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 […]

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 […]