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Mandatory grounds for possession
These grounds may be cited during possession proceedings as long as landlords have followed correct procedures and have sent out all the appropriate notices. These mandatory grounds cover situations where:

the landlord requires the property for personal occupation
a mortgage lender is foreclosing the mortgage
property let for a fixed period is required for return to holiday letting
an educational institution requires return of a student let
a religious body requires return of its property for an alternative tenant
the landlord wishes to demolish, reconstruct or redevelop the property
a landlord wishes to claim possession against the resident heir of a tenant who has died
the rent is in arrears by eight weeks+ (two months if it is paid monthly, or one quarter if paid quarterly).

Mortgage
Is a deed that pledges a freehold or leasehold property as security for a loan (also called legal a charge). If payments are not met in accordance with the terms of the mortgage or you fall into arrears, lenders are legally allowed to foreclose, claim the property and sell it in order to recover the outstanding amount owing.
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National Approved Letting Scheme (NALS)
A Government backed accreditation scheme, this scheme is available to all letting and letting management agents. By joining they agree to meet defined standards of customer service; to maintain necessary insurances to protect clients’ money, and to have customer complaints procedures in place offering independent redress.

The scheme is currently supported by the Association of Residential Letting Agents, the National Association of Estate Agents and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.
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National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA)
Easily the largest professional estate agency organisation in the UK, the NAEA represents nearly 10,000 members, and is committed towards raising professional standards across all aspects of the property market.
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National Federation of Residential Landlords (NFRL)
An umbrella landlord organisation, the NFRL contains some 40 private landlords’ associations who cover every main postcode within the UK and Northern Ireland.
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National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting (NICEIC)
An independent consumer safety organisation, the NICEIC has been the electrical contracting industry’s voluntary regulatory body for all electrical safety matters for more than 45 years.
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National Landlords Association (NLA)
One of the largest private landlord associations in the UK, the NLA protects/promotes their interests by providing their members with fact sheets, newsletters, insurance discounts, meetings and workshops, and favourable terms with selected suppliers of advice and services.
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New building regulations
As of January 2005 all substantial electrical work must be carried out by a ‘competent’ contractor that has been approved by the NICEIC.
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NHBC
The standard setting body, and leading warranty and insurance provider for new and newly converted homes in the UK. To date the NHBC has got over 18,000 registered builders who are committed to providing risk management services to house building and the wider construction industry. An NHBC certificate can give substantial protection against building faults for up to 10 years.
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Non-resident landlords scheme
A scheme designed to tax UK rental income of non-resident landlords, this scheme works by getting UK letting agents to deduct basic rate taxes from any rent they collect for non-resident landlords. If however the non-resident landlord hasn’t got a UK letting agent representing them, and their rent is more than £100 a week, their tenants must deduct this tax themselves. When calculating this tax letting agents/tenants can remove all deductible expenses.

There will be instances where the Inland Revenue will tell an agent/tenant not to deduct tax. These circumstances occur when non-resident landlords have successfully applied for Approval to receive rents with no tax deduction. Although under these circumstances non-resident landlords will receive rents with no tax deducted this income is still liable to UK tax. For this reason non-resident landlords must include it in any tax return to the Inland Revenue.
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Non-status
Some mortgages lenders will offer what is known as ‘non-status facilities’. This enables them to lend without proof of income and sometimes without proof of existing mortgage repayment records. The maximum loan to value this type of scheme usually offers in 70% of below. PLEASE NOTE: a credit search will be carried out
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Notice to quit
Otherwise known as a Notice which requires repossession of a property as issued under section 21 of the Housing Act 1988, under this notice a tenant is asked to vacate a property at the end of their assured short hold tenancy agreement. There is no prescribed form for the notice but within its documentation it must clearly specify the date after which the tenant is to give up possession of the property. Traditionally at least two month’s notice is required to perform this action.

PLEASE NOTE: a possession may not be required until expiry of the first six months of the tenancy.
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Off plan
Represents a binding commitment to purchase a property before it is built or has reached completion. In many instances off-plan is agreed on the basis of the builder’s plans.
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Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM)
Currently headed by Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, here the Government has the responsibility of dealing with housing, homelessness, planning, building regulations, sustainable communities, urban policy, and local government.

On the ODPM website you will find a section devoted to housing that contains consultation papers, guidance for homeowners, tenants and landlords, and information on housing policy and statistics.
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Landlord Basics

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