought up to a suitable living standard. MORE |
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26/07/10 |
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Landlord fined after failing to clear up rubbish
A landlord who refused to clean up a ‘grot spot’ behind his property has been ordered to pay nearly £900. Mohammed Sharif, aged 41 and of Keppel Road in Chorlton, pleaded guilty to not complying with a legal notice, during a hearing at Manchester... MORE |
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21/07/10 |
| Economic downturn stops buy to let landlords financing new student accommodation |
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A lack of finance deals available to landlords will lead to a severe shortage in student accommodation for the forthcoming academic year warns Landlord Assist, the nationwide tenant eviction and rent collection firm. MORE |
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21/07/10 |
| Rise in tenant demand boosts buy to let landlord confidence |
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Nearly three times as many landlords reported that tenant demand was rising rather than falling during the second quarter of the year, Paragon Mortgages’ PRS Trends Report has revealed.
The quarterly snapshot of the private rented sector and buy to let market... MORE |
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21/07/10 |
| Landlords get more benefits and free advice fits from new accreditation scheme |
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Halton Borough Council is introducing its own Landlord Accreditation Scheme to help support the Private Rented Sector and the essential role landlords play in providing housing for the residents of Runcorn and Widnes. MORE |
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21/07/10 |
| Lack of property investment in rental properties could contribute towards housing shortage warns ARLA |
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The dearth in available rental properties is worsening, according to research produced recently by the Association of Residential Lettings Agents (ARLA). Almost three quarters (70 percent) of ARLA member offices say that there are more tenants than... MORE |
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21/07/10 |
| Tenancy deposit firm works with landlords to draw up wear and tear guide |
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| With so much confusion among the landlord community about the rules surrounding fair wear and tear, a government-authorised tenancy deposit protection scheme has created a guide for landlords, offering advice on how to make a fair judgement call at the end of the tenancy period... MORE |
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16/07/10 |
| Rental income now accounts for an increasing portion of buy to let landlord's total return |
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The average rent in the UK rose by 0.5 percent to £667 per month in May, according to the latest Buy to let Index from LSL Property Services plc. Rents have risen for four successive months, and are 2.7 percent higher than a year ago. The average UK rent is now... MORE |
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16/07/10 |
| Tenants left without hot water and heating after landlord failed to pay gas bill |
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A ‘house of horrors’ has left the landlords at a property firm facing a bill of more than £21,000.
When Leeds City Council officers made a routine visit to 61 Gathorne Terrace, Chapeltown, in August they discovered a defective fire alarm system, seriously damaged... MORE |
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16/07/10 |
| ARMA draws up guide to help landlords cope with rules and regulations |
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A new guide to good practice and related issues when letting leasehold flats has been published.
Despite the downturn the letting of leasehold flats is continuing at a level that still gives cause for concern where the letting is not done properly... MORE |
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16/07/10 |
| Forum offers advice to landlords on how to make the most out of their property investment |
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A free Landlord Forum for private residential landlords and letting agents in the Oxfordshire area has been organised for Thursday 29 July at 1pm, at the West Oxon Council Offices in Woodgreen, Witney.
Topics being covered at the event include the legal pitfalls... MORE |
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16/07/10 |
| Good news for landlords in Manchester as tenant demand reaches all time high |
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| The number of tenants looking for rental property in Manchester City Centre with a local letting agent reached an all time high this month, providing further evidence that the Manchester property market is returning... MORE |
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13/07/10 |
| Homeowners unable to sell their property investments should become landlords says letting specialist |
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Homeowners with properties they are unable to sell in the current climate are being encouraged to become landlords until the market picks up again by letting specialist Leaders.
Some property experts believed that the rise in ‘accidental landlords’ was now on... MORE |
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13/07/10 |
| Buy to let landlords fear lose of rental income due to company administration |
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Buy to let landlords who have been using a lettings agency based in Stafford are concerned that their rental income could be in jeopardy.
Confusion appears to surround exactly what has happened to GDH Property Management Services, which it is feared has... MORE |
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13/07/10 |
| Finance minister announces changes to landlord allowance in Northern Ireland |
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Northern Ireland finance minister, Sammy Wilson, has announced proposals to reduce the landlord allowance on rates collection.
The Article 21 allowance, which provides a discount to landlords who volunteer to collect all rates due on their properties and pay for... MORE |
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13/07/10 |
| Buy to let andlord who left house in disrepair is fined £2,000 in his absence |
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A landlord has been fined £2,000 for failing to carry out improvements to a house that was left in a state of disrepair.
Wajid Hussain, aged 35, of Redlam, Blackburn, was charged with breaching an improvement notice contrary to section 30 of the Housing... MORE |
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09/07/10 |
| Landlord prosecuted to the tune of £42,000 for HMO failures |
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A firm that suffered significant management failures and allowed appalling conditions at two of its HMO properties has been twice prosecuted by a city council.
Premier Properties in Bradford has been rapped by Liverpool City Council over the state of two homes the... MORE |
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09/07/10 |
| Buy to let landlords losing millions in rows over substandard inventories |
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Poorly prepared inventories are costing private landlords millions of pounds every year in lost claims, according to shock new figures.
Since the introduction of the Tenancy Deposit Protection Scheme (TDPS) in 2007, the onus has been firmly with the landlord to... MORE |
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09/07/10 |
| Landlord who held his tenant and pregnant wife at knifepoint is jailed |
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A landlord and his friend have been jailed for eight months for threatening a tenant with a knife and saw.
Buy to let owner Paul Adams went with Simon Viggars to Adams’ property in Tunstall, Staffordshire at 3.30am and threatened the tenant and his... MORE |
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09/07/10 |
| Bogus buy to let landlord leased woman's home while she was on holiday |
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A person claiming to be a buy to let landlord managed to illegally lease a woman’s home to eight Romanians while it was on the market to be sold.
The owner Gretel Malcolm then found herself locked out of the house in Tottenham, London by the people who... MORE |
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09/07/10 |
| Small rises in mortgage rates causes property investment confusion |
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| Many of those with property investments are unaware of the costs of small rises in mortgage interest rates, reveals a new report says Assetz.
The research conducted by the Consumer Financial Education Body discovered that three-quarters of property owners could not calculate the effect on their budget of a... MORE |
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06/07/10 |
| Landlords' rents set to soar according to new quarterly report |
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Average rents have risen a reassuring four percent in the last quarter, according to FindaProperty.com’s latest report.
And with the Bank of England warning of a coming mortgage famine, landlords could be see the number of first time buyers priced out of the market and... MORE |
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06/07/10 |
| Buy to let landlords with housing benefit tenants may have to cut rents |
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Private landlords may have to decrease rents on their buy to let property portfolio if they have tenants who are affected by the Chancellor’s housing benefits cuts.
More than one million families who currently receive housing benefit will have to find extra money in order to... MORE |
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06/07/10 |
| Shortage of student bed space provides opportunity for private property investment |
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The reduction in key strategic funding will soon force universities to consider the transfer of non-core services such as student rental accommodation to private sector owners claims Savills’ annual Student Housing Report... MORE |
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06/07/10 |
| Buy to let landlords in London and Essex could benefit from new lettings merger |
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Property chain Countrywide is continuing to expand and has bought the Letmore Group, a specialist lettings agency with seven offices in east London and Essex. Founded in 1999, The Letmore Group contains three lettings businesses; PMS Letting & Management Services, Forest Bureau and Churchill Lettings... MORE |
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06/07/10 |
| Landlord loses credit license for failing to declare lengthy criminal record |
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| A landlord with an ASBO has had his credit license stripped from him after it was discovered he hid his criminal past.
The Office of Fair Trading revoked Peter Hall’s license after learning he has 23 unspent criminal convictions, including GBH, theft and... MORE |
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02/07/10 |
| Modern day Cinderella wins top NLA accolade for female landlords |
Rags to riches survivor, Juliet Ashton-Taylor has claimed the title of the National Landlords Association’s Property Woman of the Year 2010.
The buy to let entrepreneur from Gateshead threw herself into property investment after she lost everything when her marriage... MORE |
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02/07/10 |
| Buy to let landlords looking to increase their property investment portfolios warned about weakening market |
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Buy to let investors will be disappointed at Bank of England figures released this week which suggest the housing market recovery may be flagging as mortgage approvals stall.
The bank statistics reveal there were 49,815 loan approvals for house purchase in... MORE |
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ADDED
02/07/10 |
| Landlords worried about rental arrears can make use of a new insurance product |
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A new Rent Guarantee insurance product for landlords has hit the market from Martin & Co and lettings insurance specialist HomeLet.
