12 Oct 26 Contributed article by Des Taylor A council financial penalty can arrive without you knowing an investigation was underway. That doesn’t necessarily mean the council acted unlawfully. In many cases, a tenant complaint triggers an investigation. The local authority may gather evidence before contacting the landlord, particularly if they believe advance notice could affect the investigation. While this can come as a surprise, it is often permitted under the current enforcement framework. The
28 Sep 26 Contributed article by Des Taylor Many landlords are surprised when the council helps a tenant bring a Rent Repayment Order claim. In reality, that assistance is often a legal requirement. The council’s role is usually limited to confirming factual matters, such as whether a licence was required or whether the tenant occupied the property during the relevant period. It doesn’t automatically mean the council has decided the landlord should lose. Understanding what
14 Sep 26 Contributed article by Des Taylor A missing council licence record doesn’t automatically mean you’ve committed a licensing offence. Many landlords panic when a tenant claims their property wasn’t licensed because the council’s online register shows nothing. But online records aren’t always complete or up to date. If you held a valid licence, or submitted a valid licence application during the relevant period, the evidence could significantly affect your defence. Before accepting an
10 Sep 26 Ever wondered what it looks like when a Civil Penalty Notice from The Council lands on your doormat? Here’s what landed at one HMO landlord’s very recently for an unlicensed HMO. Just shy of an entire ream of paper. This includes two civil penalty notices for the failure to licence and eight civil penalty notices for breaches of the HMO Management Regulations. A fairly typical package for any unlicensed HMO. Reading through
09 Sep 26 Get ready: ‘Register your rental property’ service This winter we’re rolling out the ‘Register your rental property’ service, as part of the second phase of Renters’ Rights Act implementation. If you’re a landlord of an assured or regulated tenancy, then you must register yourself and each of your properties through the service. You won’t need to register on the service if you’re a landlord of supported exempt accommodation as set out in
09 Sep 26 In a shock announcement government has declared it will take rent reviews off the creaking First Tier Tribunal and give then task to HMRC (the old VoA) A big benefit for HMRC will be that they know what rent landlords are actually charging to make sure you pay all your tax! Here’s the full government press release: Private renters will benefit from stronger protections, greater transparency and more confidence in the homes they rent under the
07 Sep 26 Contributed article by Des Taylor Not every damp complaint is caused by the property, and not every damp complaint is caused by the tenant. Damp can result from building defects, maintenance issues, condensation, ventilation or occupant behaviour. Assuming you know the cause before it’s properly investigated can expose you to unnecessary legal risk, particularly if the dispute escalates into a disrepair claim. The right approach is to obtain an independent assessment from
01 Sep 26 Contributed article from Des Taylor Can a tenant apply for a Rent Repayment Order while owing thousands of pounds in rent? Yes, they can. Whether they receive any money is a different question. This issue was considered in Awad v Hooley (2020), a case I was involved in. The landlord had committed a licensing offence, making a Rent Repayment Order application possible. However, the tenant also owed around £15,000 in rent arrears.
25 Aug 26 A new generation of investors are entering the market driven by long-term wealth creation, lifestyle flexibility and a more business-minded approach to property ownership. This is according to high profile agent John Minnis. While the latest English Private Landlord Survey shows that 45% of landlords still own just one rental property, the insists the sector is becoming increasingly professional. Just 17% of landlords own five or more properties, yet they account for
24 Aug 26 Missing a gas safety certificate renewal is more than an administrative mistake. It can create legal risk, expose you to enforcement action, and weaken your position if a dispute arises. The priority is to put the problem right immediately. Arrange the inspection as soon as possible, provide the valid certificate to your tenant without delay, and review why the renewal was missed in the first place. A robust management system is just
17 Aug 26 Landlords in one local authority area could see locally set housing fines increased by up to 50% where the council finds aggravating factors such as previous non-compliance, a breach lasting more than six months or deliberate offending. It is now consulting on a tougher Housing Services Enforcement & Financial Penalty Policy, drawn up after new duties and powers under the Renters’ Rights Act. Proposed starting penalties include £20,000 for failing to carry out required
17 Aug 26 Receiving a Rent Repayment Order application is not the time to negotiate or hope the issue will resolve itself. Where licensing is at the centre of an RRO application, the legal process is already underway. Many landlords make the mistake of responding without understanding the evidence, the tribunal process or the legal issues involved. That can weaken their position before the hearing has even begun. Why does this matter? Because tribunal proceedings
