Landlord to repay £21,770 in rent despite blaming missing licence on agent

Judge rules in favour of tenants, in spite of what he calls their “inappropriate” and “highly unsociable” behaviour.

Criminal landlords and sham letting agents are exploiting a lack of enforcement by councils to create a shadow lettings market, according to new academic research.

From that day, councils gain their new investigatory powers. Not in May. Not as a gradual rollout. They begin immediately, right in the middle of the festive lull when most agents are running on reduced staff and leftover Quality Street.

The government has no idea how the Renters’ Rights Act will impact the tribunal that considers rent appeal cases, a Freedom of Information request has revealed.

A recent survey found that 57% of landlords do not feel prepared for the introduction of the Renters’ Rights Act, with many looking to their letting agents for guidance.

Racehel Reeves is not the only one – Labour councillor Michael Situ  has now stepped down as Southwark Council’s cabinet member for housing due to licensing failures. No doubt other landlord Councillors are anxiously checking with their letting agents …

Local authorities will be handed powers to fine ‘landlords, letting agents, or anyone acting on their behalf’ when the first phase of the new tenancy rules comes in next year.

The homelessness charity Crisis is set to become a landlord for the first time in its 60-year history, declaring that Britain’s housing emergency has reached a “catastrophic scenario.”

MPs have called on the government to tighten rules for HMOs amid reports of anti-social behaviour and a lack of family homes causing frustration among their communities.

Landlords have been encouraged to put aside personal views and consider whether a particular pet is compatible with their rental property.

Read the statement of the gov.uk website

Plymouth City Council says it wants to “showcase how to do it right” when it comes to enforcing the Renters’ Rights Bill once the legislation receives Royal Assent in the next few weeks.

The Distress for Rent Act 1737 is one of the oldest statutes that you may see in your practice with (at s18) a draconian remedy for landlords: a claim for ‘double rent’.

The Renters’ Reform Bill is nearing the end of its legislative journey after the House of Lords rejected several key amendments. The Bill will now return to the House of Commons for final approval before receiving Royal Assent.

When the music stops in May and the students pack up early, who’s left to foot the bill?

The new policy includes introducing rent controls, scrapping the Right to Buy scheme, applying business rates to short-term lets such as Airbnbs, and imposing double council tax on long-term empty properties.

According to Action Fraud data, from April 2024 to March 2025, 143 cases of payment diversion fraud were reported, with an average loss of £82,000 per victim.

More tenants prefer to deal with a landlord directly rather than being managed by a letting agent, new research from the NRLA reveals.

Steve Reed removes one property tax threat from the table but with the Budget looming, concerns grow over what the Chancellor will target instead.

New research highlights a rental sector undergoing significant transition.

Despite London Mayor Sadiq Khan saying that powers to cap rents are “at the top of his list,” the Labour government insists it has no plans to introduce them.

The companies were fined under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 for breaching Client Money Protection rules and failing to display clear fees.

In an unprecedented move, Merton Council has forcibly taken over the long-term running of a landlord’s rental properties after he repeatedly failed to license them.

Paul Hoy tells The Neg the banning of rent in advance within the Renters’ Rights Bill is likely to create a significant increase in demand for rent guarantor service like his.

Pet damage insurance launch offers first ‘dual cover’ for landlordsDespite the Government doing a U-turn on allowing landlords to request tenants get pet damage insurance, Total Landlord has now launched its product into the market.

Despite the media narrative of landlords lining their pockets with cash, more than half (51%) of individual private landlords report gross income of less than £10,000, according to Savills.

A letting agent has been barred from operating in the property sector for three years after threatening to unlawfully evict a tenant with a young family.

Concerns have been raised about a new amendment to the Renters’ Rights Bill, which would allow local councils to carry out surprise inspections of private rented properties without giving advance notice to landlords.

Almost half – 46% – of renters surveyed were unaware they could challenge unfair deposit deductions, and only 4% had used the formal dispute resolution process to recover funds.

Assuming progress continues smoothly, Royal Assent is now likely to be granted before 16 September, when MPs head off again for the autumn party conference season.

Matthew Pennycook responds to MPs who say the Government is not acting quickly enough to deal with mould problems in the private rented sector.

Looking at the changing rules for possession claims and how this will affect landlords and letting agents

A second consultation on this important topic.  Scroll down the page (past the first consultation).

The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government has laid out the implementation of ‘phase 1’ of Awaab’s Law, with regulations being laid today. for Social Housing.

New specialist housing teams issue 113 civil penalties as authorities make use of strengthened powers to target ‘criminal property owners.’

Whether you’re attending a massive expo or a smaller training day, the goal is the same: take one or two useful things and actually do something with them.

The Bill’s restriction on limiting advance rent payments to one month could hinder access to housing for vulnerable groups of people such as overseas applicants, self-employed people and those lacking a UK credit history.

The inquiry will focus on reports of delays to approvals by the regulator for new high-rise buildings and maintenance of existing buildings.