Among the promises being made by Reform UK to boost the UK’s private rented sector (PRS) is a pledge to abolish section 24 in its first 100 days in office. Section 24 was introduced in the Finance Act 2015 by the then Chancellor George Osbourne which removed a landlord’s ability to offset all of their […]

Two buy to let lenders have revealed a raft of new rates for BTL mortgages. First up is specialist BTL lender CHL Mortgages which has revamped its buy to let product range, including significantly lowering rates and introducing new criteria for landlords. Ross Turrell, the commercial director, said: “This range refresh is the latest example […]

Hello everyone, I recently had a side extension built next to our main home. It has its own front and back door and there are no doors between our property and the new building. It’s one room and is self-contained, meaning it has its own bathroom and kitchen. If in the future we decide to […]

The London lettings market is returning to a ‘normalised’ with a rise in property listings, according to Foxtons. The firm’s data shows a big rise in property listings in May compared to April (36%) – which is 10% higher than last year. This growth in available properties has reduced competition among renters, allowing them to […]

I have discovered that, although my tenants are still paying their rent to me in full, they moved out of the house some weeks ago and are now living in a chalet in a nearby holiday park. They have been my tenants for the last six years, and apart from the fact that they lived […]

The UK’s housing market is showing resilience despite the upcoming General Election with the average price now £375,110 – a drop of just £21 on May’s figure. That’s according to Rightmove which adds that the minor adjustment mirrors the typical seasonal trajectory seen in previous years. There are still geographic price disparities as homes in […]

Hi, I live in a small block of flats (6), with six individual owners on the outskirts of Glasgow. The communal charge is low, at £30 a month, but only 5 owners are paying. The non-payer is a lawyer who says he is under no legal obligation to pay the service charge. Can anyone give […]

“Abolish Section 21 from day one” I’m assuming Labour would use ‘COVID style special powers’ to do this, as primary legislation would take us into next year. Question – would abolishing, include cases where the S21 legal process has already been started? I imagine some of these will have been running for over a year, […]

One of the most common questions landlords ask is how to give notice to end a tenancy. To address this, I’ve crafted this article to explore the various scenarios under which a standard Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST) may be terminated and to outline the correct processes for each situation. Throughout this article, we will assume […]

A landlord organisation has released a manifesto outlining 14 recommendations including a bold reform for Section 21. ihowz says the recommendations aim to create a fair and efficient rental market that works for landlords and tenants. Recommendations include fair taxation for landlords and training for landlords and tenants. Two months Rather than abolish Section 21, […]

Sandwell Council says it will use additional licensing to tackle the ‘poor management of properties’ and the scheme will cover all HMOs (Houses in Multiple Occupation) with three or more occupants. This new borough-wide scheme aims to improve housing standards and tackle anti-social behaviour – though the council is warned ‘there is a risk that landlords […]

As a landlord, ensuring timely and reliable rent collection is crucial to maintaining a steady cash flow and reducing administrative headaches. The method you choose for collecting rent can significantly impact both your efficiency and your tenants’ satisfaction. In the UK, landlords have several options, including Standing Orders and Direct Debits. Utilising a specialised Direct […]

I’ve got election overload. The editorial team thought it might be time for something slightly different, and so an article journaling my relatively fast rise to being a landlord in volume would make sense. I’ll start by saying – the property world is full of fluff. Puffery, they call it in American commercial law – […]

Well, what do landlords make of the political party manifestos this week? The big one is Labour which is promising to ban Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions on day one. There’s still no indication of how they will do that. The Tories say they will resurrect the Renters (Reform) Bill which has been such a success […]

There has been a surge in tenant requests for eco-friendly features in rental properties as 92% of investors report this rise, research reveals. The survey by Handelsbanken found that more tenants have been asking about sustainable features like heat pumps and solar panels in the past year. Plus, more than a quarter (28%) of renters […]

The Labour Party has launched its manifesto, with promises to help “protect renters from arbitrary evictions.” Manifesto pledges include abolishing Section 21 and setting energy efficiency targets. The NRLA says they “stand ready to work” with a Labour government while Shelter says rental reforms are needed now more than ever. Fair to renters and landlords […]

The number of tenancies ending in disputes that cost more than five weeks’ rent from the deposit has risen, research reveals. According to Reposit, a deposit alternative provider, the number of deposit claims that exceed the deposit value has risen from 13% to 17% this year. The firm analysed its own data on tenancies that […]

Solutions by Foundation, the specialist BTL brand of Foundation Home Loans, has introduced a new product line called ‘HMO Plus’. It is aimed at landlords seeking financing for HMOs requiring commercial valuations, such as a property with multiple kitchens. HMO Plus caters to HMOs with up to six occupants/bedrooms that fall outside the scope of […]

Reading Borough Council is seeking feedback from landlords on a new licensing scheme designed, it claims, to improve the quality of private rented housing for tenants. The consultation proposes extending the current house in multiple occupation (HMO) licensing scheme to include properties with three or four occupants. Currently, Reading only licenses HMOs with five or […]

One of the main challenges property investors face is running out of deposit money, which means they have to stop investing. But what if you could get all of your property deals funded without using your own money? I’m excited to share my proven 3-step process that will allow you to secure 100% funding for […]

Labour pledges to immediately ban Section 21 to “stop renters from being exploited.” The party’s manifesto simply dubbed “change” promises to “overhaul the regulation of the private rented sector” by introducing measures such as all homes in the PRS need to meet energy efficiency standards by 2030. Other policies include introducing Awaab’s law to the […]