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KEYWORD "Fraud" - 100 RESULTS
Landlords warned of huge rise in tenant fraud attempts

An analysis of over 600,000 tenancy applications has found that fraudulent applications rose by 140% last year.  The analysis, carried out by...

12 April 2024

From: Breaking News

Landlord jailed for 11 years for part in £8.75m drugs empire

A wealthy landlord, who also ran a fake lettings agency, has been jailed for 11 years for allowing ‘ghost tenants’ to...

07 February 2024

From: Breaking News

Anti-fraud protection offer for landlords

The National Residential Landlords Association has teamed up with a provider of so-called ‘smart property protection technology’. This means that landlords can...

30 January 2024

From: Breaking News

Landlord Alert - warning about defective CO alarms sold online

The think tank Policy Connect is warning that landlords have reported that sub-standard carbon monoxide alarms are persistently available online, leaving...

17 January 2024

From: Breaking News

Shamplina endorses new anti-fraud PropTech tool

Landlord Action supremo Paul Shamplina has endorsed a new PropTech tool aimed at stopping landlords falling victim to fraud. Title Guardian claims...

07 December 2023

From: Breaking News

HMRC to use Renters Reform Bill to hammer landlords - claim

A prominent accountant is warning that the upcoming Renters Reform Bill, when it becomes law, will be used by HMRC to...

18 July 2023

From: Breaking News

'Despicable fraudster' conned landlords out of tens of thousands

A council chief has spoken out in support of landlords who lost money to a “despicable fraudster” who is now in...

19 June 2023

From: Breaking News

Fraudster tenant evicted after “decades of deception”

A three bedroom house has been freed up after a remarkably long investigation by a London council.  The result follows a legal...

31 May 2023

From: Breaking News

Second illegal eviction prosecution for rogue landlord

A council has prosecuted a rogue landlord for the second time for illegally evicting a tenant. The prosecution for offences relating to...

16 May 2023

From: Breaking News

Landlords at higher risk of fraud from tenants - experts' claim

A risk management platform claims landlords are amongst those most at risk of fraud. Thirdfort has identified the top eight types of...

05 May 2023

From: Breaking News

Landlords shift to agents as buy to let gets complex - claim

The majority of private landlords would consider switching to a letting agency because of the current complexity of buy to let.  A...

10 March 2023

From: Breaking News

Fraud! Illegal Airbnb sub-letting payments to be identified by council

A London council and Airbnb are working together to try to counter large scale fraud amongst social housing tenants who sub-let...

24 August 2022

From: Breaking News

Fraudsters Foiled! 20% of suspicious applicants are con artists - claim

An analysis from PropTech firm Goodlord claims that landlords would have lost a combined £1m over the last year without anti-fraud...

09 August 2022

From: Breaking News

HMRC shock - many landlords named and shamed over tax

HM Revenue & Customs has named and shamed a string of landlords who, it claims, have collectively avoided many millions of...

21 June 2022

From: Breaking News

Hijacking Warning to Landlords - don’t let property fraud hit you

A prominent lettings agency is warning its own and all other landlords that they are particularly vulnerable to the growing threat...

18 March 2022

From: Breaking News

Suspended jail term for builder with fake window safety consent

A London council has prosecuted a builder - Valeriu Sandu, of Valmic Properties Limited - for lying about fitting sufficiently fireproof...

25 February 2022

From: Breaking News

Revealed - how much rents went up in your area in 2021

One of the major lettings market indices has produced figures showing how much rents rose in 2021. HomeLet says the average rent...

06 January 2022

From: Breaking News

Landlord Alert: Massive surge in rental fraud revealed by BBC show

The BBC Radio 4 consumer affairs programme You and Yours says 4,746 rental scams have been reported to the police and...

08 December 2021

From: Breaking News

Landlords warned over large-scale property fraud scams

There’s a new warning to landlords purchasing properties about a spike in scams which have seen victims defrauded out of hundreds...

29 October 2021

From: Breaking News

New PropTech service allowing direct contact with tenants

A new PropTech platform says it allows easy digital contact between tenants, landlords and third party suppliers avoiding the need to...

