New moves could make squatting illegal in England, making around 20,000 people criminals. Most of us are familiar with the term ‘squatter’s rights’ which in many cases means that people who have taken over a property, do not have to leave. Squatters cannot be legally evicted from premises without a court possession order. This is […]
Read MoreA tenant has been evicted after she refused to let her landlord enter his property in order to carry out a gas safety check. Knowsley Housing Trust (KHT) had tried for months to gain access to a property in order to check the safety of the gas supply. Apparently, the housing trust called at the […]
Read MoreWith bank and building society interest rates remaining at rock bottom, many savers are looking for a better home for their money. It’s never an easy task, but the problem has been thrown into even sharper perspective by the prolonged economic downturn. The performance of the stock markets continues to be erratic and uncertain. Pension […]
Read MoreA rising number of landlords are having to evict their tenants and for many of them, the reason is that tenants are falling behind on their rent. New research from the Money Advice Trust shows the number of people calling about rent arrears has risen by 84 per cent in recent years. A spokesman for […]
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As a new landlord, there are lots of things to think about before your property is let – from painting and decorating ready for let, to buying furniture, to organising Energy Performance Certificates to having tenant checks carried out. Often, one of the last things to be considered is landlords insurance. Many landlords leave it […]
Read MoreA pair of council tenants, convicted of growing cannabis have been spared eviction from their homes. Richard Weldon, aged 45 was convicted of producing cannabis and sentenced to 30 weeks imprisonment after police raided his home in Sheffield. A hole had been made in the ceiling to accommodate the ventilation system for the plants. Although […]
Read MoreIt’s great to see that more landlords are carrying out tenant checks before new tenants move onto their properties. We see so many cases of landlords coming to us for debt collection or eviction services that could have been avoided if full tenant checks had been carried out. Landlords can limit their risk of damage […]
Read MoreThere are moves to make councils release details of all vacant properties and experts say this could lead to a rise in the number of squatters in the UK. In a recent case, Camden Council was forced to disclose a list of 530 empty council managed and private homes under the Freedom of Information Act. […]
Read MoreMOVES to pay rent to social housing tenants rather than directly to their landlords could result in many landlords withdrawing from the social housing sector. Under the new Universal Credit system set to be introduced in 2013, tenants will be paid rent, for them to pass on to their landlord. The move is intended to […]
Read MoreNews that Basildon Council is to spend an estimated £18 million removing 400 gypsies from an illegal site at Dale Farm (which some among their number own) has sent shiver down the spine of many a landlord. That’s in the region of £45,000 a head; probably far more than the rating contribution of most of […]
Read MoreA property developer felt the full force of the law when he ordered doors and windows to be removed from his rental flat after his tenant fell into arrears on rental payments. Cupar Sheriff Court found the landlord, Steven Simpson, “guilty of disrupting his tenant’s peace and comfort” and now faces jail. The man saw […]
Read MoreSeptember marks the influx of student tenants in rented accommodation up and down the country. If you have properties housing students – make sure you have the correct insurance in place ahead of move-in dates. It goes without saying that although renting to students can be financially rewarding, it can come with problems and they […]
Read MoreYes, it seems landlords think so. A wave of optimism is sweeping across the lettings industry with landlord optimism at its highest for four years, according to the latest figures. In a recent survey, 65 per cent of landlords surveyed described their own lettings business’ prospects as ’good’ or ‘very good’. Landlords are still experiencing […]
Read MoreThe recent case in the paper of a landlord who had his property wrecked by a bad tenant shows the importance of landlords insurance and the handling evictions properly. The landlord, named only as Dave, has criticised the council for rehousing a drug addicted tenant after she caused nearly £4,000 worth of damage to his […]
Read MoreLandlords frequently hear about the importance of robust tenant checks but are they checking the guarantor is being checked out too? Probably not. References must be taken out on tenants’ guarantors too otherwise there is no point in having a guarantor. With the start of the academic year just around the corner Legal 4 Landlords […]
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