Having a tenant from hell – it can make or break you as a landlord

Last month, during filming for the next series of ‘Bad Tenants, Rogue Landlords’ (due to air on Channel 5 later this year), we carried out an eviction in Cardiff.

Although Landlord Action features in a programme with the term ‘rogue landlord’ in the title, I’m a little tired of the phrase being bandied about so freely in the press that the adjective ‘rogue’ seems to permanently precede the word ‘landlord’....

More than half of landlords use Section 21 because of rent arrears…
because of Section 8 delays

The consultation into which major reforms to make to private sector tenancies, including the case for a Housing Court, longer tenancies and the future of Section 21, has now ended and the industry awaits the result. Critics are calling for Section 21 evictions to be banned, arguing that they tilt the balance of power towards landlords. However, a survey carried out by Landlord Action, has revealed some interesting facts when it comes to the reasons landlords serve Section 21 notices, suggesting without them landlords may leave the sector for fear they have no power over their own property....

‘Rumble with the Agents’ looking for ‘Wish-Heroes’

‘Rumble with the Agents’, the annual white-collar charity boxing event hosted by Landlord Action is set to return for the fifth year running. This year they are calling for participants and attendees to help them create life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses through Make-A-Wish UK.

Rumble with the Agents is a unique opportunity for people with no boxing background to experience the wonderful world of boxing, in a safe and enjoyable environment. It is an opportunity to get fit, learn a new sport, meet new people and gain a real sense of achievement. Most importantly, the focus of this year’s event is to raise enough money to grant at least five critically ill children one life-changing and transformational wish each, which will be announced on the night....

Calls to scrap direct payments as Panorama reveals rent arrears double for Universal Credit claimants

On Monday 12th November, BBCs latest Panorama investigation focused on the impact of the controversial Universal Credit, and most crucially the housing element. The programme revealed the extent of the rent arrears problem as a result of changes to the benefits system. Paul Shamplina, founder of Landlord Action, together with Mick Roberts, one of the UK’s largest Housing Benefit landlords, join other industry experts in calling on the government to act now and scrap direct payments to tenants of the housing element of Universal Credit, before the situation worsens....

First Hamilton Fraser Academy Course for Letting Agents Sold Out...Second Date Added

Next month, Hamilton Fraser is launching the Hamilton Fraser Academy, a series of half and full day workshops to offer property professionals advice and education covering the full tenancy lifecycle. The first course, ‘Legal update and compliance’ is aimed at letting agents of all sizes and will be hosted by Susie Crolla of The Letting Training Centre on 22nd November. Due to high demand, this course is now full and a second workshop has been added on 13th December....

Gas safety certificates & Section 21 - be compliant or you may pay the price

by Paul Shamplina

Landlords, did you know that if you did not provide a gas safety certificate at the start of a tenancy (be it a first agreement or written renewal after 1st October 2015), before the tenant moved in, you may find that any Section 21 notice served during the term is invalid?

This is not a well-known issue, but one that is starting to gain traction following the Caridon Property Ltd v Monty Shooltz case back in February 2018. At the Central London County Court, landlord Caridon Property failed to obtain a possession order, based on their Section 21 notice, because they failed to serve a copy of a current gas safety certificate BEFORE the tenant moved in on the 13th April 2017; it was served on the 26th April 2017, after the tenant moved in....

A Facebook friend, a fake bank transfer…a fraudulent tenant

On tonight’s episode of Channel 5’s “Bad Tenants, Rogue Landlords”, two unlucky landlords learn the dangers of advertising a property via social media and how technology can be used to defraud landlords out of thousands of pounds.

Landlord Jessica and her husband Dennis find themselves in a nightmare situation. When they moved to a new house, rather than sell their old home they decided to rent it out temporarily. Never having been landlords before, they put a simple advert out on Facebook. They were quickly contacted by a potential tenant - a single mother who provided all the necessarily documents and passed referencing checks....

Mandatory ‘how to rent’ guide update – remain compliant

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has launched a new series of ‘How to’ guides produced to help support tenants, landlords and letting agents within the private rented sector. In addition, the government’s mandatory ‘How to rent’ guide has been revised.

The most recent update includes a new subtitle in the document and now reads ‘How to rent: the checklist for renting in England’ that is reflective of wording in the Assured Shorthold Tenancy Notices and Prescribed Requirements (England) Regulations 2015....