This year we have kept you up to date with changes that have affected landlords in 2018, these included Licensing reforms for HMOs and Energy Performance Certificates for Landlords. 

We work with a lot of landlords across Nottingham and Derby so we like to keep up to date with any changes in regulation that will affect our clients. In this article, we want to share three changes that may be coming into force in 2019. 

A cap on the security deposit for landlords

The Tenant Fees Bill 2017-2019 was introduced in May 2018 and is now being reviewed by The House of Lords. This will impact on the first two changes outlined in this article. To make renting a home more affordable and ensure that the process is fair the amount of deposit that a landlord can request in England will be capped as follows:

• For rent below £50,000 per year, the deposit is capped at five weeks rent
• For the rent above £50,000 per year, the deposit is capped at six weeks rent.

This should help the tenants while still allowing the landlords to recoup money for rent arrears or any damage to the property.

A ban on tenant fees

The second change that will be coming into force as outlined in the Tenants Fees Bill is that letting agents and landlords will not be able to charge tenants any additional fees when they are starting their tenancy. Some examples of fees that will be banned are:

• Charging for a guarantor form
• Fees for credit checks or references
• Charges for early termination

This change will be beneficial for the tenants; however, some landlords may put up their rent to recoup any losses they may incur.

Three-year tenancy agreements

Currently, this legislation is still under consultation. Surveys have shown that most people live in rental accommodation for at least four years. So, the government is discussing putting in place three-year tenancy agreements, with a six-month break clause.

This is to help tenants to have a level of assurance that they can remain in their rental property long-term, rather than having to renew their agreement every year.

If you are a landlord and you would like any advice on your tax return or any of the issues discussed in our blog, then please do get in touch by calling 01623 490 120 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..