Page 123 – Property118
Mariam Radi named Young Property Investor of the Year at the Property Investors Awards 2024

Property Investors Awards winner Mariam Radi

19th February 2025

From being inspired by her mum, to finding her feet in the property world and turning deals into a profit, Mariam Radi’s journey into property has now seen her win three Property Investors Awards. Despite the challenges, she’s faced, she’s proven that persistence pays off. How Mariam’s property journey began Mariam’s interest in property began […]

Businessman entering a bright open door labelled buy to let, symbolising first-time landlord opportunities.

Fintech firm opens doors to first-time buy to let investors

19th February 2025

Offa, an Islamic property finance technology firm, has unveiled a series of revised criteria for its Sharia-compliant buy to let (BTL) financing. The changes include welcoming first-time buyers, lowering the minimum age of applicants to 18, and reducing the minimum income requirement to £18,000. Affordability assessments have also been streamlined. Sharia-compliant home finance The Sharia-compliant […]

Croydon Council official stamping documents for housing regulation

London council looks to reintroduce selective licensing

19th February 2025

A London council has revealed that it is looking to reintroduce a selective licensing scheme for rented homes in its borough. This will, the council claims, tackle ‘rogue landlords’. Croydon Council says a scheme will ‘support good landlords’ and protect tenants from inadequate housing and better regulate the sector. Its initiative follows a year of […]

Couple dreaming of homeownership with rising housing costs shown by blue pound arrow.

Renters struggle with rising costs – but dream of home ownership

19th February 2025

The UK’s renters are facing increasing financial pressures, with more than half (51%) pointing to escalating property prices as a major obstacle to homeownership, according to Barclays. The number of tenants struggling to save for a deposit (44%) has also risen since December. Despite these challenges, 23% of renters aspire to buy a property by […]

Confused couple with moving boxes and Scottish flag, highlighting tenant issues in Scotland’s rental sector

Scottish PRS reforms ‘fail to empower tenants’

19th February 2025

Private rented sector reforms in Scotland are not effectively empowering tenants to challenge substandard landlord practices, a survey reveals. SafeDeposits Scotland Charitable Trust found a majority of renters experience issues with their properties, yet few use the established Tribunal process to resolve disputes. The organisation, which promotes housing rights education, polled 1,000 renters across Scotland. […]

halifax first time buyer surge

First-time buyers surge but stamp duty changes loom

19th February 2025

The number of first-time buyers stepping onto the property ladder has surged, according to Halifax. Data from Halifax shows that the number of first-time buyers has risen by 19% in 2024 compared to 2023. The average age of a first-time buyer in 2024 is 33 years old, two years older than it was 10 years […]

Judge’s gavel striking block with Sonder appeal announcement

Rent to Serviced Accommodation Upper Tier Tribunal decision appealed by Sonder

18th February 2025

The Rent to Serviced Accommodation (R2SA) Upper Tier Tribunal decision appealed by Sonder is leaving hundreds of operators in a quandary of what to do next. When the UK legislatures transcribed yet another EU VAT directive many moons ago, they would not have conceived of Section 24 and certainly would not have imagined that training […]

Property expert warns landlords about tenant loophole in rental agreements.

Is The Renters Rights Bill Loophole Hysteria Justified?

18th February 2025

Avoid costly mistakes in property investment with this expert tenancy agreement tip! Learn how to protect your rental property and navigate recent changes in the Renters Rights Bill. In this video, we discuss a potential loophole that could impact landlords and property investors, and we provide a practical workaround to safeguard your interests. Key takeaways […]

Businessman holding a stop sign highlighting calls to pause UK rental reforms

Government urged to halt PRS reforms amidst rising rents

18th February 2025

Landlords in the private rented sector (PRS) are in desperate need of an amnesty from further government intervention to prevent them from exiting the market. That was the key takeaway from the inaugural Landlord Trends workshop hosted by Pegasus Insight, featuring contributions from Hometrack/Zoopla and the National Residential Landlords Association. Attendees representing more than 20 […]

House model with percentage blocks representing falling mortgage rates

BTL mortgage rates predicted to fall further

18th February 2025

The Bank of England’s recent base rate drop, coupled with declining swap rates, hints at improved BTL mortgage affordability, Octane Capital says. Its analysis reveals a downward trend in swap rates this year. Following the base rate cut to 4.5%, the average five-year swap rate reached 4.16%, lower than the 4.23% average between the Autumn […]

