Daily Telegraph wants to speak to landlords converting their rental property into a holiday let

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Are you a landlord who has recently converted or is planning on converting their rental property to a holiday let or Airbnb? Then, Alexa Phillips, the personal finance reporter, for the Telegraph would like to speak with you.

Alexa would like to speak to Property118 readers about:

• When did you make the change from a rental property to a holiday let and why?

View Full Article: Daily Telegraph wants to speak to landlords converting their rental property into a holiday let

Tories shack up with Shelter

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Top Conservative MPs and an independent think tank for ‘liberal conservatism’ have teamed up with homeless charity Shelter to offer a ‘radical new vision’ for fixing the UK’s housing crisis.

The Bright Blue think tank has published a collection of 16 essays in its new book

View Full Article: Tories shack up with Shelter

WARNING: Long-term Airbnb lets ARE same as traditional ASTs, rules judge

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An Airbnb landlord faces a £102,000 court bill after a judge ruled that his long-term let was effectively an AST which gave protection to the guests he had harassed.

Talha Abbasi let out his £3,435-a-month Maida Vale flat in November 2021 to Countess Christine Bolza and Count Niki Bolza, reports the Daily Mail.

They developed cash flow problems in the lead-up to the collapse of their property development company Niboco Ltd and started falling behind on their rent four months later.

Countess Bolza told Mayor’s and City County Court (main picutre) that Abbasi had repeatedly chased them for payment of the outstanding sums and left them without power, heating, and internet connection for 19 days.

They sued Abbasi for harassment and breach of lease, arguing that he had disturbed their right to quiet enjoyment.

Denied

Abbasi denied the allegations and claimed the flat was only rented out to the couple on the basis of an Airbnb holiday rental, which conferred limited tenants’ rights.

But the judge ruled that the lease had gone beyond a standard Airbnb holiday let and was effectively an assured shorthold tenancy with extensive protection for tenants’ rights.

The landlord had reported the countess to Westminster City Council’s environmental health department over claims that she and her family were living in a property that was unfit for human occupation.

The judge accepted this was part of Abbasi’s campaign to drive them out of the flat and ordered him to pay £12,924 compensation plus £90,000 to cover their legal costs.

Darrel Kwong, owner at DWK Consultancy, says: “The moral of the story is, be careful who you put in an Airbnb, as you could end up with an AST, and it’s highly likely you would have done zero compliance if you needed to get possession under a Section 21.”

Picture credit: Google Streetview

Read more about Airbnb lettings.

View Full Article: WARNING: Long-term Airbnb lets ARE same as traditional ASTs, rules judge

Rents begin to rise again

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Landlords are seeing that rents on new tenancies are beginning to rise again after a brief dip in January, a rental index reveals.

The findings from Homelet show that the average rent for a new tenancy in March was £1,184 per month.

View Full Article: Rents begin to rise again

BREAKING: ‘London landlord and agent fines on track to hit record high this year’

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This year London is on track to see the highest level of fines levied against rogue landlords and letting agents, it has been revealed as more and more councils begin operating licencing schemes.

Geospatial compliance platform Kamma says it expects to see a 50% increase in enforcement and a doubling of fines this year compared to 2022.

It predicts this will include total fines levied increasing from £1 million to £2 million and a total fines to date – since it began collecting data – of £8.6 million, boosted by a £500,000 jump in penalties during the first three months of this year alone.

During March, Camden council topped the council enforcement list in terms of the number of cases brought forward, followed closely by Newham and Waltham Forest. The London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham still has the highest average value of fines per case at £19,800.

Eight new licensing schemes have launched so far this year, with at least five more planned to start in the coming quarter.

Record

Kamma’s CEO Orla Shields (pictured) says: “Every month, Kamma reports a new record increase in fines and enforcement seen in the private rented sector, and the start of 2023 is no different.

“This month we published a Licensing report that summarises all the trends seen in the PRS, including property licensing, enforcement, and licensing fines within the last three months.”

Although the increase in enforcement and fines is significant it’s likely to be just part of the picture. Kamma’s data is taken from the Mayor of London’s rogue landlords checking database but does not include fines issued by courts and Tribunals that aren’t referred it.

Read more: Legislation for landlords - everything you need to know.

View Full Article: BREAKING: ‘London landlord and agent fines on track to hit record high this year’

Thermal imaging surveys – a good idea?

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Hello, Thermal imaging surveys – are these a good idea? I am considering one for my own home to determine where there might be some obvious heat leak areas. Ideally each room scanned, as well as the building as a whole.

View Full Article: Thermal imaging surveys – a good idea?

Labour MP tells TV show that Section 21 evictions wrong in all circumstances

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Labour MP Diane Abbott has told TV viewers that bad landlords are those who use Section 21 to evict their tenants, whatever the reason.

Despite there being genuine reasons for using the notice, such as non-paying tenants or anti-social behaviour, the London MP appeared on Good Morning Britain to explain that a bad landlord was “somebody who uses the no fault eviction to get you out” and someone who “puts up the rent every three months, every six months”.

Talking about how the rental market was being plagued by “stratospheric rents” which meant younger people were never going to be able to afford to buy because every penny went on rent, she added: “That is what is causing renters so many problems. There’s no certainty because bad landlords just want to exploit the market.”

Abbott said a Labour government would encourage good landlords but bear down on bad landlords and put an end to no fault evictions.

Viewing charges

It would also ban landlords from charging tenants to look round a property. “Some of them are charging a relatively small amount – £30 – but some of them are charging hundreds of pounds.”

Presenter Kate Garraway told her that Good Morning Britain could only find one or two anecdotal cases where tenants had been charged £5 or £10 and reminded her that the practice was already illegal.

Abbott insisted many estate agents had reported the problem and added: “We would bring in a renters’ charter which would say landlords couldn’t charge to view a property – the current law doesn’t seem to be biting.”

View Full Article: Labour MP tells TV show that Section 21 evictions wrong in all circumstances

10 year fixed – consent to let dilemma?

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Hello, I’m thinking to fix my residential mortgage for 10 years with Nationwide which is due for renewal.

My concern is if my situation changes (a bit likely) and have to move out, will Nationwide be difficult with consent to let?

View Full Article: 10 year fixed – consent to let dilemma?