There has been an alarming decline in affordable homes to rent in London, with only 5% of properties being accessible to low-income households relying on Local Housing Allowance (LHA) to cover their rent. The research, conducted by Savills and commissioned by London Councils and Trust for London, paints a bleak picture of the city’s housing […]

The English tribunal system is already overburdened and ill-equipped to handle the potential surge in new claims stemming from the Renters’ Rights Bill, research reveals. Proptech company Reapit says that between 2019 and 2023, the number of fair or market rent cases before England’s Residential Property Tribunals increased by nearly 89%, from 483 to 921. […]

I recently found out the landlord’s licence restricts one tenant to one of my flats, while my other similar flats in the same building allow for two. This is after I signed up a 12-month fixed tenancy with a couple! I received the landlord licences for all the properties in the same block.  However, for […]

Most homes sold by landlords are now being purchased by owner-occupiers instead of other investors. According to research by Hamptons, in 2024 more than 80% of properties sold by landlords were bought by owner-occupiers rather than investors. The data reveals only 18% of homes sold by landlords are bought by another investor —a drop from […]

My tenant has been with me for over 10 years. When she moved into the premises she had two children who are now adults in their 20’s. The daughter has left home but the son has continued to live in the property. On carrying out some checks in 2021 it was discovered that the son […]

Rent and mortgage costs have surged after hitting a 17-month low, according to a new report. Barclays Property Insight report reveals a 4.5% year-on-year rise in rent and mortgage costs, a sharp increase from the modest 1.1% growth seen in August. The news comes before the upcoming budget at the end of October, with many […]

Britain’s largest trade union argues the “Renters’ Rights Bill must go further in addressing affordability”. UNISON is calling on the government to introduce rent controls and extend eviction protections for tenants to two years. Under the Renters’ Rights Bill, landlords who repossess a property to sell or move back in cannot evict tenants for 12 […]

Tenant demand continues to outpace supply as landlords worry about the upcoming October budget. According to Propertymark’s Housing Insight Report, tenant demand is on the rise, with registrations jumping from 88 in July 2024 to 112 in August 2024. Demand continues to outstrip supply, with an average of almost 10 new applicants registered for each […]

Rents in the private rented sector (PRS) rose by 8.4% in the 12 months to September, official data reveals. The figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that the rate is the same as recorded in August. In England, average rents rose 8.5% to £1,336, while in Wales there was a 8.3% increase […]

Capital Gains Tax – Inflation, the real problem ignored by Government The government chooses to ignore the impact of inflation on the real value of money, property, and the cost of living. Prior to 2008, indexation allowance quite rightly, and sensibly, helped address this important issue. I am 80 years old, a landlord since 1980, […]

Foundation Home Loans’ specialist lending brand, ‘Buy to Let by Foundation’ has expanded its product range to cater to a wider range of landlord needs. The new additions include BTL mortgages specifically designed for larger houses in multiple occupation (HMOs), multi-unit freehold blocks (MUFBs) and expat borrowers. There are also products for borrowers with an […]

The government’s ambitious target of requiring all private rented sector (PRS) properties to have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of C or above by 2030 has sparked huge concern among landlords. Research from Shawbrook Bank reveals that with just over five years to comply, many landlords are grappling with the costs and challenges of […]

The number of buy to let properties on the market has rocketed over the last year, according to new data. Figures from TwentyEA reveal, 11.3% of all new properties listed for sale in Q3 2024 had previously been available for rent within the last three years. This is more than double the 6.8% recorded in […]

If landlords don’t have an EPC rating of C or above by 2030 then will tenants be legally required to vacate the rental property they are living in? Who knows. Yet another thing that Labour hasn’t thought through sufficiently. I suggest members of the Property118 community raise this with their Member of Parliament and the […]

I have just realised my AST tenancy agreement has been signed by myself, the letting agent and the tenant, but not dated by any of us! I know I ought to have been more thorough and spotted this at the time! It says on the front of TA it should be signed, then dated and, […]

The majority of buy to let landlords remain optimistic about the future performance of their property investments, despite recent challenges, a survey reveals. The research from Butterfield Mortgages shows that 60% of UK landlords are optimistic about both capital growth and rental returns. More than half (57%) of the 501 respondents said that the interest […]

The UK’s private rented sector continues to face upward pressure, with average advertised rents outside London reaching a new quarterly record of £1,344, Rightmove reveals. The property platform’s rent index shows this a 5.2% increase from last year, although it is the slowest rate of growth since 2021. In London, rents have also hit a […]

A leading industry body warns Scotland faces “a lack of supply” if rent controls are not implemented properly. Speaking at the Scottish Property Federation dinner, chair of the organisation, Stuart Oag, says the upcoming Scottish Housing Bill could hamper investment in the private rented sector. The Bill contains a package of policy reforms including introducing […]

As we watch the supply of rental property dwindle and rents head North, I thought I’d add my latest experience of open discrimination against landlords by my local council. So the situation is the tenant has done a runner, they are in serious rental debt and have faced legal action both section 21 and Section […]

Hello all, like everyone I dreaded telling my tenants that their “forever home” might not be forever due to the antics of Ed Miliband and co. I even had a comment to that effect read out by Nigel Farage on GB News last week. Bravely I decided to get my EPC’s redone sooner rather than […]

Tenant activist groups and trade unions are demanding the Labour government “devolve power to Metro Mayors and regional authorities to introduce rent caps”. In a letter to Angela Rayner, groups including Generation Rent and the London Renters Union claim “landlords and letting agents have used the cost-of-living crisis to push up rents”. The group says […]