Four more local councils have unveiled plans to regulate Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) in their areas. From Enfield to North Lincolnshire, councils are introducing licensing schemes, planning restrictions and public consultations. Enfield Council has greenlit a fresh HMO licensing scheme which is set to launch on 1 September and will run for five years. […]

Hi, I own a shared flat occupied by 3 people (twins plus friend) in Inner London that has now become an HMO. I applied for a licence, which has been granted. The local authority says the fire blanket I provided with Standard BS EN 1869.2019 should be replaced with one BS 6575 (latest edition). This […]

A study from estate agency Yopa has found that while British home prices have surged by 51.8% since 2014, this growth shrinks to just 12.1% when accounting for inflation. Its Housing Market Affordability Review looks at 10 years of shifts in homeownership costs and their effects on buyers’ purchasing power amid rising earnings and moving […]

A landlord’s buy-to-let flats sold for £1.15 million in 4 weeks, another in just 2 weeks for 18% higher than market value, and property portfolios performing at the same level of profitability as when we started in the rental sector 15 years ago: these might sound like numbers from years back, but this is exactly […]

Two stories on Property118 on the same day manage to spell out the real issue facing PRS landlords in the UK: we are facing a witch hunt and nothing we do or say will change that. I’ve had some brickbats thrown at me over the years but never have I been vilified as a tax-dodging […]

The following email was sent to Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook a few weeks ago yet NO response. Dear Mr Pennycook, Once upon a time, landlords in the Private Rented Sector (PRS) were seen as vital contributors to housing Britain’s population. They provided homes where the government failed to, took financial risks, maintained properties, and dealt […]

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has ruled against a council following a complaint from a landlord, identified as Mrs X, who faced delays and financial strain after the council failed to rehouse her tenant. The decision, released today, highlights the council’s failure to adhere to statutory homelessness guidance, resulting in significant frustration for […]

The Housing Ombudsman has slammed social housing landlords for failing to act on safety complaints which left one disabled woman unable to leave her home due to a faulty lift. The Ombudsman has released a report involving 23 complaints related to safety issues, including asbestos, fire, water, and gas. The organisation is calling for social […]

Well if there was evidence required as to why you are unable to let a property to a benefit tenant POST RRB – this is it. Please read Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) latest own guidance here The discrimination between how private and social landlords are treated is stark. Even when ‘explicit consent’ is […]

A new amendment to the Renters’ Rights Bill will see landlords having to accept fibre broadband installation requests from tenants. As with the proposed new rules on accepting pets, landlords cannot ‘unreasonably refuse’ permission for a broadband upgrade. A government spokesman told Property 118: “We are determined to close the digital divide and ensure everyone […]

My older brother and I are executors of our late father’s estate, and we are also beneficiaries along with two other siblings. I currently live in the property with the youngest sibling, who is one of the beneficiaries. We’ve obtained a possession order from the court, which required him to leave by a certain date, […]

Landlords are being targeted by two councils who claim they are clamping down on ‘negligent’ landlords. In Knowsley, a new housing civil penalties policy has been agreed by the council which gives them the power to slap landlords with fines reaching £30,000. This applies to those neglecting property upkeep or flouting Housing Act 2004 rules. […]

Nottingham City Council has vowed to transform its housing services ‘within six months to a year’ after a scathing assessment by the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) exposed critical shortcomings. That led to the council being handed a near-bottom rating. The pledge comes as the Labour council grapples with longstanding issues in its 24,500 properties, […]

Shelter claims NHS workers are being priced out of the private rented sector. According to the housing charity, in almost half (45%) of local authorities in England, renting in the private sector is unaffordable for newly qualified nurses. Last year, Generation Rent called for rents to be capped for key workers, despite the fact that […]

The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) Doves came out on top today, voting 8-1 to hold the Bank Base Rate at 4.5%. One MPC member voted for a 0.25% reduction in the rate. This coincides with the US Federal Reserve’s decision yesterday to also maintain their rate at the range of 4.25 to […]

Hi everyone, I am in court for compensation against a tenant who is now thankfully evicted. I have a judgment of debt, but I am pursuing a Charging Order securing the debt against a property he now owns. Straightforward you would think, but it’s now been 18 months of no order, and no enforcement. During […]

A video by the NRLA reveals that 5,000 retrofits would need to be completed every working day to meet EPC C targets. The Energy Secretary, Ed Miliband, has announced that all private rented properties must meet Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) targets by 2030, with a stricter deadline of 2028 for new tenancies. The NRLA warns […]

Strong buyer demand is seeing house prices surge in the north of England with Yorkshire and the west Midlands leading the way, Home.co.uk says. Its latest index also reveals that rents in the north are also increasing ahead of London’s rates. The platform says that the property market is showing resilience, but London is lagging […]

Estate agents are lining up behind Rightmove in urging the government to extend the existing stamp duty relief thresholds. According to a survey from GetAgent.co.uk, 86% of agents support extending the tax break to ease the burden on homebuyers navigating purchases. Rightmove has championed a modest continuation of the current relief levels, aiming to shield […]

The popularity of larger homes has propelled UK house prices upwards by £10,431 in the past year, marking a robust 3.7% climb, Halifax data shows. As borrowing costs softened with falling interest rates, buyers shifted their sights to bigger properties, leaving flats trailing with a 3.2% uptick, averaging £168,569. Meanwhile, detached residences soared by 4.1% […]

Tenants aged 18-27 are facing soaring rents and many now fear homeownership is slipping further away as rising costs hurt their ability to save, Barclays reveals. Its latest Property Insights report points to a phenomenon known as ‘rentflation’ which has seen nearly six in 10 renters (58%) have their housing costs climb over the past […]