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RAAC risk from a landlord's perspective

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RAAC (‘Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete’) has been the centre of a recent media storm. A cheaper but weaker alternative to traditional concrete, RAAC was a popular building material in the 1950s especially within public buildings has been...

Information about the Renters Reform Bill for landlords

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Renters Reform Bill: what does it mean for landlords? The UK Government has announced radical plans to overhaul the private renters’ market, with a new bill designed to shift the balance between landlords and the country’s 4.4 million private...

Reform of the private rented sector in 2022

Aoife Hennessy
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The Government has recently published its white paper, A Fairer Private Rented Sector, which sets out its proposals to reform the private rented sector to improve housing quality and to redress the balance between landlords and tenants.  The proposals...

Consent to lease assignment - quick guide for commercial landlords

Paige Phillips
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A sensible landlord will take great care when picking an initial tenant and should exercise the same caution when deciding whether that tenant should be allowed to assign their lease to someone else.  The difficulty with an assignment is that the...

Rent moratorium, arbitration and recent judgment for landlords

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The Coronavirus Act 2020 currently prevents landlords evicting commercial tenants for non-payment of rent. This restriction will, in principle, remain in place until 25 March 2022. This rent moratorium was first introduced in March 2020 as part of the...

Options for dealing with a problem landlord

Neil Largan
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According to the Hamptons Letting Index there has been an increase in first-time landlords entering the buy-to-let sector, with many enticed by the stamp duty holiday and low interest rates. Unfortunately, some property investors think being a landlord is a...

Recovery of commercial rent arrears accrued during the pandemic

Neil Largan
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Before the coronavirus struck, the options for landlords looking to recover commercial rent arrears were extensive.  Depending on the circumstances, you could use the statutory commercial rent arrears recovery procedure (CRAR), effect forfeiture by...

Update for landlords and tenants about the eviction ban

Neil Largan
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Evictions can go ahead from the end of May 2021. It has been confirmed evictions continue from the end of May 2021 with an eviction notice of 4 weeks from 1 June 2021. If you are a landlord facing difficulties with your tenants or alternatively a tenant...

Model Tenancy Agreement for renters with pets and landlords

Neil Largan
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Up until January of this year (2021), the usual position for a landlord and a tenant was that no pets are allowed in rental properties unless the landlord has provided consent, usually in writing and in advance.  Whilst this has undoubtedly been...

Update on the extension to the eviction ban in lockdown 3

Neil Largan
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Latest update for landlords and tenants about the eviction ban. On 5 November 2020 we posted a blog in relation to Landlord and Tenant disputes, namely evictions during the COVID-19 pandemic . The restrictions on evictions were due to come to an end on 11...

Leasehold Reform - making home ownership fair and more secure

Elizabeth Sugden (nee Simpson)
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On 7 January 2021, changes came into force which enable leaseholders to extend their leases by up to 990 years without the need to pay any ground rent. There are currently approximately 4.5 million leaseholders in the UK who face paying high ground rents...

What does lockdown mean for landlords and tenants?

Neil Largan
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Update as of 8 January 2021 - the Government have just confirmed a 6 week extension to the eviction ban. if you are a landlord or a tenant, contact a member of our Dispute Resolution team if you would like help and advice about an eviction.   ...

Residential Landlords; beware of planned changes

Adele Holliday
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The government is consulting on planned changes to the way residential tenancy agreements can be terminated by landlords, which would end ‘no fault’ evictions, and could effectively make open ended tenancies a reality. Agricultural Holdings Act...

HMO Licencing Update

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From 1st October 2018 the rules for Licencing Houses of Multiple Occupation will be tightened. Any property let to 5 or more people living in 2 or more households will have to be licenced.  This no longer applies to properties of 3 or more stories...

Assured Shorthold Tenancies - serving a section 21 notice

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There is a legal change regarding ending Assured Shorthold Tenancies which began before 1 st October 2015. From 1 st October 2018, a Landlord is only be able to serve a section 21 notice giving two months notice to end the tenancy, if they can show the...

Thinking of buying a second residential property?

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Are you an individual thinking of purchasing a second residential property in the UK? Whether it is that holiday home you have always dreamed of or a buy-to-let property then there is a higher rate of Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) that you need to be made aware...

Read this if you let out property.

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Property Owners who let out their property for short-term holiday or business lettings could be in breach of User Covenant. In a recent case appealed by the Tenant from the decision of the First-Tier Tribunal, the Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber) considered...

Data Protection; Get it Right

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The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has recently imposed fines on several organisations for data breaches: Hampshire County Council was fined 100,000 for failing to implement effective contingency plans to protect personal data when...

Landlord and tenant news

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A recent Supreme Court decision is likely to be met with relief by buy-to-let owners of leasehold properties. The court had been asked to consider whether an intermediate landlord was in breach of the statutory covenant to keep the structure and exterior of...

Update for Commercial Tenants

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A High Court decision provides a helpful reminder for commercial tenants of the need to fully comply with any conditions for exercising a right to break the lease. Otherwise, as in this case, the lease will continue to exist and the tenant may have lost...

Right to rent?

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From 1 February 2016, all private residential landlords will have to check that new tenants have the right to be in the UK before renting out their property. The Immigration Act 2014 prohibits private landlords of residential properties from allowing certain...

Residential tenancies

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All private landlords should be made aware that, from 1 February 2016, they will have to check that new tenants have the right to be in the UK before renting out their property.  The Immigration Act 2014 prohibits private landlords of residential...

Short term occupation

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Short term occupation which agreement to use? A landowner’s income from a short term agreement to occupy can often be low and without any guarantees as to how long that income will last.  They are likely therefore to want to put the...

News update for Landlords

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Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm Draft Regulations The Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015 are expected to come in to force on 1 October 2015. Although the Regulations have not yet actually been passed, because there will be no period...

News for residential landlords

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An Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber) case provides a useful reminder for residential landlords (and managing agents) that they hold service charges on trust and must give effect to the terms of the lease. In this case, the leases of a residential block...

Landlord news

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The Court of Appeal has held that a landlord was not required to pay a rent deposit in respect of an assured shorthold tenancy (AST) into an authorised scheme, where there was no authorised scheme at the time the deposit was received. However, the landlord...

Stamp Duty Land Tax changes

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The calculation of stamp duty land tax (SDLT) for residential properties changed on 4 December 2014.The new rates, which apply where purchases are completed on or after 4 December 2014, are set out below. Each new SDLT rate will only be payable on the...