For a growing number of landlords, it appears that their letting agent bills are growing as they introduce fresh charges following the Renters’ Rights Act, The Telegraph reports. It says that London agency KFH is charging £12 plus VAT for additional statements, while landlords elsewhere have been quoted up to £300 for RRA compliance audits. […]

More than one million landlords could end up using deposit alternatives if government plans to scrap insured tenancy deposit schemes go ahead, research reveals. Zero Deposit found 9% would move directly to a deposit alternative, which it calculates could represent about 266,736 landlords. A further 26% said their decision would depend on what the tenant […]

An industry body has called for more clarity around the tribunal process under the Renters’ Rights Act. Propertymark has warned that, with rent tribunal cases surging, there needs to be clearer guidance and understanding of the evidence tribunals consider. The comments come as the government announces that HMRC’s Valuation Office will become responsible for making […]

A tenants’ group is calling for rent caps to be introduced, claiming they are “good for growth”. Writing in LabourList, Renters’ Reform Coalition director Clara Collingwood claimed that “out-of-control” rents were pushing up the cost of Local Housing Allowance and leaving tenants struggling. However, as previously reported by Property118, rent controls can do more harm […]

Many landlords have stood dazed, on the ropes – taking blow after blow. Confused and unable to think they have been the target of an indiscriminate government-led beating. Here is some clarity as to why the process will continue to fail to help tenants. My own experience of taking “bad unpaying” tenants to court saw […]

The government has yet to decide whether the PRS Ombudsman will be required to share evidence of landlord non-compliance with local authorities. In a written parliamentary answer, Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook said the government was “currently working through the details” of how the PRS Ombudsman will operate. Under the Renters’ Rights Act, the private landlord […]

Residential property tribunal cases jumped 56% year on year during the quarter in which the Renters’ Rights Act came into force, according to analysis of Ministry of Justice (MoJ) figures. Savills says 4,613 cases were received between April and June, compared with just under 3,000 during the same three months last year. However, the key […]

With September well under way and talk of an annual property tax under Prime Minister Andy Burnham, it’s no wonder landlords are once again questioning what the future holds. Under proposals previously backed by Mr Burnham, council tax and stamp duty would be replaced with an annual charge paid by property owners, reportedly equivalent to […]

Rents are facing renewed upward pressure as tenant demand grows and landlord instructions remain in negative territory, according to the latest RICS survey. In August, the net balance for tenant demand stood at +18%, while landlord instructions came in at -14%. Also, +44% of respondents are forecasting rent rises over the next three months, up […]

Edinburgh’s flatsharers face the biggest gap between what they budget for a room and what landlords are asking, according to SpareRoom. Edinburgh flatsharers were looking to spend £748 for the average room being advertised at £834, an annual difference of £1,028. Elsewhere, the typical rent for York’s flatsharers was £693, which is £51 short of […]

Northumberland County Council is paying for guarantor insurance to help tenants secure homes in the private rented sector. The scheme targets potential tenants who can afford a tenancy but cannot provide a qualifying relative or other person to be their guarantor. Instead, the council will fully fund guarantor insurance for applicants who meet the scheme’s […]

Article by Vanessa Griffiths, ALEP Member I welcome the Government’s consultation on leasehold enfranchisement valuation rates. The deferment and capitalisation rates to be prescribed under the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act (LAFRA) are important and specialist evidence should inform what they are set at. My concern is that the consultation is largely framed around how […]

Industry experts have warned that the Private Rented Sector (PRS) Database could be “little more than a national directory for councils”, with concerns it could have unintended consequences and drive small landlords out of the market. The comments come as the government confirms that landlords will be required to register their rental properties through its […]

Landlords will have to pay a £65 registration fee per property annually under the government’s new national landlord registration service. The government has confirmed that landlords will be required to register their rental properties through its “Register Your Rental Property” service as the PRS database is rolled out across England. The database will launch regionally, […]

Selling to a sitting tenant is one of the more attractive exits available to a landlord today, as I said in this article. It is therefore unsurprising that “rent to buy”, where someone wishing to buy first becomes a tenant for a few years before the sale is concluded, is also of great interest to […]

A professor has warned the Renters’ Rights Act has caused changes in the private rented sector which are proving “ineffective or have perverse outcomes”. Writing in the Telegraph, Tim Leunig, professor of economic history at the London School of Economics, has warned the act has backfired on tenants. The news comes as a report in […]

While growing numbers of landlords may be seeing fewer rent arrears, the problem is still causing issues for those with bigger portfolios. Pegasus Insight’s latest Landlord Trends research found 26% of landlords had experienced arrears during the past year, the lowest figure recorded since tracking began and down from 42% in 2020. There was a […]

Britain’s landlord base is set for a generational overhaul, with Millennials forecast to account for 44% and Gen Z 18% within a decade, research reveals. However, it won’t be a clean handover since Boomers and Gen X (those born between 1946 and 1980), who currently make up 54% of landlords, are expected to fall to […]

Propertymark is urging the government to speed up leasehold reform after research found 93% of leaseholders would not buy another leasehold property. Its survey of more than 1,200 leaseholders and 200 Propertymark members found 86% had seen service charges rise during the past two years. Another 89% said challenging unfair service charges was difficult, while […]

The government has announced plans for a mandatory register for short-term lets, which could come into force by March 2027. Speaking in Parliament, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy confirmed that the government is committed to introducing regulation for short-term holiday lets. Under the proposed scheme, hosts will be required to register their property’s address and will […]

Rent growth has accelerated across five of England’s nine regions since the Renters’ Rights Act took effect in May, despite the national rate being unchanged. Average monthly rent across England rose by 0.6%, from £1,442 to £1,451, exactly matching the increase recorded during the equivalent period before the Act’s implementation. The West Midlands recorded the […]