Called the Martin & Co Promise, the scheme provides cover for missed rental payments, with 100 percent of the monthly rent... MORE |
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| ADDED
02/07/10 |
| Buy to let landlord forced to repay rent in first case of its kind in West Midlands |
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Birmingham City Council has obtained its first Rent Repayment order against a private landlord, recouping £7,500 of housing benefit rents collected, after he failed to secure a Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) licence.
The Residential Property Tribunal’s... MORE |
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| ADDED
02/07/10 |
| Landlord agrees to pay £3,500 after being reported to Equality Commission |
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| A gay man who claimed a landlord evicted him from his property because of his sexuality has accepted a settlement of £3,500 after taking his case to the Equality Commission.
The case was referred to the commission by the Northern Ireland Gay Rights Association... MORE |
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ADDED
29/06/10 |
| Buy to let landlords warned to get paperwork in order as the taxman launches a crack down on property profits |
Buy to let landlords are again being reminded to ensure they include cash raised from property sales in their tax returns, by accountants UHY Hacker Young.
The firm says it is aware HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) is thoroughly investigating Land Registry records... MORE |
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ADDED
29/06/10 |
| Landlord sets up new referencing service to help identify problem tenants |
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A landlord with a portfolio of more than 100 properties is fighting back against what he calls ‘one-sided legislation against landlords’.
Paul Routledge of Cadogan House Investment Properties in Weston super Mare has created www.landlordreferencing.co.uk so that landlords... MORE |
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ADDED
29/06/10 |
| Buy to let is back with a bang as stats show mortgage lending is starting to improve |
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The buy to let industry is surging back to health after the recession according to financial and property specialists thanks to favourable mortgage deals and rising demand.
Three years ago there were 3,650 mortgages for landlords. This fell to under 180 late last year. MORE |
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| ADDED
29/06/10 |
| Buy to let landlord fined £4,000 for renting out sub standard home |
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A Lancashire landlord must pay more than £4,000 in costs and fines for letting his property in a sub-standard condition.
Council officials visited the buy to let home in Rishton after neighbours complained and they discovered broken windows, peeling paintwork... MORE |
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| ADDED
29/06/10 |
| Property investment company fined over buy to let home's safety breaches |
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| A property company has been fined more than £2,000 for renting out a home with a long list of healthy and safety breaches.
North Warwickshire Borough Council brought a prosecution against Berrywell Properties Ltd over its failure to carry out essential repairs and... MORE |
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ADDED
25/06/10 |
| Landlords react to the emergency Budget’s effect on the buy to let property market |
The Chancellor's emergency budget announcements have received a mixed response from those in the know in the property sector.
The rate of Capital Gains Tax has risen from 18 to 28 percent for higher rate taxpayers but remains at 18 percent for basic rate taxpayer... MORE |
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ADDED
25/06/10 |
| UK buy to let property investment outstripped by Asian landlords in capital |
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Buy to let landlords with property in the capital may be enjoying higher rental incomes but investment yields appear to have a glass ceiling, according to a new international investment report.
Knight Frank has discovered Asian property investors are now... MORE |
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ADDED
25/06/10 |
| Buy to let landlords poised to be cornerstone of future housing needs |
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Privately rented homes are likely to be an even more significant key to future housing needs by the end of this decade, says the Residential Landlords Association (RLA).
The RLA’s comments come as a new report suggests one in five households could be... MORE |
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| ADDED
25/06/10 |
| Landlord found guilty after failing to turn up in court |
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Rugby Magistrates Court has fined a private landlord £10,000 after Environmental Health Officers discovered very poor living conditions and very poor management practices at a significant number of her properties. Rugby Borough Council brought the prosecution against Gillian Woods, of... MORE |
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| ADDED
25/06/10 |
| Lettings agency picks up three top trophies at annual awards ceremony |
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| W.A. Ellis was a triple winner at the 2010 Lettings Agency of the Year Awards, held in association with The Sunday Times and The Times and Belvoir also picked up a top trophy.
The event, hosted by Estate Agency Events at the QII Conference Centre in London. MORE |
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ADDED
22/06/10 |
| Rising rents provide boost to landlords threatened by planned hike in CGT |
Landlords concerned about the effect of a Capital Gains Tax (CGT) rise on their property portfolio returns will be pleased to hear the average rent in the UK is increasing. The average rental price rose by 0.5 percent to £667 per month in May, according to the latest Buy to let... MORE |
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ADDED
22/06/10 |
| Property investment near new London rail link will not fall foul of government spending cuts |
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Buy to let landlords who have already invested in or are considering buying a Birmingham property to take advantage of the proposed high speed London rail link have been reassured it will not fall victim to the government’s cost cutting plans... MORE |
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ADDED
22/06/10 |
| ARLA urges government to lessen the impact of a CGT rise on buy to let landlords |
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The Chancellor must ensure landlords are not driven from the market by any rises in Capital Gains Tax (CGT) in his first Budget, according to the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA).
ARLA is calling on the government to treat private rented property as... MORE |
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| ADDED
22/06/10 |
| No hiding place for rogue landlords in Glasgow says Scottish government |
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A package of measures, backed by £1.8 million from the Scottish Government, is being introduced to tackle rogue landlords and revitalise Glasgow's Govanhill.
A total of £1.5 million is earmarked to refurbish and redesign the backcourts of Govanhill tenement blocks... MORE |
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| ADDED
22/06/10 |
| Landlord prosecuted for falling short of safety standards for HMO tenants |
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| Renting an unlicensed house that posed a significant fire risk has left two companies and their director facing a fine of £32,400.
Camden Council in London kick-started the prosecution, which is believed to be the first in the borough where a defendant has been... MORE |
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ADDED
18/06/10 |
| NLA praises decision to drop 'well-meaning but flawed' register of landlords |
The National Landlords Association (NLA) has welcomed news that a register of landlords proposed by the former Labour government is to be ditched.
But the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) believes private tenants and property investors will continue to suffer as it says the current system allows rogue... MORE |
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ADDED
18/06/10 |
| Buy to let landlords could see property investment values rise as market responds to abolition of HIPs |
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Buy to let landlords could see the value of their property investment portfolios increase due to the abolition of Home Information Packs (HIPs), according to new research.
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) says 22 percent more surveyors reported... MORE |
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ADDED
18/06/10 |
| Landlords left with hefty repair bills after more cannabis factories are discovered |
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Three more landlords have been left with massive repair bills after discovering their rental properties were being used as cannabis factories in the past week.
In Leicester a landlord found two of his houses were being used to grow the illegal Class C drug just two... MORE |
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| ADDED
18/06/10 |
| NLA calls upon Government to hold firm on LHA pledge to buy to let landlords |
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The National Landlords Association (NLA) is urging the government to stick to its Local Housing Allowance (LHA) promise, enabling tenants the chance to have their rent paid direct to their landlords.
Introduced in 2008 to replace Housing Benefit, LHA was intended to... MORE |
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| ADDED
18/06/10 |
| Jailed landlord faces £2m compensation claim by tenant who almost burnt to death |
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| A court order freezing the assets of a landlord jailed when one of his tenants nearly died in a fire at his property has been extended as the victim has launched a £2m compensation claim.
Twenty-year-old Norwich woman Layla Skalli has launched the claim in... MORE |
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ADDED
15/06/10 |
| Government promises buy to let landlords there will be no more red tape and regulations affecting property investments |
Housing Minister Grant Shapps has announced he will scrap plans to introduce new regulations on private landlords and letting agents.
But although the announcement has been welcomed by buy to let property investors, who believe they are already... MORE |
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ADDED
15/06/10 |
| Buy to let landlords call for an end to Government's plan to raise CGT |
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Private landlords have called on the Government to abandon plans to increase Capital Gains Tax (CGT) and instead work to reduce red tape swamping the lettings industry.
That's the finding from Upad's latest Rental Confidence Index survey, which asked... MORE |
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ADDED
15/06/10 |
| Specialist claims the buy to let market will remain a strong investment for landlords |
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Buy to let will remain a popular property investment option even if the rate of Capital Gains Tax (CGT) rises, according to independent lettings specialist Leaders.
CGT is currently set at a flat rate of 18 percent but there has been speculation this will be... MORE |
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| ADDED
15/06/10 |
| Good news for property investors as interest rate is put on hold again |
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Landlords keeping an eye on interest rates payable on their property investments have seen the Bank of England keep the base rate on hold at 0.5 per cent for June.
