Landlords and agents should by now be aware of just how important it is to follow the letter of the law when serving Section 8 or Section 21 Notices.

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Within the first few days after the tenant falls into arrears, the landlord should send a formal demand letter by first class mail or hand deliver it.  In the letter, request that the outstanding arrears be paid immediately and ask the tenant to ensure that all future rental payments are made in full and on the due date. 

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Rent arrears is a serious matter and requires immediate action but that doesn't necessarily mean 'going legal' right from the start,  even though you have the  right to do so.   It's always best to contact your tenant first to discuss the problem.  When reminded about a missed payment, most tenants will respond quickly and positively.

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On Friday 28^th November MP’s heard a parliamentary bill aimed at putting an end to landlords ‘revenge evicting’ tenants who complained about their property.

That bill did not become law because two Conservative MPs filibustered and stopped the debate which would have ended in the bill becoming law. 

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Landlords spend a lot of time working with letting agents or by themselves to attract the best calibre tenants possible.

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Landlords have considerable legal responsibilities when it comes to the safety of gas appliances in any rental property.   The Gas Safe Register consistently aims to increase awareness amongst landlords and tenants of the potentially fatal consequences of having poorly fitted gas appliances which are either poorly serviced or not serviced at all.

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Several bodies are taking the time to remind those UK landlords affected about the importance of conducting tenant checks shortly before new legislation will require them to check the immigration status of every new tenant.

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The provisions in the Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (LASPO) that made squatting a criminal offence do seem to have made a difference to how speedily squatters can be removed from vacant premises. The only evidence I have for this is that my law firm has had only one case concerning squatters since it was introduced.

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New regulations concerning the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 came into force on 13th June 2014 and will affect landlords who use letting agents. Although the new regime does not directly cover contracts for rental of residential accommodation, the new regulations do have a big impact on how a letting agent’s terms of business should be presented to the landlord.

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A lot of landlords ask us what they can do if a tenant who has moved out leaves goods and possessions in their property. It’s not an uncommon situation at the end of an AST period and is frequently the case when a tenant does a moonlight flit and disappears.

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