Property Redress Scheme

Possession Order

The court order made at the end of a possession claim, requiring the tenant to give up the property to the landlord on a specified date. Two main types under Section 8: outright (give up by a fixed date, typically 14–42 days) or suspended (postponed if the tenant complies with terms, e.g. clearing arrears). If the tenant does not leave by the date in the order the landlord must apply for a Warrant of Possession to enforce eviction by a county court bailiff or High Court Enforcement Officer.

Property Income Allowance

A £1,000 tax-free allowance for gross property income. If your total rental income in a tax year is £1,000 or less you usually do not need to declare it. If it is more, you can either deduct the £1,000 allowance instead of your actual expenses, or claim actual expenses — whichever gives the lower tax — but not both.

Public Liability Insurance

Cover, often called property owners’ liability, that protects a landlord against claims if a tenant, visitor or member of the public is injured or their property is damaged because of the condition of the let property. It is usually included within a landlord insurance policy.

Accidental Landlord

Someone who ends up letting a property without having planned to be a landlord — for example after inheriting a home, moving in with a partner, struggling to sell, or being relocated for work. Accidental landlords have exactly the same legal duties as professional ones, which is where problems usually start.

Additional Licensing

A discretionary HMO licensing scheme a council can introduce under section 56 of the Housing Act 2004 to cover smaller HMOs that fall below the mandatory threshold of five or more occupants in two or more households. (The old three-storey condition was removed on 1 October 2018 — mandatory licensing now applies regardless of how many storeys the property has.) It is separate from selective licensing (which covers all rented homes in a designated area, not just HMOs). Operating an unlicensed HMO where additional licensing applies is a criminal offence with civil penalties up to £30,000 and exposure to a Rent Repayment Order of up to 24 months’ rent.

Banning Order

A court order under Part 2 of the Housing and Planning Act 2016 banning a person convicted of certain housing offences from letting property, engaging in lettings agency work or holding an HMO licence. Triggered by a banning-order offence (Schedule 1 of the Act): includes serious housing-condition offences, illegal eviction and unlawful HMO operation. A banned landlord is added to the national database of rogue landlords and breach of the order is itself a criminal offence with up to 51 weeks’ imprisonment.