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UK Landlord magazine

November 2007

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Editorial

Renting to tenants who are Housing Benefit tenants is rewarding but newcomers to this market need nerves of steel! Landlords need to factor in lengthy waits for the first payments from the local authority, the potential for claw back of the rent if the tenant's circumstances change, and now there is alarming news that the government wants to change its practice of directly paying landlords Housing Benefit (to be renamed Local Housing Allowance), paying tenants instead. This issue of UK Landlord looks at these types of risks weighed against a broad range of attractive incentives, grants and consistent support by local authorities in helping private sector landlords achieve void-free and profitable rentals.

I am very grateful to Chris Norris of the NLA for setting out the implications for landlords of the recent Pre-Budget Report, most of which look rather promising. The NLA will be very involved in making sure that landlords' interests are protected when these proposals are fleshed out in detail in the next few months.

Making sure the interests of private landlords in the residential housing sector are promoted and protected is the core objective of the NLA. The NLA's Chairman, David Salusbury, describes the latest attempts to undermine landlords. Citizens' Advice is calling for the removal of the fast-track procedure under section 21 of the Housing Act 1986 for regaining possession. David warns that any tinkering of the section 21 provisions would deal a body blow to the private-rented sector. And you can be sure the NLA will be voicing its concerns to a variety of policymakers and influential politicians to defend the rights of landlords on this issue.

The political work of the NLA forms an integral part of the range of benefits that are endorsed by our lively interviews with four NLA members, from completely different backgrounds, all of whom have chosen to take out long-term membership with the NLA.

Andy Stern, Editor
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• see the full contents for this issue

Rugg Review:
The Independent Review of the Private Rented Sector has been published. See how it affects you.

What's new?
• Scottish landlords face huge fines over EPCs
• NLA review of 2008
• Iain Wright’s speech to the NLA National Conference
• A match made in heaven?
• 71% of landlords expecting increase in rental arrears
• NLA: buy-to-let landlords not covered by payment holiday plan