The Housing Ombudsman has revealed a worrying rise in the number of social and council landlords failing to follow proper complaint procedures. The landlords have been warned to introduce an ‘ethical complaint culture’. This comes as the latest Complaint Handling Failure Order (CHFO) report shows the highest ever rate of non-compliance. These orders are issued […]

So, where do we begin? The Renters (Reform) Bill is dead, long live the Renters’ Rights Bill! But is it better or worse than what the Tories had planned for the private rented sector? Well, I think the prospect of bringing in rent controls should alarm landlords everywhere. I’ll come onto the other issues later, […]

Hi all, I’m experiencing problems with gas/electricity suppliers inventing invoices for non-used services. One of my commercial tenants stopped using gas about 8 years ago and informed the suppliers. They did not receive any further invoices until a month ago. They are stating a small amount of this year’s standing charges but also over £1000 […]

Private renters say they are happier with their homes, compared to those in the social housing sector, the English Housing Survey reveals. The survey, which covers 2022/23, found that 82% of private tenants were content, in contrast to the 74% satisfaction rate reported by social renters. This trend extends to the services provided by landlords, […]

There’s been a surge in landlords exiting the private rented sector (PRS) with a dramatic rise in the number of properties previously listed for rent that are now up for sale. According to new data from TwentyEA, its analysis shows that in June nearly one in five properties listed for sale had been rented out […]

The UK mortgage market is showing signs of recovery with a big increase in the number of products available across all buyer segments – especially buy to let lending. Data from specialist property lender Octane Capital shows a rise in the number of products across the board since the Bank of England’s decision to hold […]

Hi, 20 years ago I bought a very small house on buy to let. I was always a good landlord via a lettings agency. I then decided to go without the agency and I’m now trying to evict my tenant but unsuccessfully. The council has closed the case and has told my tenant to stay […]

Hi, I own a terraced house that is split into two flats, each single bedroom and each let to a single person. They share a front door to the street, a small lobby and a staircase to a landing, off which are the individual (fire) doors to each of the two flats. There are smoke […]

The housing market shows promising signs of improvement, according to new data. The Acadata House Price Index for June reveals that house prices are just 1.6% lower than a year ago, now standing at £360,175. Acadata says a Labour government and the Bank of England potentially cutting interest rates will help boost the housing market. […]

Landlords have another battle on their hands with news that the Renters’ Rights Bill will pick up where the Renters (Reform) Bill failed to deliver. Despite a 2019 manifesto pledge, the RRB was binned by the Conservatives after Rishi Sunak called a General Election. Now Labour is promising to ‘take action where the previous government […]

Propertymark is calling on the Labour Government to provide clear details on how it plans to abolish Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions under the Renters’ Rights Bill. It is also calling for a legal mechanism to prevent the court system in England and Wales from becoming overwhelmed. During his speech, King Charles stated: “Legislation will be […]

In this video, I am going to share with you how 10 Labour policies that are going to affect your life as a property investor or property developer. You can also join us at the next Baker Street Property Meet:  Network with 300+ property investors at the UK’s No 1 Property Networking Event Book your place […]

I have a long-term tenant who wants to buy my house. It would suit me to sell it in about 2 years, unless other things change, as my fixed rate mortgage ends then. I haven’t found any helpful advice online on how to sell to a tenant. I assume that we would both have valuations […]

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 […]