A landlord in Sefton has been ordered by the First-tier Tribunal to repay £22,477.02 in Housing Benefit after properties were let without the required selective licences. The order follows an earlier prosecution in which the landlord admitted five offences and was fined for operating unlicensed rented properties.
A council has issued what it says is its first fine for serving an unlawful Section 21 notice after the Renters Rights Act removed that route to possession. The landlord was penalised by Gateshead council after serving the notice after 1 May, with the authority indicating that further cases are under consideration.
Cornwall Council says some second-home owners who reclassify properties as short-term holiday lets are claiming retrospective council tax refunds, creating a significant revenue loss for the authority. The article highlights a dispute over the tax treatment of holiday lets, with local politicians calling for reform and the self-catering sector arguing the current rules support the local economy.
Two major estate agency groups say the Renters’ Rights Act ban on rent in advance requests is creating unintended difficulties for some tenants, particularly overseas renters, international students and people with weaker credit profiles. They argue that, alongside the loss of Section 21, landlords are becoming more risk-averse and that guarantors may need to play a larger role as an alternative.
The article reviews the first six months after the Renters’ Rights Act came into force, arguing that the lettings market has been less disrupted than many feared. It highlights modest landlord exits, steady rent growth, practical issues around rent in advance and overlapping tenancies, and ongoing confusion about pet permissions.
The article reports on property and legal sector expectations ahead of the Autumn Budget, with calls for stamp duty reform, tax stability and clearer support for first-time buyers. Commentators also want progress on home buying and selling reforms, while warning that higher property taxes or uncertainty could weaken market confidence and transaction volumes.
The article previews government budget measures aimed at reducing administrative burdens, including a proposed £116 million annual saving from streamlining the home-buying and selling process. It also outlines expected detail on the Your First Home scheme, a replacement for Help to Buy, with possible changes to income thresholds and property price caps.
The article reports government plans to reduce red tape in the property transaction chain, with an estimated annual saving of £116 million for businesses. The reforms are intended to streamline homebuying and selling through earlier property information and changes to the transaction process, with further detail expected at the Budget.
A flat-sharing service is urging the Chancellor to increase the UK Rent a Room tax-free threshold in the upcoming Budget, arguing that the current £7,500 limit is suppressing lodger supply. The article says lodger rooms are declining in the UK despite being cheaper than traditional rental rooms, and suggests a higher threshold could help unlock more underused bedrooms for the rental market.
The article argues that conveyancing firms should approach AI cautiously and focus first on practical, lower-risk uses such as document review, call handling and consistency checks. The author suggests that AI is most useful in reducing administrative error and compliance risk, rather than replacing core legal judgment in tasks like raising enquiries or drafting reports on title.
The Resolution Foundation says Local Housing Allowance rates have fallen well behind private rents, creating a record affordability gap for low-income renters. It argues the Government should restore the annual link between LHA support and the 30th percentile of local rents in the upcoming Budget.
The Government is consulting on proposals to give tenants and leaseholders stronger rights to request EV charging points, citing barriers created by landlord or freeholder approval processes. The article also notes industry criticism that refusals are not a widespread problem and that existing grants already support installation in flats and rented homes.
