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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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. […]

Hi, I need to regain possession of my tenanted property to live in myself. I gave my tenants two months’ notice back in September, as per our tenancy agreement, which will expire on November 27th. I’ve recently split from my partner and am battling cancer, and I’ve always kept the rent well below the market […]

Hi, I have tenants in my property who owe £15,000 in arrears, and I’ve applied to the court for eviction. The court hearing was scheduled for January 2024, and the bailiff was set to attend on August 12, 2024. However, just days before the bailiff appointment, they applied for a standard breathing space. Now that […]

Renters across the UK are increasingly turning to fixer-upper properties as a more affordable route to homeownership, according to a survey from Rightmove. The property platform questioned more than 34,000 home movers and found that 68% of renters are eager to take on renovation projects, compared to 54% of homeowners. This trend is driven by […]

Two-thirds of landlords currently own at least one property that does not have an EPC C rating, according to Foundation Home Loans. Data from the mortgage lender shows that nearly half (42%) of landlords plan to raise rents to cover the cost of energy-efficiency improvements. This comes after Ed Miliband announced that all private rental […]

Unlock the latest insights into the property investment world with our video on the landmark court ruling clarifying rent-to-rent liabilities. This will reshape how rent-to-rent operators approach their responsibilities and how property investors navigate the property market. Are you part of the rent-to-rent strategy? Discover what this ruling means for you and how it impacts […]

The Green Party co-leader in the Scottish Government says the SNP government has bowed to pressure from the landlord lobby and significantly weakened its proposed rent control measures. That is, Patrick Harvie says, a blow to tenants across Scotland. Writing in the Glasgow Times, he says that despite initial plans to introduce robust rent controls, […]

Tenant activist group Generation Rent is urging the government to abolish the Right to Rent policy, arguing that it disproportionately affects migrant and ethnic minority renters. In a report, it details the negative consequences of the policy, which requires landlords in England to check the immigration status of potential tenants. The research highlights the findings […]

An industry body is urging the Welsh government to raise Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates. Propertymark is calling on the government to set the LHA at the 30th percentile of rents and to fully assess the case for raising it to the 50th percentile. As of May 2024, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) […]

Landlords in the UK have seen rent arrears soar with the average claim reaching £2,064 in the third quarter – a 22% year-on-year increase. According to data from deposit alternative provider Reposit, this figure significantly eclipses the traditional five-week cash deposit, which averages £1,347. That leaves landlords vulnerable to a shortfall of around £700 in […]

Hello, Mrs Thatcher allowed the introduction of the AST (Assured Shorthold Tenancy) and also supported home ownership. These changes were all voluntary and people adopted them because they made sense. Home ownership grew from 55% of the population in 1980 to 64% in 1987. By the time Margaret Thatcher left office in 1990 it was […]

The Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, says he “does not want landlords to leave the market”. Mr Burnham claims the Good Landlord Charter will help push out rogue landlords and provide recognition for good landlords whose work often goes unnoticed. The Good Landlord Charter aims to improve rental homes across Greater Manchester by ensuring […]

A London council is looking at a significant expansion of its selective licensing scheme which will cost landlords £923. After being launched in four wards, the scheme will now cover most of the borough, impacting an estimated third of Lambeth’s dwellings in the private rented sector (PRS). The scheme requires landlords renting to single-family households […]

The Rise of Corporate Landlords: Are We Heading Toward a Rent Monopoly? There’s a new player in the UK’s private rented sector—one that’s threatening to fundamentally reshape the way tenants experience renting. As small landlords leave the market, driven out by crippling taxes and increasing regulations, corporate landlords are stepping in to fill the gap. […]

Rent price growth is set to slow down but will still outpace inflation, Hamptons reveals. The estate agency is predicting that rents will rise by 4.5% in the final quarter of 2024 – and by the same amount next year. It also says that rents will grow by 4% in both 2026 and 2027 to […]

Hi, I own the leasehold for an upstairs flat, which I rent out to tenants. The issue I have is when the tenants cause damage downstairs due to an act of negligence, such as kids spilling water out of the bath or having a shower without the shower curtain closed. This leads to damage in […]