British Landlord Association - The BLA

The Government have a new set of rules for landlords with respect to houses of multiple occupation. These have been in place as of the 1st of October 2018. The new rules work alongside further legislation from the last five years. Put in place by the Government. The letting Industry has had to deal with two lots of legislation every year for …

 Thinking about managing your own building Are you a leaseholder and thinking about managing your own building? Do you have a freeholder that you feel is charging you more than what you believe the building actually costs? It might not be necessarily a fault of your landlord and Management Company that you wish to manage it yourselves. There is a criterion that …

A Landlord accused of illegally renting out his property claims he is being “ruthlessly” victimised by Southend Council. Robert Crow, 69, is accused of breaching a court order which banned him renting out his property – 19 Devereux Road, Southend – after he was convicted of 18 offences in September. Mr Crow attended Southend Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, where he …

Pinterest, Facebook and Instagram attract more females to its platform with Pinterest alone attracting three times as many female users than male.  The picture sharing sites overall is very popular among women and with the growing attraction of real-estate agents with social media, arguably this puts women firmly in the driving seat to potentially influence the housing market for the …

Common cause of complaint between tenants and landlords Researchers at Northumbria University have come up with a new solution for mould and damp, which is a very common cause of complaint between tenants and landlords. Mould and damp is a very common complaint that tenants report, and one that is not also due to disrepair, on the landlord’s part. Mould can in …

Residential Property prices decline in London’s expensive neighbourhoods downward trend caused by Brexit uncertainty. According to new data released by Lon Res, London’s business-to-business property data network, prime property prices in the fourth quarter of 2018 fell 5.7%. The 5.7% drop is compared with the same period in the previous year. This is due to the economic uncertainty caused by …

Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission. The government has today announced 4 new commissioners that have been appointed to the government’s Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission. The Commission was established this year and will advise government by developing practical measures to ensure new housing developments meet the needs and expectations of communities, making them more attractive and in turn it is anticipated there will …

New research suggests an estimated 2.5m energy performance certificates have been ‘inaccurately rated’ A total of 15% – or 2.5 million – energy performance certificates (EPCs) for properties in the UK are “incorrectly rated”, with landlords “illegally letting” hundreds of thousands of homes That’s according to new research, which warns around half of EPCs are “so inaccurate” that the properties …

Buy to let Lending If you are an experienced landlord or looking to invest in buy to let for the first time, employment status is a factor scrutinised in some depth by many lenders. Andrew Turner, chief executive at specialist buy to let broker Commercial Trust Limited, looks at how a change in circumstances can impact on a buy to …

34 year old Act Updated A new law will allow people in rented housing the ability to sue landlords if much-needed repairs are not made. At the moment, tenants currently have to take housing matters to their local council and hope that they intervene on their behalf. Since March 20, they will instead be able to go straight to the …

 GLOBAL REAL ESTATE FREEDOM Freedom to Share My Backyard is creating a new environment where real-estate transactions are driven by communities coming together in one global marketplace with one goal, to share. Share listings, share property information and share contacts. Presently, worldwide the marketing of properties largely excludes private sellers and private landlords. Around 25% choose to manage their own listings independently. Of …

Assured Shorthold Tenancy Agreement 2018 The latest Assured Shorthold tenancy Agreement for 2019 has now been uploaded for Download on the document page. All members can now download this. The latest assured shorthold tenancy agreement has changed and some safeguards written into it due to the Deregulation Act 2015. Assured shorthold tenancy agreement, what is it? Assured shorthold tenancy agreement is …

Tenant Fees Bill? The Tenant Fees Bill has received Royal Assent and will become law on June 1st 2019. The Bill is set to make the cost of moving home cheaper for tenants – and could lead to a surge in tenant demand in June and July. The effects of the ban on letting agent fees could have a multitude …

s.11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 Many will be familiar with the s.11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 repairing obligations landlords have. The Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Bill amends the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985. In determining whether a house or dwelling is unfit for human habitation regard will be given to: Repair, Stability, Freedom …

Why Buy off Plan? Off-plan investment properties can offer buyers significant benefits – most notably the greater potential for growth and profitability that comes with buying at a low price before the property is even built. If you are considering this route into the UK market, it’s a good idea to learn as much about it as possible before going …

James Brokenshire the Communities Secretary has today announced that private landlords will be legally required to become members of a redress scheme. Landlords who are required to register, but fail to do so could face a fine of up to £5,000. Redress scheme for Landlords All private landlords in the UK are to be forced to join a redress scheme …

The specialist buy to let mortgage broker Commercial Trust Limited, has revealed that for the first time, the South East of England has overtaken London, as the region with the most buy to let purchases, in a calendar year. New analysis shows that the South East became Commercial Trust’s biggest region for buy to let in 2018, accounting for 16.5% …

My Backyard property platform is exciting the investment community as investors around the globe have signed up on the platform and already networking to find opportunities and speed up transactions. The platform as a single global real-estate OTC exchange, run on blockchain, is truly unique. Its raison d’être is to speed up transactions & create value through greater connectivity. Network …

How will the Tenant Fees Bill impact on Section 21 notices? What do landlords and agents need to know? Andrew Turner, chief executive at specialist buy to let broker Commercial Trust Limited, takes a look at some of the implications. From June 1st, 2019, the Tenant Fees Bill becomes law and a wide range of issues that landlords and letting …

Government is beginning a conversation on increasing local funding for flood and coastal erosion management and is keen to hear ideas, as outlined in a government consultation. Communities Secretary, Rt Hon James Brokenshire MP, welcomed the consultation from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which is seeking early views on how to fund flood risk projects at a local …

