A government minister claims rising rents are among the factors contributing to homelessness and rough sleeping. In a written parliamentary answer, Homelessness Minister Florence Eshalomi said poverty, housing availability and affordability were among the “root causes” of homelessness and rough sleeping. The news comes as the government unveiled plans to get rough sleepers off the […]

Linking energy-efficiency support for private rented homes to tenants’ income risks leaving Northern Ireland’s least efficient properties behind. That’s the view of Propertymark, which responded to the Northern Ireland Government’s Department for Communities consultation on the proposed £150 million Warm Healthy Homes Fund. The fund is set to replace the Affordable Warmth Scheme, targeting lower-income […]

I originally allowed my ex-sister-in-law to use my property I was refurbishing as she became homeless with her children. Now I can’t get her out and need help. She has refused me access to the premises for the last 18 months and systematically destroyed the interior. I finally had the spare cash to go through […]

There is money to be made from telling landlords that their previous adviser got it wrong. There can be fees for reviewing the arrangement, fees for replacing it and fees for pursuing a claim. That commercial reality deserves as much scrutiny as the advice being criticised. If you are the landlord receiving that warning, the […]

A new First-tier Tribunal decision has caught my attention because, although it has nothing directly to do with landlords or HMRC’s Spotlight 63, it considers something that sits very close to the heart of the Hybrid LLP debate: Can an LLP and a connected limited company genuinely form part of one larger commercial undertaking, even […]

There is something almost insulting about being told by the government that £65 is not much money. It is apparently small enough for it to describe its new annual PRS database charge as ‘fair and sustainable’, yet not important enough to mention in the official announcement’s section headed ‘What landlords need to know’. Funny that. […]

For a growing number of landlords, it appears that their letting agent bills are growing as they introduce fresh charges following the Renters’ Rights Act, The Telegraph reports. It says that London agency KFH is charging £12 plus VAT for additional statements, while landlords elsewhere have been quoted up to £300 for RRA compliance audits. […]

More than one million landlords could end up using deposit alternatives if government plans to scrap insured tenancy deposit schemes go ahead, research reveals. Zero Deposit found 9% would move directly to a deposit alternative, which it calculates could represent about 266,736 landlords. A further 26% said their decision would depend on what the tenant […]

An industry body has called for more clarity around the tribunal process under the Renters’ Rights Act. Propertymark has warned that, with rent tribunal cases surging, there needs to be clearer guidance and understanding of the evidence tribunals consider. The comments come as the government announces that HMRC’s Valuation Office will become responsible for making […]

A tenants’ group is calling for rent caps to be introduced, claiming they are “good for growth”. Writing in LabourList, Renters’ Reform Coalition director Clara Collingwood claimed that “out-of-control” rents were pushing up the cost of Local Housing Allowance and leaving tenants struggling. However, as previously reported by Property118, rent controls can do more harm […]

Many landlords have stood dazed, on the ropes – taking blow after blow. Confused and unable to think they have been the target of an indiscriminate government-led beating. Here is some clarity as to why the process will continue to fail to help tenants. My own experience of taking “bad unpaying” tenants to court saw […]

The government has yet to decide whether the PRS Ombudsman will be required to share evidence of landlord non-compliance with local authorities. In a written parliamentary answer, Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook said the government was “currently working through the details” of how the PRS Ombudsman will operate. Under the Renters’ Rights Act, the private landlord […]

Residential property tribunal cases jumped 56% year on year during the quarter in which the Renters’ Rights Act came into force, according to analysis of Ministry of Justice (MoJ) figures. Savills says 4,613 cases were received between April and June, compared with just under 3,000 during the same three months last year. However, the key […]

With September well under way and talk of an annual property tax under Prime Minister Andy Burnham, it’s no wonder landlords are once again questioning what the future holds. Under proposals previously backed by Mr Burnham, council tax and stamp duty would be replaced with an annual charge paid by property owners, reportedly equivalent to […]

Rents are facing renewed upward pressure as tenant demand grows and landlord instructions remain in negative territory, according to the latest RICS survey. In August, the net balance for tenant demand stood at +18%, while landlord instructions came in at -14%. Also, +44% of respondents are forecasting rent rises over the next three months, up […]

Edinburgh’s flatsharers face the biggest gap between what they budget for a room and what landlords are asking, according to SpareRoom. Edinburgh flatsharers were looking to spend £748 for the average room being advertised at £834, an annual difference of £1,028. Elsewhere, the typical rent for York’s flatsharers was £693, which is £51 short of […]

Northumberland County Council is paying for guarantor insurance to help tenants secure homes in the private rented sector. The scheme targets potential tenants who can afford a tenancy but cannot provide a qualifying relative or other person to be their guarantor. Instead, the council will fully fund guarantor insurance for applicants who meet the scheme’s […]

Article by Vanessa Griffiths, ALEP Member I welcome the Government’s consultation on leasehold enfranchisement valuation rates. The deferment and capitalisation rates to be prescribed under the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act (LAFRA) are important and specialist evidence should inform what they are set at. My concern is that the consultation is largely framed around how […]

Industry experts have warned that the Private Rented Sector (PRS) Database could be “little more than a national directory for councils”, with concerns it could have unintended consequences and drive small landlords out of the market. The comments come as the government confirms that landlords will be required to register their rental properties through its […]

Landlords will have to pay a £65 registration fee per property annually under the government’s new national landlord registration service. The government has confirmed that landlords will be required to register their rental properties through its “Register Your Rental Property” service as the PRS database is rolled out across England. The database will launch regionally, […]

Selling to a sitting tenant is one of the more attractive exits available to a landlord today, as I said in this article. It is therefore unsurprising that “rent to buy”, where someone wishing to buy first becomes a tenant for a few years before the sale is concluded, is also of great interest to […]