Even though the courts are holding possession hearings again, private landlords still face an uphill battle to evict tenants in arrears. This month, Anna Pettinger highlights the problems faced in areas under local lockdown… I obtained a possession order at the beginning of March, but my rental property is in Read more…
The first months of the year can be difficult for those who struggle to pay their rent. In this month’s column, we offer advice to landlords and tenants who are trying to recover rent arrears… My advice for tenants It might sound obvious, but if you can’t pay your rent, Read more…
Deposit protection was introduced eight years ago, but some confusion still remains about a landlord’s obligations. Where do we stand currently with tenancy deposits? As we have discussed many times before, it has been mandatory for residential landlords to protect deposits taken against a new assured shorthold tenancy since April Read more…
Registering residential tenancy deposits Many private residential landlords, particularly those with large tenant portfolios, will be concerned by a recent County Court decision. The court held that, even if the tenancy deposit had been protected at the outset of the fixed term of the assured shorthold tenancy (AST), the registration Read more…
Landlords will welcome the High Court’s comments on when sanctions for non-compliance with the tenancy deposit scheme (TDS) legislation are triggered. The tenant had argued that the section 21 notice served by the landlord was invalid, as, at the time of service, the landlord had not yet protected the deposit Read more…
This month’s commercial property update highlights the practical issues that a tenant should consider when exercising a break clause in a commercial lease. What is a break clause? A break clause can be included in a fixed-term lease allowing either the tenant or landlord to terminate the lease early. Exercising Read more…
Landlords and managing agents should be made aware of an Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber) decision in favour of a residential tenant who challenged water charges recovered through her service charge. In this case, the landlord had been put on notice that the water charges were excessive and that something was Read more…