This is now done, and the standard AST and room in a shared house type tenancy agreements now have a deposit guard compliant alternative.  I will gradually add all the others. Phew!

But what happened on the blog?

Monday

The new tenancy deposit rules that will put you at risk

I wrote this after one of my landlords instructed me to bring proceedings for possession and after talking to him it became clear that he had not served the notice with prescribed information.  So we had to hold everything up while he served this and then re-served all his other notices.  If you do this after April, boy will you be in trouble!  Find out whey here …

How can you recover the part of a deposit which was not protected?

Another readers blog clinic quesiton.  I have to get the backlog down.  Read about this one here …

Tuesday

School for landlords – tenant information forms

The new paperwork series starts properly with a video on tenant information forms – they are not just for taking tenants information.  Find out what else you can do with them here …

Wednesday

Deposit Guard – a new service from the RLA and TDS

This is the post where I discussed the news and give the prices.  I may be doing something else on this item in a week or so, I’ll let you know, but in the meantime you can find out how the three schemes compare here …

Thursday

Can a student be charged £100 for ending a tenancy early?

Anxious parent wants answers and seeks advice from the blog clinic.  Find out what I thought about it here … 

How a landlord saved his tenant’s life

A true story.    It just goes to show that  seemly hostile actions like serving a possession notice can sometimes be a good thing.  Read it here …

Friday

Ben Reeve Lewis Friday Newsround #44

Ben has a ‘draining spaghetti on foot’ moment and has to attend Court in slippers.  Find out more here …

Can the landlord make a further deposit deduction?

Finally another readers question from a tenant whose landlord is demanding extra money to paint a wall affected by damp.  See what I said here …

Further reading

• My History of Law blog post last Sunday was on the Writ of Right and the start of Henry II legal reforms
• Mark Alexander of Property 118 thinks of a simple way to regulate the property lettings industry and starts a petition
• I am contacated by a TV Production company looking for  tenants with problem landlords
• Finally the Land Registry urges landords to take steps to guard against property fraud

But what happened on the blog?

Monday

Three warning signs that your tenant is about to stop paying rent

This was a fairly popular start to the week – not the prospect of tenants stopping rent, but being able to predict it.  Find out how here …

Can I move out when I like if I signed no contract?

Asks a tenant of the blog clinic.  See what my reply was here …

Tuesday

School for Landlords – a new series on paperwork

This was the introductory video, which you can also see on You Tube.  But  why is paperwork is so important for landlords?  Find out here …

Wednesday

Five things your letting agent may not be telling you.

This post proved to be very popular and there was a lively discussion in the comments.  Read and join in the conversation here …

Evicting the tenant where deposit not put in a scheme

Another reader’s question from a landlord who wishes to evict her tenant but who has not protected the tenancy deposit.  Read more here …

Thursday

New consultation service from Landlord Law

Just telling you about a new service I have launched where you can discuss your case, or any problem or situation, with me in a ‘virtual room’ online.  See the post for more information here …

What can the landlord do if he failed to protect the deposit?

Another readers question with deposit protection issues.  Here the landlord has rented out his own home in Wales.  Read more here …

Friday

Ben Reeve Lewis Friday Newsround #43

Ben’s normal Friday roundup of news and views from around the internet.  From what he says this week it looks as if chickens may be coming home to roost.  Find out more here …

Further reading

• My post from the History of Law blog last week was an actual case in the time of King Henry showing how long it could take to get your land back.  It was sorted in the end though – read more here.
• The University of Winchester is doing an independent survey of the Private Rented Sector – can you help?  Click here to answer the survey or here if you are a student.
• Here is a great post by Roberta Ward of My Property Mentor blog on housing co-operatives
• And a great post on the Property 118 site from Helen Kirkham on tackling bed bugs
• Note that I regularly post links to  interesting internet articles I find, on the Landlord Law facebook page

Crocus picture by jucyverve

I have also launched a series of lunchtime talks which should be fun.

But what happened on the blog?

Monday

Signing tenancy agreements online

This post looks a online systems for agents for dealing with  delivery of their service and in particular the tenancy agreements.  I discuss two services I have had a hand in developing.  Read about them here …

Tuesday

School for Landlords – increasing rent discussion (7)

This is the final section of the increasing rent series of videos, and is a discussion between myself and our own Ben Reeve Lewis.  We talk about the problems of not increasing rent regularly, section 13 and section 51 notices and much more.  Have a listen here …

Wednesday

Can my tenant change the locks?

A blog clinic question which is often asked by landlords.  Take a look at the question and the answer here …

Tenant failing to leave after notice to quit  served

Another blog clinic question, here the questioner seems to be under a misunderstanding, see why here …

Landlord Law Blog is a winner – again

I get the welcome news that we have topped the Simply Business property website awards, which cheered me up no end.  The other sites in the list were pretty good to though.  You’ll find a link on the post here …

Thursday

Two landlords prosecuted on gas safety

Reports of two magistrates courts decisions where landlords have failed to comply with the gas regulations.  Both series cases, one extremely so.  Read about them here …

Your Law Store half price Mid January Sale

Yes, so long as you do it before Thursday, you can get any of our Your Law Store products at half price by using the special voucher code.  Find out what it is here …

Friday

Ben Reeve Lewis Friday Newsround #42

Ben takes his usual look at the weekly housing news, including men queueing for beds in sheds, and silly suggestions from Shapps.  Read all about it here … 

Can a protected tenant insist on a buyout?

A questioner to the blog clinic asks this having been told by her new landlords that they can move her to another property.  See more here …

A tenant wants to change the day in the month he pays rent

A questioner to the blog clinic seeks guidance on the best way to do this.  Find out what I thought here …

Further reading

• My History of Law post last Sunday was A Confusion of Courts
• This is an excellent article about the problems caused by the increase in litigants in person and how this can only get worse as legal aid cuts bite deeper
• Take a look at the Landlord Law facebook page where I regularly give links to interesting news items I come across

Finally – I have been contacted by a company making a documentary for the BBC about  helping hoarders clean up their homes.  If you are a landlord and have a hoarder tenant, they would like to hear from you. Please call Gemma on 02074381869

For the next week you can get any available product for half price, so long as  you use this voucher code: YLSJan12 at checkout.  Put it into the special box in the shopping cart and click ‘apply’.  It will then recalculate your order price and take 1/2 off.

Products at present include:

• Assured shorthold tenancies – your complete guide to section 21 ebook
• The tenancy agreements audiobook - audio with transcript
• A short guide to being a landlord
• The new lodger pack (with or without the lodger agreement)
• Standard lodger agreement
• The Monday to Friday lodger agreement

The links are to the products sales pages, but you can see all the products >> here.

The sale will end next week on 26 January (after which the voucher code will not work).

I was also chuffed to see that my little Lodger Landlord site, which caters for people renting out a room in their home to a lodger, came out at 23.

Thank you very much!