Page 141 – Property118
Tenants catch ceiling leak with buckets while calling insurer after block insurance voided

Block buildings insurance voided by insurer?

10th January 2025

Hello everyone, a few months ago, my ground floor rental flat (part of a block of 6 flats) was extensively damaged and rendered uninhabitable by water escape from 2 flats above. All 6 flats (including mine) are covered under the same buildings insurance policy and premium cost is split equally amongst all 6 owners. I […]

Hand stamping approval with cash stacks symbolizing costs of selective licensing for landlords

Selective licensing schemes fail to improve standards and burden landlords with high costs

10th January 2025

Selective licensing schemes do not raise standards and cost landlords thousands of pounds, claims Yuno. The property compliance firm reveals 37 local authorities across England currently have a consultation on selective licensing. The prices for a selective licence vary across the country with a licence costing £350 in Ashfield compared to £1,255 in Leeds. Rigged […]

High-rise building with cladding scandal and compensation themes highlighted for 2025.

2025: The year for cladding compensation

10th January 2025

Despite the government setting new targets to fix unsafe cladding by 2029, thousands of innocent leaseholders still remain trapped in unsafe buildings, one campaign group says. The Labour government last year promised change to speed up the cladding removal process. The Grenfell Phase two report published in 2024 found the 72 deaths in the Grenfell […]

Homeless person in doorway with eviction notice and Angela Rayner addressing Section 21 evictions

Angela Rayner slams Section 21 evictions as cause of homelessness

9th January 2025

Angela Rayner claims the Labour government want to work with landlords, but blames Section 21 evictions for having a significant impact on homelessness. In a meeting with the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee, Ms Rayner claims the government wants to support landlords in providing “safe and secure homes”. The Housing Secretary repeated Labour’s government […]

Partnership between Sheldon Bosley Knight and flatfair promoting no deposit rental solution

Big lettings agency partners with flatfair to offer no deposit rentals

9th January 2025

The Sheldon Bosley Knight Group (SBK) has announced a strategic partnership with flatfair, a leading provider of ‘No Deposit’ rental solutions. The tie-up will enable multiple SBK brands, including Loveitts, to offer flatfair’s product across its UK branches. This partnership comes after recent Rightmove data pointed to rent rises of 5% outside London and 3% […]

Business professional smiling in formal attire during interview about landlord portfolio diversification

Professional landlords diversified portfolios in 2024 – Shawbrook

9th January 2025

Professional landlords shifted focus last year to higher-yielding property types, including semi-commercial and commercial, while refinancing activity reflects a cautious approach to debt management, an analysis by Shawbrook reveals. It found that while overall application volumes remained consistent, there was a big rise in mortgage applications for semi-commercial and commercial property purchases. Shawbrook says that […]

Woman imagining rental property opportunities in 2025 with Fleet Mortgages

Landlords are optimistic about 2025 as yields rise – Fleet

9th January 2025

Landlords in England and Wales have a positive outlook for the private rented sector, one index reveals. The rental barometer published by Fleet Mortgages points to rising rental yields with the average yield reaching 7.4% in the fourth quarter of 2024 as a big reason why landlords should be looking forwards. This represents a 0.6% […]

Hands exchanging money with a red “BANNED” stamp over a house-shaped block labeled RENT

NRLA warns banning upfront rent payments will hurt tenants

9th January 2025

The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) has slammed the government’s decision to ban landlords from demanding rent in advance. Under an amendment to the Renters’ Rights Bill, landlords will only be allowed to request one month’s rent upfront, along with a deposit of up to six weeks’ rent. The news comes ahead of the Bill’s […]

Houses with “For Sale” signs symbolizing the UK property market surge in early 2025

26,000 homes hit the market in the first week of 2025

9th January 2025

Nearly 26,000 new homes have hit the market in 2025, with Bristol experiencing the biggest increase in for-sale stock levels, Yopa reveals. The agency’s data indicates that there are around 427,200 homes currently listed for sale across England – with 25,837 of these entering the market during the opening week of 2025. This translates to […]

TSB launches new concessionary mortgage scheme to help tenants buy their rented homes.

TSB unveils new mortgage to help tenants buy their rented home

9th January 2025

TSB is expanding its support for tenants looking to buy their rented home with the launch of a 5&5 concessionary mortgage option. This new scheme allows landlords to offer tenants a 5% discount on the property’s purchase price, with the buyer contributing a minimum 5% deposit. This complements TSB’s existing 10% scheme, where landlords offer […]

Hands typing on laptop with digital padlock symbol representing landlord data protection and ICO compliance

Must all landlords register with the Information Commissioner’s Office?

