About

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

  • give tips on various aspects of being a landlord, such as choosing a letting agent or dealing with non paying tenants
  • describe and comment on legal developments, such as new regulations
  • answer readers problems in the popular ‘blog clinic’
  • discuss relevant reports and consultation papers issued by government and relevant organisations
  • do reviews of new books and services
  • and so on.

Fridays are given over (mostly) to Ben Reeve Lewis, a housing adviser and trainer, who writes a lively and very entertaining news column.

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, and more recently my new e-commence business Your Law Store and the School for Landlords site.

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 membership site where members can look up the answers to their legal problems, create tenancy agreements and notices, use the popular ‘do it yourself’ eviction kit, 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 home page box  here, or if you want information about membership go here.

I also have a free 12 part e course which is based at a site called Landlord Law essentials.  Find out more >> here.

Your Law Store

Your Law Store is an e-commerce site and business which I run with my long term web designer Gill Bishop.  Here we sell various ebooks and forms, aimed at landlords, tenants and also people renting a room to a lodger.

Here are some links to pages with information about our new lodger pack, my section 21 ebook, and my tenancy agreements audiobook.

School for Landlords / Easy Law Training

School for landlords is a relatively new service and provides training services and products for landlords (although they are also useful to agents and housing advisers).

It is a part of my Easy Law Training company which I run with Ben Reeve Lewis.  You can see the main site >> here.

Lodger landlord

I also run Lodger Landlord, a free information service with guidance about renting to lodgers . There is also a documents shop and a fixed fee advice service.

Etc

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 authorised and 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 Lawpack 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. It is now one of the top 10 shopping centres in the country, and has a university (UEA), and at least three theatres.

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 here.  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 here (and get a free guide on tenancy agreements) . The newsletter will normally be sent out on the second Thursday in the month.

More recently I have set up a special monthly newsletter which I write with Ben Reeve Lewis which is aimed at Local Authority workers.  It is called the Frontliner and you can read more about it (and sign up) >> here.

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

Google

Winner Simply Business Landlord & Property Website Awards 2011 2011 Website Awards – Simply Business


Landlord Law is also one of the top 20 Property Bogs on the Quickmovenow.com site.

Press reviews

For the Blog:

The Times, 29 June 2007

No 5 in The Times 25 top property blogs

"All buy-to-let landlords should make this a regular read"

For Landlord Law:

The Times, 31 March 2007

"Landlord Law has the personal feel of a small operation but is extensive, with pages of jargon-free explanation of topics from lodger law to evictions and choosing a letting agent. Ms Shepperson is a respected author and solicitor, regulated by the Law Society."

Richard Susskind in The Times 26 September 2006

TESSA Shepperson defies the conventional wisdom that only large law firms can innovate with IT — proving that a sole practitioner can work wonders with a website.


Some testimonials:


Melvin Brown, Senior Legal Executive and Independent Consultant: "Well done for putting together such a wonderful and well equipped site and resources base!"


Ian Cosier, landlord: "We have been with you since 2006 and love the site - gives us massive confidence as landlords, and it makes a huge difference having a real person fronting it rather than a faceless company name".


Nick Dardalis, letting agent : "A totally excellent site, full of things that I didn't know"


Yvette Newbury, landlord: "Your website gives me the courage to do things by myself"


Brian Ashworth, landlord: "Landlord law is invaluable to me for the downloading of tenancy agreements and inventory's and just the general amount of information and advice you can receive on various subjects!"


Ann Knight, Landlord: "Your website gave me the necessary confidence and information to manage the letting out of my one bed maisonette, a buy to let property. The forms are great, as are the links to tax advice and landlords’ insurance."


Andrew Gullett, Solicitor: "The service that you provide is excellent for all property professionals, including legal advisors. Your site provides a comprehensive database of information on housing law. It is very simple to use and is written in a language which is easy to understand. I also believe that it is excellent value for money. As a solicitor specialising in housing law it helps to have your site as an on-line resource and reference tool."


Michael Chan, tenant: "As an eCommerce consultant, I must say I am impressed by your service, materials on the site are extremely useful, forum threads were responded within a business day, and very good user journey throughout the site. Anyway, thanks again and I will definitely recommend this website to my friends."