284,000 landlords risk being fined over tenant deposits New research has revealed that 284,000 landlords are at risk of being fined because they have failed to protect tenants’ deposits in an approved scheme. The survey by the Centre for Economics Business Research (CEBR) suggests that more than £500m worth of tenancy deposits are being held
The High Court has removed an arbitrator from a construction dispute because he may have been biased towards one of the parties involved. The case involved a developer and an integrated services company. A dispute arose during a construction project and the matter had to go to arbitration. The arbitrator was appointed by the Chartered
The government is making an extra £5m available to councils to tackle unfair practices by rogue landlords. The money will be shared among 48 councils to enable them to carry out more raids, increase inspections of property, issue more statutory notices, survey more streets and to demolish sheds and prohibited buildings. Housing Minister Brandon Lewis
Marks & Spencer has lost its appeal against a court decision that it was not entitled to a refund after exercising a release clause in a commercial property lease. The case involved four floors of office space at The Point in London. M&S had a commercial lease which was due to expire in 2018. The
A university has won its appeal against a decision that it discriminated against a disabled employee when calculating his pension rights. The case involved an employee at Swansea University who had to retire due to ill health at the age of 38. His hours had been reduced gradually over several years to accommodate the effects
A householder has lost ownership of a strip of land outside his home after a neighbour started using it and then claimed it as hers under the principle of adverse possession. The case involved a grass verge that was close to the neighbour’s property. The neighbour started using in 1999 and maintained it as if
A landlord was entitled to recover from tenants the VAT charges it had to pay its managing agent in respect of caretaking staff. That was the decision of the Upper Tribunal (Lands) in the case of a landlord who hired a managing agent to fulfil the various obligations set out in his lease agreements. The
Rising court fees could prevent some small businesses from recovering debts and so force them into insolvency, according to the Law Society. The Society says it’s concerned that the government is considering more increases when the higher fees introduced earlier this year have “failed to deliver any tangible improvements in the court service or helped
A mural by the famous but secretive artist Banksy has highlighted some interesting points about who owns what when a tenant leases a property from a landlord. The case involved the company Dreamland Leisure and a property it leased as an amusement arcade in Folkestone. Banksy painted a mural on one of the walls of
New regulations governing the use of section 21 eviction notices and specifying the information landlords must provide to tenants came into effect on 1 October. Landlords must provide tenants with the following information at the start of the tenancy or as soon as possible afterwards: • a copy of the Energy Performance Certificate for the