Totally Legal

Does a landlord have to provide a tenancy agreement?  A landlord does not legally have to provide a tenant with a written tenancy agreement, although most landlords do. If a tenant however, requests a written statement of terms, then a landlord has to provide that and this must include; when the tenancy started, how long the tenancy is for and what the rent is.  Verbal Agreements  A tenant without a written agreement, still has legal rights. If the landlord accepts rent from a person, in exchange for them living in the property, any verbal agreement they have, counts as a legal agreement, one which is regulated by the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985. Verbal agreements can in some cases be much more difficult to enforce if any disputes arise and that's why it's in the best interests of both parties to have a written agreement. This will help to ensure that both the landlord and the tenant understand their rights and responsibilities.  Fixed-term tenancies for more

If you are renting a home from someone else, it's important to be aware of your rights in order to make sure that your landlord does not take advantage. It's equally important to also know your responsibilities as a tenant, to avoid any potential problems that can arise and subsequently affect your tenancy agreement. All private tenants in England and Wales, whether renting out a room in a shared house or renting a whole property, have basic legal rights. Some of these rights include the right to: Live in a property that is safe and in good condition.  Know who your landlord is.  Quiet enjoyment of the property without the landlord invading your privacy and turning up whenever they feel like.  Challenge excessively high charges.  Get your rent deposit back after the end of the tenancy and in most cases, having your rent deposit protected in a tenancy deposit protection scheme. Protection against unfair eviction and unreasonable rent increases and Have a writte

A new compliance scheme was launched back in November 2017 for social care providers that may have incorrectly paid workers below the minimum hourly rate for full shifts. This relates to sleep-in or night shift care workers who were paid a fixed rate rather than the hourly National Minimum Wage.  How did it come about?  For years, the UK Government and the HMRC allowed employers to pay sleep-in or night shift carers a flat rate, which for some workers was as little as £30.00 per shift. Following two Employment Appeal Tribunal cases in 2016, in which support workers took their employers to employment tribunal to challenge how they were being paid for sleep-in shifts, this all changed. The tribunal ruled that support workers should be paid the hourly National Minimum Wage for sleep-in shifts, with up to 6 years back dated payments. The Social Care Compliance Scheme To help assist social care providers who may have underpaid workers, the Government introduced the Social Care