Landlord Law members’ forum: your questions answered

Compared to 25 years ago, when Landlord Law was first launched, there is a lot of free advice around for landlords.

However, there is so much free advice that it is sometimes confusing.  How does something apply specifically to YOUR situation?

And of course, is it correct? 

Many people offering advice are not legally trained. 

It is often difficult to judge (if you are a non-lawyer) whether what they are saying is correct.  So:

Enter the Landlord Law Forum!

In order to help Landlord Law members, we set up our members’ forum where they can ask questions on issues not covered elsewhere.

Originally, this was on our old website.  When Landlord Law was re-launched in 2018 on a new platform, we had a new forum area to match, which members have been using ever since.

So here are a few answers to questions that people sometimes ask about the forum.

What is the members’ forum?

Basically, it is an area where members can ask me questions and discuss things among themselves.

Although it is mostly used to ask me questions!  Sometimes other members join in, which is always nice, but on the whole it tends to  be just me answering.

We have two levels of membership, but the forum is open to all members.

It’s worth emphasising that it is a private forum

So although other members can read your post, your tenants can’t (unless they are a member, which is unlikely!).  Plus you can (and many members do) use a pseudonym, rather than your own name.

So long as you avoid including names, property addresses, or other identifying details about tenants or third parties  (which is recommended), other members are unlikely to know who or where you are talking about.

How does it work?

Just like other forums, really.  I did a detailed guidance page on our help site, which explains (with videos) how to post questions and find them again.

Most people find it quite easy to use, although some people unused to forums find it a bit tricky to start with.

Questions are normally answered within 24-48 hours.

What sort of questions can members ask?

Well, anything really!  Although if they want me to answer, it needs to be on an issue relating to landlord and tenant law and practice.

However, the forum is supposed to be for ‘quick questions’.  I am not going to do the equivalent of a complex ‘Counsel’s opinion’.

Most problem situations, though, do tend to boil down to a basic issue which I can generally answer quickly.  I suspect a quick answer is also more acceptable to members than a long legal spiel.

Recent questions have  included:

• Queries about how to complete Form 4A properly
• What are landlords’ obligations for tenants’ own gas appliances
• Questions about compliance with the student possession ground 4A (which gave rise to my blog posts here and here)
• Questions about tenant notices to quit and how to deal with them
• Issues relating to new rules introduced by the Renters’ Rights Act 2025
• Requests for extra clauses to go into our tenancy agreements (I will  normally draft these up for members)

As you would expect, a large proportion of questions are asked by our letting agent members who find it a very useful service.

The value of having access to the forum

There are very few services around where someone can get a quick answer to a question from an experienced solicitor!  Monthly membership starts at £25 including VAT, with forum access included.  So not expensive.  Some specialist solicitors charge upwards of £500 per hour or more.

Even if you do not have a question to ask yourself, the forum is a very useful read.  I know many members enjoy reading other people’s questions and my answers and find it very valuable.

Of course, it is useful for me too, as it gives me an idea of what issues concern members.  It also often gives inspiration for new Landlord Law content.

Limits on forum use

Most members use the forum responsibly.  Section 17 of our terms and conditions allows us to refuse further questions if a member is making excessive use of the service – for example, by asking more than ten questions in a month. However, I have only had to invoke this once.

The only other times when I don’t answer are if the question is very complicated and/or involves reading and advising on documents (which the system does not permit to be uploaded).  Or if it is outside the scope of the Landlord Law service.

But here we can, if appropriate, refer members to our paid telephone advice service.

Why not include unlimited telephone advice as part of membership instead?

No!  I am only one person and cannot cope with people ringing me up night and day for telephone advice!  Plus, my husband has told me that if this ever happened, he would institute divorce proceedings.

I also think a written answer via the forum is a far better way to give advice.  People don’t have to remember it, and they can go back and read it again later, and ask supplementary questions.

Whereas with telephone advice, if you don’t write it down immediately, it is often hard to remember what was said after a few weeks.

And finally

If you have a problem and are bothered about the answer, why not join Landlord Law?  In most cases your question will be answered by our online content. 

But if not – you can go to the forum and ask me.