The rate has remained unchanged for 15 consecutive months and there is also no... MORE |
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| ADDED
15/06/10 |
| Landlords being monitored as residents complain over buy to let student HMOs |
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| A city council is monitoring landlords and the buy to let market due to residents’ concerns there are so many rental properties it is affecting whole communities.
New figures reveal more than half a street in York is solely occupied by students in buy to let accommodation. MORE |
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ADDED
11/06/10 |
| Landlords who rent out properties for stag and hen parties could be given ASBOs |
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ASBOS could be imposed on buy to let landlords in Edinburgh's who allow their properties to be used as ‘party flats’ under new plans to crack down on raucous stag and hen groups. Labour MSP Sarah Boyack, representing the city’s Central district, said... MORE |
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ADDED
11/06/10 |
| Wealthy overseas students make West End property investment an attractive proposition |
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A new trend for overseas students coming to study in London with increasingly high accommodation budgets is leading to an increase in landlords’ rental prices.
Specialist West End estate agency, LDG, has noticed there is a lack of good quality rental properties within areas such as Bloomsbury. MORE |
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ADDED
11/06/10 |
| Landlord failed in his legal and moral duty regarding his tenants' health and safety |
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A landlord who pleaded guilty to six charges relating to a house of multiple occupation (HMO) has been fined a total of £6,758.
Wycombe District Council recently brought the case against Itlaf Hussain who rents out the property in Oakridge Road, High Wycombe. MORE |
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| ADDED
11/06/10 |
| New lettings company offers 'networking' service to buy to let landlords and tenants |
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Landlords with a buy to let property investments in Manchester are being offered what is claimed to be a hassle-free rental and management service by Yourshack, a new lettings business.
The company has developed a package which it says will... MORE |
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| ADDED
11/06/10 |
| New guide is a 'vital tool' for landlords and letting agents |
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| A new guide has been produced for landlords and letting agents by Oxford City Council's Environmental Development service.
The authority says ‘Oxford Landlords: A Good Practice Guide’ provides all the information needed to be a good landlord and... MORE |
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ADDED
09/06/10 |
| Tributes paid to landlords' letting agent killed by Whitehaven gunman |
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Tributes have been made to Belvoir lettings agent James Clark, aged 23, who was one of the victims gunned down by cab driver Derrick Bird in Cumbria last week.
The reasons why Bird went on the rampage, randomly killing a total of 12 people in towns and villages around Whitehaven before finally turning the... MORE |
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ADDED
09/06/10 |
| Government should consider service provided by buy to let landlords as a business says MD |
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As buy to let investors await the expected rise in Capital Gains Tax (CGT), due to be detailed in the emergency Budget on Tuesday 22 June, one property specialist believes the move will have a damaging affect on the housing market as a whole. MORE |
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ADDED
09/06/10 |
| Landlords seek to attract tenants by making homes more energy efficient |
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Buy to let landlords have been taking steps to make their rental properties increasingly energy efficient, according to new research.
Following reports from the Energy Saving Trust that people find homes with a high rating on their Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) a more appealing proposition... MORE |
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| ADDED
09/06/10 |
| Buy to let landlords with studio flats offered guaranteed rent by charity for homeless |
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Brighton Housing Trust (BHT), a charity for the homeless, based in the seaside city, has launched a new and innovative scheme for landlords who rent out studio flats.
BHT is directly leasing studios from landlords and agents, and are able to provide... MORE |
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| ADDED
09/06/10 |
| Landlords can help overcome negative attitude to UK's social housing situation |
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| The majority of tenants waiting on council house lists would rather consider options that allowed them to rent from a private landlord says research carried out to identify current attitudes towards social housing and view’s on how the situation is likely to develop in... MORE |
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ADDED
04/06/10 |
| RLA chairman calls for more buy to let landlords to join CGT battle |
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More than 1,000 landlords have already taken action to join the campaign launched by the Residential Landlords Association (RLA) against the coalition government’s plans to increase Capital Gains Tax (CGT) by 40 percent in the budget on June 22.
But chairman Alan Ward has warned that a slight glitch on... MORE |
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ADDED
04/06/10 |
| Buy to let landlord ordered to turn flats back into a family home |
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A landlord who breached planning rules by converting a family home into three flats, has been told he must restore the property back to its original state.
The owner of the two-storey terraced house in Gilbey Road, Tooting, London, must carry out the necessary re-conversion works or face legal action... MORE |
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ADDED
04/06/10 |
| Landlords and holiday homeowners invited to open up their homes during 'Big Kick Off' |
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A group of estate agents is expecting thousands of landlords and homeowners to sign up for the 'The Big Kick Off', an Open House event taking place on 5 and 6 June.
Property services group Countrywide is coordinating the two-day event with 1,200 estate agency and lettings branches. MORE |
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| ADDED
04/06/10 |
| Private rental market is stabilising but it’s too early to refer to this as a 'recovery' |
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Optimism among private landlords has risen for the fifth consecutive quarter and is now at its highest level since the financial crisis hit in 2007 says the latest study by BDRC Continental, an independent market research agency. Almost a third of the 500 landlords... MORE |
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| ADDED
04/06/10 |
| Residential Landlord - In brief |
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Buy to let landlords in Scotland need to prepare for proposed changes to rental sector
Scottish landlords must act quickly if they want to attend the last NLA Landlord Expos being held at the Inchgarth Community Centre, Aboyne Place, Aberdeen, on 4 June, from 12-7pm... MORE |
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ADDED
01/06/10 |
| Decline in supply of buy to let properties pushes rents up says RICS survey |
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A lack of supply is pushing rents higher signalling a revival in the lettings market, says the latest RICS Lettings Survey.
The net balance of chartered surveyors reporting rising rather than falling rents rose from zero to 30 percent - a marked contrast to April last... MORE |
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ADDED
01/06/10 |
| Buy to let landlords form new association to help meet demand for housing |
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Rugby Borough Council is helping local private rented landlords form an association that will be known as the Rugby Landlord Association (RLA). It will enable accredited landlords to receive referrals from the authority.
The new group wants to meet with... MORE |
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ADDED
01/06/10 |
| Landlord's rent decreases will be ‘non-existent in 2010’ |
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A lack of rental stock is pushing up the values of houses for rent and this is good news for buy to let landlords reports The Move Channel.
It says that latest statistics show that at the end of March stock levels were down 41 percent on a year-by-year comparison but that demand for properties went up by 20 percent after... MORE |
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| ADDED
01/06/10 |
| Buy to let landlords with HMOs may face more licensing legislation |
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Oxford City Council is considering introducing an Additional Licensing Scheme for landlords with Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMO) to cover the whole city.
Council chiefs have started a 10-week consultation process on the proposed scheme that finishes on 21 June 2010. MORE |
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| ADDED
01/06/10 |
| Housing scheme expanded to included buy to let landlords |
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| Private buy to let landlords are being invited to join a scheme in Bournemouth that has been expanded to give residents more choice and more opportunities to find a suitable home to rent in the area.
HomeChoice, Bournemouth Council’s lettings service, was... MORE |
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ADDED
28/05/10 |
| Value of landlords’ property investment portfolios accelerates |
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The general improvement in UK house prices is reflected in the value of residential property investor’s portfolios, claims Paragon Mortgages in its latest ‘Trends’ research.
It showed that the average value of landlords’ portfolios jumped 6.1 percent during... MORE |
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ADDED
28/05/10 |
| Buy to let landlords with HMOs may face more licensing legislation |
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Oxford City Council is considering introducing an Additional Licensing Scheme for landlords with Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMO) to cover the whole city.
Council chiefs have started a 10-week consultation process on the proposed scheme that... MORE |
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ADDED
28/05/10 |
| Local authorities get behind launch of landlords accreditation scheme |
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The recently launched national roll out of the National Landlords Association (NLA) Accreditation coincides with the news that 173 local authorities from across the United Kingdom have expressed a strong interest in moving forward with the scheme. MORE |
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| ADDED
28/05/10 |
| Mortgage experts get more precise about buy to let landlords |
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Exact Mortgage Experts has launched a brand new lender called Precise Mortgages, focusing on the buy to let market. It will advance mortgages to investment landlords who have at least a 25pc deposit. Ian Lonergan, CEO said: “Over the last two years a fundamental mortgage shortfall has... MORE |
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| ADDED
28/05/10 |
| Jailed landlord pays £20,000 compensation to tenant who almost died in fire |
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| A landlord serving a 30-month prison sentence, after his tenant almost burnt to death when she was trapped inside his property, has had his jail term reduced after he paid her £20,000 in compensation.
