Annual house price growth in the UK slowed in October to 2.4% from 3.2% in September, while monthly growth was a modest 0.1%, one index reveals. According to the latest figures from Nationwide, market activity has remained resilient in recent months with the number of mortgage approvals approaching the levels seen pre-pandemic. The lender says […]

Three silver linings were found in what was a terrible 2024 Labour budget. This was supposed to be a Budget for growth and it was: Growth in taxes Growth in borrowing And growth in public sector expenditure Please click on the video below:

Ending child poverty in Scotland can only happen by tackling the housing emergency, says Shelter Scotland. A report by Shelter Scotland and Aberlour claims Scotland’s housing emergency and child poverty are inextricably linked, as more than 10,000 children are currently trapped in temporary accommodation. The Scottish government and 12 Scottish councils have declared a housing […]

House prices in London take a dramatic dip as the property market continues to struggle. According to research by Moverly, house prices in the capital in the last year alone have fallen by a staggering -21.1% — a loss of almost £202,616. Despite the drop in house prices in London, the average UK house price […]

It’s been tense week this week as landlords waited patiently for Rachel Reeves’ Autumn Budget. As the countdown began to the Chancellor’s announcement, the biggest fear for landlords was a possible hike in Capital Gains Tax. Yet to the utter relief of the entire landlord sector, the day passed with the news that CGT was […]

In a Budget that surprised no one for being the biggest tax grab in decades, Labour really has shown what they think of landlords in the PRS. Absolutely nothing. They know nothing about us, the sector or why we need people to keep investing. It’s all about the tenants, isn’t it? Except it won’t be […]

As a property professional, you’re always on the lookout for effective ways to maximise your returns while minimising costs and taxes. Enter the SSAS pension – a game-changer in the property investment world. A Small Self-Administered Scheme (SSAS) is a company pension designed for small to medium-sized businesses. It’s an incredibly flexible tool that offers […]

The Scottish government has announced plans to cap rent increases in areas with rent controls, as part of its Housing (Scotland) Bill. The proposed amendment would limit rent rises to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) plus 1%, with a maximum increase of 6%. This cap would apply to both in-tenancy and between-tenancy rent increases. In […]

The UK’s private rented sector experienced a significant shift in October with asking rents dropping by 12.6% compared to the previous month. This decline, coupled with a narrowing of year-on-year rent rises, signals a cooling off in the previously intense market. According to the Goodlord rental index, the average rent for a property in England […]

Hi, I have a 73 year old friend who currently rents privately but her rent is becoming very expensive. I am 67, financially secure and want to help my friend. I would like to buy a flat for her or with her with me putting down the deposit and her paying the mortgage. I’m not […]

As winter approaches, landlords in the UK face the daunting task of ensuring their rental properties remain warm and comfortable. Boiler breakdowns are a common occurrence during the colder months, leading to tenant discomfort and costly repairs. But did you know landlords also face potential fines from local councils should your boiler not work? At […]

The Chancellor has announced that a staggering £3.4 billion will be spent over the next three years on heat decarbonisation and household energy efficiency. The money will support the Warm Homes Grant Scheme, which will offer landlords up to £30,000 to boost energy efficiency in their first rental property and up to £15,000 for each […]

Councils and homeless charities welcome the Chancellor’s Budget boost to address homelessness, as new figures reveal that homelessness has risen by 42% in London. According to figures from the Combined Homelessness and Information Network (CHAIN), the number of people considered to be “living on the streets” increased by 42% compared to the same period last […]

If you’re in the landlord insurance business, you might be starting to feel the squeeze. Landlords are disappearing, properties are being sold off, and suddenly, there’s a lot less demand for landlord insurance. Sound familiar? Unfortunately, you’re not alone—this is happening across the UK. And if things don’t change soon, the entire landlord insurance market […]

The Labour government can only meet its housing targets by building ten times more social homes each year by 2027/28, according to new figures. Research from the New Economics Foundation (NEF) shows that to meet Labour’s target of 1.5 million homes in the next five years, at least 365,000 new social homes must be built […]

The Chancellor Rachel Reeves has announced a range of measures in the Budget including a stamp duty rise which looks set to hurt landlords. In Labour’s first budget in 14 years, the Chancellor said Labour would bring back “economic stability”. Other measures include a rise in capital gains tax the lower rate of CGT will […]

Salford City Council is seeking public opinion on whether to reintroduce a selective licensing scheme for private landlords in parts of Broughton and Kersal. Selective licensing requires all landlords renting properties within a designated area to obtain a license from the council. The proposed scheme would cover around 1,340 properties across Broughton and the Kersal […]

The Build to Rent sector has attracted a staggering £800 million in investment during the third quarter of 2024. Savills says the surge in investment is being fuelled by both bulk and single site transactions, as investors aim to establish essential operational infrastructure. Bulk deal investments reached £1.2 billion in the year leading up to […]

The NRLA has slammed the Labour government’s decision to freeze housing benefit rates, warning it will “hurt vulnerable renters.” Since March 2020, Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates — which cap housing benefits for private renters — have been locked. The Joseph Rowntree Foundation warns that, with LHA rates frozen for this parliament, private renters on […]

We exchanged on a property to add to our company residential buy to let portfolio costing £490,000 last week. It would seem that we will be charged an extra 2% on top of the 3% stamp duty that we were due to pay at completion on 15th November. If this extra stamp duty had been […]

With all private rented sector properties needing to meet EPC C targets by 2030, many landlords are under financial pressure. More than five million rental properties will need to be upgraded to meet energy-efficiency targets which could cost landlords thousands of pounds. In response to the upcoming regulations, a new AI tool called Eco-Landlord, supported […]