Shelter Scotland has criticised the Scottish government for falling short on housebuilding targets. According to Scottish government figures, there was a 12% decrease in all sector housebuilding starts and a 10% decrease in completions between 2023 and 2024. The Scottish government aim to build 110,000 affordable homes by 2032 with the commitment that 70% will […]

The property market saw sales reaching record highs in 2024, with house prices expected to rise in 2025. According to Zoopla’s House Price Index, buyers and sellers returned to the market throughout 2024, building a sales pipeline 30% larger than the previous year. More sales helped house prices return to growth with a 1.9% rise […]

Nearly half of landlords believe that the upcoming changes to the stamp duty threshold could boost the private rented sector, a survey reveals. The findings from buy to let lender Landbay show that 49% of landlords surveyed anticipate that tenants will be more likely to stay put or rent for longer. Also, 35% of landlords […]

Since this is the time for reflection on what has happened this year and thinking about New Year resolutions, I think that since no-one else is going to put our side of what tenants should be expected to do, I think we should put together a Landlords’ Rights Bill. Obviously, most of what follows is […]

Angela Rayner has announced a £1 billion plan to prevent evictions and tackle homelessness. In the largest-ever investment in homelessness prevention, the government has unveiled plans to allocate nearly £1 billion to council budgets to address the homeless crisis. The funding will support mediation with landlords and families to avoid evictions, assist individuals in securing […]

Despite positive news regarding the Leasehold Reform Act, more work needs to be done in 2025, claims one firm. The Association of Leasehold Enfranchisement Practitioners (ALEP) is calling on the government to end the uncertainty for more than five million leasehold flat owners in England. The LLeasehold and Freehold Reform Act became law in May […]

Budget uncertainty and the stamp duty hike are set to cast a shadow over the housing market in 2025, says Knight Frank. The estate agents say the stamp duty hike from April next year will mean more people will face higher bills when purchasing properties above the new thresholds. From April 2025, stamp duty thresholds […]

Students are facing a double whammy of rising tuition fees and exorbitant rent costs, according to research. Zero Deposit says that students are paying significant premiums to live near their universities, with some facing rents up to 88% higher than the wider area. The average rent for homes near the top 100 UK universities is […]

I know we will need professional legal help very soon but just in case anyone has come up against this. We are an RTM (Right to Manage). We used the existing managing agent for the first year (long story), changed agents, and now everything is working well. Our porter has use of a flat owned […]

The UK’s private rented sector remains competitive, with demand for rental properties outpacing supply, Rightmove says. Its research reveals that the average number of enquiries per available property is nearly double pre-pandemic levels. That’s despite a 7% rise in available properties and a 19% drop in prospective tenants compared to last year. Each available property […]

With inflation now running above the 2% target rate at 2.6%, the Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), voted by a surprisingly large split of 6 – 3 to hold the Base Rate at 4.75%. This is counter to the Federal Reserve yesterday announcing a third reduction this year of 0.25% with a range […]

Avoid £10,000+ in stamp duty hikes on investment properties in 2025! Discover three expert strategies to navigate the upcoming changes in UK property taxes. Learn how to leverage commercial and mixed-use properties, identify uninhabitable properties, and explore property trader relief to minimise your stamp duty costs. This video breaks down:  The new 5% additional stamp […]

In an unprecedented move, Shelter Scotland has urged Scottish Ministers and the Scottish Housing Regulator to intervene and remove the leadership of Edinburgh City Council, accusing them of “stripping homeless households of their basic rights.” The row centres on a council meeting in December, where Shelter Scotland claims councillors voted six to five in favour […]

Homeless charities are warning of the “final nail in the coffin” due to the Chancellor’s national insurance hike in the Budget. Homeless Link, along with more than 100 other charities, has written to Chancellor Rachel Reeves, warning that changes to National Insurance could cost homelessness services between £50m and £60m per year. In the Budget, […]

Portfolio landlords are increasingly looking to expand their properties rather than sell, according to research from United Trust Bank Mortgages. The findings of more than 130 BTL mortgage brokers, found that 58% of respondents had more landlord clients seeking to grow their holdings than those looking to offload properties. This suggests a level of resilience […]

Letting agents will offer more services to landlords in the New Year as the Renters’ Rights Bill looks set to become law, says Goodlord. The lettings technology platform explains that agents will play a key role in helping landlords stay on top of new rules and regulations in 2025. Goodlord adds that many landlords are […]

Private rents in the UK have risen by 9.1% in the 12 months to November – that’s up from 8.7% in October but lower than March’s record figure of 9.2%. According to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), rent rises were seen across all regions of the UK, with England seeing […]

Landlords could be forced to rent out empty properties under new powers announced by the Labour government. The English Devolution White Paper reveals councils will be given powers to take over vacant rental properties. The plans lack detail about the specific new powers but are expected to resemble Labour’s recently introduced High Street Rental Auctions […]

Propertymark has welcomed the Department for Communities’ housing supply strategy for Northern Ireland but has criticised its lack of ambition. The strategy for 2024-2039 was approved by the Northern Ireland Executive on 5 December and outlines a 15-year framework to boost new home construction. The strategy aims to deliver 100,000 new homes by 2039, focusing […]

A London council has launched a rigorous inspection programme to crack down on unlawful and unsafe Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMOs). It says the initiative aims to protect tenants and ensure landlords comply with its selective licensing regulations. Since August, more than 130 HMOs have been inspected, with plans to inspect at least 100 larger […]

Hi, we have a 3 bedroom student HMO where one of the students has been continually aggressive towards her fellow tenants. She has cut all communication with myself and I am now only able to contact her via her parents, who are aware that she has mental health issues even to the point where she […]