Offa, an Islamic property finance technology firm, has unveiled a series of revised criteria for its Sharia-compliant buy to let (BTL) financing. The changes include welcoming first-time buyers, lowering the minimum age of applicants to 18, and reducing the minimum income requirement to £18,000. Affordability assessments have also been streamlined. Sharia-compliant home finance The Sharia-compliant […]

A London council has revealed that it is looking to reintroduce a selective licensing scheme for rented homes in its borough. This will, the council claims, tackle ‘rogue landlords’. Croydon Council says a scheme will ‘support good landlords’ and protect tenants from inadequate housing and better regulate the sector. Its initiative follows a year of […]

The UK’s renters are facing increasing financial pressures, with more than half (51%) pointing to escalating property prices as a major obstacle to homeownership, according to Barclays. The number of tenants struggling to save for a deposit (44%) has also risen since December. Despite these challenges, 23% of renters aspire to buy a property by […]

Private rented sector reforms in Scotland are not effectively empowering tenants to challenge substandard landlord practices, a survey reveals. SafeDeposits Scotland Charitable Trust found a majority of renters experience issues with their properties, yet few use the established Tribunal process to resolve disputes. The organisation, which promotes housing rights education, polled 1,000 renters across Scotland. […]

The number of first-time buyers stepping onto the property ladder has surged, according to Halifax. Data from Halifax shows that the number of first-time buyers has risen by 19% in 2024 compared to 2023. The average age of a first-time buyer in 2024 is 33 years old, two years older than it was 10 years […]

A tenant organisation claims landlords selling up is a good thing, despite the fact that it is fuelling the housing crisis and leaving tenants with nowhere to live. A piece on the left-wing news website Left Foot Forward by Tom Darling, director of the Renters’ Reform Coalition, claims a landlord exodus would create a “more […]

The Rent to Serviced Accommodation (R2SA) Upper Tier Tribunal decision appealed by Sonder is leaving hundreds of operators in a quandary of what to do next. When the UK legislatures transcribed yet another EU VAT directive many moons ago, they would not have conceived of Section 24 and certainly would not have imagined that training […]

Avoid costly mistakes in property investment with this expert tenancy agreement tip! Learn how to protect your rental property and navigate recent changes in the Renters Rights Bill. In this video, we discuss a potential loophole that could impact landlords and property investors, and we provide a practical workaround to safeguard your interests. Key takeaways […]

Landlords in the private rented sector (PRS) are in desperate need of an amnesty from further government intervention to prevent them from exiting the market. That was the key takeaway from the inaugural Landlord Trends workshop hosted by Pegasus Insight, featuring contributions from Hometrack/Zoopla and the National Residential Landlords Association. Attendees representing more than 20 […]

The Bank of England’s recent base rate drop, coupled with declining swap rates, hints at improved BTL mortgage affordability, Octane Capital says. Its analysis reveals a downward trend in swap rates this year. Following the base rate cut to 4.5%, the average five-year swap rate reached 4.16%, lower than the 4.23% average between the Autumn […]

The UK’s total housing value reached £9.1 trillion, a record high, last year after a minor dip in 2023, according to Savills. Unmortgaged homeownership shows the largest growth since 2014, a 66% surge, to £1.36 trillion. It says that owner-occupier housing stock dominates in most regions, but in the capital, it’s the PRS which holds […]

Despite the Labour government urging landlords to install heat pumps, plans to install them in Parliament have been paused due to concerns over noise and power supply, which pose a “prominent risk,” the Telegraph reveals. According to the Telegraph, while there are currently three air-source heat pumps in the House of Commons buildings, no new […]

The British pound is holding its own against the US dollar and the euro—but should it be? Given the economic chaos inflicted by Labour’s reckless policies, it makes no sense that sterling hasn’t plummeted. Are global financial players keeping the pound artificially afloat, only to let it drop off a cliff when it suits their […]

Property investors looking for bargains should take a closer look at Liverpool, Birmingham and Manchester which lead the UK for properties listed under £200,000, research reveals. While these cities offer tempting opportunities for investors, insurance experts at Pikl warn of potential risks. These include elevated crime rates, flood zones and structural concerns related to older […]

Hi, I have been a landlord for over 40 years. I own HMOs and the property in question is a grade 2 listed, end terrace, 4 bed maisonette with an EPC of D. My HMOs have bills included with no restrictions on useage. The property has a 5 year old combi boiler and the tenants […]

As official figures show that no-fault evictions in England have risen, one law firm says that landlords aren’t waiting for the Renters’ Rights Bill to be implemented before evicting tenants. The new Bill would see Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions being abolished and the eviction rules will mean landlords can’t evict for arrears without giving three […]

Section 21 claims are set to hit unprecedented levels in 2025 as landlords race to regain possession of their properties before the Renters’ Rights Bill sees this eviction route banned. The warning comes from Paul Shamplina, the founder of Landlord Action, in response to the latest landlord possession figures released by the Ministry of Justice. […]

Edinburgh has retained its top ranking for residential investment for the third time, according to an analysis by Colliers. The top four cities – Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester and London – remained unchanged in its latest report. The real estate firm says that Reading has experienced a resurgence, climbing six places to fifth, boosted by burgeoning […]

Investment in the UK’s purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) sector last year reached £3.87 billion, a 14% rise from £3.39 billion in 2023, Knight Frank reveals. The real estate firm says that the final quarter of 2024 saw nearly £575 million invested. Despite this surge, Q4 volumes fell short of expectations. Private sector plays a leading […]

My tenant, who was on housing benefit, has died. The tenancy is in her name only. She had separated from her husband, but when she became ill both he and their daughter moved in to help her. What is their legal status now? Neither are on the tenancy agreement which is a regular Assured Shorthold […]

Changes to the EPC system could cause chaos for HMO landlords and short-term lets. Proposals in the EPC consultation suggest that HMO landlords may be required to have a valid EPC for the entire property, even when only a single room is rented out. Currently, an EPC is only required for an HMO when the […]