Tenants will receive increased funding for legal aid for the first time in nearly 30 years. The Ministry of Justice has announced a consultation on a £20 million investment in the legal aid sector, which the government claims will help tenants facing unfair eviction or the threat of homelessness access legal advice. The Law Society […]

Scotland’s housing crisis is reaching a critical point, and the upcoming Scottish Budget must address the issue with immediate and substantial action, one property expert says. David Alexander, the chief executive of DJ Alexander Scotland, says that with 13 councils now declaring a housing emergency, the need for urgent support is clear. Scotland is facing […]

Buying a home has become slightly more affordable relative to income, according to research from Halifax. It says the average house price to earnings ratio has eased to 6.55, down from 6.62 last year. Wage growth has outpaced house price inflation, with pay increasing by 5%, compared to a 3.8% rise in house prices over […]

Cash buyers are enjoying big discounts on property purchases across England – of up to £86,000 – as sellers move to sell up quickly as the mortgage market stabilises. A study by Lomond reveals that thousands of homes in England are listed for sale with sellers specifically targeting cash buyers. These properties, on average, are […]

If just 1% of the UK’s 26 million spare rooms were let out, rent prices would drop back to 2017 levels, according to new research. SpareRoom reveals that rent prices have surged, with the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reporting an 8.8% increase to £1,348 in 2024, up from £456 in Q3 2017. The flat-sharing […]

I have a two bedroom flat in a large Aberdeen development of 2/3/4 bedroom flats. I pay 0.89% of the annual policy premium. Smaller flats pay 0.61%. All fine as presumably my flat is dearer to reinstate if destroyed. I pay £700 per annum. Is that price fair or am I being ripped off? I […]

If you’ve decided you’ve had enough of being a landlord, now’s the time to pay attention to an incredible trend: buyer demand for property companies is skyrocketing. Investors are increasingly interested in buying property companies as a whole, rather than individual properties, and the reason is simple – the tax outcomes are immensely different. Let […]

The post-2024 budget environment has left many pension holders concerned about the future of their retirement wealth. With Rachel Reeves’ announcement that pension death benefits are set to be brought into the inheritance tax (IHT) net from 2027, the landscape has shifted significantly for those relying on pensions to secure their family’s future. Though the […]

I have just been notified that Birmingham Council is planning a change to the scheme in which they lease private sector properties. The implication is that it would require the title deeds of the property to be updated to register their lease interest. My first reaction is what the heck? Why would I want to […]

Scottish landlords could be forced to accept pets in rental properties and face rent controls. During a debate, Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) voted to pass Stage 1 of the Scottish Housing bill. The Scottish Housing Bill will allow renters to request permission to keep a pet in their home, and landlords will not […]

They say there is a housing crisis – and with good reason. Net migration to the UK reached an astonishing 906,000 in the year up to June 2023, far surpassing previous estimates. Approximately 1.3 million individuals moved to the UK during this period, while 414,000 people left. According to the Office for National Statistics, net […]

Kent Reliance for Intermediaries (KRFI), part of the OSB Group, has introduced two new limited edition buy-to-let (BTL) product ranges to assist brokers in supporting their landlord clients. The first range, designed to offer affordability, features lower fees starting at £799. Key features of this range include: 2-year and 5-year fixed-rate options 75% and 80% […]

The Intermediary Mortgage Lenders Association (IMLA) has issued a stark warning that increased government regulation on the private rented sector (PRS) could lead to significant rent hikes. In its latest report, ‘Vital role of the Private Rented Sector’, IMLA highlights the importance of the PRS, which currently houses 20% of UK households. The report expresses […]

In 2007, the housing benefit rate for a three-bed home in Cleveleys, Lancashire was £520pm, today it is £623.30 or a 20% rise in 17 years. The Bank of England kindly offers an inflation calculator which shows £523 in 2007 would cost £863 today, a rise of 65%. Goods and services have risen by three […]

Letting agents in the UK are facing a huge financial blow, with government figures revealing potential losses of nearly £400 million over the next decade due to the Renters’ Rights Bill. The Impact Assessment, published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, estimates that the Bill will lead to a 41% increase in […]

House prices are set to rise next year as buyers rush to beat stamp duty changes. According to Zoopla’s House Price Index, house prices will rise by 2.5% in 2025, and by 7.5% over the next three years. Currently, about half of owner-movers pay stamp duty, but according to Zoopla, this will increase to 83% […]

The Labour government is considering banning landlords from accepting advance rent payments from tenants. During a question to Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook, Dr Simon Opher, Labour MP for Stroud, asked whether the Renters’ Rights Bill would prohibit landlords from accepting one month’s rent in advance. Many landlords and letting agents request tenants to pay the […]

The NRLA has criticised the government’s plan for a landlord database as “bureaucratic”. Under the Renters’ Rights Bill, a private rented sector database is set to be established, which the government claims will “give assurances to tenants”. However, the NRLA has slammed the government for the lack of information on what will be included in […]

With electric car manufacturers threatening to pull out of the UK over strict EV targets, why are landlords still subject to EPC rules when they are hurting both landlords and tenants? Under the current mandate, a percentage of cars that firms sell must qualify as zero-emission. Falling short of this target could result in penalties […]

Blackpool Council has approved a new selective licensing scheme which will come into effect on 1 April 2025. It says the scheme will address poor management practices by some private landlords and ensure higher standards for tenants. The designated area covers 11,000 privately rented properties in eight wards. All landlords within this area must obtain […]

A leading firm of landlord and housing law experts has slammed a recent report suggesting councils in England and Wales are failing to adequately address landlord misconduct as ‘misleading and inaccurate’. The report, published by Public Interest Lawyers, claimed nearly half a million complaints were made about landlord misconduct in five years, yet councils took […]