15 October 2021

From: Breaking News

Gloves Off! Lively debate on the agenda at Property Investor Show

The Property Investor Show returns to London’s Excel Centre next month – the first major UK property event to go ‘face...

20 September 2021

From: Breaking News

Scam! Police warning over fake landlords and rental fraud

Landlords, letting agents and tenants in South Yorkshire are being warned about an increase in rental fraud. Local police there say they...

20 September 2021

From: Breaking News

Landlords Beware - stamp duty probes likely to soar in near future

The many thousands of landlords who have snapped up properties have been advised to be on alert - a tax consultancy...

13 August 2021

From: Breaking News

Students rents are soaring according to bank study

Landlords with student tenants, as well as the growing number of institutional landlords of purpose built student accommodation, appear to be...

06 August 2021

From: Breaking News

Property Investor Show is back - and it’s REAL, not virtual

The Property Investor Show is back and in person, rather than virtual. It’s been announced that it will take place at London’s...

28 July 2021

From: Breaking News

Fraudsters a growing problem in rental sector says trade body

Propertymark wants to hear about examples of fraudulent tenancy applications - a growing problem in the rental sector. A statement from the ARLA wing...

27 July 2021

From: Breaking News

Landlord hands over £2m in assets to National Crime Agency

London based landlord and property developer Richard Leahy has agreed to hand over assets worth almost £2m. This settles a civil recovery...

19 July 2021

From: Breaking News

Fake investment scams on the rise, warns Citizens Advice

The Citizens Advice consumer charity is warning that fake investment scams are amongst the fraudulent activity that’s on the rise across...

16 June 2021

From: Breaking News

Fraudster fake landlords scam tenant out of deposit cash

A genuine tenant who advertised on social media for a property has been scammed out of £450 by fraudsters posing as...

14 June 2021

From: Breaking News

Landlords Beware: fraudulent tenancy applications soar

There’s a warning that there’s been a huge rise in fraudulent tenant applications since the start of the pandemic. In terms of...

21 May 2021

From: Breaking News

Top tips on how landlords can look for an ideal tenant

Oliver Andrews, editor at Property Assist Claim, sets out how landlords can find the ideal tenants for their rental homes.  If you...

13 April 2021

From: Property Investment & Strategy

Scams are rife in the private lettings sector, says Trading Standards

Scams involving fake landlords and bogus lettings agents are rife in the private rentals sector, and may have been made worse...

23 February 2021

From: Breaking News

Amazing story of landlord dynasty convicted of benefits fraud

Members of a wealthy Blackburn family of landlords with a portfolio of properties have been sentenced for defrauding the Department for...

07 December 2020

From: Breaking News

'Extreme arrears' is one of few reasons for eviction during lockdown

It’s been confirmed that during the current one month lockdown in England there will be no enforcement of possession orders except...

06 November 2020

From: Breaking News

Possible refund for investors caught out by planning consent scam

The Financial Conduct Authority wants to find people who unwittingly invested in an unauthorised land banking scheme - they may be...

14 October 2020

From: Breaking News

Banned for life: rogue landlord faces jail if he lets another home

A landlord who unlawfully let cramped and overcrowded bedsits and then harassed tenants who complained has been fined thousands of pounds...

02 October 2020

From: Breaking News

Letting agent stole rent deposits to support failing business

A letting agent in Nottinghamshire stole close to £30,000 from several landlord clients and tenants to help prevent his business from...

28 September 2020

From: Breaking News

Here is how to avoid unwarranted suspicion when applying for a mortgage

With fraudulent mortgage applications up by 5% in 2019, anti-money laundering service, SmartSearch, has compiled some key things to consider to...

26 June 2020

From: Breaking News

Landbay joins the Lender Exchange

Landbay has joined the Lender Exchange in order to have access to better conveyancing solicitors. Lender Exchange, owned by Decision First, is...

22 June 2020

From: Breaking News

Gumtree insists it takes ‘fraud very seriously’ following latest letting scam

Gumtree, the dedicated website for free classifieds adverts in the UK, is urging landlords and tenants to follow its ‘safety advice’ when...

