Welcome to the Renters’ Rights Hub!
Read our latest Government update for the most recent information and what this means for agents, landlords and tenants.
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Your Essential Guide to Repairs For Lettings | Infosheet
In this Infosheet we look at both the landlords and tenants responsibilities, plus how platforms like Fixflo streamline repair management by allowing tenants to report issues in real-time and receive updates. Regular inspections, clear documentation, and open dialogue with tenants are essential for smooth property management and long-term success.
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What We Learned At Conference | Infosheet
In the King’s Speech on 17 July, the Labour government outlined its plans for a new Renters’ Rights Bill, which will give “greater rights and protections to people renting their homes, including ending no fault evictions, and reforming grounds for possession”.
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Getting Renters’ Rights Ready | E-Guide
In the King’s Speech on 17 July, the Labour government outlined its plans for a new Renters’ Rights Bill, which will give “greater rights and protections to people renting their homes, including ending no fault evictions, and reforming grounds for possession”.
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Bill to Law | Infosheet
In the King’s Speech on 17 July, the Labour government outlined its plans for a new Renters’ Rights Bill, which will give “greater rights and protections to people renting their homes, including ending no fault evictions, and reforming grounds for possession”.
Read moreWebinars
Infosheet – Renters’ Rights Bill
In the King’s Speech on 17 July, the Labour government outlined its plans for a new Renters’ Rights Bill, which will give “greater rights and protections to people renting their homes, including ending no fault evictions, and reforming grounds for possession”.
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Gas Safety Rulings all Landlords and Letting Agents Should Know
If a landlord wants to evict a tenant using a Section 21 notice, they must ensure they have complied with all the legal requirements before serving the notice. Otherwise, they could end up losing the case and paying the tenants’ legal costs, as one landlord recently found out.
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Landlords and Renters to Save on Council Tax Bills
The government recently announced that it would stop requiring tenants of shared dwellings to pay hefty council tax bills by banding individual rooms in shared households individually for council tax reasons. The NRLA projects that this change will save landlords and their tenants up to £1,000 annually.
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E-Guide – How does a bill become an act of parliament?
RENTERS REFORM BILL UPDATE
The Financial Times have reported that the Renters Reform bill is set to get it’s second reading on Monday 23rd October, after PM Rishi Sunak is said to have given his personal blessing to resume the progress of the bill. We will be keeping you updated throughout the process, so make sure to follow all the news via our Rent Reform Hub for more information.
And take a look at our newly released E-Book that will walk you through the stages this bill will go through on its journey through the parliamentary process!
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Is a new tenancy required when a landlord changes hands?
Properties are usually purchased with vacant possession, however in some transactions the buyer will purchase the property with a tenant in situ, especially in the buy-to-let market. In this weeks blog we look at everything the new landlord would need to know if the property is bought with a tenant in situ.
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The Renter Reform Bill – the latest updates on progress
It is all we see in the headlines, but what is actually happening with the Renters Reform? This week we are looking at where the journey the bill has been on so far and where it is going next, including the second reading announcement.
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Further delays at court due to strike action by security staff
Court delays have already caused issues in the market with landlords waiting longer to gain possession of their property. Further delays are now expected as agency staff at over 30 civil courts have taken part in industrial action this month. Make sure to read this weeks blog with a list of courts dealing with possession claims that are likely to be impacted as well as advice for landlords.
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Possession claims on the rise
The Ministry of Justice has recently published figures for property possessions across both mortgage and rentals. Possession claims have increased across the board. However, thankfully, our Legal Providers – Woodstock – have also seen a decrease in the time it is taking for possession orders to be granted by the courts recently.
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Tenants and Signing Tenancy Agreements – Can my tenant owe rent if they did not sign the tenancy agreement?
If you have a tenant who owes you rent arrears, but you discover that the tenancy agreement was not signed by the tenant, what can you do? Are your landlords still entitled to claim the money back? The answer – maybe! There are multiple factors that go into a decision by a judge if this is the case and this week we are here to let you know what options you have.
