Hello, thank you for visiting my blog. I am Tessa Shepperson, a solicitor and specialist in residential landlord and tenant law. Originally from London, I now live in Norwich in Norfolk, England UK.

About the blog

I started the blog, in February 2006, mainly because I thought it would be fun to have somewhere to write and make comments on legal developments and news in my ‘niche’, residential landlord and tenant law and practice. Over time, my blog has developed, and is now an important part of my online presence, the ‘magazine’ aspect as it were of my legal information service.

So for example I talk about tenancy agreements, tenancy deposits, evictions, landlords legal obligations and the like, the sorts of things I cover in my Landlord Law service (described below). However I do not cover the property investment and ‘deals’. There are plenty of other excellent sites which report on this.

Much of my content is comment on relevant items in the news, although I also do quite a few ‘tips’ and ‘how to’ type posts. I also do regular reviews of landlord and tenant law related books and services, as well as occasional interviews of people in the housing and property field.  There is also our weekly Notable Property People in their own words series.

I allow myself to go ‘off topic’ from time to time (usually because I feel indignant about something), and have been known to write about (for example) the decline of the legal aid system, and court funding issues. I also use the blog to keep people informed of new developments in my professional online service www.landlordlaw.co.uk.

As well as my own writings, I also have guest bloggers from time to time, who write on topics I know less about, such as investment and taxation. This makes the blog more interesting and gives me a break!

Up until November 2009 this blog was hosted on the free blogger service provided by Google. However I began to find blogger rather restrictive, and therefore commissioned my web designer, Gill Bishop, to create the blog you see now. It is a wordpress blog, using the Headway theme. I hope you enjoy reading it.

My business and Landlord Law

I have worked in property law for over 20 years. In 1994 I set up my own legal firm, TJ Shepperson, working as a sole practitioner, and initially having a a ‘mixed bag’ property litigation practice.

After buying a computer for the business, I developed an interest in the Internet, which resulted eventually in setting up my online service Landlord Law at www.landlordlaw.co.uk in November 2001. Since about 1999 I have concentrated almost exclusively on private residential landlord and tenant work.

Landlord Law is a subscription service where members can look up the answers to their legal problems, download tenancy agreements and notices, and ask me questions on the members discussion forum. It is a huge site and has a massive amount of information both for landlords and tenants, plus we have many members who are letting agents, advisers, and quite a few other lawyers.

If you are interested in finding out more about Landlord Law, follow the links from the big blue box on the home page here, or if you want information about membership go here. You can also read some testimonials from Landlord Law members on the sidebar to your right.

More recently I have set up two other small sites. One is Lodger Landlord where I blog about renting to lodgers and give tips and guidance. There is also a documents shop and a fixed fee advice service. The other site is www.evictingsquatters.co.uk where people can buy my special do it yourself kit for evicting squatters form property and land.

As well as writing and running Landlord Law and the blogs, I also do talks and lecturing and write articles for other property web-sites and journals.

Legal information

I am a solicitor, and practice as a sole principal as TJ Shepperson. Landlord Law is the trading name of the online service provided by TJ Shepperson solicitors. I am regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority and bound by the solicitors code of conduct. My firms SRA number is 78852.

TJ Shepperson is registered for VAT, registration number 640 4691 45.

My books

In 1999 I was commissioned to write a handbook for landlords by Lawpack Publishing. The Complete Guide to Residential Letting: The Smart Landlord’s Guide to Renting Out Property was published in 2000 and has been regularly updated ever since. It has become a bit of a classic, and is now used as a handbook by a number of landlords associations. You can read more about it here.

I was subsequently commissioned to write a book for tenants, and Renting: the Essential Guide to Tenants’ Rights was published in 2007. You can read more about it here. A third book on lodgers was published in 2009, initially just as an ebook but now as a ‘proper’ book too.

Personal stuff

On a more personal note, I am married and live with my husband and son in the beautiful Cathedral city of Norwich in Norfolk, England in the United Kingdom. Norwich is a historical medieval city, once the second city in England, and known then for its textile industry and Ketts Rebellion in 1549. It is now one of the top 10 shopping centres in the country, and has a university (UEA), at least three theatres, and a thriving Green party (which I support).

Most of my time is spent working on my website service and blog, and surfing the internet with my Macbook. When not working I enjoy reading, cooking, watching Doctor Who, and walking in the country and exploring new places with my family.

Newsletters and emails

If you have enjoyed reading this blog, why not sign up to receive new posts by email? You can do this on the sidebar form on your right.  You can then be sure that you will not miss anything.

I also write a regular monthly Landlord Law newsletter, giving tips, news, and a few special offers. You can sign up for this via the newsletter signup form, also on your right. It will normally be sent out on the second Thursday in the month.

You can also keep up to date with what I am doing if you follow me on twitter.

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The picture of Tessa by Keiron Tovell Photography