Page 116 – Property118
A green arrow moving downwards across the screen, a shadow of a figure, a green percentage sign The Mortgage Works, Accord Mortgages

Leading BTL lenders reduce mortgage rates

19th March 2025

Two prominent buy to let lenders, Accord Mortgages and The Mortgage Works, have announced reductions to their BTL offerings. The revamped ranges are aimed at a variety of borrowers, from those wanting short-term deals to others eyeing longer commitments. Accord Mortgages has trimmed its buy to let line up by as much as 0.15%. Two- […]

A small child, Awaab's Law logo and a Scottish Flag

Plans to extend Awaab’s law to Scotland’s PRS

19th March 2025

As Awaab’s Law is set to be introduced in the social housing sector in Scotland, there are plans to extend it to the private rented sector, though one organisation has warned against regulations that could “impede landlords.” The Scottish government has announced amendments in the Scottish Housing Bill will require social housing landlords to address […]

A alarm clock on a snail, stamp Duty and coins

Thousands of homebuyers risk missing stamp duty deadline

19th March 2025

A surprising 71% of homebuyers with accepted offers will fail to meet the 31 March stamp duty deadline, a survey reveals. The research from estate and lettings firm Benham and Reeves, highlights that sluggish conveyancing is the main reason slowing down property transactions across the nation. The study, which questioned more than 1,000 British buyers […]

Paul Shamplina of Landlord Action, 25 years and balloons

Landlord Action celebrates 25 years of supporting landlords

19th March 2025

Eviction and housing law specialists, Landlord Action, is celebrating 25 years of operation. Established in 1999 by founder Paul Shamplina alongside his original co-director, the business launched with a bold vision to overhaul property recovery and tenant removal processes. Disenchanted with the steep costs charged by traditional solicitors, Mr Shamplina introduced a groundbreaking three-step, fixed-fee […]

Housing Secretary Angela Rayner, houses and a person sitting on stacked coins

Charities urge Labour to tackle ‘discriminatory’ PRS guarantor rules

18th March 2025

The Labour government is being urged to overhaul renter legislation which 28 charities say will hit poorer tenants from being able to access PRS housing. The charities have written an open letter to the Housing Secretary Angela Rayner with their concerns over the Renters’ Rights Bill. They include Shelter, Generation Rent, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation […]

A man cutting red tape

Are the Labour Party about to cut red tape for landlords to help tenants?

18th March 2025

News about Chancellor Rachel Reeves meeting with industry regulators to cut the cost of regulations, including environmental measures, and reduce red tape to build new housing raises important questions. The Chancellor claims these measures will “boost investment and put more money into working people’s pockets.” This plan comes alongside 60 measures agreed upon by regulators […]

A pig surrounded by green arrows pointing upwards and the Socttish flag

No need for rent cap as Scottish rents rise slower than incomes – call

18th March 2025

Rents in Scotland have risen at a gentler pace compared to residents’ earnings which shows there’s no need for the rent controls, one firm says. DJ Alexander Ltd has analysed data from Zoopla’s latest UK Market Rental report and found that rents rose 3.1% in the 12 months to January. Average salaries surged ahead by […]

Two model houses with a question mark inbetween

Why is a second home premium being applied to a rental property?

18th March 2025

Hi, I own a small maisonette in London. It has been rented out for 19 years, always using a letting agent and never been used as a second home. In July of last year, I decided to help my daughter, who is finishing her final year at university in May this year, by renting her […]

A lady sitting on a bedrrom floor looking upto another person who is writing on a clipbaord and a question mark

Can the council force tenant inspections and demand evictions for smoking?

