Page 155 – Property118
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Landbay cuts BTL rates as Aldermore reintroduces 5-year fixed deals

15th November 2024

Landbay has announced rate reductions across its fixed-rate product range which are up to 0.20%. Both two-year and five-year fixed-rate products, available at up to 70% and 75% loan-to-value (LTV), have seen the full reduction. This includes Landbay’s AVM-supported range of standard and non-portfolio products. In addition, Landbay has reduced rates on its 55% LTV, […]

Hands holding paper house labeled “Not For Sale” beside a “To Let” sign, symbolizing landlords retaining rental properties.

Landlords defy expectations of an ‘exodus’ – claims Lomond

15th November 2024

Two weeks after the Autumn Budget, fears of a mass exodus of landlords from the private rented sector (PRS) are claimed to have been unfounded. ‘Research’ from Lomond indicates that the number of tenanted properties listed for sale has fallen by up to 3% in some areas. Prior to the Budget, there had been widespread […]

Verona Frankish, Yopa chief executive, smiling during a professional portrait.

Property market sees an upturn after the Autumn Budget

15th November 2024

The UK’s property market has seen a significant uptick in activity following the Autumn Budget, with thousands of new homes hitting the market. Estate agency Yopa reports an 11.4% increase in property listings in the two weeks after the Budget, with 84,000 more homes coming up for sale. This brings the total number of properties […]

Judge’s gavel and legal scales symbolising landlord possession court actions.

Landlord possession actions surge – MoJ

15th November 2024

Landlord possession actions in England and Wales have surged in the third quarter, with private landlords leading the way, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) reveals. Its data shows that when compared to the same period last year, there have been rises in claims, orders, warrants and repossessions. The number of landlord possession claims increased by […]

White chalk question mark on blackboard representing uncertainty about legal obligations.

New Freeholder failed to issue Section 3 notice?

15th November 2024

Hi, a new freeholder failed to issue a Section 3 notice to 37 long leaseholders (whole block) when he bought the freehold a year ago. This could be a criminal offence liable to a £2,500 fine. Does anyone know if it’s better to bring an action against him (and how to go about it) or […]

Red 3D text spelling “DEBT” with the letter “E” replaced by a pound symbol (£)

Is it possible to recover debt over 10k from a UC tenant who’s disappeared?

15th November 2024

Hi, I’ve recently endured a 16-month process to evict a tenant who was receiving Universal Credit (UC). During that time, I only received 60% of the rent directly from UC, and the arrears kept piling up. By the time the court and bailiffs finally evicted the tenant, they owed me over £10,000 in unpaid rent. […]

Slightly open wooden door with a question mark symbol, representing uncertainty about housing policy.

Is government policy hurting the vulnerable and driving landlords out of the market?

15th November 2024

Many vulnerable tenants are people who need the most help and support from their landlord. There are a large number of landlords who overlook lack of bond, damage, behaviour, and freely offer emotional and monetary support to these vulnerable tenants. However, the relationship is uncomfortable. With the abolition of Section 21 and retrospectively applying this […]

Overwhelmed landlord with head on desk surrounded by property documents and charts

Bought a property at auction without details of existing tenant?

14th November 2024

Hello, I made a bid on a property in an auction without doing due diligence but the bidding did not meet the reserve price. The auctioneer then contacted me to ask if I wanted to make a post auction on the property. During the email conversation, I stated that my maximum offer would be £41,000 […]

Estate agent boards outside rental properties in London highlighting demand in the private rental sector

RICS: Rental crisis deepens while house prices continue to rise

14th November 2024

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has painted a bleak picture of the UK’s private rented sector (PRS), with a widening gap between supply and demand. The latest UK residential market survey revealed a net balance of +19% of respondents reported increasing tenant demand over the past three months. However, landlord instructions, a measure […]

Matt Hutchinson discussing the government’s second homes policy and housing shortage

Government’s second homes policy doesn’t address the housing crisis

14th November 2024

The government’s recent decision to increase stamp duty on second homes has been slammed for not addressing the UK’s housing crisis. SpareRoom, a room rental site, argues that the policy fails to address why there is a shortage of rental properties. It says the government is making a mistake by conflating all non-primary residences under […]

Smiling business professional in a suit representing OpenBrix leadership.