11 Aug 26 Contributed article from Des Taylor When a draft property licence is issued, there is a window during which representations can be made. That window is typically short, and the time lost in transit or in simply identifying the document means that effective response time is often shorter still. The process of making a representation requires a careful review of every condition on the draft licence, each heading, the exact wording used, what
06 Aug 26 Contributed article from Des Taylor Some situations need a short, focused conversation to establish the key facts and identify what action, if any, is required. Others require a more detailed engagement to work through the full position. What matters is matching the level of advice to what the situation actually requires, and getting that advice before a problem develops rather than after. The cost of a diagnostic call, a licensing consultation, or
05 Aug 26 Breckland Council has recovered over £216,000 from two criminal landlords in Thetford. This comes as a result of the Private Sector Housing Team cracking down on some of the most neglected properties owned by repeat offending landlords. A landlord, letting 11 homes in the Thetford area, was recently found to be renting out accommodation without electrical safety checks. Following an inspection from Breckland’s Private Sector Housing Team, the properties were deemed unsafe
05 Aug 26 Contributed article from Des Taylor A situation I dealt with involved a tenant who provided a signed statement of truth, witnessed and recorded under perjury provisions, confirming that he was personally responsible for the damage found in the property. The local housing authority enforced against the landlord regardless. The licence in question was a selective licence, and the conditions placed an absolute obligation on the licence holder to keep the property in
01 Aug 26 Contributed article from Des Taylor Celebrating Coming of Age at 21 years. 2005 to 2026 and now also 21 ways or more to hurt your bank account!! The Housing Health and Safety Rating System (England) Regulations 2005 Landlord compliance is generally the best defence. Understanding the regulations, understanding the legislation, doing things correctly. That is not just with the tenancy. That is with the property. Understanding what is required to be compliant
27 Jul 26 Contributed article from Des Taylor Section 21, we thought it was dead and buried, didn’t we? 01 May 2026 it should have been, but not according to one North West London council. They are still issuing selective Licences, and at Condition 6, it says at the bottom of it that you must still use Section 21 of the Housing Act 1988 to evict tenants where antisocial behaviour and the process of eliminating
29 Jul 26 Contributed article from Des Taylor One of the shortest deadlines in property licensing can have some of the biggest consequences. Most draft HMO and property licences allow just fourteen days for representations. On paper, that may seem reasonable. In practice, the time available is often much shorter. Most communication throughout the licensing process takes place by email, yet draft licences frequently arrive by post. By the time the letter is delivered, opened
28 Jul 26 It’s protecting as much as can realistically be protected. We recently worked with a landlord whose property had eleven rooms under scrutiny during a licensing and compliance review. Following a detailed assessment against the relevant standards, it became clear that not every room could remain in its original form. Rather than pursuing unrealistic arguments or expensive litigation, the focus was on achieving the strongest practical outcome. Eight rooms were retained on the
28 Jul 26 Contributed article from Des Taylor The standard practice of offering viewings to prospective tenants before carrying out any meaningful qualification creates significant inefficiencies and, in some cases, genuine risk. A structured pre-qualification process, one that assesses whether the applicant is in a position to meet referencing requirements, establishes their employment status, their previous landlord history, and their next of kin details, and obtains their consent to reference, should precede any viewing appointment.
27 Jul 26 Contributed article from Des Taylor A Selective Licence must always be represented against as it is not automatically correct and councils make errors which they can fine you. A draft selective licence was issued and it contained a catalogue of errors. The Notice of Intention said representations had to be made before a specified date. That date was missing in the notice making it defective. The Council then described Landlords Defence Limited
20 Jul 26 So says Tamy Finkelsten Property Investor with TAMNOON HOMES in her recent LinkedIn post. Tamy went on to say: Three hours with Des Taylor from Landlords Defence… worth every minute. As property professionals, we all know that legislation can be one of the biggest challenges in our industry. Spending three hours with Des felt like attending an intensive masterclass. My objectives for the session were clear: ✔️ Serviced accommodation and the 90-day rule.
