Landlords have seen a surge in tenant demand with tenants chasing fewer properties in the private rented sector (PRS), a survey reveals. The research by bridging broker Finbri found that 71% of landlords saw higher demand last year. Tenant demand is outstripping supply and landlords with two-bed rental properties are on the market for 10 […]

There’s a large proportion of property professionals who say they are yet to decide their political vote for the upcoming General Election, a survey reveals. The research from Goodlord and the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) of more than 1,000 participants, comes as the Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, announced there would be an election on […]

I am looking for a solicitor well versed in looking at commercial contracts with a property owner and a rent to rent company. Due to Selective Licensing (SL) occupancy restrictions, I am finding it increasingly difficult to find tenants required (one family-sized unit) for a large property that has recently been fully renovated. The council […]

The UK’s rent inflation is slowing down as average private rents grew by 8.9% in the year to April – down from a record high of 9.2% in March, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reports. This is the first time the annual rent inflation rate has eased since December 2023. Despite the slowdown, rents […]

When you are looking for a landlord insurance policy, you may look at one of the big-name comparison websites. While these can be a good starting point, they may not be the best way to find the right insurance policy. Saving a couple of pounds may be a false economy if you ever need to […]

Hello, I am looking for advice from Property118 readers, I issued a Section 8 notice to my tenant, who has since vacated the property. However, the tenant’s adult son, who is not listed on the tenancy agreement, still remains in the property which is causing me huge amounts of stress. I am struggling with options […]

Hi, I decided to rent my property through one of these guarantee rent agencies (who have contracts with the local council). I entered into a lease agreement with them for one year with the end date being the 5th of June. I also provided them with a gas safety certificate that ends on the 5th […]

Half of all tenants who moved in the past year say they faced difficulties finding a new property to rent which is an 8% increase from the previous year, research reveals. According to The Deposit Protection Service (DPS), the research suggests a tough market for renters, particularly younger tenants and those who are unemployed. It […]

Landlords in England and Wales are taking a stand against rising service charges, with a study revealing a 20% increase in applications to form ‘Right to Manage’ (RTM) or flat management companies.  The research by Direct Line found that service charges for leasehold flats are increasing by an average of 10% per year, with 7% […]

Propertymark is calling for more information from the Labour Party on its recent review of the private rented sector (PRS), which was published last week. The controversial review, led by the Labour Housing Group, proposed five key objectives, including rent controls, a big increase in social housing and the establishment of a compulsory National Landlords […]

Property taxes in Scotland surpassed £623 million over the past year – a slight increase of £3 million over the previous year, one lettings agency says. The analysis by DJ Alexander reveals that the Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT) generated the bulk of this revenue. The Additional Dwelling Supplement (ADS), which is a tax […]

Despite the council’s cabinet member for housing recognising that most landlords offer good quality housing, a selective licensing scheme will be implemented in Lambeth. And it will cost landlords a whopping £923 per property. Lambeth says its new scheme will target private rented properties to improve living conditions and tackle criminal landlords. It will also, […]

In a pointed one minute video message, Nottingham landlord Mick Roberts has responded to Ben Twomey, the chief executive of Generation Rent, who has criticised landlords and the Renters (Reform) Bill. Mr Twomey argues that the bill does not deliver on the government’s promise to end Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions. He said: “Everyone deserves to […]

Hi, we have a problem that we are hoping others can advise on please. We are using an eviction specialist to gain possession of our property (tenant has an AST dated 1999). The S21 was served and now we are going for a possession order. When we purchased the property (owned by a corporation) we […]

London boroughs have warned that the government’s plans for regulating short-term and holiday lets could worsen the capital’s housing crisis. The councils, from all political parties, say the government’s proposal could see a new planning ‘C5’ use class being created for properties that are already used as short-term lets. Now London Councils fear that automatically […]

Property investors are shifting their focus away from traditional hotspots like London and towards regions offering higher yields, research reveals. According to Handelsbanken, the East of England is now the most attractive region for commercial and residential investment over the next year (26.5%). Its ‘Property Investor Report’ questioned investors with an average of 35 properties […]

The UK’s buy to let mortgage market is seeing activity from several lenders with announcements of rate cuts, new product launches and simplified remortgage options. Among them is Fleet Mortgages which is targeting limited companies with new 65% loan-to-value (LTV) fixed-rate products. It is offering a zero-fee option at 5.64% and a 5.44% option with […]

A Labour government could bring in rent caps that would empower local councils to restrict annual rent increases by landlords. That’s a similar proposal to Scotland’s Housing Bill which has recently been unveiled. Rachel Reeves, the shadow chancellor, made the revelation during a BBC Radio Essex interview. She said that rent controls might be a […]

Greater Manchester is launching property checks to tackle substandard rented housing and to clampdown on criminal landlords. The Property Check scheme is a UK first and part of a £600,000 package aimed at improving rented housing ‘so it works for people, not against them’. The scheme, which could see Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service […]

House prices in the UK have reached a new record high, according to Rightmove, but the rate of growth is slowing. It says the average asking price for properties coming to market rose by 0.8% this month to £375,131, but this is only 0.6% higher than a year ago. The strong performance in May, a […]

Hi, I am currently in process of evicting one of my unpaying tenant using accelerated Section 21 route, I am under the impression that the court does not need a hearing if you don’t claim any unpaid rent. However, I received a notification stating that possession has been granted (with an order to follow), but […]