Hi, we have a fully managed property. The tenant is paid 4 weekly by housing benefit and forwards the rent to the letting agency. We have a number of other businesses and have relied on the letting agency to collect payments accurately and record them, raising any problems with us. It has become evident that […]

This is a bit far-fetched, but the lawyers here might have an answer. The situation: there is a water leak from a neighbour’s property in our village. This is not bursting, but a constant stream similar to an open tap running 24/7. Has been this way for several months or maybe half a year now. […]

The UK’s private rented sector (PRS) continues to attract investors despite some uncertainty surrounding future government policies, research reveals. According to a report by Connells Group, which analysed data from the second quarter, there has been a 6% increase in new instructions compared to the same period last year. The number of instructions last month […]

Landlords in their 30s are fuelling growth in the buy to let market as an analysis of industry data shows a big drop in the average age of BTL investors buying new properties with mortgages. According to a report by Paragon Bank, the average investor age dropped from 46.4 years in 2014 to 42.9 years […]

Average rents in the UK increased by 8.6% in the 12 months leading up to June – a slight dip from the 8.7% annual rise seen in May, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reports. Its Price Index of Private Rents (PIPR) measures inflation in private rents for both new and existing tenancies. The index […]

A new law that will ban Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions will be introduced, along with legislation to ‘give greater rights and protections’ to tenants, the King’s Speech revealed. Speaking at the opening of Parliament, King Charles revealed the legislative process of the new Labour government. He also announced that there will also be legislation for […]

Today, King Charles will open Parliament and reveal more than 35 Bills to be introduced by the Labour government. While details are scarce it looks like there is little discussion about what might happen to the private rented sector – despite Labour promising to ban Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions ‘on day one’. However, the Renters […]

A think tank claims renters are working harder than ever to pay landlords. According to the Adam Smith Institute (ASI), renters in London are working 197 days of the year solely to pay their landlords. The think tank warns the government must increase housing supply to tackle the demand backlog. Renters still struggle to cover […]

We are keen to speak with landlords who are concerned about incoming rental reforms that will ban no-fault evictions and potentially cap rent rises (depending on what is announced in the King’s Speech). We will be interviewing a landlord and a tenant about the reforms, but there will be a big focus on court delays […]

Several buy to let mortgage lenders have announced interest rate reductions this week, offering better deals for BTL investors in the UK. Aldermore launched a series of limited-edition buy to let products with reduced rates, including a five-year fixed rate at 4.89% for individual and company landlords with single residential investment properties (at 65% LTV). […]

Amid ongoing delays with Universal Credit (UC), one landlord is stepping up to help his tenants. Mick Roberts, one of Nottingham’s largest landlords for benefit tenants, shared with Property118 that UC housing element payments have been consistently late for his tenants over the past three months. This news comes despite government promises to increase housing […]

Scottish house prices have hit another record high for the third consecutive month, averaging £225,636. According to the latest house price index by Walker Fraser Steele, prices have increased by 2.5% year-on-year and by 0.3% compared to April. This milestone follows recent concerns about Scotland being declared a no-go zone for property investors due to […]

Epsom and Ewell Borough Council is calling on landlords to join its Private Sector Leasing Scheme, offering a secure and hassle-free way to rent properties while assisting local families in need. The council’s scheme allows them to directly lease and manage properties for three to five years, guaranteeing rent payments to landlords with six months […]

Hi, we had rented our 2 bedroom flat in London at the end of October 2023 through a estate agent. The agent did the referencing and the tenant passed. The agents collected the deposit from the tenant. The tenant didn’t pay rent in November and somehow reclaimed his deposit through a bank chargeback. Since then, […]

Hi all, can anyone advise on this issue? The tenants a few years ago had a new boiler fitted on a government grant scheme, the boiler keeps breaking down and after £££££ of repairs with new parts it still seems to be having issues. More than three gas fitters have advised they cannot find the […]

Hi, my elderly mother has had a tenant for the last 18 years and receives payment from the council through housing benefits. The tenant was great and was pretty much the perfect tenant. Unfortunately, over the years, her mental health has declined significantly. She has become extremely paranoid and refuses to let anyone into the […]

Hi, available on BBC iPlayer is the programme ‘Morning Live’ from 12th July 2024, where Matt Allwright advises tenants to remain in their homes until the bailiffs arrive, rather than risk becoming intentionally homeless You can watch the whole piece from 19:30 on BBC iplayer here >> https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0020z12/morning-live-series-6-12072024 He also says that the Department of […]

Hi, the property market in the UK has had a roller coaster of prices over the last 4 decades and continues to fluctuate no matter what political party is in power. Each successive government continued to benefit from using the property market as a way to bring some sort of confidence to the financial institutions […]

We found ourselves at the Council Tax Valuation Tribunal after a very lengthy and stressful 18 months of fighting with the Royal Borough of Greenwich Council (RBGC) to provide evidence of their claim of our liability for CT, which they never did. We won our case, but we are very concerned that many councils around […]

Gateshead Council is inviting residents, landlords, letting agents and businesses to weigh in on proposals for new selective licensing schemes. It claims to be a pioneer in selective licensing since 2007, and it now wants to extend the existing selective licensing zone. Plus, the council wants to introduce additional licensing for Houses of Multiple Occupancy […]

Propertymark has welcomed the Welsh Government’s commitment to improving housing in Wales. Tim Thomas, the organisation’s policy and campaigns officer, said the organisation is pleased to see a focus on building safety and homelessness. It had previously collaborated with the government on building safety and is hopeful the new Building Safety Bill will deliver better […]