06 Jul 26 New rules for landlords on digital Right to Rent checks are being launched this autumn. The regulations introduce a new requirement that if a landlord or letting agent chooses to carry out a digital Right to Rent check through a third-party provider, it must be a government-registered Right to Rent Digital Verification Service Provider (RtR DVSP). The updated guidance applies to all residential tenancy agreements beginning on or after 1st October in England. However,
06 Jul 26 New research from specialist lender Aldermore reveals that many renters are shocked at how much they have to pay. Its study shows that for renters who moved property in the past year, nearly two thirds (63%) say they ended up paying more rent than they initially intended when securing their current home. A similar proportion (62%) say they were competing with more prospective tenants than expected when trying to secure a rental
06 Jul 26 Year-on-year rental inflation reached its highest level in nearly two years in June. Having sat at just 1.7% throughout April and May, the figure spiked to 6.5% last month. This is according to Goodlord’s monthly index. The first five months of the year saw historically low inflation across the PRS, as landlords, letting agents and their tenants awaited the impact of May’s Renters Rights Act. While it’s too early to say for
This UK video was posted on LinkedIn by the fire assessor after a fire in the UK. Permission to reproduce it here was kindly given by the assessor. The door was non-compliant. Sadly we do not have more details of the non-compliance but it is reasonable to conclude that it must have been significantly non-compliant and yet still did the required job of holding the fire within the compartment of origin
15 May 26 Councils can enter a landlord’s business premises under rules set out in the Renters’ Rights Act. However, government guidance makes clear that the business premises power cannot be used to enter premises that are wholly or mainly used as a home. In December last year, under the Renters’ Rights Act, councils were given powers to carry out inspections. The government has now issued further guidance explaining how councils can use powers of
06 Apr 26 Two landlords in the same city have been prosecuted for failing to provide paperwork to authorities. The cases were brought by Derby council. Both followed investigations after residents complained about the way properties were being managed. Talwar, 79, was prosecuted for failing to provide complete records of tenancy agreements and rental income for a property. Magistrates found Talwar guilty in her absence. She was fined £440 and ordered to pay £689.88 in
06 Apr 26 Pricing and value will remain key to London’s lettings market’s continued momentum, according to Foxtons Lettings Market Index. It says that although renter demand remains below last year’s level, with registrations in March 10% lower year-on-year, activity increased month-on-month. While many report landlords leaving the market, Foxtons said supply rose 11% between February and March in the capital, offering renters greater choice. Meanwhile, year-on-year new listings rose 4%, with the sustained increase
06 Apr 26 New research from Colliers reveals that allowing councils to charge double council tax on second homes is actually costing the public. The policy, now widely adopted across the UK, has seen 85% of local authorities in England and 91% in Wales introduce higher council tax charges on second homes. However, instead of boosting revenues, Colliers believe this is encouraging more property owners to reclassify their second homes as holiday lets and move
05 May 26 A specialist barrister with a long experience in the field of property law says the Renters Rights Act is a fundamental rewriting of how private renting works in England – and it removes the margin for error that landlords have long relied upon. From now, assured shorthold tenancies, fixed terms, and Section 21 evictions have all been abolished. Every private tenancy in England is now periodic and open-ended. Harry Angelides, barrister at
23 Apr 2026 Between now and 01 May 2026 the most critical action any landlord can take is to decide whether a Section 21 notice needs to be served immediately, because once that date passes the option disappears entirely. This is not a decision that can be delayed or revisited later because the legal route itself is being removed, not amended or restricted. If there is any doubt about a tenancy, any concern about behaviour,
23 Apr 2026 Landlords must make a decisive shift away from verbal communication and informal arrangements and move to a fully written, provable communication system. This is one of the simplest changes to make and one of the most powerful when it comes to protecting control. For years, landlords have relied on phone calls, casual conversations, and verbal agreements to manage tenancies. That approach will not survive under the new framework. From May 2026, if
23 Apr 2026 Now is the time to do what you have been putting off for years, assessing your tenancies and the viability and bother they are, because between now and 01 May 2026 every landlord must carry out a full audit of every tenancy file because once Section 21 is gone, paperwork becomes the case. This is not administration; it is legal survival. 01 May 2026 onwards, possession, defence, and enforcement all hinge on
23 Apr 2026 Every landlord must review and, where necessary, reset their rent levels because once the new system begins the ability to adjust rent becomes restricted and slow and far too easy to challenge and game the process. This is one of the most overlooked risks because many landlords assume they can deal with rent increases later if needed. That assumption will not hold under the new rules. From May 2026 rent increases can
23 Apr 2026 Between 01 May 2026 and 31 May 2026 every landlord must serve the correct and most up to date tenant information and must be able to prove that it has been served properly. This is a legal step that must be done correctly and probably it is not just a paperwork exercise. The guidance allows flexibility in how information is served, but that flexibility creates risk if it is handled casually and
