Two Sheffield landlords have been given suspended jail sentences for failing to maintain gas appliances at a flat they rented out. The problem was first identified when council housing officers went to the property in Gleadless Road and noticed a gas fire’s flame burning yellow. A subsequent investigation carried out by a Gas Safe Register…

The cost of renting a home has risen by over four percent in the last year, according to the RICS Residential Lettings Market Survey, with many would-be buyers continuing to find themselves locked out of the sales market. Click here for the latest RICS Residential Lettings Survey (May – July 2012) The cost of renting a…

Buy-to-let landlords are being urged to boost their vetting procedures after figures showed the number of tenants in severe arrears increased by almost a quarter in a year. The country’s return to recession has meant frozen or lower wages and high unemployment. Combine this with rising rents and an increase in the cost of living,…

According to data compiled by benchmarking organisation Housemark social landlords deal with around 300,000 anti-social behaviour cases each year, at a cost in excess of £300 million. Based on a survey of 402 landlords, it has been estimated that the workload equates to 56% of the police’s total Anti-Social Behaviour workload. According to its watchdog,…

Research conducted by the National Landlords Association (NLA) of their members has found that landlords with an average portfolio of 12 lettings, has four tenants in arrears with an average of £2,363 owed. The research indicates the problems caused by the existing economic downturn, which has left many people with financial worries, and struggling to…

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Under the Tenant Cashback Scheme, responsible residents will have the chance to tackle everyday DIY dilemmas like leaky taps, fitting doors and painting and decorating. Those who sign up to the scheme could receive more than just cash for their efforts.  There is also the opportunity to get on the career ladder with the opportunity…

A tenant management organisation (TMO) is made up of council or housing association tenants and leaseholders.  They collectively take responsibility for managing the homes they live in.  Those resident members of the TMO create an independent legal body and usually elect a tenant-led management committee to run the organisation.  The TMO can then enter into a…

A woman who illegally sublet her York council house has become the first person in the North Yorkshire region to be successfully prosecuted. Beatrice Stanford, 43, admitted charging a tenant £450 a month for the City of York Council-owned property in Fenwick Street. She later increased the rent to £520 a month including utility bills. She…

The Mortgages for Business Complex Buy to Let Index for Q2 2012 has just been released in the latest issue of FirstRate. The main findings show: •  Yields on multi-units increase to 7.5% in Q2 •  Complex buy to let returns consistently higher than vanilla •  Mainstream vanilla buy to let yields fall to 6.1% in…