Tenant fees act – Renewal with higher rent £50?

admin    Uncategorized     agents

The act states that a payment is permitted, if a landlord makes a Variation, Assignment or Novation to a tenancy at the tenants request to allow a pet or another person to stay at the dwelling.

So if I draw up a renewal with higher rent

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Small Claims permitted after DPS award?

admin    Uncategorized     agents

I’d particularly welcome comments from those within the letting business’ or especially those 118 members with legal qualification please.

Last year my tenant abandoned the property half way into a fixed term tenancy, leaving rent arrears and many items damaged and lost.

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Your time is precious, so choose smart access control

admin    Uncategorized     agents

Choosing the right lock for
your property is a big decision. Choose wisely and you save yourself precious
time, choose poorly and you will repeatedly waste valuable time looking for
lost keys, delivering and collecting keys or contacting the locksmith … again.

We like landlords, in fact many
of our favourite customers are landlords, so read on and we’ll share our wisdom
with you to help you find the perfect access control option for your property.

Open
the door to more tenants

Property letting specialist Lifestyle
Serviced Apartments (LSA), took on a small number of serviced
apartments in Southend-on-Sea. The rooms at Estuary House are let out to tourists
and the corporate market, with lets lasting anywhere from a few days to a few
weeks.

LSA wanted to find an access
control solution that would secure the properties without hindering the check-in
process for guests. “Initially, we looked at solutions from Yale, but when we hired
a company to help install the locks, they recommended we take a closer look at Codelocks,�
explained David Diack, director of Lifestyle Serviced Apartments.

A
smart time saving solution

LSA installed a total of 10 locks
on site. The CL2000 electronic
lock was installed on the main entrance. It was easy to install and provides
simple coded access control for all residents while allowing them to exit
freely.  

CL4510 smart
locks were fitted on each of the apartment doors. The CL4510 combines smart
technology with traditional keypad and card access options and was chosen by LSA
for its ability to generate unique access codes remotely. When a customer rents
an apartment, the LSA team can remotely issue a time sensitive code for the
requested room. Codes can be set for any desired period and are disposable,
expiring once the customer checks out of the property.

Thanks to Codelocks’ NetCode
technology, the locks offer ultimate flexibility, giving LSA new levels of
convenient access control without compromising on security. The locks can be operated
and managed from any location by downloading K3 Connect App*.

Using the Codelocks Application
Programming Interface (API), property managers, landlords and rental owners can
integrate smart locks with their own online booking systems, fully automating
the check-in process.

Happy
staff, happy customers

The CL4510 can be programmed
to use four-, five- or six-digit codes. LSA opted to use four digits, so that
guests could easily memorise their code, but longer codes are available where
even greater levels of reassurance are required.

In addition to coded access, CL4510
can also be opened using smartcards. LSA says that this capability adds an
extra layer of convenience for both its customers and staff, “We have a few
long-term guests, so rather than provide them with a code, we give them each a
smartcard, which makes access more convenient. Our cleaning team also use the
cards.�

Administrative time and costs
are kept to a minimum as codes do not need to be manually updated and there are
no keys to manage. The CL4510’s Audit Trail capability allows LSA to monitor guest
activity, ensuring that customers safely arrive and check-out on the agreed
date. It is also a valuable way to monitor maintenance and service staff and
contractors, providing a record of who is on site, when and for how long.

First-class
products, first-class support

Quality products from Codelocks are a given
and so is our customer service. Our team can:

• Help you choose the right lock before you buy
• Advise on installation and programming set up
• Provide support and advice to owners of Codelocks products
• Arrange to fix or replace a faulty lock or refund an unwanted
  lock.

We are pleased to say that Mr Diack agrees: “The Codelocks team were always very quick to respond. After our
first phone call, we had someone on site within 24 hours,� Mr Diack said. “They’re
really professional. If you need help, you can just pick up the phone. They
know what they’re talking about and rather than try to rush you, they’re happy
to spend time making sure that all of your questions have been answered. It has
definitely been worth the investment and we will certainly use Codelocks again
in our future serviced apartments.â€� 

Convenience
is key

Codelocks products come with
24-hour access to support pages including
detailed online FAQs,
instructions, videos
and templates to help you install and use your locks.