18th March 2025

Hi, I have recently applied for and been granted licences for some flats I own in Birmingham. Now the council are conducting assessments on all flats wishing to spend half an hour with each tenant. Firstly, they expect me to organise all my tenants to be home on the same day but not offering a […]

Unaffordable sign in front of a house

NRLA demands reform as just 5% of PRS properties are affordable for housing benefit claimants

18th March 2025

Only 5% of private rented properties are affordable to benefit claimants, according to new research. Data from the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) reveals the figure has fallen dramatically from 20% of rental homes being affordable to those in receipt of benefits just five years ago. The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) […]

Dog and cat cuddling on a sofa, supporting Dogs Trust campaign for pet rights in social housing

Nearly 19,000 people demand pets in council and social homes

18th March 2025

Nearly 19,000 people have rallied behind a charity’s call to extend the Renters’ Rights Bill provision to allow pets in private lets to be extended to council and social housing.  In January, the Dogs Trust unveiled a petition to overhaul the inconsistent rules surrounding pet ownership in social homes.   The charity has written to Angela […]

two chairs, annual general meeting, and past due sign, a clock and a question mark

How to handle an overdue AGM meeting and managing agent issues?

18th March 2025

Hi, I am looking for advice or guidance please. We are a block of 15 flats and are unhappy with the managing agents. As shareholders, we have two directors who do not live on-site continuously. They do not carry out repairs and charge over the top for works carried out when work does happen. We […]

Patrick Ansell Taylor Rose, A cliff edge for Landlords

Landlords on cliff-edge as Renters’ Rights Bill strains overburdened courts

17th March 2025

Many landlords are facing a cliff-edge decision in deciding whether to sell up and many are holding on to see what happens, says a top property lawyer. In an exclusive video interview with Property118, property litigation partner at Taylor Rose, Patrick Ansell, explains how the abolition of Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions will put further pressure […]

A cat in a trendy boss outfit with a house in the background

NRLA defends landlords and praises amendments in RRB

17th March 2025

The NRLA has hit back at the media narrative that paints landlords as “fat cats,” praising two amendments in the Renters’ Rights Bill designed to help landlords regain possession. Under the Bill, the threshold for rent arrears would increase from two to three months before a landlord could enforce repossession by serving notice. However, one […]

A home with a plant on stacked coins within a small glass jar, Savills logo

UK housing market grew by £22.3bn in 2024

17th March 2025

The UK’s housing sector saw a robust resurgence in 2024, growing in value by £22.3 billion, research reveals. According to property experts Savills, this uplift has propelled the total worth of the UK’s residential sector to £379 billion. That’s a 6.3% climb from the previous year. Around 1.1 million homes changed hands, with an average […]

Model houses hanging on rope with a blue background, Rightmove logo and stepping blocks with supermarket trolleys balancing on top

Property prices rise with record choice for buyers

17th March 2025

Property values edged up by 1.1% this month, lifting the average asking price to £371,870 – an increase of £3,876, Rightmove says. The property platform says this is in line with the typical March surge, reflecting a trend of prudent pricing by sellers. However, this is happening amid unprecedented competition not seen in a decade. […]

A person on a laptop with digitial images showing Buy To Let Company

Buy to let companies hit record 401,000 as rents stall

17th March 2025

Britain’s property investment landscape has undergone a dramatic transformation with the number of limited companies established to manage buy to let homes soaring beyond 400,000. Hamptons has analysed official figures from Companies House to reveal that, as of February, there are 401,744 active firms – making this the most popular business type registered in the […]

A hand holding a wooden house with EPC graph and a question mark

Will incorrect EPC rating affect my eviction case?

17th March 2025

I am going to take my tenant to court, I served a notice in December, she has failed to leave, been advised to stay, stopped paying the rent too. My real concern that’s causing me terrible stress is, I discovered that although I had a valid EPC certificate, it was a F rating, I did […]

A man sitting on wads of money notes, Kamma logo

Councils reap £327m from landlord licensing fees

17th March 2025

Britain’s landlords have handed over an astonishing £327,737,160 to the top 50 local authorities through property licensing schemes, research reveals. Proptech firm Kamma analysed public records of more than 389,000 licenced houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) to reveal the hefty financial load being placed on landlords. London remains the centre of this revenue surge and […]