The average UK tenant is spending nearly 38.3% of their monthly income on rent which means many will be teetering on the edge of affordability, research reveals. Financial experts generally advise keeping the rent proportion of income below 40%. The findings from Canopy looked at tenant income and rent payments to calculate the rent-to-income ratio. […]

One of England’s largest councils announces it will not close its social housing waiting list. Birmingham City Council considered the option of closing its social housing list to new applicants in February but it has since announced its decision not to close waiting lists. The move comes after several councils in England, including Leeds, are […]

News that the Government is tweaking the Renters (Reform) Bill has been welcomed by landlords everywhere, not so much by the usual suspects, but this awful legislation really needs sinking. The proposed changes, including the abolition of section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions, do nothing to help the private rented sector (PRS) and only contribute to rising […]

UK house prices continued to rise year-on-year in March, although the pace of growth slowed compared to the previous month, Halifax reveals. Its house price index shows that annual property price growth came in at 0.3%, down from 1.6% in February. There was a slight dip in monthly prices too, with the average house price […]

Buy to let investors in England and Wales are reducing the size of their portfolios, despite healthy rental income growth, research reveals. According to Open Property Group, which analysed data on portfolio sizes and profitability, the average investor now holds 8.5 properties, a 1.6% year-on-year decline. However, the regional variations are stark with Yorkshire and […]

Rents in England continued their upward annual climb in March and while month-on-month prices remained flat, they rose 6.4% compared to March 2023, Goodlord reveals. The firm’s latest rental index also highlights that rents are now 28% higher than in March 2020, just before the pandemic lockdown. In 2020, the average rent for a property […]

The UK’s buy to let market is experiencing a significant slowdown, with a sharp decline in new lending and increasing financial pressures on landlords, according to the latest quarterly data. UK Finance has revealed that the value of new BTL mortgages in Q4 2023 plunged by 55.4% compared to the same period in 2022, reaching […]

Stricter regulations of landlords, including ending Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions, wouldn’t lead to a shortage of rental properties, one think tank says. New research from the Social Market Foundation (SMF) challenges the government’s justification for watering down the Renters (Reform) Bill. It says by studying other countries, England lags in tenant security with short tenancies […]

Landlords are now prioritising energy efficiency when purchasing a new investment property, according to new research. Data from The Mortgage Lender, reveals a quarter of landlords (25%) are now placing a strong emphasis on energy efficiency when buying new properties for their portfolios. This comes despite the government scrapping EPC targets which would have required […]

A new report reveals demand consistently outstripping supply in the rental market, leading many landlords to sell as their mortgage deals end. According to the latest figures from Propertymark’s Housing Insight Report, February saw a significant 26% decrease in the number of available rental properties. Rents also continue to fluctuate with member agents reporting rent […]

By now you’ve probably heard of Landlord Sales Agency, and our articles that suggest the market is in favour of landlords selling. But is this a genuine concern or is it another strategy designed to get landlords to ‘sell for less’? Recently a landlord reached out to us to question whether the buy-to-let industry really […]

Universal Credit claimants face a severe shortage of affordable rental properties, with a recent rise in housing benefit failing to keep pace with soaring rents. While Local Housing Allowance (LHA) will increase for the first time in four years from this week, research by Savills reveals a significant gap. It says that the average LHA […]

The housing crisis takes the lead as the most crucial issue for Generation Rent, according to a new poll. A survey by flatshare website SpareRoom reveals the top seven election issues for renters with the housing crisis beating the cost-of-living crisis and immigration. The poll also reveals that only 16% of renters can identify the […]

Single renters are feeling the pinch of rising rents more than ever with the percentage of people choosing to live alone dropping by 8% over the past three years. The research from deposit alternative provider, Reposit, reveals the big shift in living arrangements is down to tenants adapting to the cost-of-living crisis. This trend coincides […]

The best postcodes in Britain for buy to let investors seeking high rental yields have been revealed in a new study. According to Lomond, the estate and letting agency group, its research has found the strongest rental yields – and some of those have increased by the biggest annual margin. The study analysed property values […]

Most lenders take a fairly relaxed approach to interest-only, but I`m wondering if ones who are a bit pushy are within their rights? After interest rates rose so much we agreed to a period of interest-only with a repayment-type lender which they agreed to and put in writing. All payments have been met in full […]

Hello, Although I have bought the right to immediately extend my lease (Sec 42 by Vendor and Deed Of Assignment to me), the freeholder declines to respond on grounds that my title is not yet on the Land Register. I feel quite confident that this is wrong and he has to respond by the 2 […]

Hi, what are agents supposed to provide newbie tenants in Northern Ireland, before and after a tenancy is agreed ? In England the EICR, gas cert, EPC and How to Rent need to be served BEFORE the tenancy is signed. What about holding deposits? And when the rest of the deposit is paid? Tenancy signed […]

The effectiveness of selective licensing in improving housing standards is brought into question by a new report. The findings by PRS compliance company Yuno compare costly licensing schemes against the geographical disparity in properties meeting the decent homes standard. According to Yuno, some councils are charging more for selective or additional HMO licences than mandatory […]

Angela Rayner has again refused to publish the tax advice she has been given over selling her council house – as Greater Manchester Police (GMP) says it will reinvestigate the matter. The move follows criticism from Conservative Party deputy chairman, James Daly, of the police after they said there was nothing to investigate on whether […]

The Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie has defended the government’s new Housing Bill, which includes plans for rent control areas. He reassured landlords offering fair-priced, high-quality housing that they ‘have nothing to worry about’. The proposed Bill will task local authorities with evaluating its private rental market and recommending rent control measures to ministers. Among […]