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Surprise Cannabis Farm Cultivated by Model Tenant

A landlord in Gateshead had a shock when he turned up at his property unannounced to inform the tenant he was putting the house on the market. To his great surprise, the landlord discovered the house had been turned into a sophisticated cannabis farm. Two bedrooms contained around 40

By 2 min read

Garage Life: a Solution to the Housing Shortage?

‘Beds in sheds’ is a relatively recent phenomenon in areas where there are more tenants than available rental properties. The phenomenon means that some landlords rent out hastily converted garden sheds and outbuildings in order to make a profit, uncaring of the fact that many of these homes are not fit for human

By 2 min read

Should Pensioners Move Their Pension Pot into Buy To Let?

The Chancellor, George Osbourne, has changed the rules on pension drawdowns to make it easier for pensioners to have access to their money at retirement. The government believes that

By 2 min read

Local Councils Stifling the Rental Market

According to a survey carried out by the National Landlords Association (NLA), 75% of landlords questioned said they would be likely to buy their next property in their local geographical area. A further 10% said they would consider buying a property within a 100-mile radius.

By 2 min read

Landlord Vision: New Functionality Available

Landlord Vision’s latest update is now available, containing lots of new features. Our next two training videos focus on the mail merge module and the key management system: Managing Property Keys Using Mail Merge Have a look at what’s new in the recent update and don’t forget to look out for more videos in the […]

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The London Rental Standard Goes Live

Boris Johnson officially launched the London Rental Standard (LRS) scheme yesterday, although the scheme actually went ‘live’ on Monday. Otherwise known as the ‘Boris Badge’, the LRS scheme is designed to be an accreditation scheme for so-called ‘good landlords’ in London.

By 2 min read

Blackpool Top Investment Town for Buy to Let Landlords

According to recent research carried out by HSBC, Blackpool is one of the top four hot spots for investment property opportunities. Landlords from far and wide are flocking to property auctions in the town, determined to snap up a bargain or two before someone else does.

By 2 min read

Will New Mortgage Rules Slow Housing Market Activity?

Experts have been warning for months of a property bubble developing in London and the southeast caused by a shortage of affordable housing in the capital and surrounding areas, which is forcing property prices ever to higher levels. Observers are hoping that new lending rules recently introduced will

By 2 min read

HMRC Guidance on Renewals, Wear and Tear in Rental Properties

Tax relief is available on furnished and unfurnished properties, which is something all landlords need to be aware of if they want to save money on their tax bill. In a recent letter to the Chartered Institute of Taxation, HMRC has decided to clarify the issues of how tax relief is claimed on fixtures and

By 2 min read

RLA Responds to Generation Rent Manifesto

Vocal campaign group, Generation Rent, has issued a manifesto on reforms it believes are necessary in the private rental sector, but the Residential Landlords Association is not impressed. It says the group doesn’t present a balanced picture of the private rental sector and instead is

By 2 min read

Maximise Space in a Rental Home

According to property experts, the best way to make a rental home more appealing to tenants is to forget about providing a dining room and spend your money on creating a spacious living room or dining kitchen instead.

By 2 min read

Cleaning Disputes Are On the Rise

According to an annual review carried out by the Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS), the most common cause of disputes between landlords and tenants is cleanliness. The number of complaints made about cleaning has increased from 49% in 2009 to 56% in 2013 and the problem is getting worse.

By 2 min read

Cumbria Landlord Accreditation Scheme

Landlords in Cumbria are being encouraged to sign up for a new landlord accreditation scheme. The scheme is being run by the National Landlords Association (NLA) in partnership with five of the six district councils in Cumbria.

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Smoke Alarm Proposal for Rented Homes Passes First Hurdle

Following a 10 minute rule motion from Labour MP, Nick Raynsford, the majority of MPs have backed a proposal to make the provision of smoke alarms mandatory in private rented homes. 245 MPs backed the motion and only eight voted against it. The smoke alarm bill will be given a second

By 2 min read

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