05 March 2020

From: Breaking News

Fraudulent rental scam leaves couple £800 out of pocket

A young couple who recently turned to the web to find a property to rent have fallen prey to a fraudulent...

03 March 2020

From: Breaking News

Council tenant who owns three BTL properties ordered to pay almost £90k

A now-former council tenant in north London has been handed a suspended sentence and ordered to pay close to £90,000 after...

28 January 2020

From: Breaking News

Man who sublet hundreds of properties to criminal gangs jailed

A man who rented hundreds of properties that he sub-let to criminal gangs running brothels and cannabis farms has been jailed...

27 December 2019

From: Breaking News

Rogue letting agent jailed for ripping off landlords and tenants

An unscrupulous letting agent has been jailed for two years for conning landlords and tenants out of almost a quarter of...

19 December 2019

From: Breaking News

Holiday let or buy to let?

It’s impossible to ignore the recent boom of the short let market, as more and more buy-to-let owners opt to try...

04 December 2019

From: Sponsored Content

Lord Alan Sugar caught up in ‘Airbnb scam’

Lord Alan Sugar has issued a warning to Airbnb users after a family was  cheated out of around £465 because fraudsters told...

22 October 2019

From: Breaking News

Rogue agents sentenced after receiving fraudulent rental payments

Three rogue operators in London have been sentenced after pleading guilty to money laundering fraudulent rental payments received for properties that...

18 October 2019

From: Breaking News

Police appeal to landlords to help clampdown on organised crime gangs

Cheshire Police are appealing for landlords, along with letting agents and local residents to help crack down on organised crime gangs. Officers...

06 August 2019

From: Breaking News

Landlord who lived in a council house ordered to pay £48k or face prison

A buy-to-let landlord who claimed that he needed a council home has been ordered to pay back more than £48,000 or...

05 August 2019

From: Breaking News

BTL landlords ripped off by rogue agent

A managing agent who defrauded buy-to-let landlords out of £16,500 over an 18-month period will face a Proceeds of Crime Act...

30 July 2019

From: Breaking News

Council tenant fined £100,000 for sub-letting his studio flat on Airbnb

An Airbnb host who rented out his council flat in central London has been fined £100,000 and evicted by Westminster City...

30 July 2019

From: Breaking News

August is the most popular time to move home

Whether you are looking to rent out your property or sell, it is worth noting that August is the most popular...

26 July 2019

From: Breaking News

Sharp rise in fraudulent letting applications

The level of fraudulent rental applications being received by letting agents is on the up, new research shows. The study by Benham...

08 July 2019

From: Breaking News

More needs to be done to protect landlords from fraud

There is a growing need to improve fraud detection in the private rented sector, according to Landlord Action. Paul Shamplina, the founder...

08 July 2019

From: Breaking News

Couple falsely claim £50,000 from DWP by pretending to be landlord and tenant

A couple from Barry in Vale of Glamorgan, Wales, have been handed suspended prison sentences for benefit fraud after being convicted...

01 July 2019

From: Breaking News

Which area has the highest number of landlords avoiding tax on rental income?

  When you rent a property to a tenant, you are required to pay tax on any profit you make from rental...

26 June 2019

From: Breaking News

Man denies posing as a landlord in a deposit scam

A man in Dundee has denied that he fraudulently pretended to be a landlord who asked for an up-front deposit from...

16 May 2019

From: Breaking News

Scammer steals £1,200 from couple by posing as a landlord

A fraudster pretending to be a landlord scammed a couple looking to move into a new property with their children out...

29 April 2019

From: Breaking News

Mandatory Client Money Protection – what do landlords need to know?

On April 1 2019, the rental sector shifted into a new era of even greater professionalisation with the introduction of mandatory...

09 April 2019

From: Sponsored Content

Rental fraud remains 'one of the uglier aspects of private renting'

The National Landlords Association (NLA) is reminding would-be tenants to be vigilant when looking for somewhere new to live and to...