Michael Billings, aged 55, of Ashman’s Hall, Barsham, Beccles, Suffolk, was... MORE |
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ADDED
25/05/10 |
| Property investors welcome suspension of controversial HIPs scheme |
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The suspension of Home Information Packs (HIPs) by the new coalition government has been broadly welcomed by buy to let investors and the property industry in general, although sellers will still require an energy performance certificate (EPC)... MORE |
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ADDED
25/05/10 |
| Residential landlord increases property investment after going back into profit |
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Grainger plc, the UK's largest listed specialist residential landlord, has returned to profit according to its financial results for the six months ending 31 March 2010.
It had an operating profit of £48m, an increase of 16 percent over the same period in 2009. Profit before tax improved to £3.5m. MORE |
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ADDED
25/05/10 |
| Landlords see increase in buy to let mortgage products |
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Having been hit hard by the recent credit crisis, the buy to let sector is fighting back according to the financial comparison site Moneyfacts.co.uk.
At its lowest point in September 2009, 95 percent of the 3,662 buy to let products that were available at the peak of the market in August 2007 had been withdrawn. MORE |
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| ADDED
25/05/10 |
| Buy to let landlords must react to what modern day students want says survey |
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The 88 percent of university students (1,180,185 approx) currently living in privately rented accommodation, provide a huge market of tenants for buy to let landlords. However, a recent survey suggests that the days of roughing it in ‘digs’ are long gone, and... MORE |
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| ADDED
25/05/10 |
| New president urges landlords to use ARLA agents |
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| ARLA-licensed agents are the only way to ensure both landlord and tenant are protected says Sue Hughes-Thomas who has just been named as the letting association’s new president.
She became a letting agent 24 years ago and has since worked her way... MORE |
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ADDED
21/05/10 |
| Buy to let landlords see their rents and yields go up |
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Landlords are celebrating improved total returns over the last 12 months as rent rose and house prices maintained their recovery in April, according to the latest Buy to let Index from LSL Property Services plc.
Plus latest research from the Association of Residential Lettings Agents (ARLA) revealed that almost... MORE |
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ADDED
21/05/10 |
| Value of property investments makes landlords feel better about the future |
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Landlord optimism is at its highest since 2007 but remains fragile, according to the National Landlords Association (NLA) Landlords’ Optimism Index, published for the first time recently.
57 percent of landlords rate overall prospects for their lettings business over the next three months as good or very good. MORE |
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ADDED
21/05/10 |
| Increase in CGT will deter future investment by buy to let landlords says ARLA |
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The newly formed Coalition Government’s proposal to increase the rate of Capital Gains Tax by a possible 22 percent presents a grave threat to landlords and the Private Rental Sector (PRS), according to the Association of Residential Lettings Agents (ARLA). MORE |
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| ADDED
21/05/10 |
| Kensington sets its sights on buy to let landlords with more than one property |
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Mortgage company Kensington has launched into buy to let with products it says will provide new opportunities for existing landlords to expand their portfolio.
Kensington is targeting experienced landlords who already have at least two buy to let properties. MORE |
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| ADDED
21/05/10 |
| More landlords find cannabis factories in their properties |
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| The widespread problem of rented accommodation being used by criminals to cultivate cannabis plants continues with buy to let landlords having to pick up the bill for the destruction left behind.
A landlord in Walton, Surrey, became concerned recently when he... MORE |
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ADDED
18/05/10 |
| Buy to let lending settles into a period of stable, low-volume activity |
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Buy to let mortgage activity in the first three months of this year settled back to former levels, following a modest upturn in house purchase by investors at the end of last year triggered by the stamp duty holiday, according to data recently released by the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML). MORE |
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ADDED
18/05/10 |
| Landlord association urges new housing minister to repeal shared housing laws |
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The appointment of Grant Shapps MP as the new Minister for Housing in the Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG) in the Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition government has been broadly welcomed by the property industry. MORE |
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ADDED
18/05/10 |
| Buy to let property investment could bear the brunt of CGT increases warns BPF |
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The new government’s announcement that they intend to increase capital gains tax from 18 percent to 40 percent is going to hit individual investors in buy to let properties.
The British Property Federation (BPF) has reacted to the news by calling for target rollover relief from... MORE |
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| ADDED
18/05/10 |
| Landlord says jail may be the only answer as he has no money to pay fine |
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A landlord told magistrates they should send him to jail as he had no way of paying a £20,000 fine they imposed after he pleaded guilty to a series of charges involving the condition of his rental properties.
Magistrates heard that Ahsan Khan, aged 53, had been renting out bedsits in the Bradford area for more than 30 years. MORE |
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| ADDED
18/05/10 |
| University students are seeking out off site landlords |
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| Buy to let owners with properties in university towns and cities will be benefitting from the fact that many students in Britain are choosing to live off-campus.
A recent investigation by China’s Global Times newspaper recently found that students are turning their... MORE |
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ADDED
20/04/10 |
| Banks must be more flexible in supporting buy to let landlords says ARLA |
There is not enough rental property to meet consumer demand in the UK and the situation is worsening, according to Q1 research from the Association of Residential Lettings Agents (ARLA).
Insufficient supply of good quality property means that the private... MORE |
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ADDED
20/04/10 |
| Buy to let landlords see ‘beginnings of the seasonal spring surge’ |
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Landlords are enjoying changes in the buy to let market, with rising rents, rising house prices and falling arrears, according to the latest Buy to Let Index from LSL Property Services plc.
The index states that the average rent in the UK rose 0.1percent in March to £659 per... MORE |
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ADDED
20/04/10 |
| Conservatives would offer best support to private rented sector states landlord survey |
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With election fever starting to heat up, the majority of residential landlords believe that that a Conservative government would bring them the greatest benefit according to the latest Young Index survey of residential investment sentiment. MORE |
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| ADDED
20/04/10 |
| Number of loans for property investment rises but remortgaging still remains weak |
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Although a recent landlord survey found that the majority believe access to mortgage finance will prevent them from investing in additional property, the number of loans advanced for house purchase increased by 12 percent in February, according to figures released... MORE |
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| ADDED
20/04/10 |
| Shared housing debate causes row between landlord group and minister |
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| The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, John Denham, has waded into the shared housing row by accusing David Cameron of “doing favours for the National Landlords Association (NLA) rather than listening to residents’ concerns.” MORE |
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ADDED
15/04/10 |
| Buy to let landlords turn to Facebook to help fight government's Use Classes Order |
The Residential Landlords Association (RLA) is using the power of the social networking website Facebook to help tackle the government over its new planning laws that affect rented accommodation.
The laws are designed to change the way that rented.... MORE |
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ADDED
15/04/10 |
| Landlord confidence in rental market remains positive for second month running |
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Although there was no rise in the number of landlords feeling more confident about the buy to let sector this month the outlook generally is still upbeat.
Upad.co.uk’s latest Rental Confidence Index survey found that 61 percent of those surveyed said they felt more... MORE |
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ADDED
15/04/10 |
| Buy to let property investment crowds out first time buyers claim campaigners |
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A secret briefing to the then Labour leader Tony Blair revealed that a generation of first time buyers were being priced out of the market by buy to let investors, but the government chose to do nothing about it, claims a campaign group.
PricedOut, the campaign for... MORE |
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| ADDED
15/04/10 |
| Landlord caught breaching HMO licence after fire failed to set off alarm |
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A buy to let landlord whose tenants only discovered that the fire alarm in their home wasn’t working when a fire failed to set it off is facing a bill of more than £14,000.
Azmat Anwar of 8 Brudenell Mount, Headingley, Leeds, pleaded guilty to six breaches of her House in Multiple Occupancy (HMO) licence, including... MORE |
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| ADDED
15/04/10 |
| Residential Landlord - In brief |
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Buy to let landlord fails ‘fit and proper person’ test
A landlord who has almost 40 properties in Scotland has had four of his HMO licences revoked after failing an Edinburgh City Council ‘fit and proper’ person test. ... MORE |
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ADDED
12/04/10 |
| Buy to let holiday home owners could see record lettings this year |
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Property investors with buy to let holiday homes will have seen a surge in bookings due to more people deciding on a ‘staycation’ this year claims a holiday lettings company.
Wight Locations on the Isle of Wight reported a 32 percent rise last year... MORE |
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ADDED
12/04/10 |
| Many landlord and letting agent agreements are out of date says student law team |
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Students should check the tenancy agreements supplied by landlords and letting agents with a solicitor or their National Union of Students’ (NUS) office advises a report from Student Housing.