Rising house prices in London compared to Scotland’s housing stock value

London’s PRS is worth more than ALL of Scotland’s housing stock

18th February 2025

The UK’s total housing value reached £9.1 trillion, a record high, last year after a minor dip in 2023, according to Savills. Unmortgaged homeownership shows the largest growth since 2014, a 66% surge, to £1.36 trillion. It says that owner-occupier housing stock dominates in most regions, but in the capital, it’s the PRS which holds […]

Heat pump with Parliament and energy risk meter highlighting Labour policy debate

Labour pushes heat pumps on landlords but Parliament won’t install them

18th February 2025

Despite the Labour government urging landlords to install heat pumps, plans to install them in Parliament have been paused due to concerns over noise and power supply, which pose a “prominent risk,” the Telegraph reveals. According to the Telegraph, while there are currently three air-source heat pumps in the House of Commons buildings, no new […]

British pound symbol teetering on cliff edge with falling red chart in stormy background

Is the British Pound Being Herded to the Cliff Edge?

18th February 2025

The British pound is holding its own against the US dollar and the euro—but should it be? Given the economic chaos inflicted by Labour’s reckless policies, it makes no sense that sterling hasn’t plummeted. Are global financial players keeping the pound artificially afloat, only to let it drop off a cliff when it suits their […]

Text: Stacks of coins with house icons and a downward arrow showing UK property investment under £200,000

Top property investment cities for under £200,000 revealed

18th February 2025

Property investors looking for bargains should take a closer look at Liverpool, Birmingham and Manchester which lead the UK for properties listed under £200,000, research reveals. While these cities offer tempting opportunities for investors, insurance experts at Pikl warn of potential risks. These include elevated crime rates, flood zones and structural concerns related to older […]

Coins stacked inside a green house outline with energy efficiency meter and grass background.

EPC rating for HMO with bills included?

18th February 2025

Hi, I have been a landlord for over 40 years. I own HMOs and the property in question is a grade 2 listed, end terrace, 4 bed maisonette with an EPC of D. My HMOs have bills included with no restrictions on useage. The property has a 5 year old combi boiler and the tenants […]

Lady Justice statue with scales symbolizing law and fairness in eviction debate

Landlords aren’t waiting for Section 21 abolition to evict tenants – claim

17th February 2025

As official figures show that no-fault evictions in England have risen, one law firm says that landlords aren’t waiting for the Renters’ Rights Bill to be implemented before evicting tenants. The new Bill would see Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions being abolished and the eviction rules will mean landlords can’t evict for arrears without giving three […]

Property expert warns landlords rushing Section 21 evictions before ban

Landlord exodus will see Section 21 claims hit record high

17th February 2025

Section 21 claims are set to hit unprecedented levels in 2025 as landlords race to regain possession of their properties before the Renters’ Rights Bill sees this eviction route banned. The warning comes from Paul Shamplina, the founder of Landlord Action, in response to the latest landlord possession figures released by the Ministry of Justice. […]

Edinburgh skyline with investment hotspot marker, highlighting property opportunities

The top 10 best property investment hotspots – Colliers

17th February 2025

Edinburgh has retained its top ranking for residential investment for the third time, according to an analysis by Colliers. The top four cities – Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester and London – remained unchanged in its latest report. The real estate firm says that Reading has experienced a resurgence, climbing six places to fifth, boosted by burgeoning […]

Students collaborating in shared accommodation kitchen space

PBSA investment hit a record £3.9bn in 2024

17th February 2025

Investment in the UK’s purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) sector last year reached £3.87 billion, a 14% rise from £3.39 billion in 2023, Knight Frank reveals. The real estate firm says that the final quarter of 2024 saw nearly £575 million invested. Despite this surge, Q4 volumes fell short of expectations. Private sector plays a leading […]

Flowers on a coffin at a funeral with a question mark overlay symbolizing uncertainty

What are my legal options if my tenant has died?

17th February 2025

My tenant, who was on housing benefit, has died. The tenancy is in her name only. She had separated from her husband, but when she became ill both he and their daughter moved in to help her. What is their legal status now? Neither are on the tenancy agreement which is a regular Assured Shorthold […]