8th January 2025

Data, i.e. information about people, is important, which is why we have regulations to tell us how to look after it. These regulations are enforced by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).  To fund their work, most businesses need to register with the ICO and pay an annual fee.  But does this include landlords? Most landlords […]

Wooden house, keys with BTL label, and magnifying glass with percent symbol representing buy-to-let mortgages

New BTL lender promises ‘smarter, faster, simpler’ offering

8th January 2025

A new specialist buy to let mortgage lender has officially launched, bringing a focus on ‘smarter, faster, simpler’ lending to the UK market. ModaMortgages, a subsidiary of Chetwood Bank, is working exclusively through intermediaries and will cater to a diverse range of landlords. These will include small and large portfolio landlords, limited company landlords, HMO/MUFB, […]

Electrician carrying out wiring inspection under new Northern Ireland landlord safety regulations

Advice for NI landlords on new electrical safety regulations

8th January 2025

Landlords in Northern Ireland face new regulations for the electrical safety of their rental properties. The Electrical Safety Standards for Private Tenancies Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024 was approved by the Northern Ireland Assembly in November. The law introduces mandatory electrical safety checks for all private tenancies. Now, Propertymark has published a new fact sheet to […]

Frustrated woman with steam coming out of her ears, symbolizing anger and stress.

Tenant says they are leaving but then goes off radar?

8th January 2025

Hi, I had served a S21 notice to my tenant who then contacted me to say they have viewed and accepted an offer of a Housing Association property and that they would be picking up the keys sometime over the Christmas/New Year period. Having not heard from them since, I sent an email asking whether […]

Scissors cutting through a house shape with percentage sign, symbolizing BTL mortgage rate cuts by Landbay and CHL.

CHL and Landbay cut BTL rates

8th January 2025

Landlords are set to benefit from a wave of competitive rate reductions as buy to let lenders CHL Mortgages and Landbay announce improved limited edition product ranges. CHL Mortgages has launched a range of two- and five-year fixed-rate BTL mortgages, including options for standard and HMO/MUFB properties. Rates start from 4.03% for two-year fixes and […]

Notebook with sticky note reminder to pay rent

Renters squeezed as they spend a third of their income on rent

8th January 2025

The average UK tenant spent 35.7% of their take-home pay on rent last year which underscores the growing financial strain facing many households, one firm says. The research from tenant and landlord services provider Canopy is based on data from more than 60,000 renters. It found that one in five renters (20%) spent more than […]

Happy tenant holding a playful French Bulldog outdoors, highlighting pet-friendly rental rights.

Landlords offered pet damage insurance ahead of Renters’ Rights Bill

8th January 2025

A new landlord pet damage policy, called ‘Not for Lions’, has been unveiled to protect landlords’ rental properties. The provider, Alps, says the move is in response to the upcoming Renters’ Rights Bill. The Bill returns to Parliament next week and could be law by the summer and will give tenants the right to keep […]

Electric vehicle charging point in use with Welsh policy debate context

Industry body urges Welsh government against mandatory EV charging points in properties

8th January 2025

Propertymark is warning the Welsh government against plans to require electric vehicle (EV) charging points in properties. Under the proposals, all new residential and non-residential buildings, as well as properties undergoing major renovations, would need to include an electric vehicle charging point. Propertymark has responded to the Welsh government’s consultation, arguing that mandatory requirements could […]

Model house with rent sign symbolizing private rented sector support

Industry body calls for investment over legislation to support PRS

7th January 2025

More investment not legislation is needed for the private rented sector, says Propertymark. The industry body says the private rented sector remains challenging and the Renters’ Rights Bill must strike “a workable and fair balance” for landlords and tenants. The Bill will abolish Section 21 and introduce Awaab’s Law to the PRS, with the law […]

Bat flying over grass field with land for sale sign and question mark

Can communal land be sold and must I allow a bat roost survey?

7th January 2025

Hi, I have owned two flats for 19 years, with tenants, and have been paying a maintenance charge to a company who takes care of all communal areas in this development. A large area of this communal land has been put up for sale, with a proposal to build 12 flats, in order to raise […]

Halifax house price report with coins, model house, and growth chart

UK house prices fell in December – Halifax

7th January 2025

House prices in the UK ended 2024 with a year-on-year increase of 3.3%, despite a slight 0.2% dip in December, Halifax reports. It says that the average property value now stands at £297,166. Northern Ireland maintained the strongest property price growth with an annual increase of 7.4%. House prices in Wales rose 4.6%, while Scotland […]