The end of the tax year is in sight, and it’s a time when many businesses suddenly find unpaid invoices making a hole in their profits. Hopefully you’re on top of your finances, but do get in touch with SJ Collections if you need any help chasing up debts.
2018 seems to be throwing up more challenges than usual for SMEs, from the government’s overhaul of the Corporate Governance Code to an unprecedented level of cyber threats to business. I’ve distilled the most essential parts of PwC’s advice to private businesses.
After a period of success and growth that’s bucked the trend of recession and austerity, small businesses are reporting confidence sharply down in 2017. This suggests there may be difficult times ahead, and I’ve suggested some simple steps you can take to make the best of the situation.
Landlords — Do You Grant Assured Shorthold Tenancies?
It seems as if there’s a new regulation every five minutes for landlords to follow, and the latest seems to have slipped through with very little fanfare.
If you’re offering an assured shorthold tenancy, in the past you’ve just had to ensure your tenant has access to the government’s guide How to rent: the checklist for renting in England. This could simply mean providing a link to the webpage where they could find the guide, but now you’re obliged by law to supply a printed copy.
This should be reasonably straightforward for future tenancies, as long as you know about the change. However, the obligation has been backdated to 2015, and you need to supply a copy of the guide as it was at the start of the tenancy — which may not be the same as the up-to-date edition.
So is it really so important that you follow this regulation? Unfortunately, it is. If you’ve failed to meet the requirement, it could have a serious impact on your control over the tenancy. For example, you could find it difficult to obtain a Section 21 repossession or use the Accelerated Possession Procedure.
So, if you’ve granted an assured shorthold tenancy since 2015, it’s vital to make sure you’re following the regulations to the letter. You’re very welcome to get in touch with me for a chat about what you need to do. I’m not a legal expert, of course, but I could point you in the right direction.