Letting Agents Sheffield

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What has Happened to the Renters Reform Bill

What has Happened to the Renters Reform Bill

The Renters Reform Bill, which promised to be the biggest shake-up of the private rented sector in more than 30 years, is currently in a state of limbo due to the dissolution of Parliament ahead of a snap general election in July.

This unexpected development has significant implications for the future of the bill and has left many tenants and landlords uncertain about what comes next.

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Tenancies and Licensees

Tenancies and Licensees

Whether you are a landlord or a tenant, your legal rights will depend on the occupation type you have. 
A tenancy carries more rights and is a type of ownership of land or lease. It will continue after the death of the landlord or the tenant. A license is just a personal agreement between the parties and will end on the death of either. 

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How many people can you have on a joint tenancy agreement?

How many people can you have on a joint tenancy agreement?

Say six people sign a tenancy agreement.  They will all be bound by the contract element – so they will all be liable for the rent and subject to the terms and conditions in the tenancy agreement.

However they will not all be ‘legal tenants’.  Only the first four named in the tenancy agreement will be the legal tenants.

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Guidance for landlords on Electrical Safety

Guidance for landlords on Electrical Safety

The safety of tenants is of paramount importance to landlords in the private rental sector, and rightly so. One of the areas that has been improved immeasurably over the years is electrical safety, and now new guidelines have been published to provide greater awareness and education to landlords.

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The EICR Rules for Landlords in England

The EICR Rules for Landlords in England

Conducting an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) is a mandatory step before renting your property in England.
 
The EICR involves a thorough examination of the electrical wiring, sockets, consumer units (also known as fuse boards), and any other fixed electrical fittings within your property. As ever, it’s essential for this work to be done by a sufficiently qualified professional.

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How to increase rent using the notice procedure?

How to increase rent using the notice procedure?

This procedure is stated in Section 13 of the Housing Act 1988 and is only available for periodic assured and assured shorthold tenancies.  It can’t be used for common law tenancies or during a fixed term.

You need to use the proper form of notice which is a prescribed form.  These are freely available online from a reputable website. This Notice must be completed in full (see the notes with the form to help) and then served on a tenant.

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What are Landlords Obligations for Legionnaires Disease?

What are Landlords Obligations for Legionnaires Disease?

Legionnaires’ disease is a potentially fatal form of pneumonia caused by inhaling small droplets of water containing Legionella bacteria. It can be contracted in various settings, including domestic premises.

Landlords have specific obligations to ensure the safety and well-being of their tenants. In this blog, we will explore the responsibilities of landlords concerning Legionnaires’ disease and how it impacts on them providing a safe living environment for their tenants.

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Pests in Rented Property: Who Takes Charge?

Pests in Rented Property: Who Takes Charge?

It’s a fact of life that pests and vermin can sometimes invade your living space – whether this be annoying insects, rodents scurrying around, or other unwanted creatures.  But who bears the responsibility for tackling these unwelcome guests in a rented property? 

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What Are A Landlords Gas Obligations

What Are A Landlords Gas Obligations

Under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 all gas appliances and flues in rented accommodation must be checked for safety within 12 months of being installed, and thereafter at least every 12 months by a competent engineer.

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New Carbon Monoxide Alarm Laws Introduced

New Carbon Monoxide Alarm Laws Introduced

This amendment to the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015 will see all rental properties within England needing a carbon monoxide alarm fitted in any room that is used as living accommodation that has a ‘fixed combustion appliance’ of any fuel type (excluding gas cookers).

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What You Need To Know About  Ground Rent Reform

What You Need To Know About Ground Rent Reform

What is Ground Rent?

In order to enforce the terms of a lease a ground rent must be set. Ground rent is usually an annual amount stated in the lease payable to the Freeholder for the “renting” of an apartment above the Freeholder’s land.

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Get Ready for Right to Rent Check Changes

Get Ready for Right to Rent Check Changes

Landlords and letting agents managing properties are required to undertake Right to Rent checks. There have been recent updates to this legislation and further changes are on the horizon.

What is Right to Rent?

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Landlords Guide to Water Supply & Your Responsibilities

Landlords Guide to Water Supply & Your Responsibilities

The Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) is designed to crack down on properties in the private rented sector that are not fit for human habitation.

Incorporating the Human Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS), it covers 29 hazards, such as damp and mould, electrical hazards and asbestos, that all properties must avoid in order to be labelled safe for tenants to live in.

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Unfair Terms in Tenancy Agreements

Unfair Terms in Tenancy Agreements

It is probably safe to say that almost everybody finds legal documents confusing. Even lawyers find them difficult to understand sometimes!

Standard terms and conditions are even more confusing. Written in small writing making them difficult to read, and usually involve long words and unusual phrases, it is not surprising that some people don’t even read them.

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Landlord Responsibilities – Gas Regulations

Landlord Responsibilities – Gas Regulations

Landlords must have the gas installations inspected annually by an engineer registered with the Gas Safe Register. Tenants must be given a certificate provided by the engineer, both when they go into the property and on an annual basis once the tenancy has started.

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Right To Rent Checks

Right To Rent Checks

According to the 2014 Immigration Act, Section 22, a landlord is not legally allowed to let somebody have a tenancy agreement entitling them to live in a rental property as their main or sole residence unless they are a UK citizen, from Switzerland or the European Economic Area (EEA) unless they have a Right to Rent in this country. All landlords renting out private accommodation in England must conduct right-to-rent checks on new tenancy agreements to confirm that renters are legally able to rent in the UK.

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The Horizon Group