It followed a survey that showed many students are signing documents that fail... MORE |
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ADDED
12/04/10 |
| Buy to let landlords should protect their investments says advisory service |
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The Leasehold Advisory service (LEASE) report a growing number of calls from resident leaseholders who are trying to improve their building or the way it is managed but come unstuck because buy to let owners are not willing to participate in exercising the... MORE |
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| ADDED
12/04/10 |
| Buy to let investors need higher level of protection says property ombudsman |
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Britain’s property ombudsman has recommended that government ensure more effective regulation of letting agents, reports the Residential Landlords Association (RLA).
Ombudsman Christopher Hamer sees this as a way to offer residential landlords... MORE |
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| ADDED
12/04/10 |
| Tenant tried to claim extra benefits by lying about rents he was paying his landlord |
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| A 26-year-old Yeovil man forged details on a rent certificate and lied about the amount he was paying to his landlord in order to claim benefits, a South Somerset District Council investigation has revealed.
At Yeovil Magistrates Court recently, Timothy Seddon... MORE |
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ADDED
07/04/10 |
| Buy to let landlord petition attracts more than 1,000 signatures in 24 hours |
The Residential Landlords Association (RLA) has praised Conservative leader David Cameron for his opposition to government proposals to use planning legislation as a way of breaking up the areas of shared student housing that surround the UK’s... MORE |
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ADDED
07/04/10 |
| Forget property investment - we'd rather rent long term, say tenants |
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The UK lettings sector is moving towards a European model that sees tenants rent over the long term as part of a lifestyle choice, according to lettingsearch.co.uk.
A recent poll conducted by the lettings only portal reveals that 41 percent of current tenants cannot raise... MORE |
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ADDED
07/04/10 |
| Landlords' tenancy deposits moved to new company by letting agents |
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The recent deadline for letting agents to re-subscribe to the Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS) brought news that Countrywide Residential Lettings has decided not to rejoin.
Instead the ARLA member which has 200 offices throughout the UK, has decided to give its... MORE |
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| ADDED
07/04/10 |
| Buy to let landlord stripped tenants of their dignity by making them live in squalor |
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| A Fulham landlord, accused of forcing his tenants to live in squalor, has had his bid to overturn an order prohibiting him from renting out the same property dismissed.
At least five people rented space from Rizwan Ahmed at 796 Fulham Road, but a... MORE |
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| ADDED
07/04/10 |
| Landlords and property investors offered support to help deliver quality housing |
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A recent event designed to improve quality in rented accommodation by working with private landlords across the Selby district has been branded a success.
The free event run by Selby District Council in partnership with the National Landlord Association NLA)... MORE |
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ADDED
01/04/10 |
| Tory leader joins landlords in opposition to Town and Country Planning Order |
Conservative leader David Cameron has raised the issue of shared housing in Parliament by calling for the Town and Country Planning Order, which would limit access to shared housing, to be revoked.
The government plans have previously been widely criticised by landlords, lettings agents due to... MORE |
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ADDED
01/04/10 |
| Buy to let landlords set up their own lettings company to avoid 'extortionate fees' |
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Two landlords who are fed up with ‘fat-cat letting agents’ have teamed up to provide what they claim is a revolutionary new service.
David Plaister, who is also a former letting agent, and Michael Martin, who is CEO of Quadron Environmental Services Ltd... MORE |
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ADDED
01/04/10 |
| Landlords charge students higher rents as they demand more claims agent |
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Two landlords and a gas service engineer have been fined a total of £19,000 after a mother and her six-year-old daughter were severely affected by carbon monoxide.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) recently brought a case against brothers Robert and David Watts... MORE |
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| ADDED
01/04/10 |
| Buy to let landlords providing better evidence in tenancy deposit dispute cases |
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| While 99.4 percent of private tenants’ rent deposits are returned without problems at the end of the lease period, there has been a marked shift in the outcome of disputes in the remaining cases, with landlords being more successful with claims than a year ago. MORE |
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| ADDED
01/04/10 |
| Residential Landlord - In brief |
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Landlord caught out by building regulations
A landlord has been ordered to pay more than £800 in fines and costs after failing to comply with building regulations.
Balvantbhai Patel of Hayward Avenue, Loughborough, pleaded guilty to five charges... MORE |
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ADDED
30/03/10 |
| Election fever hots up but buy to let landlords are left out in the cold by Budget |
With an election on the horizon, the recent 2010 Budget was always going to have plenty of political significance, but what did Chancellor Alastair Darling have in it for landlords and property investors? Not a lot according to the National Landlords Association (NLA). MORE |
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ADDED
30/03/10 |
| Chancellor accussed of missing his chance to freshen up property investment market |
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The Residential Landlords Association (RLA) has accused Chancellor Alistair Darling of missing an opportunity to create jobs and add prosperity in the housing market through fiscal stimulus in his Budget.... MORE |
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ADDED
30/03/10 |
| Tenants poisoned after landlords failed to service boiler |
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Two landlords and a gas service engineer have been fined a total of £19,000 after a mother and her six-year-old daughter were severely affected by carbon monoxide.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) recently brought a case against brothers Robert and David Watts... MORE |
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| ADDED
30/03/10 |
| Buy to let landlords need more government help to encourage property investments |
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| The UK is in dire need of good quality rental accommodation, according to a survey at this year’s Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA) annual conference.
The organisation conducted the poll to assess the state of the Private Rented Sector... MORE |
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| ADDED
30/03/10 |
| Increasing amount of red tape causes landlords to turn to management companies |
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| There has been a huge increase in demand for landlords and property investors who want to have their rental accommodation managed, claims one of the UK’s letting agencies.
Townends Estate Agents, part of the Badger Holdings Group, says an ever... MORE |
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ADDED
26/03/10 |
| Election and budget must not hold back buy to let property investment says ARLA |
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The election must not be an excuse to hold back the growth of the Private Rented Sector (PRS), according to the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA). The organisation has stressed that the PRS is a key element of the Government’s future housing... MORE |
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ADDED
26/03/10 |
| Essex property investment ready for take off as airport prepares to expand |
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Property investors with holiday homes or rental accommodation in Essex were given an Olympic boost recently following news that plans have been approved to extend the runway at Southend Airport.
The proposed improvements at the airport will also assist in the regeneration of the area which in turn will... MORE |
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ADDED
26/03/10 |
| Landlord register to be introduced in Northern Ireland for first time |
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Plans to significantly raise standards within the private rented sector in Northern Ireland have been announced by Social Development Minister Margaret Ritchie.
The new plans include:
A mandatory landlord registration scheme, which will see landlords provide... MORE |
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| ADDED
26/03/10 |
| Buy to let landlords welcome council clamp down on illegal sub letting |
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| Buy to let residential landlords in Oxford who are losing out on potential tenants due to people illegally sub letting their social housing are being given a hand by the City Council.
The authority has created a new role to tackle tenancy fraud after successfully bidding for... MORE |
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ADDED
24/03/10 |
| TLC for landlords please Darling says NLA |
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Next week’s Budget should be firmly focused on housing and changing the tax system to encourage further investment in private residential accommodation, according to the National Landlords Association (NLA).
Recent Government figures showed that between 2001 and 2008 the number of people renting... MORE |
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ADDED
24/03/10 |
| Resurgence of buy to let property investment from prospective landlords |
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There has been a resurgence of interest in buy to let in the South, with an increase in enquiries from prospective landlords considering buying properties to rent out for the first time and those wanting to extend their portfolios, says an independent letting specialist. MORE |
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ADDED
24/03/10 |
| Landlords and letting agents get together to celebrate forum's 15th birthday |
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Around 40 private landlords and letting agents from across Arun in West Sussex gathered to toast the 15th anniversary of their Landlords Forum this month. Glasses were raised and a celebratory cake in the shape of a house was cut by Arun’s Chairman-elect Cllr Dudley Wensley as he officially opened... MORE |
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| ADDED
24/03/10 |
| Buy to let Landlord fined £5,000 after admitting 23 HMO offences |
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| A landlord who rented a London property in which tenants lives were routinely put at risk was told by a judge it was one of the ‘worst cases’ he had seen. Stratford Magistrates’ Court heard how Devinder Jalaf, aged 53, rented out the home for three years... MORE |
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| ADDED
24/03/10 |
| Landlord told to repay £6,000 of rent paid out of taxpayers money |
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| A Salford landlord prosecuted for failing to get a licence for a property he rented has been ordered to pay back more than £6,000 of taxpayers' money.
