Something I said?

The telephone rang just now. “Hallo” said a male voice, “can I speak to your senior partner please, if he’s in” “You can speak to me”, I replied, “I’m the sole practitioner” He put the phone down. Was it, do you think, because I am female or was it because I am a sole practitioner?

Rent arrears protocol justified

Figures from the DCA show that landlord possession claims were 20% down during the last quarter. Co-incidentally this was the first quarter after the rent arrears protocol came into force. That’s the protocol which requires social sector rent officers to try to sort things out before issuing proceedings for possession. So maybe it was a…

ASBO landlord Dickens again

My anonymous correspondent (postmark Colwyn Bay) has sent me a cutting from the Big Issue Magazine, which shows that ASBO landlord Dickens is facing yet more court appearances. He has now received a summons from the Health and Safety Executive under the gas regulations, the gas appliances in his former properties having been substandard and…

Lawyers (not) in the news

There was a big lawyers demo against the legal aid ‘reforms’ at Parliament today, but so far as the early evening news was concerned it might just as well not have happened… As we work from home we are able to watch the news at lunch time. I was encouraged to see a rather good…

Tenancy deposit protection avoidance

There are a lot of landlords who are very annoyed about the tenancy deposit scheme (described in previous posts). And many are not just annoyed about it, they are determined to avoid it! Here are some of the ideas I have heard: Letting property as an assured rather than an assured shorthold tenancy. Well they…

Stress and spotted dick

Not a good day today. Problems with my website not working properly and people not sorting it in time to let me to get things done before the weekend, problems with other people not providing me with drafts when they said they would (so I had to draft them at short notice myself), problems with…

Music to my ears

I know it is going ‘off topic’ but I must just enthuse about a new jazz/blue CD I have bought – the The Best of the Concord Years by jazz pianist Gene Harris, who I first heard played on Michael Parkinsons Sunday supplement a few weeks ago. In fact if he were not sadly deceased…

Easy Law for Landlords Course – introducing solicitor and RPT Chair John Murray

John Murray of Emsleys Solicitors and Residential Property Tribunal Chair will be taking part in the[more]

My letting agent lied to me

This landlords letting agent told him the tenant had left the property in good order when in fact he[more]

Easy Law for Landlords – introducing Simon Parrott of Sharman Law

Introducing Simon Parrott of Sharman Law solicitors who will be helping me with the agency law eleme[more]

How can I claim for unpaid rent and missold insurance?

This landlord's tenant has moved out early. He has been told he cannot claim under his rent guarant[more]

Landlord Law Blog roundup from 8 May

The 8th May you may ask? What happened to Monday? Monday, you may remember was a Bank Holiday.  A r[more]

Ben Reeve Lewis Friday Newsround #57

Ben confesses to his heavy metal past before discussing jugaad and the bedroom tax and complaining a[more]

Are these agents charges justified?

A letting agent is charging a release fee even though they have not protected the deposit. What are[more]

Do you know which tenancy type you have?

Not all tenancies are the same and your rights can very quite dramatically according to what sort of[more]

Problems pending in the County Courts from now until August

Now is probably not a good time to bring a claim for possession through the courts. Bog standard cla[more]

How much do we need to pay to buy this sitting tenant out?

Here is a question to the blog clinic from Salvina: My mother has been renting out a 2 bedroom flat,[more]