What is a British association?
The British Landlords Association is a national landlords association that covers, England, Wales & Scotland, It is also known as the BLA.
The association is free for all UK landlords and letting agents.
How can I become an accredited landlord?
You can become accredited by joining a landlord association. You must abide by the terms, conditions and standards of the association. This gives the renters an element of protection. You can take the BLA online landlord training course should you wish.
What is an accelerated possession claim?
An Accelerated possession claim is a legal process to obtain possession through the county court under section 21 Notice. You cannot use the Accelerated route to claim rent arrears.
What is a Form 6A?
Form 6A is a new section 21 notice to claim possession of a residential property.
Form 6A (COVID-19) is a specific Notice to be used under the Coronavirus Act 2020. You can download a free copy from the government website, or our website with guidance notes too.
How long does it take to evict a tenant?
This depends on when the tenant is motivated to vacate. You will need to serve a section 8 or 21 notice on the tenant. If the tenant does not vacate, you will need to issue possession proceedings to evict the tenant. If the tenant is still not motivated to vacate, you will need to instruct court bailiffs.
Where can a landlord get help?
You can use a landlord forum like the BLA landlord forum or ring Landlord Advice UK who offer all UK landlords free advice. Alternatively, you can join a landlords association who also offer members free advice.
Who is the BLA Association?
The BLA Association is the British Landlords Association also known as the BLA. The British landlord is a free national association based in Crawley, West Sussex. They help and support landlords throughout the UK and are the 2nd largest landlord association in the UK.
Is there a free landlord organisation i can join?
There are many landlord organisations and associations. You can join the Landlord Guild, the NRLA which is a national landlords association. However, the only free landlord organisation in the UK is the British Landlords Association.
Where can i get a credit check done?
There are numerous companies and organisations that carry out credit & reference checks.
You can use the British Landlord Association for tenant credit & Referencing. If you require a personal credit check you can use the following companies:
- Equifax
- Experian
- Check my File
- Clearscore
Where can i get a buy to let mortgage?
You can obtain a free quote for a mortgage through the British Landlords Association which is one of the largest landlord associations in the UK.
All high street banks also offer buy-to-let BLT products too. Some high street bank rates may not be as attractive as some of the smaller lenders.
What is Zero deposit?
Zero deposit is an option where the landlord may choose not to take a deposit or it could refer to Zero Deposit the product. With Zero Deposit the landlord pays an insurance premium to cover the risk. The process is simplified and UK landlords will not be subject to the deposit legislation as no deposit has been taken.
What does it mean Accredited landlord?
A landlord accredited usually belongs to an association or organisation for landlords, and the landlord is required to meet the criteria to become certified. The accreditation scheme is intended to protect renters and ensures a level of competence and awareness of current legislation.
How is the British Landlords Association funded?
The BLA is set up as an association to provide a service to all landlords, including small & accidental landlords. The BLA directors and all the staff are passionate about the rights of landlords.
Directors and staff working for the BLA do not draw salaries. There is income from a small amount of BLA business activity like credit checks. They charge for one document £9 out of 300 documents which are free to members.
The income is sufficient to run the association.
Where can landlords get free advice?
Landlords can obtain free landlord advice from Landlord advice UK or you can join the British Landlords Association, membership is free.
Once you become a member then you can use the landlord helpline.
What do I need to do to rent my house?
- Do your research and know the rental value of your property, so you know how much to rent to charge.
- Prepare your property, so it is fit to let
- Buy landlord building insurance
- Know your responsibilities do a landlord foundation course
- Decide what period you wish to let the property for.
- Download a suitable tenancy agreement covering the utility bills, including council tax, and addresses issues and disputes.
- Get an (EPC) Energy performance certificate
- Get a gas safety certificate if you have gas at the property
- Get an electrical installation safety report done.
- If you have a person to let your property to prospective tenants, get a credit & reference check done.
- Obtain previous landlord references.
- Find a tenant advertise in the local paper or find a letting agent.
- Take security deposit money and protect the deposit and give the deposit copy documents to the tenant.
Do you legally need a tenancy agreement?
The housing Act 1996 allows for an oral tenancy agreement. You are not required to issue a written tenancy agreement. However, it is highly desirable to ensure there is a written agreement between the tenant and landlord.
Do I need an energy performance certificate?
If you are selling your house or flat, you’ll need an energy performance certificate (EPC), which will show how energy-efficient your property is. Rental properties are also required to have an EPC in place before renting to a tenant.
How to get universal credit payment paid to a landlord?
If you have a tenant receiving Universal Credit, you can apply for a Managed Payment To Landlord – also known as MPTL. Landlords can request payments to be made directly by using the Apply for a Direct Rent Payment service.
Apply for a Direct Rent Payment is a new online service to request direct payments of rent or rent arrears. It replaces the existing UC47 process.
Once the application has been processed, you will be advised of the decision. If the application is refused, DWP cannot tell you why or answer and questions regarding the DWP award to the tenants. This is because of data-sharing regulation and claimants privacy rights.
What are the risks of owning a rental property?
- Unplanned Rental Property Investing.
- Financial Losses – Negative Cash flow.
- Excessive Rental Property Management and other Expenses.
- High void periods
- Foreclosure by the Lender
- High Property Taxes
- Getting bad Tenants.
