Croydon Council has escalated its efforts against unauthorised housing developments, particularly Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs).  In recent weeks, officers from planning enforcement and HMO teams inspected 21 properties suspected of being unauthorised HMOs. They visited properties in Thornton Heath, Norbury, New Addington, Central Croydon, Addiscombe and Purley. The council says that ‘multiple violations’ of […]

A city council’s tenants are being urged to report their repair issues directly to the council, following a rise in ‘no win, no fee’ legal firms targeting residents. A recent court case saw a tenant ordered to pay £7,964 in costs after their disrepair claim against the council was dismissed. This comes as the council […]

A comprehensive briefing paper has been presented to the House of Lords ahead of tomorrow’s (Tuesday 4 February) Second Reading of the Renters’ Rights Bill to highlight its potential detrimental effects. The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) is urging revisions to safeguard vulnerable renters, including those facing financial hardship, ensuring access to available properties. The […]

The UK’s housing market saw a slowdown in price growth last month with an annual increase of 4.1%, a dip from December’s 4.7%, according to Nationwide.  It says that month-on-month, prices edged up 0.1% after seasonal adjustments. Robert Gardner, Nationwide’s chief economist, said: “The housing market continues to show resilience despite ongoing affordability pressures. As […]

A housing company linked to Labour-run Nottingham City Council evicted nine of its tenants last year, the Nottingham Post reveals. This is despite the council previously calling for the abolition of Section 21 under the former Conservative government. Nottingham City Homes Enterprises, a subsidiary of Nottingham City Homes (NCH), which is responsible for managing the […]

I am always frustrated by the expression ‘rent in advance’ which is now part of discussions around the Renters’ Rights Bill. Rent is due at the point of use, i.e. the day a tenant starts to ‘use’ the property on the date stipulated in the tenancy agreement. You would not walk into a shoe shop, […]

News last week on Property118 about amendments in the Renters’ Rights Bill, which could allow tenants to move in without paying rent sent a shiver down every landlord’s spine. The new amendment prevents landlords from accepting rent in advance of a tenancy agreement or more than a month’s rent in advance. Advance rent agreements offer […]

It’s been six months since the Renters’ Rights Bill hit the statute books and the dust still hasn’t settled. Tenants are outraged at the government’s meddling and can’t believe that evictions haven’t ended. That’s despite reassurances from the naïve crowd in Labour that Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions are the ‘leading cause of homelessness’. But we’ve […]

Landbay and Precise have both announced updates to their product offerings, with Landbay reducing buy to let mortgage rates and Precise cutting bridging finance costs while introducing a new developer exit loan. Landbay’s reductions in BTL interest rates will some products reducing by 0.20%. Two-year fixed rates now begin at 3.59% for up to 75% […]

Hull is the most affordable city for renters, according to Rightmove. It found that the average advertised rent in the city is £799 – that’s nearly half the national average of £1,526. Rightmove says that Carlisle (£816) and Wrexham (£817) follow as the second and third most affordable cities, respectively. Other affordable cities for rent […]

Hello, I am having my first video call with our local Labour MP later this week. I have sent an email before our discussion. Let me know if I have missed anything? Please see the email below: Government policies are inadvertently contributing to homelessness and increases in house prices and rents Landlords operating in the […]

More than half of Scottish landlords (53%) plan to leave the sector due to rent control proposals and hostility towards landlords from the Scottish government, according to a new report. A survey by the Scottish Association of Landlords (SAL) reveals that concerns over increasing regulation have led to a loss of more than 50,000 homes […]

Hi, I am looking to sell my vacant leasehold BTL terraced house, and the lease has just over 84 years remaining. The estate agents are advising me to extend the lease due to ‘lenders’ requirements.’ I was going to sell it as it is, which reflects in the asking price but also thinking to buy […]

Two councils are urging private landlords to collaborate on initiatives to help find homes for homeless people and families in their areas. Mansfield District Council has launched a scheme to partner with landlords to reduce homelessness. The aim is to help those who are registered as homeless and currently in temporary residences – a report […]

Despite the media narrative, more than half of tenants (54%) feel landlords do provide good quality housing, according to a new report. The findings from Leaders Roman Group also show that 60% of tenants feel landlords are being unfairly portrayed, a view shared by many landlords themselves. The news comes after a previous study by […]

A council has received a C3 regulatory grading from the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) due to breaches of consumer standards. The criticism of Portsmouth City Council focuses on the safety and quality of its homes. This comes after RSH criticised Newcastle City Council for numerous issues, including having more than 1,800 outstanding repair requests […]

The UK’s housing market has seen its strongest beginning in three years, with new sales agreements surging 12% compared to 2024, Zoopla reveals. Its latest House Price Index shows that buyer demand has grown by 13%, and the number of available properties has risen by 10%. This surge in activity is bolstering house price inflation, […]

Two industry bodies claim while a balance may have been struck for rent controls in the Scottish Housing Bill, the policy still needs to be tested. The Stage 2 amendment in the Scottish Housing Bill proposes that rent caps will be linked to inflation, with increases based on the Consumer Price Index plus 1%, up […]

The rise in rents across England and Wales over the past decade shows that the most dramatic increase was for tenants in Salford, research reveals. The findings from Tlyfe, a tenant app launched by OpenBrix, highlights that Salford’s rents grew by 72.4%. The study, based on government data, shows average rents in England have climbed […]

Hi, I served a Section 21 about a month ago because of late rent payments and other problems with the tenant. After the notice, I have not heard anything from the tenant and even if I try to reach them, there is no response on emails, phone is switched off. Often, the tenant has not […]

Dear landlords, first off, please excuse any initial ignorance on my behalf as this is fairly new territory. I have been reading articles and have a book to hand called “How to Be a Landlord” by Rob Dix to read. However, I would dearly like to tap into your experience and gather your opinions of […]