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 […]

Despite Nottingham City Council spending £1.2 million to address damp and mould issues in its properties, council tenants are still facing an average wait time of 76 days for repairs. A Freedom of Information Request reveals that 666 council homes in the city are currently dealing with damp and mould. The council has previously come […]

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 […]

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. […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

Hi, the day before the eviction my (ex) tenant told me they need additional time to collect their items as they are still looking for storage and transportation. My ex tenant has been made aware that once they are evicted they will not be allowed back into the property personally. Some items are packed in […]

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 […]

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 […]