Renters who aren’t ‘rent ready’ face tough competition

14th November 2024

A third of renters are struggling to secure properties due to a lack of preparedness – despite fierce competition in the rental market, research reveals. A study by tlyfe, a tenant app launched by OpenBrix, revealed that while many renters are knowledgeable about location and budget, they often lack essential elements to be considered ‘rent […]

Model house with rising bar graph and landlord representing impact of Section 24 on rent prices

Section 24 is the reason for rocketing rents – not landlords

14th November 2024

Tenant group Acorn claims that rent caps are the solution to curb rising rents. The group also believes “landlords have no guidance on what rent should be”, despite many landlords using the market rate in an area as guidance for setting rent. Mick Roberts, one of Nottingham’s largest landlords housing benefit tenants, slammed Acorn’s call […]

Housing market shows signs of life as prices edge up

14th November 2024

The English and Welsh housing market has shown signs of life in October, with average house prices edging up by 0.2% to £354,800 – the first monthly increase in six months. That reverses the downward trend seen in September, the latest e.surv housing index reveals. However, the recovery remains uneven across the country. Southern England […]

Woman on phone under umbrella in kitchen during water leak

Excess protection for escape of water claims in block of flats?

14th November 2024

Dear All, I am reaching out to inquire if anyone is aware of insurance companies in the UK that offer an excess protection policy specifically for Escape of Water (EOW) claims under a building’s insurance policy for a block of leasehold flats. This may have to be a separate policy to the building insurance one. I […]

Labour urged to bring in secret inspections of rented properties

13th November 2024

Landlords could face secret inspections of their rental properties under Labour’s Renters’ Rights Bill after being urged to do so by the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH). The CIEH wants MPs to scrap the 24-hour notice period that councils must currently give to landlords before entering a rented property. It believes this requirement is […]

Peterborough City Council logo representing housing inspection and selective licensing initiative.

Council inspects 500 PRS homes – and finds 2,000 issues

13th November 2024

A council that launched its selective licensing scheme for private rented sector homes in March claims to have inspected 500 properties since – and found 2,000 issues. It says it is now big strides in improving PRS housing standards. Peterborough City Council says that despite initial landlord reservations, more than 7,000 licence applications have been […]

Professional portrait of a business executive representing Foundation Home Loans’ Buy to Let relaunch.

Lender relaunches its BTL specials

13th November 2024

Buy to Let by Foundation, the BTL brand of specialist lender Foundation Home Loans, has relaunched its ‘Buy to Let Specials’ range. It offers a variety of loan options tailored to different landlord profiles and property types. The revamped programme caters to both established portfolio landlords (F1 tier) and those with specialised property needs or […]

Rebecca Marsh comments on the expulsion of three property firms from The Property Ombudsman scheme

The Property Ombudsman expels three members

13th November 2024

Three members have been booted out of The Property Ombudsman scheme for refusing to pay compensation after losing complaints – two of which were brought by landlords. They are BP Auctions, David Key Property Limited and Leonard D Morgan & Co. They were expelled by the Ombudsman’s compliance committee. So far this year, just three […]

Row of “To Let” signs outside terraced houses in the UK, symbolising the rental housing market.

Council reintroduces its selective licensing scheme

13th November 2024

Gedling Borough Council is set to reintroduce a selective licensing scheme in Netherfield, Nottingham, aiming, it says, to enhance the quality of private rented housing in the area. The scheme, which was previously in place from 2018 to 2023, will become mandatory again from January 5 next year, and will run until January 4, 2030. […]