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Abandonment Notice | An alternative to a Possession Order?
There are many ways in which a landlord can obtain possession of their property including an Abandonment Notice. In this blog we look at this method in more detail, explaining what it is and how you can use it alongside implied surrender.
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Labour’s Rayner to shadow Gove on the Housing Brief – what can we expect?
The Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, Angela Rayner, has been appointed Shadow Levelling Up Secretary by Sir Keir Starmer. With this role, she will oppose the Rt Hon. Michael Gove MP in taking on issues such as the reform of the private rented sector, so in this blog we look at what this could mean.
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Utility bills: who is liable to pay?
Bills included has become one of the most searched terms from tenants following the cost of living increase, however landlords are moving away from including bills in the Tenancy Agreement. But why? In this weeks blog we look at why landlords are staying away from the idea, and if landlords are including bills the things they need to look out for.
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County Court Bailiff or High Court Enforcement?
Gaining possession consists of multiple stages but for those who reach the final step, it means it is time to enforce a possession order via a bailiff appointment or high court enforcement officer. But which option is better? In this weeks blog we look at the difference between a bailiff and a high court enforcement officer and what the benefits of each of the services are.
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Why Settlement Agreements Matter
For tenancies where a landlord or letting agent hasn’t opted for a Rent Protection product, then it isn’t unusual for a legal team to be instructed to recover a debt from a tenant who has defaulted on their rent. In this blog we look at why Settlement Agreements shouldn’t be overlooked with an example of a recent case study from Woodstock Legal Services.
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Student Let Management Under the Renters Reform Bill
An area of uncertainty amongst the proposals for the Renters (Reform) Bill is the student lets sector. Landlords biggest worry is the proposal to end fixed term tenancies, leaving them uncertain as to when they will get the property back to re-let to the next year of students.
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The Deregulation Act 2015: Essential Knowledge for Landlords on Section 21 Evictions
After the Deregulation Act 2015 came into effect, the biggest defence in possession claims has been the key documents not being received. So, this week we talk through what these documents are, what they need to include and how to issue them.
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How long does it take to gain possession?
Gaining possession of a property involves several stages and procedures that must be followed. The process can be divided into three main steps: giving notice, court proceedings, and enforcement. It is important for Letting Agents and Landlords to understand what they involve and how long they may take.
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From Draft to Law: Unveiling the Timeline of the Renters Reform Bill’s Journey to Implementation
The whole industry has been following the Rental Reform bill, trying to understand how to talk to their landlords and tenants about the changes. In this week’s blog we are focusing on the timeline of the bill and our predictions on how it will move forward.
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RENTER’S REFORM BILL
The Government has published the first draft of the Renters Reform Bill which has been much anticipated across the Residential Landlord and Tenant Sector for the past 5 years. The Bill has only just started its Parliamentary journey and it will undoubtedly undergo revision of terms or amendments and additions but where do we stand currently?
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Effective use of section 21 notices – whilst we still have them
As we know in the Renters’ Reform, the use of Section 21 has been scrapped. However, while landlords are still able to use them – they need to be as effective as possible. This week we are looking at what documentation is needed and how important it is to ensure it is correct.
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Navigating the Legal System: Understanding the Difference Between Section 21 and Section 8 Notices
Step 1 of gaining possession of a property is serving a notice, giving the tenant a chance to leave before action takes place. So, in this weeks blog we look at the difference between a section 21 and section 8 notice and how to serve them to your tenant to avoid any further issues.
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Decent Homes Standard: Are Homes in the Private Rented Sector Meeting it?
In 2020 as high as 15% of the homes in England did not meet the requirements for the Decent Homes Standard. Woodstock discuss the outlines of the standard and explain how landlords can review their portfolios to ensure their properties meet the requirements.
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