It is the first action of its kind taken by the city council and comes at the same time that three other landlords have been fined for not having the licences they require. MORE |
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ADDED
18/03/10 |
| Spring comes early for buy to let landlords as rents begin to rise |
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Rents rose 0.3 percent in February, according to the latest Buy to Let Index from LSL Property Services plc.
The average rent in the UK reached £658 per month, 3.2 percent higher than a year ago, roughly in line with inflation. MORE |
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ADDED
18/03/10 |
| Retrospective rise in AST threshold could catch landlords with buy to let property investments on the wrong side of the law |
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The Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST) threshold will rise to £100,000 on 1 October 2010 and this rise will apply retrospectively according to information given to the National Landlords Association (NLA) by the government.
The proposal to increase the... MORE |
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ADDED
18/03/10 |
| Joint landlords both fined for failing to carry out repairs in ‘mouldy’ flats |
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A father and son were made to pay more than £7,500 for allowing tenants to live in a damp house peppered with cracks and mould.
Stratford Magistrates' Court heard were told that the four-storey house had been converted into four separate flats. MORE |
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| ADDED
18/03/10 |
| Landlords asked to rise up against government plans |
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| The Residential Landlords Association (RL) is attempting to mobilise the property industry into action to oppose government plans being introduced at the start of next month that it believes will have a negative affect on the Private Rented Sector. MORE |
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| ADDED
18/03/10 |
| Some buy to let investors still struggling to meet creditors' demands |
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A sharp rise in buy to let investment casualties has seen increasing numbers of people looking for serious debt advice, warns debt solution comparison site IVA.com.
The company, which has just published its latest (March 2010) data, reported a 53 percent leap in distressed buy to let investors struggling to pay their creditors. MORE |
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ADDED
15/03/10 |
| Philip Schofield would make a perfect celebrity landlord say tenants |
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Landlords are assuming the role of surrogate mothers as new research shows tenants are making their renting decision based on the ability to offer a friendly shoulder to cry on, rather than price.
Surprisingly, it is women who are more interested in traditional landlord skills... MORE |
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ADDED
15/03/10 |
| Buy to let landlord loses High Court battle to overturn conviction in land registry case |
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A landlord who claimed that his local city council targeted Asian property investors has failed in his attempt to have a conviction brought by the authority overturned in the High Court.
Sabz Ali Khan of Oakfield Road, Newport, had previously been found guilty of failing to... MORE |
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ADDED
15/03/10 |
| Seminar to help buy to let landlords deal with LHA hailed a success |
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The first in a series of seminars on the Local Housing Allowance system given by tenant eviction specialist Landlord Action has proved a great success with a considerable number of delegates attending the event held at The Holiday Inn, London Kensington Forum last month.
The seminar, held in response to... MORE |
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| ADDED
15/03/10 |
| Company targets property investors with million pound holiday homes in Cornwall |
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| Cornish Gems, is launching a new service dedicated to managing multimillion pound holiday homes owned by buy to let property investors.
The properties will rent in the region of £2,000 - £8000 per week, and many have attractive luxury facilities such as home cinemas, swimming pools, saunas, gyms and... MORE |
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| ADDED
15/03/10 |
| City landlords taken to court for failing to have the right licences |
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| A Salford landlord prosecuted for failing to get a licence for a property he rented has been ordered to pay back more than £6,000 of taxpayers' money.
It is the first action of its kind taken by the city council and comes at the same time that three other landlords have been... MORE |
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ADDED
11/03/10 |
| Buy to let landlords welcome regulation as long as it is proportionate |
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The majority of landlords support stronger regulation of buy to let mortgages and advice, according to a survey conducted by LSL Property Services plc.
But not all landlords are the same, so the Treasury and FSA must resist the temptation to impose ‘one size fits all’... MORE |
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ADDED
11/03/10 |
| Government must support property investment in private rented sector |
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The British Property Federation (BPF) is holding up the recent findings of English Housing Survey as another reason that the UK should have a more professional rental market similar to Europe and America where large rental blocks exist, much like retail parks or... MORE |
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ADDED
11/03/10 |
| Buy to let remortgaging among landlords and investors continues to decline |
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The proportion of buy to let landlords remortgaging their investment properties continued to decline in the final quarter of 2009, research from Paragon Mortgages has revealed.
Paragon Mortgages’ Financial Adviser Confidence Tracker (FACT) Index, a... MORE |
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| ADDED
11/03/10 |
| Landlord faces £25,000 bill due to his 'cavalier attitude to fire safety' |
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| A landlord and owner of rental accommodation has been fined £15,000 plus £10,000 towards costs, after pleading guilty to seven charges relating to inadequate fire safety standards.
Proceedings were brought following a visit to the property in Shirley Avenue, Southampton, by members of Hampshire Fire and Rescue... MORE |
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| ADDED
11/03/10 |
| Tenant sits 'at home' to highlight new landlord accreditation scheme |
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| A Portsmouth councillor set up home in the city's main square last month to promote the local authority’s new Landlord Accreditation Scheme.
Cllr Steven Wylie, Cabinet Member for Housing on Portsmouth City Council, sat in an armchair in a temporary... MORE |
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ADDED
05/03/10 |
| Property investment could suffer when voters go to the polls for election |
It could be swings and roundabouts for property investors if there is a good turnout in the coming election as history shows that this tends to cool the housing market according to estate agents Your Move. MORE |
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ADDED
05/03/10 |
| Buy to let landlords welcome proposals to make homes more energy efficient |
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Private renters and landlords should benefit greatly from the latest Government plans to encourage householders to make their homes warmer and cheaper, according to the National Landlords Association (NLA).
The Pay as You Save scheme proposal announced this week will provide cash in the form of loans to residential... MORE |
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ADDED
05/03/10 |
| Buy to let landlords who rent out Scottish 'slums' could be targeted by 'hit squads' |
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Special ‘hit squads’ should be set up by the local authorities in Glasgow to break the back of the slum landlord problem in Govanhill.
This is the view of Scottish Housing Minister Alex Neil after an evidence session on the slum housing in the area was held at... MORE |
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| ADDED
05/03/10 |
| Marital aids continue to top list of items left behind for landlords to clear up |
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Sex toys are still the number one item left behind by tenants when they move out of a property, according to a new survey by The Deposit Protection Service (DPS).
In a poll of more than 1,000 landlords across the UK, sex toys were the most frequently left behind item landlords had to dispose of. MORE |
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| ADDED
05/03/10 |
| ARLA unveils bespoke buy to let mortgage comparison website |
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| The Association of residential letting Agents (ARLA) has launched a free online comparison site specifically for landlords and the buy-to-let market.
The ARLA Mortgages service was unveiled at the 2010 ARLA Conference in conjunction with sister products... MORE |
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ADDED
02/03/10 |
| Associations back RICS claim that national landlord register does not go far enough |
The Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA) and National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) have united in their support of a recent RICS report into Transparency in Professional Fees and how they affect landlords in the Private Rental Sector (PRS). MORE |
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ADDED
02/03/10 |
| Lack of property developments in capital helps maintain buy to let rental values |
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Buy to let landlords in the London area will enjoy greater yields in 2010 and are well positioned to take advantage of the current market say two property specialists. Residential property investor David Pearl and letting agent Stephen Ludlow, Director of ludlowthompson.com, agree that the fall in house prices have made... MORE |
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ADDED
02/03/10 |
| February sees property investments slip in the snow but prices should edge up |
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Residential property investors saw the value of their portfolios slip in the winter snow during February with house prices falling by 1.0 percent month-on-month in February according to the latest figures from Nationwide. But the company’s chief economist... MORE |
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| ADDED
02/03/10 |
| Seaside town tops list of best places for buy to let yields |
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| Blackpool is the place to be for buy to let landlords as the seaside destination topped a list of 100 towns that provide the best yields.
A survey carried out by FindaProperty.com for This is Money, concluded that buy to let investors looking for the best returns... MORE |
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| ADDED
02/03/10 |
| CAB sees sharp rise in tenants who need help after getting into debt with landlords |
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| The number of enquiries from tenants seeking advice on what to do after getting into rent arrears with private landlords went up by 25 percent in the last quarter of 2009 says the Citizens Advice Bureaux (CAB).