If you prefer to get some advice
from a real person, our UK-based team
have detailed knowledge of all of our products and are ready to give you as
much support as you need. Simply tell us what you need the lock for and about
any ‘must have’ features that you’re looking for. Our team can talk you
through the best options, help you consider the right features and identify the
right lock for you.

So, no need to spend hours on
the internet comparing locks or continue to waste time hunting for lost keys, a
call to Codelocks will save you valuable time now and in the long run.

www.codelocks.co.uk

* The
App is available on the Apple App Store for Apple devices or Google Play for
Android devices. Apple, the Apple logo, and iPhone are trademarks of Apple
Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. 
App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc. Android, Google Play and the
Google Play logo are trademarks of Google Inc.

©1999 – Present | Parkmatic Publications Ltd. All rights reserved | LandlordZONE® – Your time is precious, so choose smart access control | LandlordZONE.

View Full Article: Your time is precious, so choose smart access control

Nearly 50% of Landlords could sell if Section 21 abolished

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Law Change:

A survey conducted by the Residential Landlords’ Association
(RLA) indicates that nearly half of all English residential landlords would
sell some or possibly all of their rented houses if the “no-fault� eviction
process is removed.

Introduced in the 1988 Housing Act, the section 21 “no-fault�
eviction process is credited with the genesis of the growth in rental housing
provision over the last 30 years. To remove this would mean landlords being
faced with uncertainty, delays and expense when faced with having to evict a
bad tenant for legitimate reasons, landlords claim.

The landlord membership associations argue that not only
would it lead to landlords selling up, a move that this latest landlord survey
gives credence to, it would exacerbate an already undersupply of rented
property, in turn leading to rent increases for those who are lease able to afford
them.

This latest RLA survey, they claim to be biggest ever survey
yet of more than 6,500 landlords and agents, shows that over 46% of landlords plan
to sell.

Of course, section 21 is not the only reason for this, but
with what seems a targeted campaign against private landlords by the current
government, including various tax increases (section 24 in particular) and
voluminous changes to regulations, it could very well be the last straw for
many private landlords.

Some 40% of the landlords surveyed said they were holding
fire for now, to see how the planned changes by government pan out over the
coming months, before they make a decision to withdraw from providing rental
housing.

Following hard on the heels of the government’s announcement
of the legal changes, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) came
out with a stern warning: that private rents would increase by an average of 3%
per year over the next five years if landlords start to leave the market in the
face of still growing demand from prospective tenants.

Two months ago the government announced its plans to end no-fault
Section 21 repossessions, whilst strengthening the adversarial Section 8
process. However, landlords have little confidence, in the face of 30% cuts to
the Justice Departments budgets, that any improvements to this slow and cumbersome
county court system would result. Currently it takes on average over five
months from an eviction notice being served to achieving repossession.

One suggested solution has been the establishment of a
national chain of special housing courts, bringing together all housing
disputes under a single body, and supported by 91% of all respondents. However,
much scepticism has been expressed about this citing cost and resources as the
stumbling blocks, given the current public sector economic climate.  

David Smith, RLA policy director, had said that landlord
confidence is vital, stating:

“Security of tenure means nothing unless the homes to rent
are there in the first place. 

“With the demand for private rented housing showing no signs
of slowing down it is vital that landlords are confident that they can quickly
and easily get back their property in legitimate circumstances.  

“Whilst the system should clearly be fair to tenants, it
needs also to support and encourage good landlords.

“Our survey shows how complex it will be to ensure that the
grounds on which landlords can repossess properties are both clear and
comprehensive.

“This needs to be underpinned by a court system that is fit
for purpose and properly resourced. At present it is neither.

“It is vital that the government’s planned reforms are
carefully considered to avoid finding ourselves needing to reopen this whole
issue later down the line.�

Meanwhile, Paul Shamplina, founder of Landlord Action, has
written to Housing Minister, Heather Wheeler, inviting her to gain a greater
understanding of the possession process before making drastic reforms. He
implores here to “work together� with landlords on changes to possession
process as landlords will consider selling up if government scraps Section 21.

©1999 – Present | Parkmatic Publications Ltd. All rights reserved | LandlordZONE® – Nearly 50% of Landlords could sell if Section 21 abolished | LandlordZONE.

View Full Article: Nearly 50% of Landlords could sell if Section 21 abolished