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Andrew Luxton MRICS FARLA, partner in charge of Stags Residential Lettings Department, confirms that recent reports indicate a feeling of confusion on behalf of landlords surrounding 2015 legislation changes that affected Assured Shorthold Tenancy Agreements (ASTs).
Most notably, the changes included additional obligations that landlords must comply with before serving an eviction notice. Until recent years, Section 21 has been known as the non-fault notice, where the landlord is required to provide only basic information for the notice to be valid, giving tenants limited grounds on which to dispute a possession claim. However, the new form sets out strict requirements with which the landlord must comply prior to serving notice, including providing the tenant with an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC), Gas Safety Certificate and the government’s How To Rent Guide. Landlords or letting agents who do not follow these requirements could see their notice nullified with a view to any cases being struck out of court and possibly having to pay the tenants legal costs themselves.
Andrew Luxton confirms that there have been many legislation and compliance changes affecting landlords, and as a firm Stags ensures that its landlord clients are kept fully up-to-date. If you require further information or clarification on anything that might be affecting the letting of your property, your local Stags Lettings office will be more than happy to help.
