June 2017

Liverpool has taken the crown as the UK’s top spot for buy-to-let rental yield. According to mortgage broker Private Finance, the city offers a rental yield of 8% for landlords after mortgage costs have been deducted. Its closest competitors were Nottingham at 5.6%, Coventry at 5.4% and Greater Manchester at 4.3%. According to the company […]

The post Liverpool named buy-to-let hotspot appeared first on RLA Campaigns and News Centre.

A total of 46 PRS homes in Liverpool have been found to be breaking licensing conditions, with 131 breaches uncovered. A controversial city-wide licensing scheme was introduced in April 2015 and requires every landlord to pay a licence fee for each of their rented properties. Inspections are carried out at random to ensure landlords are […]

The post Will your property pass its licensing inspection? appeared first on RLA Campaigns and News Centre.

The RLA is advising members to check white goods in the wake of the devastating blaze in London’s Grenfell Tower. Police confirmed a Hotpoint FF175BP fridge freezer was the initial source of the blaze, and the government has ordered an immediate examination of the unit by technical experts to establish the cause. The product, which […]

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Brighton and Hove Council have announced today that they have begun a licensing consultation on two new licensing schemes, one additional and one selective. This proposal will affect over 27,000 properties. The consultation comes to a close 10th September 2017. Selective Licensing was introduced under the Housing Act 2004. The Housing Act 2004 says that before introducing […]

The post Two New Licensing Consultations Announced in Brighton & Hove appeared first on RLA Campaigns and News Centre.

Following a consultation earlier this year, East Staffordshire have confirmed that they have been given approval to start a Selective Licensing in the area of DE14, inner Burton. The scheme will come into force on 12th September 2017, private landlords will have to ensure that they have applied for a licence by this date. The […]

The post Selective Licensing Approved in East Staffordshire appeared first on RLA Campaigns and News Centre.

The tragedy that struck Grenfell Tower in London on June 14th has left the nation devastated as we watched many lose their lives, loved ones and their homes. It has not only caused tremendous empathy and grief for the victims but has prompted many of us to pause and reflect on how safe our tenants […]

The post Keeping your tenants safe – An overview of fire safety for the PRS appeared first on RLA Campaigns and News Centre.

Plans to ban fees paid by tenants to both landlords and letting agents will leave the market in limbo, according to the RLA. The Queen’s Speech revealed the plans, first announced by the chancellor in November, will now be published as a Draft Bill for further scrutiny. This comes after a consultation on the proposed ban […]

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One of the most common topics we handle in the Landlord Advice Team is the issue of deposits. Landlords often complain to us that, after spending a lot of time preparing evidence for adjudication, they end up receiving very little back to cover their losses. Despite the adjudication process being more than 10 years old, […]

The post Call of the week – deposit management appeared first on RLA Campaigns and News Centre.

The government has approached the RLA to contact landlords, owners and managers of PRS blocks throughout England in the wake of the Grenfell Tower blaze. The association was contacted by the Department for Communities and Local Government to share vital information with members following the devastating fire. In a letter Melanie Dawes, permanent secretary for […]

The post Vital safety checks urged in wake of Grenfell Tower tragedy appeared first on RLA Campaigns and News Centre.

This week, Stevenage Borough Council have confirmed that they are going ahead with plans to implement a borough-wide Article 4 planning restriction. Article 4 directions restrict permitted rights either in relation to a particular area or site, or a particular type of development anywhere in the local authority’s area. When an Article 4 direction is […]

The post Stevenage To Implement Planning Restrictions on HMOs appeared first on RLA Campaigns and News Centre.