Low tenant demand is causing problems for letting agents and landlords in some parts of the UK, according to new data. While the national picture suggests a healthy rental market, with 78% of properties occupied, there are huge variations by postcode. Research by tenancy deposit alternative Zero Deposit found incredibly low turnover rates in some […]

Temporary accommodation and homelessness spending by councils has soared to £1bn in the last eight years. According to figures by the Local Government Association (LGA), the total amount spent by councils on temporary accommodation has soared by more than £733m since 2015/16. Back then, councils spent around £315 million on emergency housing, but by 2023/24, […]

Holiday lets are being unfairly blamed for the UK’s housing crisis, according to a new study by the Short Term Accommodation Association (STAA). Its research shows that in most local authorities, there are more empty homes than holiday lets. This contradicts the common perception that holiday lets are ‘hoovering up’ properties, particularly in desirable locations. […]

Hi, our new freeholder has inherited permitted development rights to add two storeys of flats to our four storey block. Builders are refusing to supply their insurance but admits it ends this July. Do we have a legal right to see it to see how protected we are? They want to take out bricks to […]

Hi there, bit of a steer if I may on my leasehold flat. Out of the blue our Freeholder appointed a new agent and we received the following whopping bill for the next 12 months: General Building Repairs/Works £ 500.00 Accountancy Fees £ 168.00 Management Services £ 931.67 Bank Charges £ 30.00 Emergency out-of hours […]

Hi everyone, as the student changeover season has now begun, can anyone advise on a reasonable charge for defrosting a large upright freezer left fully iced up by the exiting tenants? I can list it under ‘missed cleaning’ but what’s a reasonable cost for work involved? Thanks very much for any advice on this. Lord

Hello all, I have ended up in court with the lodger as they refuse to leave after the notice to quit expired.  In court on the 16th May the judge accepted my arguments on the facts that they were lodgers. However, the lodgers rejected this claim and were given until July 10th, to present evidence […]

The Mortgage Works (TMW) has announced a reduction in its buy to let mortgage rates for both new and existing customers, with rates starting from 3.69%. The lender’s new rates include: Two-year fixed rate (purchase and remortgage) at 3.69% with a 3% fee (up to 65% LTV) Five-year fixed rate (purchase and remortgage) at 4.04% […]

Letting agents are being urged to lobby new MPs to help shape future housing policy – irrespective of which party forms the next government. The call to action has been made by Neil Cobbold, the commercial director of PayProp, during a recent webinar. He says that politicians will be receptive to input, and property professionals […]

This week I also analyse key reports from the Bank of England and Zoopla. Bank of England Stress Test: Supply Side Shock: Disruptions that cause Bank Rate to rise to 9% for a year are modelled. Demand Shock: A severe recession that causes Bank Rate drop to 0.1% for two years is modelled. Both scenarios […]

With just a day to go until the general election, landlords are still undecided on who to vote for. A study by online letting agents OpenRent reveals that 30% of landlords haven’t made up their minds yet, while tenants are leaning more towards Labour. The survey, conducted nationwide, gathered responses from 20,000 landlords and 20,000 […]

Hi, as a Right To Manage Company, we are dealing with fire safety issues and many other problems. Such as water leaks, alarms going off, and heating issues that have to be rectified. We never know when a leak will happen; they are multiple as the developer installed kitchens and bathrooms with loose pipework, no […]

High demand and a lack of available properties are pushing rents outside London to record levels, according to Rightmove. It estimates that 120,000 more rental properties are needed to achieve sustainable levels of rent growth. The property website says the average advertised rent has reached a new peak of £1,316 per month – a 7% […]

Landlords across England and Wales are seeing a boost in their rental yields, according to the latest Buy to Let Rental Barometer from Fleet Mortgages. Every region showed an increase in average yields compared to the same period last year. The strongest growth came in the North East, where yields reached double digits at 10.1%, […]

Hi, I’m in the process of purchasing a property, which is a 3-bedroom house with two titles: leasehold and freehold. The current vendor holds both titles, but the leasehold has less than 70 years remaining. Does it need to be renewed before I purchase the house? Will the seller pay? I have spoken with the […]

Imagine this, some time ago, you decided to try to improve your life and to make things better for you and your family. You’re a hard-working person and your chosen profession was to become a private hire taxi driver. To start off you need to buy a car. You couldn’t afford a shiny new one, […]

In the wake of the 4 July election, landlord groups say the next government must pass the Renters (Reform) Bill as a matter of ‘urgency’. The plea is being made by the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA), along with Leaders Romans Group, Grainger, and the British Property Federation (BPF). They say that landlords and tenants […]

In this episode of Property Breaking News, Ranjan Bhattacharya and Andrew Roberts delve into the brewing controversy between landlords and coffee giant Nespresso. Nespresso’s latest advertising campaign has stirred the pot by using anti-landlord rhetoric, sparking strong reactions from the property community. Watch the video below

Welcome to the Macro Overview for week ending 30th June: As always I dive into the current state of the UK property market and macroeconomic metrics. Key Highlights: Property Market Stats: Prices on sales agreed remained at £350/sq ft (+3.2% this quarter). Listings stayed 5.4% higher than the pre-pandemic market for the year to date. […]

With new and more efficient ways of making property financially make sense, it comes as no surprise that buyer interest in property companies is surging, driven by significant financial incentives. But why? One of the most compelling reasons is the lower Stamp Duty rate of just 0.5% on purchasing shares in a Limited Company rental […]

University students in Britain face a growing affordability crisis as rental costs for purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) outpace the rise in maintenance loans – putting some universities out of reach for many. New data from CBRE reveals that student rents are surging, with some cities exceeding loan limits. Also, student landlords leaving the sector has […]