Tenancy Deposits and Tenancy Deposit Schemes

David Lawrenson of www.LettingFocus.com prefers tenancy deposit schemes where a landlord does not have to hand over the cash. Since April 2007, landlords letting property in England and Wales and who take a deposit on an assured shorthold tenancy (AST) must protect it in a tenancy deposit scheme, tell the tenants which scheme it is in and give them the […]

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Council Schemes for Landlords and the Private Rented Sector are not making an Impact

Councils’ failure to engage with private landlords means families could be needlessly placed in emergency temporary accommodation or out of their local borough. Back in July, the Guardian newspaper published a piece of research I had just completed which showed how councils and housing associations are failing to engage private landlords with their various schemes. I thought it worthwhile to […]

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Tenant Deposit Scheme Rule Change Update

On Wednesday 21st March, I wrote a piece explaining the changes to the tenancy deposit protection scheme rules in England and Wales. The new rules came into effect on April 6th, 2012. However, it is clear from a blog piece I wrote for “The Guardian” that a lot of the “experts” out there in blogland still misunderstand the rules and […]

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Changes to Tenancy Deposit Scheme Rules

Landlords who take deposits need to act fast if they have not already protected them in a tenancy deposit scheme says David Lawrenson of www.LettingFocus.com Today, I was going to comment on the budget, but thus far we cannot see much in it that affects the private rented sector (apart from for very high end properties effected by changes to […]

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Private Landlords, Regulation and Accreditation

Private landlords should comply with the rules or accept that worse could be yet to come says David Lawrenson of www.LettingFocus.com. On many occasions I have said that now the private rented sector has grown so big and become so important, landlords must expect there to be no let up in the raft of legislation effecting what they do and […]

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Guide to Deposit Disputes and Damages Welcomed by LettingFocus

The three deposit protection schemes in England and Wales have issued new guidance for landlords and tenants. It is called “Guide to Deposit Disputes and Damages.” At LettingFocus.com we say it is broadly welcome and has been badly needed for some time. You may recall that just a month or so ago I was blogging on the need for some […]

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Local Letting Agency Model and Councils. Can Local Authorities Make A Success In This Area

In this blog post we say that local authorities face big challenges trying to make a success of the “Local Letting Agency” concept – and we highlight the areas they will have to work hardest in if they are to be successful. Some groups of local authorities are setting up their own local letting agencies – a topic we have […]

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Landlords Insurance Shop Around for Buy to Let Insurance Plus a Look at New Markets for Landlord Insurers

Insurance is an area where competition is rife in the private rented sector. This means it is an area where landlords should be shopping around. But it is also a product where the providers of insurance should widen their marketing activity too as they could easily open up new markets. For landlords in the private rented sector, the two big […]

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