22 Apr 2026 A local authority has gone on record saying there’s “little evidence” that landlord licensing leads to increased rents. Great Yarmouth council is introducing selective licensing across a range of wards and streets, amounting to some 5,000 homes covering 60% of the borough. The licence imposed by this council is £694 for five years – but the authority suggests this is highly unlikely to be passed on by landlords. In a statement it
27 Mar 26 A £400,000 fund will help London’s renters challenge landlords and understand their rights when the Renters’ Rights Act takes effect on 1 May. The cash will back advice services, renter groups and training for borough officers who pursue criminal landlords. The mayor, Sadiq Khan, launched the enforcement fund with a call for rent cap powers to be devolved. Also, new YouGov polling commissioned by the Greater London Authority has found three-quarters of Londoners would
16 Mar 26 Contributed article by Michael Duncan of Profile 360 and Gallery Two decorators carrying out window repairs around four storeys above ground level. No safety equipment. No protection. Situations like this are more common than many people realise. At first glance the risk appears to sit with the individuals carrying out the work. But there could be a hidden exposure here that many property owners are unaware of. In the eyes of the
05 Mar 26 A city council has unveiled a huge cash injection to deal with ‘rogue’ landlords ahead of the Renters’ Rights Act being implemented in May. It says that landlords will face increased scrutiny as the council prepares for new enforcement duties tied to the rental reforms. City of Wolverhampton Council has confirmed it will commit an extra £714,000 during the 2026/27 financial year to strengthen its private sector housing enforcement activity. The cash will support
04 Mar 26 Contributed by Des Taylor, Landlord’s Defence The government has issued detailed guidance on how landlords must handle tenant requests for pets under the Renters’ Rights Act. Pet requests must be considered individually and responded to in writing within strict statutory timeframes. Landlords will have 28 days to respond, with limited scope to request further information before a final decision is required. Refusals must be objectively justified and clearly explained, with reasons grounded
26 Feb 26 The John Lewis Partnership has confirmed it is closing its housebuilding division, five years after it was launched by former chair Dame Sharon White. The group said the decision reflects higher borrowing and construction costs compared with when it entered the residential development market in 2020. It will also exit property management and close that arm of the business once contracts covering four residential buildings come to an end. The employee-owned retailer said
26 Feb 26 Activists groups have voiced their anger at Reform UK’s pledge to scrap the Renters Rights Act if it wins power. Sarah Elliott, chief executive of Shelter, says: “It should come as no surprise that a party whose leader [Nigel Farage] rakes in thousands in rental income every year is fighting tooth and nail to undermine the hard-won rights of England’s 11 million private renters. “How can any political party claim to stand
26 Feb 26 A Labour council is planning a huge clampdown on private landlords. Liverpool council is to hire seven staff immediately and 27 others later this year to enforce its selective licensing regime. Some 46,000 rented homes are part of the scheme. The new recruits will concentrate on issues such as unlicensed properties in flats above shops, landlords who make tenants pay rent in cash, and those landlords involved in suspected criminal activity. In
18 Feb 2026 Des Taylor, Landlords Licensing & Defence Two notices of intent to impose a Financial Penalty landed on a landlord’s desk in November 2025 The allegations were operating an unlicensed mandatory HMO under section 72 Housing Act 2004 and breaching multiple HMO Management Regulations under section 234. The proposed civil penalties totalled £30,000. The property had been let as a single-family dwelling. There was no evidence from the PACE interview that the landlord
05 Feb 26 Gateshead Council has obtained a 10-year banning order against a landlord who “repeatedly” failed to meet basic housing standards and put the health and wellbeing of residents at risk. On 9 January 2026, the First-Tier Tribunal granted the council’s application to ban Anthony X, of Birtley, from letting residential properties, carrying out letting agency work, and undertaking property management work for a period of 10 years. The council applied for the banning order following
29 Jan 26 The government has confirmed all private and social landlords will need to meet the Decent Homes Standard (DHS) by 2035. Generation Rent has accused the government of “dragging their feet” after opting for a 2035 target. The news comes after the government confirmed all private landlords will need to meet EPC C targets by 2030. Homes will be classed as non-decent if landlord has not remediated damp and mould Under the new
21 Jan 26 The government has announced it is to reform Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs). And it has at last confirmed new EPC deadlines for landlords. How EPCs will change In what the government calls “a partial response” to a 2024 consultation exercise on reforms, the government says it will, in the long term, base EPCs on four elements. These are: energy cost, fabric performance, heating system and smart readiness. The government says: “The separate
20 Jan 26 A landlord pair have lost their appeal against a £579,000 bill following a long-running legal battle with Camden Council. Salem, 66, of Highview Gardens, Finchley and Robinson-Dadoun, 58, formerly of Brampton Grove, Hendon, were prosecuted by Camden Council in February 2024 after they failed to comply with an enforcement notice. The pair had illegally sub-divided a house in Fortune Green Road, Hampstead, into seven substandard flats, despite only being granted permission for four. Following an