Lettings law you need to know

This week, nobody’s favourite topic: lettings law!

It’s not thrill-a-minute stuff, but it’s important – a lot of changes came in on October 1st, and if you’re not aware of them it can land you w

The changes we discussed were:

• Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms are now mandatory (more here)
• There’s a new form to use for ending a tenancy with a Section 21 notice (more here)
• A Section 21 notice can’t be valid unless you’ve served a new government booklet first (more here)
• New measures to prevent retaliatory evictions mean you need to be diligent about communications relating to repairs (more here)

Thank you to Scott Elliott for pointing us towards Resolver – a website designed to make it easier to complain about companies that have messed you around.

It walks you through the exact process and even gives you pre-written templates to use, taking a lot of the aggravation out of claiming compensation or just having a rant. Just don’t get any ideas about complaining about The Property Podcast…

According to research, 60% of buyers in London prefer first floor flats – with 30% wanting a higher floor, and only 5% preferring the ground floor.

That surprised us, and didn’t ring true with what we’ve seen in blocks we manage outside London, but it shows that it’s worth researching local trends and preferences if you’re in the market for flats.