The Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) has lowered social housing provider Anchor’s governance rating to G3, highlighting lapses in its risk management and data reliability. The downgrade follows an investigation that revealed critical weaknesses in Anchor’s ability to maintain a robust and prudent risk and control framework, particularly in ensuring landlord health and safety compliance. […]

A Labour peer has criticised the government for accepting only three amendments while rejecting around 300 others to the Renters’ Rights Bill. During the report stage debate, Lord Hacking blasted the government “for not listening to the House.” Peers clashed over a number of amendments, including those aimed at retaining fixed-term tenancies and grounds for […]

The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) has welcomed a government consultation that would extend the Decent Homes Standard to the private rented sector. That’s despite, according to the English Housing Survey, most homes in the PRS surpassing the expected DHS criteria. The government’s plan is to set a quality benchmark which only applies to social […]

Propertymark is calling on the government and Peers to revise the Renters’ Rights Bill to ensure it meets the needs of both tenants and landlords. The organisation is highlighting several critical areas requiring adjustment to make the Bill effective and practical. A major concern is the strain on the court system, where delays from claim […]

Private tenants will be protected from rent rises under an amendment to the Renters’ Rights Bill when a landlord carries out publicly funded EPC improvement work. Generation Rent is supporting an amendment proposed by Baroness Jenny Jones. It says the move will stop public cash being used from ‘enriching private landlords’ by limiting rent rises […]

Regional hotspots are fuelling a 1.2% rise in England’s rental demand in the second quarter, reaching 29.4%, research reveals. The study by FCC Paragon highlights a striking regional difference in growth in some counties. Leicestershire spearheads this trend with an impressive 7.8% quarterly jump, followed closely by West Yorkshire at 7% and South Yorkshire at […]

Rents in England climbed sharply in June, marking the steepest monthly increase this year, one rental index reveals. According to Goodlord, the average rent rose by 3.2%, from £1,226 in May to £1,265 in June, adding £39 monthly or £468 annually to tenants’ outgoings. The rise aligns with the peak letting season, reflecting heightened demand […]

Hackney Council has admitted overspending by millions of pounds on legal disrepair claims brought by its own social housing tenants. The local authority reveals it paid out more than £1 million in compensation to social housing tenants and overspent by more than £5.5 million on legal disrepair cases. The council says the social housing sector […]

Local authorities and housing associations have come under fire for failing in their duties as landlords to leaseholders. A report by the Housing Ombudsman reveals a series of failings, including one case where a leaseholder was left dealing with damp and mould for two years, and another where a persistent leak caused a leaseholder to […]

Has anyone been able to get any work carried out at their rental properties under ECO4 or Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS) schemes if the property is Grade 2 listed? I have one property tenant on full benefits, elderly, disabled, etc, and the only thing that he could have is updated electric heaters (no gas […]

The numbers behind the problem: The average 50- to mid-60-something single person retiring in Romford (and Havering as a whole) is likely to rely on a monthly income of around £1,208. That includes the state pension of £756 per month, perhaps a modest private pension, topping it up. This leaves very little breathing space once […]

The Renters’ Rights Bill enters report stage in the House of Lords today, with new amendments to be introduced. The report stage will see three debates, one today, another on 7th July, and the final on 15th July. The news comes amid doubts over whether the Renters’ Rights Bill will achieve Royal Assent, meaning it […]

There’s widespread discontent among landlords over media depictions of them and the PRS – it’s now fallen to just 9% of those who say it is ‘fair and accurate’, research reveals. According to a survey from Landbay, that’s a sharp decline from 19% of landlords who said the same in a similar 2023 survey. The […]

Calling all UK landlords and property investors:  If you’re still using the same tenancy agreement for every tenant, you could be setting yourself up for avoidable problems. Whether you’re renting to students, HMO tenants, or people with pets, it’s important to tweak your agreement to suit each situation. This guide will walk you through how […]

Hi everyone, I have an annoying situation. In 2023, the LHA paid most of the tenant’s rent excepting £25 pcm, so the tenant was supposed to top this up. They never did despite constant reminders etc and even supplying him with numbers for Council and DHP application form (he claims he could not afford the […]

Hi all, I need a bit of advice? So, I’ve just had to cancel a order on a Section 21 because Shelter defended an incorrect 6a form that I used (I used a well known landlord site which I’m a member). The tenant is also in rent arrears which we said we wouldn’t chase if […]

There has been a 750% surge in property tax revenue which has transformed Scotland’s housing market over the past decade, data reveals. According to DJ Alexander Ltd, the country’s largest lettings and estate agency, the land and buildings transaction tax (LBTT), generated £7m from 6,880 property sales. That’s an average of £1,017 per transaction. It […]

Millions of private tenants will be left vulnerable to eviction despite the Renters’ Rights Bill’s claim to improve tenant protections, a survey reveals. According to the Renters’ Reform Coalition (RRC), the legislation will abolish section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions but will not prevent landlords from imposing steep rent rises. Those rent rises could effectively force […]

A property-tech platform has penned an open letter to Angela Rayner urging immediate reforms to tackle soaring landlord fees and restrictive letting agency contracts. Hello Neighbour’s letter to the deputy Prime Minister and housing minister, Matthew Pennycook, demands action for an equitable and dynamic rental market for landlords, tenants and the broader housing ecosystem. The […]

Renters are being priced out of cities and moving to coastal or market towns, claims new report. Research by SpareRoom reveals that coastal towns like Leigh-on-Sea and Shoreham-by-Sea, along with market towns such as Ashton-under-Lyne near city centres, feature in the top 50 area search terms with the biggest annual increases in interest among flatsharers. […]

The UK’s house prices fell by 0.8% month-on-month in June, marking a slowdown in the property market, according to Nationwide’s latest data. The monthly drop contributed to a softening of annual price growth to 2.1%, down from 3.5% in May. Nationwide’s chief economist, Robert Gardner, said: “The softening in price growth may reflect weaker demand […]