Universal Credit has been in the news a lot over the last week – it seems to be vying with Brexit for column inches. Amber Rudd announced this morning that Universal Credit will take a more compassionate approach, and that government will look to learn more about what is working, and what isn’t with a pilot before legacy claimants are …

The courts have set a precedent that could result in HMO landlords saving hundreds of pounds a year. In a case between HMO landlord Peter Gaskin and The London Borough of Richmond Upon Thames, the administrative court ruled that HMO licence fees charged by local authorities can only cover the cost of the licencing scheme, not the cost of enforcing …

Court heard how 48-year-old Simon Whittle ran over a friend who he had a grudge against, outside Hemel Hempstead firm Space Lettings. A man who fatally ran over a female acquaintance with his car and then drove at speed into the front of an letting agency branch has been convicted of her murder. In a court case that has attracted …

The Government has announced a new online system that will pay private landlords the rent directly to them for tenants on Universal Credit. The online system will aim to give landlords more security and crucially confidence in the system after a report found two in 10 landlords refuse to let to tenants in receipt of Universal Credit. The government was compelled …

Britain’s most hated landlord Mr Fergus Wilson branded by some as ‘Britain’s most hated landlord’ is evicting hundreds of tenants as the controversial landlord sell some or all of his property portfolio. Mr Wilson a Multimillionaire, infamously known for his comments on banning ‘coloured’ tenants because they smell like ‘curry’, hopes to sell his portfolio of 300 homes by the end …

Families in need have not moved into 48 affordable homes amid claims they have been built too close to a toxic waste site. Almost half of the 111 homes built by construction giant Galliford Try on land in Walkmill Lane, Cannock, remain unoccupied after concerns over their close proximity to the site of waste management firm Axil Integrated Services. The …

Plans to build a new housing development just behind a major road in south Bristol have been given the green light. It would see the buildings currently on land behind Redpoint climbing center in Winterstoke Road, Bedminster, demolished and replaced with 59 flats and eight homes all of which would be affordable housing. The site is made up of both the …

Ritam Gandhi, director and founder at fintech firm Studio Graphene, gives an insight into how innovation and technology are transforming the property market but proptech has not yet reached anywhere near its full potential. There’s no denying the transformative role technology is having on the UK property market. With more and more consumers relying on smart devices within their daily …

Eye watering £250,000 to be paid back Joint landlords received orders to pay back an eye watering £250,000 back due to the fact that they crammed 31 people in a suburban four-bedroom house. The order was made under the Proceeds of Crime Act. The joint landlords who are Mr Harsha Shah, her daughter, Miss Chandni, and brother-in-law Mr Sanjay Shah, …

What is asbestos? Asbestos is a potentially harmful mineral fiber that was used extensively in buildings between the 1950s and 1980s. Use of asbestos was banned in the UK in 1999 but you can still find it in many properties. Landlords should assume that asbestos is present in all pre-2000 buildings. If it’s in good condition and not damaged or …

Avoid common mistakes inexperienced landlords make Being a Landlord especially with the recent legislation and tax changes that have come into force in the last 3 years have made being a landlord difficult and unattractive. 1. Getting a good tenant  You may want to find a tenant quickly so rent starts to roll in, however, don’t act in haste and …

The Scottish Housing Regulator’s consultation on a new Regulatory framework In its response, CIH Scotland has welcomed the continued focus on openness and transparency in data collection and sharing. Supporting whistleblowing and upskilling of staff and board members should also help to ensure that issues are spotted and resolved without the need for intervention whenever possible. Reactions to this proposal …

Serious issues including breaches of fire safety A Cardiff landlord, Mr Lvin George Chisholm was prosecuted after Cardiff Council investigated his property in Grangetown and found serious issues including breach of fire safety.   The matter was initially reported by Wales Online on the prosecution of Mr Chisholm, after a tenant living on his property contacted the council about the …

Should hold off until after Brexit I want to buy property to add to my portfolio, should I buy now or I should hold off until after Brexit has been resolved? I doubt anyone can answer that question, if you could, then you would need to (1) predict the type of Brexit we’ll end up with (2) How it will affect …

What is a CCJ A CCJ – County Court Judgment is a court order that is sometimes issued against a defendant who is unable to repay their debts. It is one way that creditors can use to try and recoup money from someone who has failed to pay back a debt. If a CCJ is issued against you, it will …

Shared Economy My Backyard is the Airbnb for the global real-estate market. Now live, the platform is already offering opportunities for providers and consumers to derive economic benefits through collaborating to market properties. Say goodbye to For Sale/To Let Boards and create your own listings and instantly share with communities globally via social media channels; Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, YouTube or …

Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act A new law that will help to raise standards in rented homes in the UK and give tenants more powers to hold their landlord to account for renting substandard properties. Under the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act, landlords of both social and private rented properties must make sure that their properties meet certain …

Get to know your tenants Successful landlords are those who get to know their tenants, according to one nationwide lettings agency. As the deadline looms for making resolutions for a better year ahead, seasoned landlords are advising their less-experienced counterparts invest the time in getting to know their tenants. A survey conducted by an online lettings agency, Upad, reveals that one …

Landlords are taking the safer route Due to the governments “Right to Rent” (RTR) scheme landlords are looking at the colour of a tenants skin, are they British?, if they do not have a British passport landlords are taking the safer route, and not taking on tenants that are not white and are not holding a British passport. A court …

The purpose of the Bill Karen Buck’s Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Bill 2017-19 is seeking to amend relevant sections of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 by extending its obligations to cover almost all landlords and to modernise the fitness for habitation test. As a result of rent limits which have remained unchanged since the 1950s, the current requirement for fitness in section …