Thursday 2 May 2019

An End to No fault evictions?


Theresa May recently announced that the UK Government plans to end No fault evictions in the private rented sector.

In Scotland, this is already the case. A landlord’s right to end a residential tenancy for ‘No Fault or reason’ was abolished in December 2017 when the new Private Residential Tenancy became law. 

Prior to then, and currently still in England, a landlord can give a tenant 2 months notice to terminate a tenancy at the end of the fixed date of the tenancy and does not need to provide a reason.   

Whilst most tenancies are ended by the tenant, and not the landlord, it allowed a landlord to end a tenancy if the tenant was difficult, or more usually if they were in arrears as often it is quicker to gain possession of the property rather than raising court proceedings for non-payment.

In Scotland, there are now 18 grounds that a landlord can end the tenancy, such as if they want to sell the property, move back into it or renovate it.  It also makes it easier for a landlord to end the tenancy if the tenant is in arrears. If a tenant is 3 months in arrears, a landlord in Scotland can give their tenant 28 days notice. At which point they can apply to the Property Tribunal for an eviction order.   

Exactly what the English proposals will be have not been announced yet.

If you need any advice on managing your residential property, we will be happy to help.

Tuesday 26 February 2019

Is the Glasgow AirBnb market being deflated?



Glasgow City Council recently banned a landlord from renting out a flat as a short term let on Airbnb.   

This follows new regulations introduced by Glasgow Council in March 2017 that bans landlords renting out an entire flat for short-term lets, including Airbnb, in a property with a communal entrance. An individual room can still be rented out if the owner remains living in the property or if the property has its own entrance.

The recent ban followed complaints from other residents of the building who were unhappy about the constant stream of visitors entering the building. The council upheld their complaint and issued an enforcement notice banning the landlord from renting out the property. The ban was then upheld following the landlord’s unsuccessful appeal against the Council in a recent court ruling.

If you want advice on letting out your property on a longer term basis, we would be happy to advise.

For details of the full story see:

Monday 11 February 2019

Will your rental property meet the new energy efficiency standards by 1st April 2020?


If you rent out a residential property in Scotland, you will need to comply with the Scottish Government's new energy efficiency standards based on the EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) rating of the property.

From 1 April 2020, any new tenancy will require the property to have an EPC of at least band E. By 31 March 2022, all properties will need to have at least an EPC band E.

From 1 April 2022, any new tenancy will require the property to have an EPC of at least band D.

By 31 March 2025, all properties will need to have at least EPC band D.

What do you need to do?

With just over 12 months to go until the new standards take effect, you should review your current EPC. If it is band D or higher, you do not need to take any further action.
If you are band E or lower, then you should plan the steps you need to undertake to improve the energy efficiency of the property and the timeframe for doing it.

We would advise landlords that if you are planning improvements to your rental property you consider the likely energy efficiency benefit.  So if you need to replace an old boiler, install double glazing or improve insulation, these should all help you achieve an improved EPC rating. If your property has an EPC rating of E or lower, we can help advise you on how to improve the efficiency. 

If you would like further information or discuss how we can help you, please get in touch.