The charity organisation is now seeing record numbers of... MORE |
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ADDED
26/02/10 |
| Tenants turn to private buy to let landlords due to decline in homeownership |
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The number of people renting privately from buy to let investors in the current economic climate continues to grow as government figures recently published in the English Housing Survey show that just 67.9 percent of English households now own their home, the lowest percentage since 1991. MORE |
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ADDED
26/02/10 |
| Rise in number of buy to let holiday home customers |
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Buy to let holiday home rentals will continue to grow in popularity in the coming year, according to HomeAway UK, the holiday rentals specialist.
In its latest Marketplace Report the company found that 89 percent of travellers surveyed plan to stay in a rental in 2010. MORE |
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ADDED
26/02/10 |
| Public Protection Team looks out for property investments in disrepair |
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A team dedicated to cutting the number of sub-standard homes in Liverpool has successfully prosecuted a landlord who defied enforcement action. He is one of 514 property owners to be served with similar notices in the last year. MORE |
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| ADDED
26/02/10 |
| Property investment confidence begins to recover in Scotland |
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| House purchase activity in Scotland continued to pick up in the final three months of 2009, according to new data released by the Council of Mortgage Lenders today. There were 14,200 loans for house purchase in the fourth quarter (worth £1.6 billion), up... MORE |
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| ADDED
26/02/10 |
| Property specialist goes on tour to help landlords with LHA problems |
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| Paul Shamplina, director and co-founder of Landlord Action, has received so many calls from frustrated landlords regarding issues with Local Housing Allowance tenants that he has decided to hit the road. The company, which specialises in providing... MORE |
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ADDED
24/02/10 |
| Government must stop tying buy to let landlords up in red tape |
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The buy to let sector is becoming over-regulated says tenant eviction and rent recovery specialists Landlord Assist, one of a growing list of organisations who are concerned by the growing amount of red tape.
The firm’s comments come following potential measures outlined by the Government’s housing minister... MORE |
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ADDED
24/02/10 |
| Foxtons order has wider implications for letting industry and landlords says OFT |
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The OFT has secured a final High Court order against Foxtons Ltd preventing the agency from using certain terms concerning sales and commissions in its letting agreements with consumer landlords.
More widely, the OFT is also writing to a number of letting agents... MORE |
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ADDED
24/02/10 |
| Landlord fined for renting unlicensed student digs with inadequate fire safety |
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A buy to let landlord who rented a house to six students that was only suitable for four people has been fined £3,000.
Medway Magistrates recently convicted George Partou of operating an unlicensed House in Multiple Occupation (HMO). MORE |
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| ADDED
24/02/10 |
| No room for landlords in Birmingham who fail to comply with the law says councillor |
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| A private buy to let landlord who was fined after failing to obtain House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) Licences from Birmingham City Council also turned down the opportunity to apply for the right documentation when offered the chance after the court case... MORE |
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| ADDED
24/02/10 |
| Two buy to let investors prosecuted after claiming benefit for non-existant tenants |
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| A Luton landlord has been given a 12 month Conditional Discharge after being convicted of a benefit fraud offence.
Alan Brown, aged 66, of 17 Runley Road, Luton, appeared at Luton Crown Court recently and pleaded guilty of a charge of failing to notify a change... MORE |
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ADDED
19/02/10 |
| Buy to let lending increases but still way down on previous years |
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New buy to let lending increased for the second consecutive quarter in the last three months of 2009, according to figures released from the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML).
There were 25,800 new loans advanced in quarter four, up from 23,700 in the third quarter but down from... MORE |
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ADDED
19/02/10 |
| Landlord allowed HMO to be used in a dangerous and dirty condition |
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A landlord has been convicted and fined a total of £5,700, including costs, for keeping a house in a dangerous and dirty condition for tenants. A £15 victim surcharge was also imposed.
Greenwich Magistrates Court’s decided that Janet Osei, the landlord of the house in... MORE |
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ADDED
19/02/10 |
| Phantom buy to let landlords fleece prospective tenants |
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The Citizens Advice organisation has issued a warning about an internet scam in which ‘landlords’ get prospective tenants to make a ‘secure’ money transfer to start renting a property which then turns out not to exist. The national charity is urging people to take extra care when searching for rooms or property... MORE |
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| ADDED
19/02/10 |
| University funding cuts will affect students looking for buy to let rental accommodation |
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| Buy to let landlords could lose out through the cut in University funding as it could alter the type of accommodation demanded by students as tuition fees and the number of international students increases to alleviate funding shortfalls, new research from... MORE |
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| ADDED
19/02/10 |
| Buy to let regulatory proposals for property investment 'are barking up the wrong tree' |
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| The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) has come out against a proposal to extend ‘conduct of business’ regulation to buy to let lending which was suggested following a Treasury consultation which would... MORE |
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ADDED
15/02/10 |
| Steady rental income and capital growth is the way forward for buy to let landlords |
Yields on residential property fell to 4.75 percent in January as rents slipped while property prices powered ahead. This is the lowest level since August 2008, according to the latest Buy to Let Index from LSL Property Services, which operates a network of UK... MORE |
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ADDED
15/02/10 |
| Landlord fined £15,000 for unsafe conditions at HMO |
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A landlord who attempted to claim that it was exempt from HMO licensing regulations has been fined £15,000 after Lewisham Council prosecuted him for leaving his rented property in unsafe and dangerous conditions. Paul Banks who owns a four-storey house in... MORE |
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ADDED
15/02/10 |
| Plans for private rental sector are impractical says Landlord specialist |
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Landlord Assist has joined the growing list of property specialists who are critical of the Government’s latest proposals to make the private rental sector more transparent.
The organisation says the plans aimed at providing private tenants with more help and protection, which include setting up a new housing... MORE |
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| ADDED
15/02/10 |
| Landlords' confidence in buy to let market continues to grow |
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| Landlords and property investors are feeling more confident about the buy to let market says the latest Rental Confidence Index compiled by Upad.co.uk.
Its poll found that 57 percent of UK landlords are more upbeat about buy to let market in... MORE |
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| ADDED
15/02/10 |
| Rental demand means more opportunities for buy to let property investment |
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| There has been an increase in demand for rental accommodation at the start of 2010, with demand outstripping supply in parts of Sussex, Hampshire, Surrey, Hertfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Dorset, reports letting specialist Leaders. MORE |
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ADDED
10/02/10 |
| Increased criminal activity in buy to let properties leaves landlords out of pocket |
Landlords’ properties are being targeted by criminal gangs as a cover for illegal activity, according to the National Landlords Association (NLA).
Privately-rented homes across the UK are being used as a smokescreen to grow cannabis in homemade ‘factories’, and produce the harmful drug... MORE |
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ADDED
10/02/10 |
| Buy to Let Landlords still facing growing arrears claims eviction specialist |
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Tenant evictions instigated by buy to let property investors ARE on the increase despite recent statistics saying the contrary claims Landlord Assist, the nationwide tenant eviction and rent collection service. According to statistics released earlier this... MORE |
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ADDED
10/02/10 |
| New buy to let property investment mortgage to help with refurbishments |
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A new buy to let mortgage product aimed at investors looking to purchase or refinance properties in need of refurbishment has been launched by Mortgages for Business.
The Refurbishment Mortgage will, says the company, provide a one-stop-shop deal for this... MORE |
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| ADDED
10/02/10 |
| It’s going to be a lucrative 2010 for buy to let landlords says letting specialist |
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| A lack of available properties to let is making prospective tenants make decisions quicker and the most sought after buy to let properties in the current market are one and two bedroom apartments and three bedroom houses, according to the lettings department at... MORE |
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| ADDED
10/02/10 |
| Property investment specialist and his family attacked in their home |
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| A buy to let property investment specialist, who reportedly became a multi-millionaire before part of his company collapsed last year with massive debts, has been the target of a violent assault and robbery.
A masked gang of six forced there into the Lancashire home of... MORE |
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ADDED
05/02/10 |
| Landlord association accuses government of 'jumping its own gun' over HMOs |
Deplorable and draconian is how the Residential Landlords Association (RLA) is describing new government measures that will have an affect on how and where people can live.
The Association has joined a growing band of organisations which are... MORE |
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ADDED
05/02/10 |
| Buy to let landlords relax payment rules to keep their properties occupied |
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In the current housing market, landlords are doing all they can to keep tenants in their properties - even if it involves more leniency towards late rent payments, claims a new survey by easyroommate.co.uk.
From 2004 until 2008, the number of tenant evictions rose... MORE |
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ADDED
05/02/10 |
| Landlord put tenants’ lives at risk by ignoring gas defects warning |
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A landlord put his tenants’ lives at risk by allowing carbon monoxide from a kitchen boiler to leak into his rental property even though he had been warned there were defects by a gas installer.
