Let’s cut to the chase. You’ve been in property for the last decade, perhaps even longer. You’ve seen the news, we all have, and things just don’t look great for landlords. Last year, I took a good, hard look at my portfolio after finally making the decision it was time to downsize. Like many of […]

Even the best of tenants can cause damage to your property, but what happens if something goes wrong? It’s important to check your insurance cover to make sure that, if an accident does happen, you have peace of mind knowing you’re covered for the unexpected. Here at Property118, we’ve teamed up with The Home Insurer […]

The EPC was initially created to provide an approximate measure of the performance of housing stock in the EU. It does this, not by measuring the energy usage of a building, but by estimating the transmissivity of the external surfaces as a proxy for it. To do this, approximate measures are taken of these surfaces […]

Only 46% of the UK’s private tenants currently hold contents insurance, down from 51% in 2023 in the face of rising rents and the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, a survey reveals. Insurance tech provider Paymentshield says the results suggest the rental insurance gap is widening. The survey, which polled more than 1,000 tenants across the UK, […]

There’s a big gap in private renters’ understanding of their home’s energy efficiency, a TDS Charitable Foundation survey reveals. It reveals that 60% of tenants are unaware of their property’s energy efficiency rating. That’s despite the legal requirement for all privately rented homes to have an EPC rating of at least an ‘E’, unless exempt. […]

The UK’s housing market is experiencing a slowdown in price growth, with annual increases dropping to 1.4%, according to Zoopla’s latest house price index. This marks a decline from 2% earlier this year, driven by a 14% rise in the number of homes available for sale, which has expanded options for buyers. The average UK […]

Greater Manchester’s Good Landlord Charter now covers more than 234,000 rented properties, which is half of the city-region’s rental households. Launched in April, the initiative is a cornerstone of the mayor’s Andy Burnham’s bid to ensure every resident has access to a safe, secure, affordable and healthy home by 2038. The Charter, the first of […]

Specialist lenders Together and Fleet Mortgages have unveiled updates to their buy to let (BTL) offerings, providing landlords with more competitive and adaptable financing solutions. Together has launched a new BTL retention product range, reducing rates by 25 basis points for landlords moving from bridging loans or refinancing at the end of fixed-rate terms. The […]

Hi, the government rules under the Renters’ Rights Bill state that landlords cannot refuse a tenant’s request to have a pet without a reasonable excuse. I manage a flat in a large block, and the block management has sent all owners a letter stating that no pets are allowed in the flats, including caged and […]

Labour’s pivotal Renters’ Rights Bill has been stalled in the UK’s Parliamentary machinery and will not become law until at least the autumn, the Financial Times reports. The legislative logjam has also hit other planned laws, including those aimed at employment rules, and the Bills will not gain Royal Assent before MPs break for their […]

As the Renters’ Rights Bill heads back to the Lords next week, I fear there is now real potential to reshape the rental market in ways that could harm the very tenants it aims to protect. Far from delivering the promised security and fairness to renters, the Bill risks creating a two-tier system where only […]

An industry body is urging London Mayor Sadiq Khan to take action to ease the tax burden on landlords. In its response to Mr Khan’s consultation on the New London Plan, Propertymark accuses the Mayor of overlooking the role the private rented sector could play in addressing the capital’s housing crisis. The consultation outlines proposals […]

Awaab’s Law will require social housing landlords to provide and pay for alternative accommodation if a tenant’s home cannot be made safe within set timeframes. The law is set to come into effect for social housing landlords in October this year and will force social housing landlords to fix damp and mould with strict timeframes. […]

Hi, it would appear that gaining an HMO licence is bringing a number of unintended consequences, making being a landlord more difficult than usual. In Sheffield, the waiting time to renew is meant to be 13 weeks. I am now in my fourth month and have not received any replies to my emails asking where […]

London’s prime property market displayed subdued activity in May, with rental growth moderating and sales transactions notably low, according to LonRes data. The lettings sector saw a slight uptick in new instructions, while the sales market grappled with cautious buyers and elevated stock levels. The data shows that the capital’s prime rental growth eased to […]

Hi everyone, I’d appreciate some advice from landlords with experience renting to benefit claimants, especially older tenants. I’ve been offered a prospective tenant who is pension-age, receiving a mix of benefits — mainly Local Housing Allowance (LHA), Pension, and PIP. To summarise the situation: • LHA covers about 70% of the rent • They have […]

The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) is warning that the Welsh government’s homelessness bill will put greater strain on landlords and local authorities. The organisation welcomes the Welsh government’s proposals to improve access to social housing but warns the bill could create “more problems than it solves”. The bill brings major changes by scrapping the […]

Hi, my daughter-in-law owns a flat in a block of four. She and another owner are Directors, the other two are not. All four own the freehold between them. They employ a Management Company (MC) to oversee the running of the block. The MC has just contacted her, saying the Directors’ Liability insurance is due […]

A massive knowledge gap among PRS landlords about energy performance certificates (EPCs) could undermine the government’s push to improve the energy efficiency of rented properties, a survey reveals. According to a new report from The Mortgage Works, a survey of 1,000 landlords found that 62% are unaware that holding an EPC is a legal obligation. […]

The Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook has again denied a landlord exodus is underway and claims the private rented sector remains “broadly stable”. In answer to a written question, asking about the number of small landlords leaving the private rented sector, Mr Pennycook, claims “good landlords have nothing to fear”. To back up his claims, Mr […]

Houses of multiple occupancy (HMOs) in England are selling for significantly higher prices than standard homes, offering substantial profits for investors, research reveals. The findings from investment firm Excellion Capital, show that HMOs command an average sale price of £334,260, a 13.1% premium over the national average house price of £295,654. The higher value stems […]