Page 153 – Property118
Chancellor announces funding plan to improve home energy efficiency and insulation standards.

Chancellor unveils £3.4 Billion plan to boost energy efficiency in homes

1st November 2024

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 […]

Chancellor announces Budget funding to tackle rising homelessness in London.

Councils and charities back Budget boost amid homelessness rise in London

1st November 2024

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 […]

Construction site of new homes highlighting Labour’s social housing plans

Labour must build ten times more social homes to meet housing targets

1st November 2024

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 […]

Man reacting to UK Budget announcement with megaphone and red HM Treasury briefcase

Property industry reaction – Labour Budget 2024

31st October 2024

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 riverside homes with modern high-rises in the background on an overcast day.

City council asks for views on reintroducing licensing scheme for PRS

31st October 2024

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 […]

New homes under construction on a Build to Rent housing development site

Build to Rent sees £800 million investment surge

31st October 2024

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 […]

Bright yellow house on icy landscape symbolizing frozen housing benefit rates

NRLA blasts housing benefit freeze warning it will harm tenants

31st October 2024

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 […]

Stamp Duty Surcharge

Exchanged on a property and now hit with extra 2% SDLT?

31st October 2024

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 […]

Hand holding a model house with EPC rating chart and 2030 energy efficiency target

New service designed to help landlords meet EPC targets

31st October 2024

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 […]

Labour budget analysis with experts discussing property investor impacts

Labour’s Budget: The Surprise Win for Property Investors!

30th October 2024

Labour’s Budget Shock: What Property Investors Must Know! In this groundbreaking video, Ranjan Bhattacharya unravels the first Labour budget in 14 years, offering expert insights and analysis crucial for property investors. Discover how these changes will affect your investment strategies and the property market. Highlights include: The £40 billion tax-raising scheme targeting employers Strategies to […]

Chancellor announces 2024 UK Budget with stamp duty rise affecting landlords.

Landlords hit by stamp duty surcharge increase to 5% in Budget

30th October 2024

In a move that could severely damage the private rented sector (PRS), the Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced in the Budget that the stamp duty surcharge on additional homes will increase to 5% from tomorrow. The rise from 3% will hit landlord profits – and likely undermine desperately needed landlord investment in the PRS – and […]

Frustrated businessman covering his face, symbolizing UK Budget 2024 failures for landlords.

The 2024 Budget Provides No Solutions for the Rent Crisis or Landlord Exodus

30th October 2024

The 2024/25 Budget could have been the government’s chance to stop the landlord exodus that is tearing apart the UK’s rental market. Instead, it has done the opposite. At a time when landlords are leaving in droves and tenants are struggling to find affordable housing, the Chancellor has chosen to pile on more financial strain […]

Glowing jack-o'-lantern with haunted house and eerie fog, symbolising landlords’ ongoing financial nightmare.

The Endless Budget Nightmare: How Government Failures Keep Haunting Landlords and Tenants

30th October 2024

As Halloween approaches, landlords find themselves trapped in a horror story that just won’t end. Every year, they hope for relief, yet every Budget announcement only deepens the nightmare. The government’s failure to recognise and act on the landlord exodus has created a never-ending cycle of terror—not just for landlords, but for tenants too, who […]

Business leader highlighting landlord survey on broker expertise in tax and regulation

Landlords fear tax hikes and Section 21 reforms

30th October 2024

UK landlords are growing increasingly anxious about potential tax hikes and regulatory changes, particularly the looming threat of Section 21 eviction reform. A survey by Butterfield Mortgages reveals that 77% of landlords fear that tax increases, such as a potential rise in Capital Gains Tax, could negatively impact their investments. Also, 70% of landlords expressed […]

Hand holding energy efficiency house model with EPC rating chart and 2030 target in background

Third of homes for sale fail to meet EPC C rating

30th October 2024

A third of all homes for sale in Britain have an EPC rating below C, according to new research. A survey by epIMS, reveals more than 33% of all properties currently listed for sale have an EPC rating below a C, although this figure climbs as high as 46% in some major cities. The government […]

Red double-decker bus passing through central London street with historic and modern buildings.

London council seeks views on its proposed selective licensing scheme

30th October 2024

A London council is seeking public opinion – including from affected landlords – on a proposal to introduce a new property licensing scheme for private rented homes across 15 wards in the borough. The selective licensing scheme would cover all private rented properties, not just Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) which were already subject to […]

Chalk-drawn question mark on blackboard representing a landlord’s query about letting agent responsibility

Is my letting agent responsible for lost rent and damages?

30th October 2024

My short term lease expired with my letting agent and they refused to move out the tenant. After 3 months I contacted the local housing authority to have the rent paid directly to myself or the new letting agent I wanted to manage the property. The housing authority stopped the rent and it was an […]

Business leader discussing UK property market outlook amid Budget uncertainty

UK property market poised for growth despite Budget uncertainty

30th October 2024

Property investors can expect a brighter outlook for the market in the coming year – despite the looming uncertainty of the Autumn Budget. According to Octane Capital’s chief executive, Jonathan Samuels, lower mortgage rates will drive increased activity. He explains: “Investors are worried about the impact of this week’s Budget, largely stoked by the government’s […]

Businessman facing incorporation pitfalls and mortgage risks on a dangerous paperwork path

Incorporation Pitfalls: What Buy to Let LENDERS and MORTGAGE BROKERS Need to Know About Novation and Refinancing

29th October 2024

The trend of landlords incorporating their Buy-to-Let (BTL) portfolios into limited companies has become more prominent in recent years, spurred by changes to tax relief and the shifting regulatory environment. However, this shift can come with complications that many may not fully understand—especially when it comes to mortgage arrangements. This article aims to help the […]