Blog

The Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016 were enacted on 8 December 2016 and impose statutory duties on distributors of electrical equipment. Landlords who supply electrical equipment to tenants for their use are, consistent with the definition in the regulations, considered to be distributors. The regulations tighten the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994. What equipment is…

Home businesses are now common but until recently giving a tenant consent to operate a business from their rented home was tricky because the landlord did not want to inadvertently give the tenant a business tenancy that could be caught by Part 2 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954. A tenancy under those provisions…

Firstly, we should remind ourselves why a landlord should carry out repairs: • Meet implied obligations (law) • Meet express obligations (tenancy agreement) • Preserve the landlord’s asset • Keep the tenant happy (a happy tenant is a good tenant) The longer a landlord takes to carry out a repair the more likely they are…

Tenancy Agreements often include terms such as ‘The tenant shall make good all damage and breakages to the property and its contents that may occur during the term, that are the responsibility of the tenant (with the exception of fair wear and tear and accidental damage by fire).’ The part in question here is the…

The question relates to the release of a deposit from the Deposit Protection Service (DPS)… There is no time limit to wait contained in the Housing Act 2004 once a repayment request has been made so it will be a case of common sense. Clearly you need to give sufficient time for the tenant to…

Paragraph 3(1) of Schedule 6 to the Electricity Act 1989 makes a deemed contract between the electricity company and the owner of the premises the moment the premises become unoccupied: 3.— (1) Where an electricity supplier supplies electricity to any premises otherwise than in pursuance of a contract, the supplier shall be deemed to have…

Before letting a property, you may need to obtain permission as follows: Council if you are changing the use of a residential property from family use to a House of Multiple Occupation (HMO) as defined in the Housing Act 2004, then you may need planning permission from the local council. If a landlord lets a…

When we say ‘sharers’ we are not referring to married couples, civil partners or common-in-law partners we are referring to friends, co-workers or in some cases relatives who choose to live together as tenants. Temporary Arrangement Sharers are rarely a long-term arrangement so may not suit landlords who favour long-term tenants. Shortly after the start…

The Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property) (England and Wales) Regulations 2015 were recently passed. From 1 April 2018, all rented property which is to have a new tenancy must have an Energy Efficiency Rating of at least “E”. This requirement also applies to all renewal tenancies to the same tenant for the same property on…

1. Advertising your home 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, even when the agent is closed. Some research suggests you get 50% more enquiries when you have a board. 2. Tenants/buyers tour a wide area, often just driving around looking for boards, even at the end of cul-de-sacs or tracks! People drive round…