Graham Barnes, aged 49, from Bicester Road in... MORE |
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| ADDED
05/02/10 |
| National Park will attract more customers for buy to let holiday home owners |
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| Buy to let holiday home owners from East Hampshire, and East and West Sussex are set to benefit from an increase in tourism and a significant rise in the value of their properties when the new South Downs National Park is created on 31 March this year. MORE |
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| ADDED
05/02/10 |
| Residential Landlord - In brief |
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Tenancy deposit scheme is working despite row over
price increases says National Landlords Association
Despite the furore surrounding the price increases being imposed by the Tenancy Deposit Scheme, the legislation introduced in April 2007 is working, according to the National Landlords Association (NLA). MORE |
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ADDED
02/02/10 |
| Buy to let landlords find it difficult to find property investment finance |
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Half of landlords who want to expand their portfolios are being frustrated by the lack of mortgage finance according to a survey conducted by LSL Property Services.
The poll found that 49 percent of landlords surveyed said the current market is attractive for... MORE |
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ADDED
02/02/10 |
| Government is using a 'sledgehammer to crack a nut' over HMOs claim landlords |
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The National Landlords Association (NLA) has roundly condemned the Government’s recent announcement which will reduce the supply of shared housing.
In a statement, Housing and Planning Minister John Healey MP revealed plans which will require planning... MORE |
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ADDED
02/02/10 |
| Clarification needed over how courts deal with buy to let repossessions |
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The danger that courts may order outright possession to lenders if landlords fail to pay a buy to let mortgage raises cause for concern says the Residential Landlords Association.
The organisation made its comments after the recent second reading of Bolton MP Dr Brian Iddon’s private member’s bill which is aiming to... MORE |
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| ADDED
02/02/10 |
| New guidance released by FSA on sale and rent back property investment |
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| The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) has welcomed the new rules and guidance to provide full protection for consumers in the sale-and-rent-back market which were recently published by the Financial Services Authority (FSA)... MORE |
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| ADDED
02/02/10 |
| Letting agents consider making formal complaint over new TDS fee structure |
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| Another lettings specialist has criticised the new Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS) fee structure and the way it has been introduced to the people and organisations it will affect.
While the TDS maintains that the new charging system is necessary to... MORE |
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29/01/10 |
| Buy to let investors are crucial part of UK's future housing needs says BPF |
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Private rented landlords will be called on to fill Britain's housing gap, delegates were told at this week’s British Property Federation (BPF) annual housing conference in London.
The latest research from Hometrack found that the gap between social housing and home ownership has increased significantly... MORE |
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29/01/10 |
| More powers over HMO landlords to be introduced |
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New powers to control the spread of high concentrations of shared rented homes and to tackle pockets of unsafe and substandard accommodation run by bad landlords are to be introduced.
The announcement was made this week by Housing and Planning Minister John Healey who confirmed that... MORE |
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29/01/10 |
| Absent buy to let landlord ignored improvement notices |
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A buy to let landlord has been fined £2,000 for failing to carry out an improvement notice served on a house of multiple occupation (HMO) in Wales.
Carmarthenshire County Council brought a prosecution against Balasubramanian Pulendrathasan and he was... MORE |
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29/01/10 |
| Record fine for landlord whose property posed threat to mother and her children |
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| A record fine of £6,000 has been imposed by St.Helens Magistrates on a buy to let landlord for not dealing with housing hazards at his rented property.
Paul O’Shaughnessy, of Grange Road, Haydock, rented a house in the same town to a young... MORE |
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29/01/10 |
| Residential Landlord news - In brief |
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Magistrates 'horrified' by
landlord's
bodged work on flats
A man who converted part of his shop into flats and rented them out without adhering to building regulations has been ordered to pay out more than £1,500... MORE |
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27/01/10 |
| New TDS pricing structure confuses letting agents and buy to let landlords |
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The National Approved Letting Scheme (NALS) is calling for urgent and unequivocal clarification for its firms with regards to the new pricing structure being introduced by TDS (The Dispute Service).
Caroline Pickering, Chair of the organisation, said... MORE |
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27/01/10 |
| RLA declares war on bogus statistics that 'darken the reputation of landlords' |
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One of the UK’s leading professional bodies for private sector landlords has launched an attack on often ‘downright false’ statistics that it says can darken the reputation of landlords.
The Residential Landlords Association (RLA) cites the example of how... MORE |
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27/01/10 |
| Reluctant tenants are being forced to rent rather than buy say landlords |
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The UK housing market is experiencing a trend of ‘reluctant tenants’, following a shift in supply and demand for properties, according to the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA).
ARLA’s research, conducted across UK letting agents and landlords... MORE |
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27/01/10 |
| Study student property investment and reap buy to let rewards |
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| Where can buy to let landlords find high yields, strong nationwide rental demand and a sound cash-generative investment. The answer is by investing in student accommodation says property specialist Assetz.
Student accommodation has always been one of the... MORE |
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27/01/10 |
| Landlord converted house into flats and rented them out without permission |
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A landlord who illegally converted a Haringey house into four flats and rented them out has been fined £3,000.
Costas Charalambous, of Maida Vale, London, W9, was also ordered to pay £1,780 in costs by Haringey magistrates... MORE |
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22/01/10 |
| Buy to let landlords risk financial ruin or prosecution warns London Fire Brigade |
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Buy to let landlords who own houses of multiple occupation (HMO) should beware as the London Fire Brigade believes many of them still don’t have enough understanding of how changes in the law made three years ago affects their premises. MORE |
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22/01/10 |
| Tenants deny murdering landlord whose dismembered body was found dumped |
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The gruesome details of how a landlord was stabbed to death, hacked to pieces and then had his body parts scattered across two counties have been described to a jury in the murder trial involving two of his tenants... MORE |
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22/01/10 |
| BPF conference raises property investment questions for buy to let landlords |
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The question over whether buy to let mortgages should be regulated will be among the topics being discussed at The British Property Federation Residential Conference being held on Wednesday, 27 January, at Allen and Overy, 1 Bishops Square, London. MORE |
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22/01/10 |
| Landlord asked to help find 'tenants' after flat fire uncovers cannabis factory |
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| Police have asked a landlord who owns flats in Dorset to assist with information on the tenants after a recent fire uncovered what has been described as a ‘large scale cannabis factory.
What appears unusual about the operation is that it involved a number of flats in... MORE |
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22/01/10 |
| No price rises in 2010 Mydeposits assures buy to let landlords |
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| Mydeposits.co.uk, the pay-as-you-go insurance-based tenancy deposit protection scheme, has told buy to let landlords in the private rented sector that it has no plans to increase prices during 2010 despite an announcement by The Dispute Service (TDS) that its costs are going up by 23 percent... MORE |
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ADDED
19/01/10 |
| Interesting year ahead for buy to let market says property investment company |
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Landlords enjoyed a 7.6 percent annual return on their investments by the end of December 2009 according to the latest Buy to Let Index from LSL Property Services.
The value of their properties rose 3 percent in the year while rental income after void periods added a further 4.6 percent. MORE |
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19/01/10 |
| Student union wants more protection from dodgy buy to let landlord practices |
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Leeds University's student union has welcomed a decision fine a rogue landlord who showed a disregard for housing regulations but still believe tougher legislation is needed to safeguard tenants.
The union’s comments follow a court case involving... MORE |
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19/01/10 |
| Sharp rise in cases of overcrowding and sub letting in buy to let accommodation |
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A tenant eviction specialist has seen a 15 percent increase in the number of overcrowding cases it has had to deal with during the last year and believes it is a direct result of the recession.
Landlord Action also says that London has more cases than anywhere else in... MORE |
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19/01/10 |
| Property investment in student accommodation set to pay dividends |
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An unprecedented demand for student accommodation has resulted in the Liverpool Beacon Hill privately owned Hall of Residence being sold out within two days.
The 45-unit building generates net yields of 10... MORE |
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19/01/10 |
| Landlord told he could face jail if fines are not paid |
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| A London landlord has been warned he could be given a jail sentence if he fails to pay a £13,000 fine imposed for not having the necessary licences for his bedsits.
It follows an unsuccessful appeal by Chuba Obi of Avenue Road, Enfield to overturn the outcome of an earlier hearing in July last year which found him... MORE |
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All landlord, buy to let and property investment news is provided by Residentiallandlord.co.uk, the leading online resource for all UK buy to let investors. Landlord information available includes; news, features, latest requirements, buy to let mortgage rates and providers, property auction dates, UK property developments, below market value property deals, and much more besides. |
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