08 April 2019

From: Breaking News

Tenant sentenced to 12 years in prison for burning down rental property

A tenant who was found guilty of deliberately burning down a property he was renting four years ago was sentenced to...

18 March 2019

From: Breaking News

Fraudsters claiming to be landlords leave tenants £20k out of pocket

Fraudsters posing as landlords have conned prospective tenants out of £20,000 over the past couple months by persuading them to pay...

22 February 2019

From: Breaking News

Top tips to help protect yourself against property investment fraud

Many people invest in property or sign up to investment club arrangements, which are not uncommon in the industry, but sometimes it...

21 February 2019

From: Breaking News

Discrimination against tenants on benefits?

Shelter has recently run a campaign aimed at banning ‘discrimination’ against tenants on benefits in the private rented sector, presenting a...

04 February 2019

From: Breaking News

Rogue letting agents jailed for conning landlords and tenants

Three rogue directors of a letting agency in London who conned at least landlords and tenants out of more than £105,000 were...

28 January 2019

From: Breaking News

Corrupt lawyer jailed for helping fraudster build a £10.8m BTL property empire

Dodgy solicitor Ross McKay, who helped a fraudster create a £10.8m property empire with the help of Tameside’s criminal underworld, has...

08 January 2019

From: Breaking News

Future Right to Rent system must be ‘reliable’ and treat people ‘fairly’

The government’s long-awaited White Paper on post-Brexit immigration policy, published last week, unveiled plans for a single, skills-based immigration system applying...

24 December 2018

From: Breaking News

Tenancy deposit theft total exceeds £1.3m so far this year

The recent conviction of former letting agent Heather Crabb for illegally pocketing £260,000 from renters in Plymouth has contributed significantly to...

20 December 2018

From: Breaking News

Landlords and tenants left £105,000 out of pocket by rogue letting agents

At least 19 landlords and tenants have been left £105,000 out of pocket by unscrupulous letting agents who ran London-based letting...

12 December 2018

From: Breaking News

Less than a week for letting agents in Scotland to apply for mandatory register

Buy-to-let landlords in Scotland are being reminded that new rules have been introduced which affect the way letting agencies are able...

26 September 2018

From: Breaking News

‘Groundbreaking technology’ should help ‘improve the rental experience’

‘Open banking’ provider TrueLayer has teamed up with Goodlord to enhance the proptech platform’s fintech integration for landlords, tenants and agents. Goodlord’s...

25 July 2018

From: Breaking News

Tenant Referencing - an essential guide

  What is a tenant reference? A tenant reference is a tool for landlords to help choose the right tenants. A good tenant...

06 June 2018

From: Sponsored Content

Automated payment systems can protect landlords against letting agency fraud

Automated payment systems can help to reduce letting agency fraud, it has been claimed. PropTech firm PayProp says that automating rental payment...

06 June 2018

From: Breaking News

Landlord prosecuted for council tax fraud

A buy-to-let landlord who owns 30 properties in York and Leeds has been handed a fine of more than £1,000 and...

05 June 2018

From: Breaking News

Landlord jailed for fraud

A rogue landlord who swindled £28,000 from a family friend has been sentenced to four years in prison. Mark Thorogood of Maelgwyn...

04 June 2018

From: Breaking News

Letting agent who stole from clients ordered to payback £22k in compensation

The law has finally caught up with a letting agent who stole £22,000 from clients, including landlords. Peter Bell, now the former...

11 April 2018

From: Breaking News

Landlords in Basildon invited to attend free council-run event

Private landlords in Basildon are being invited to attend a free rental workshop this week. The event, which is being run by...

06 March 2018

From: Breaking News

Fake landlord sentenced to six years in prison

An unscrupulous individual pretending to be a private landlord in order to scam more than £10,000 from unsuspecting tenants before going...

06 February 2018

From: Breaking News

What’s the true cost of holding an empty property?

According to official figures, more than 200,000 homes in England were empty for at least six months during 2016. In London,...

01 February 2018

From: Breaking News

Rogue landlord database ‘will save lives’ says LFB

The mayor of London’s decision to launch a new public online database which ‘names and shames’ rogue landlords and letting agents...

