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Landlords Warned To Act Now To Avoid Rent Arrears

Private Rental Sector landlords are urged to act now to secure the tenant’s rental payments or prepare for the worst this year as tenant default rates have already increased by 8%, in the second quarter of 2012, and are still rising. The number of private sector tenancies in severe rent arrears climbed by over 7,000 […]

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Universal Credits Will Be A Risky Business For Landlords

The proposed Universal Credit system due to be introduced in April 2013 is set to replace existing benefits, including housing benefit, will put thousands of social (council and housing associations) and thousands more Private Rental Sector (PRS) landlords at a much higher level of financial risk. The current system of Local Housing Allowance (LHA) or […]

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Direct Payments For Landlords – Please Sign The e-Petition

Under the next wave of welfare reforms, new rules set to be introduced next year, mean that the housing benefit allowance of the new Universal Credit system, will not be paid directly to landlords. Instead the Government proposes that all payments will be paid directly to tenants, even if they are vulnerable or in arrears! […]

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1/3 of UK Landlords Will Not Be Accepting LHA Tenants

A new Government report has revealed a growing concern about UK landlords, as an increasing percentage are now refusing to accept applications from tenants claiming housing benefits. The situation regarding LHA tenants is set to get much worse, following the recent statements made by UK Prime Minister David Cameron and his party’s vision for further […]

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EU Decision Saves UK Buy-To-Let Mortgages

The decision by MEP’s to remove Buy-To-Let mortgages from the scope of a new EU Directive has been welcomed by a host of property professionals including the Residential Landlords Association (RLA) and Legal 4 Landlords. Under the original European plans, mortgage lenders would no longer have been able to take account of rental income when […]

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UK Property Values Fall But Landlords Are Still Happy

New data released by Nationwide and Hometrack show that overall UK residential property values have fallen when compared to this time last year and the fall has been attributed to the changes in stamp duty. The average residential property value in March 2012 was £163,327. That is 0.9% lower than property prices were in March […]

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Landlords Happier As Rent Arrears Fall

Private Rented Sector (PRS) rent arrears dropped in February with 9.3% of all rent late or unpaid at the end of the month, down from 10.7% in January. With household bills increasing, UK unemployment still rising and the whole country still struggling to avoid a double dip recession as a result of the Eurozone crisis, […]

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Deposits the New Defence to Section 21

The decision in Suurpere-v-Nice (2011) confirms that the prescribed information must be complied with and if this is not done landlords could be subject to sanction when before the Courts

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Rise And Rise Of The Private Rented Sector

275,000 new tenants flooded the UK Private Rental Sector in 2011 – a 24% increase on the previous year. Latest Government figures confirm the steady decline of UK Home ownership and the social rented sector, (Council Houses), together with the indisputable rise of the Private Rented Sector (PRS) following the credit crunch. The figures confirm […]

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Benefit Cap Defeated But Government Will Push Ahead

The UK Coalition Government plans to cap benefits will still be fully implemented despite the parliamentary defeat in the House of Lords on Monday this week. A defeat that saw 26 Lib-Dem peers rebel against the Government’s wishes. Although, the Government have admitted that whilst disappointed by the result, they still intend to push through […]

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Almost 90% Of Landlords Are Owed LHA Rent

UK landlords have little confidence in the current Housing Benefit system and the majority would try to avoid accepting tenants in receipt of benefits due to the extra hassle and headaches that dealing with local authorities and local government departments cause. Landlords claim that tenants who do not receive any form of welfare support are […]

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Government Set For Lords Battle On Welfare Reforms

The coalition Government face another battle over welfare reforms, this time in the House of Lords. The outcome will affect individuals and families in receipt of local housing allowance (LHA) or housing benefit, who are in private rented sector (PRS) properties. The Welfare Reform Bill, currently going through the House of Lords, is set to […]

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A Million Reasons Not To Be Thankful

Up to a million families across the UK now face a bleak future as the cuts to housing benefit take effect. Homeless charities including Shelter, Crisis and even the Residential Landlords Association (RLA) have all been campaigning against the Governments welfare reforms where the new LHA caps restrict the maximum LHA payable to between £250 […]

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Is It Really A Happy New Year For Benefit Tenants?

Researchers claim that the uk’s welfare reforms will make more than three quarters of a million homes unaffordable for tenants. The Government Welfare Reform payment caps came into force this week (1st January 2012) meaning that more than 810,000 private rented homes unaffordable for tenants claiming the housing allowance under the new “Universal Credit” system. […]

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Is It Worth Having Landlord Insurance?

With some landlords feeling the financial pinch, a small minority of ill advised or inexperienced landlords are attempting to reduce costs by cutting vital corners such as on repairs or worse, on their insurance policies. As the owner and landlord of a buy to let property, adequate insurance is required to protect the fabric of […]

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