We hear many reports of landlords who are not happy with their high street letting agents.  Many simply don’t realise that there is an alternative option, whereby they can advertise their property across the internet, have tenants fully reference checked, and be sure that they have a legally binding contract with any incoming tenant. Here…

Being a landlord is so much more than just owning a property and taking rent each month. Our good practice guide to ensure that you are not only a good landlord, but that you are compliant with all of the legal requirements. Insurance Tenants are typically viewed to be of higher risk than owner-occupiers, and…

Since the introduction of a compulsory registration scheme in Scotland 5 years ago which has cost £17.4m to date, only 100 landlords have been banned. Out of a total of 200,000, the 100 who have had their licences refused or revoked are equivalent to just 0.05% (figures obtained by the Scottish Conservative Party). Landlords have paid…

Labour leader, Ed Miliband, has accused David Cameron of being out of touch over the impact of the “bedroom tax”.   Milliband claimed the cut in benefits for tenants with spare rooms in social housing would hit disabled people as well as military families. The prime minister said the change represented part of an effort to reduce the…

Julie Stoddern of Roskear Village, Camborne, has been fined and ordered to pay costs to Cornwall Council at Truro Magistrates’ Court for multiply safety hazards in her unlicensed house in multiple occupation (HMO) She had already been issued with a prohibition order which forbid her from using an attic room for any other purpose than…

The question of whether rent paid in advance is a tenant’s deposit is to be decided by the Court of Appeal. In the recent case of Johnson v Old, six months rent in advance was been paid by the tenant.  They also paid a separate amount which was taken as a deposit and duly protected….

Liberal Democrat Steve Webb, pensions minister, speaking in a debate in parliament on Wednesday, said that the controversial bedroom tax could be subject to change if there are impacts that the government has “not though of”.   He said: ‘I fully accept there will be disruption as a result of this measure, which is why…

Liverpool council are looking at ways to improve the quality of the rented accommodation in the city, and may ask landlords to sign up to a new licensing scheme, similar to that in the London Borough of Newham. There are over 50,000 rented properties in the city.  The scheme would see all landlords agreeing to comply with…

Vanessa Warwick’s (www.propertytribes.com) 6 cheap and quick “fixes” to improve your property’s rental prospects and profits. 1. Kerb appeal Yes, I know it’s a cliche, but it’s a cliche for a reason! Because first impressions really do count. Some “no shows” of viewings may be because the prospective tenant reached the outside of your property and…

Rents in Scotland have risen significantly following the ban on fees charged to tenants, according to the website, Citylets. The rise follows Shelter’s campaign to encourage tenants to reclaim their fees, and the implementation of tenancy deposit protection. Citylets has tracked rents for over five years and the latest rent rises it has reported are…