Guild of Landlords Rent Digest – August 2020
Keeping an eye on rents to make sure your properties stay competitive but still make as much profit as possible is a key task for landlords. To help with the leg work of looking up all those statistics on different web sites, here’s a digest of some of the leading UK...
Six Months Notice Rules and New Form 6A For England Published
In recently typical timing by government, late Friday afternoon, the regulations which make the changes for increasing the length of notices to six months in England were published. The regulations are The Coronavirus Act 2020 (Residential Tenancies: Protection from...
Holiday Let Ban for Landlord in Planning Dispute
A landlord has lost his planning battle to rent out a city centre investment property as a holiday let. Oxford City Council banned the landlord from letting out the home after neighbours alleged holidaymakers staying there upset the neighbourhood with antisocial...
Possession Claims Suspension Extended by 4 Weeks
Today (21 August 2020), it has been announced that the stay on possession claims is to be extended by four weeks from 23 August 2020 until 20 September 2020. As an update, it's been announced that notice lengths are to be increased to six months. Extended suspension...
Welsh Government Backs Loans for Tenants Struggling to Pay Rents
Landlords renting out homes in Wales can help their tenants apply for loans to pay off rent arrears that have built up during the coronavirus lockdown. The £8 million Tenant Saver Loan Scheme will open started in September for renters with the money paid direct to...
Will a Planning Revolution Benefit Landlords?
Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick has announced his aim to reform the planning process, but what will change and how this might benefit landlords is yet to be seen. Few would disagree that seeking planning permission is a complicated and changing the rules is long...
Changes to Accelerated Possession and Enforcement
A quick note about an update to the Civil Procedure Rules by The Civil Procedure (Amendment) Rules 2020 and The Civil Procedure (Amendment No. 3) Rules 2020. Accelerated Possession Procedure The amendments make changes to the conditions when accelerated possession...
CGT Review for Landlords Explained
Chancellor Rishi Sunak has sparked fears that capital gains tax (CGT) will rise for landlords as part of the government’s plan to pay for borrowing billions to stave off the economic effects of the coronavirus crisis. Sunak even surprised his own backbenchers after...
Restrictions of Viewings in Wales Lifted
The restrictions around conducting viewings in Wales have now been lifted entirely. This means viewing of occupied property is now allowed (previously it was unoccupied dwellings only). Hat tip to Howard, one of our subscribers for the update. The first confirmation...
Making Tax Digital for Landlords Start Date Set
Landlords must sign up to the government's Making Tax Digital (MTD) scheme by April 2023. The MTD scheme will apply to all private landlords filing self-assessment returns for property income totalling more than £10,000 a year. The move is another step by HM Revenue...
Planning Rules Relaxed for Landlords and Developers
Landlords can add more rooms to rental homes under a fast-track planning process from September. Housing secretary Robert Jenrick has announced a major planning policy shake-up in a bid to get Britain building more homes. The new rules cover landlords wanting to...
Rules After Possession Suspension Published (Partially)
This is a quick note about new court rules which will apply after the suspension on possession proceedings is...
Serving a Section 8 Notice in Wales
Under the Housing (Wales) Act 2014, all landlords in Wales must be registered. In addition, if the landlord wants to carry out property management activities, the landlord must be licensed. Alternatively, as long as the landlord is registered, the landlord may employ...
Benefits Ban on Tenants Is Discrimination, Rules Judge
Having a blanket policy refusing to rent a home to a tenant claiming benefits is against the law, a judge has ruled. Sitting at York County Court, District Judge Victoria Mark decided that a letting agent who rejected an application to rent a home from single mum of...
Coronavirus Hits Landlord Plans to Put Up Rents
The grip the coronavirus pandemic has had on landlords is revealed in the latest data from the letting agent trade body. ARLA speaks for letting agents who handle almost half of the UK’s 4.2 million private rented homes. The latest Private Rented Sector Report for May...
Landlords Win HMO Conviction Appeals Against Council
A city council housing team has seen two prosecutions against HMO landlords quashed on appeal in four months. The latest hearing saw Jaswinder Khatkar’s conviction for ignoring improvement orders from Derby City Council overturned. In February, he was found guilty of...
Chancellor Slashes Stamp Duty for Landlords
Chancellor Rishi Sunak has finally revealed his cuts to stamp duty for home buyers, but property investors still have to fork out more than anyone else. The policy change affects all home purchases in England and Northern Ireland between July 8, 2020 and March 31,...
Energy Saving Grants Get Green Light for Landlords
Landlords will pick up vouchers worth up to £5,000 to make energy-saving changes to rental homes under the government’s Green Homes Grant. Thousands of homes qualify for the upgrade which is aimed at improving energy efficiency by putting Britain on track to achieve...
Summer Statement 2020 – Main points explained
Chancellor Rishi Sunak revealed new policies with a big impact for landlords in his Summer Statement. Speaking in the House of Commons, Sunak outlined how to government intends to kick start the economy after coronavirus lockdown. The task is massive, with the economy...
Coronavirus Eviction Ban Will End in August
The courts will start to process eviction claims from private landlords from August 24, according to a government spokesman. Lord Greenhalgh, the minister of state for housing, communities, and local government, revealed the date when answering a written question in...
Coronavirus Guidance
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