21 December 2017

From: Breaking News

Make CMP mandatory on agents ‘at the earliest opportunity’ government told

Given that thousands of landlords and tenants are not protected by client money protection (CMP), placing money held by letting agents are...

25 October 2017

From: Breaking News

Why Right to Rent imperfections shouldn’t concern pragmatic landlords

The findings of the BBC investigation into ID fraud linked to Right to Rent checks will come as no surprise to...

20 October 2017

From: Breaking News

Landlord immigration checks fuelling ‘black market’

A scheme requiring landlords to check the immigration status of new tenants is fuelling a ‘black market in forged Ids’, a...

17 October 2017

From: Breaking News

Ex-letting agent jailed for burgling rental properties

A former north London letting agent who stole thousands of pounds worth of cash and belongings from rental homes by tricking...

06 October 2017

From: Breaking News

Landlord jailed for Capital Gains fraud

A landlord has been jailed for failing to declare Capital Gains Tax from the sale of his rental properties. Richard Fuller, 53,...

14 August 2017

From: Breaking News

Users are wising up to ‘dangers of online rental fraud’

With July being Fraud Awareness Month, the subject of online rental fraud has been brought into the spotlight by Nick Marr,...

20 July 2017

From: Breaking News

Letting agent given suspended sentence for stealing almost £100k from landlord

A letting agent responsible for managing a large buy-to-let portfolio in Norwich has been handed a 20-month suspended sentence for two...

13 July 2017

From: Breaking News

NLA launches free tenant-finding service for its members

The National Landlord Association (NLA) has launched a free tenant finding service for its 70,000-plus members and teaming up with the...

16 June 2017

From: Breaking News

Dangers faced by unoccupied rental properties

As a buy-to-let property owner, the last thing you want is for your investment to be sitting empty. But it’s not...

09 June 2017

From: Sponsored Content

Some landlords miss out on ‘good mortgage deals’ because of ‘lazy’ brokers

Many buy-to-let landlords are simply not getting the best mortgage deal, or find themselves trapped into mortgages with high standard variable rates, as...

14 April 2017

From: Breaking News

Top tips to help you stay safe and beat the fraudsters and scammers

The vast majority of landlords are unable to identify a fake passport when presented with one leaving them vulnerable to fraudsters...

29 March 2017

From: Breaking News

Buy-to-let landlord sentenced for tax fraud and fined £200,000

A London based landlord has been given a suspended two-year prison sentence for tax fraud, following a Revenue and Customs investigation...

13 March 2017

From: Breaking News

Landlord jailed for fraud

A private landlord has been jailed for almost four years after being found guilty of stealing money from more than 100...

09 February 2017

From: Breaking News

Landlord ordered to pay back £30,000

A private landlord in Scunthorpe has been prosecuted for tenancy fraud and ordered to pay back more than £30,000 after deceptively...

07 February 2017

From: Breaking News

Tenancy deposit schemes are ‘in urgent need of reform’

The recent closure of Morgan Hampton letting agents in Wimborne, Dorset, has been ceased upon by the CEO of Keep It...

31 January 2017

From: Breaking News

Landlord jailed for remortgaging his parents’ house to expand BTL portfolio

A man has been sentenced to almost three-and-a-half-years in jail after being found guilty of remortgaging his elderly parents’ £1.5m house...

29 October 2016

From: Breaking News

Landlords overwhelmingly support compulsory client money protection

Four out of five buy-to-let landlords believe that client money protection (CMP) should be made compulsory when they use a letting...

29 October 2016

From: Breaking News

New landlord checking service launched

Private tenants can now verify a landlord's credentials for any UK rental opportunity following the launch of a new landlord checking...

20 October 2016

From: Breaking News

Landlords urged to respond to CMP consultation

The Association of Independent Inventory Clerks is calling on landlords as well as letting agents to respond to the government's outstanding...

13 September 2016

From: Breaking News

The government wants to better protect your money – have your say

The government is considering its options when it comes to increasing protections for private landlords and tenants’ cash against fraud and...

23 August 2016

From: Breaking News

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