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Landlords who provide accommodation for students are exempt from paying council tax and their properties are exempt from business rates. However, if plans proposed by two Liverpool councillors go ahead, this could soon change.

Increasing numbers of landlords are setting up limited companies in a bid to avoid paying more tax. In effect, landlords are selling properties to themselves, even though there are some hefty up-front fees to set up a limited company. Buy to let landlords have had a tough time of late.

According to Citizens Advice, there has been an increase of letting agent problems reported by tenants. The organisation offered advice on rental problems to 6,500 tenant and letting agent problems between June last year and July of this year. This is a rise of 14% on the previous twelve months.

Whilst 69% of people trust teachers and 56% of people trust engineers, bankers, estate agents – politicians are way down on the list. However, although only 7% of people trust what politicians have to say, landlords do not appear on the Which? List of least trusted professions.

Adrian Malone from One Savings Bank spoke to an industry panel at the Financial Services Expo in London. The debate covered a number of key issues affecting the private rental sector, most notably recent government changes, which include extra stamp duty for second homes and a loss of mortgage interest tax relief. All agreed that […]

The mayor of Newham has criticised Alan Ward, chairman of the Residential Housing Association. In an article published in Inside Housing, Sir Robin Wales says landlord licensing has made a tangible difference and greatly improved the private rental sector in Newham.

A BBC Scotland report has claimed vulnerable families in the Govanhill area of Glasgow are being exploited by rogue landlords. Reporters say families are forced to live in sub-standard accommodation in the First Minister’s constituency, but are too afraid to complain.

Manchester City Council has plans to reintroduce a controversial licensing scheme in the Crumpsall area of the city, which would affect around 400 homes in the private sector. The Residential Landlords Association has viewed the consultation documents and it says landlords with properties in the area would have to pay between £500 and £750 per […]

Figures released by the National Housing Federation reveal that Housing Benefit payments made to private landlords have risen sharply in the last few years. The NHF blames the rising cost of renting property, along with an increase of tenants forced into the private housing sector.

The Residential Landlords Association is calling for the government to make Client Money Protection Schemes compulsory. This type of scheme protects landlords’ money when they use a letting agent, so if the agent goes into administration, the landlord does not lose their cash.

Landlord licensing schemes are never popular, but councils continue to claim that they drive up standards and prevent rogue landlords from operating. Many larger cities already operate landlord licensing schemes, but the London Borough of Ealing is now set to join them.

The RLA has criticised Andy Burnham’s plans to introduce landlord licencing in all ten boroughs of Greater Manchester, in the event he is elected as mayor. They say it would negatively affect the private rental sector by discouraging landlords to invest in buy to let housing – which is exactly the opposite of what Andy […]

The Telegraph has reported that huge numbers of landlords could be asked to pay a ‘green tax’ of up to £5,000 per property, in a move the RLA has described as a ‘stealth tax’.

Research carried out by a think-tank has revealed home ownership in England is the lowest it has been for 30 years. Rising property prices have left many people with no alternative but to rent rather than buy.