The UK’s housing market has shown positive signs in the first quarter of 2024 with sales activity up 9% compared to the same period last year, according to Zoopla’s latest House Price Index. New listings have also increased by 20%. Zoopla says this growth is down to rising buyer confidence and helped by falling mortgage […]

Hi, I had an EICR booked and carried out at a small commercial property as the 5 years certificate was due to expire. The check identified a new fuse board was needed. I have now been issued with the EICR cert from a NICEIC registered tradesman along with the invoice, but don’t I also need […]

Hello, I am a big fan of the Times and Financial Times as these newspapers are usually reliable and have high quality journalists. However, I have written to the Times to explain why I am upset about one journalist and her story on why renting in the UK is so expensive. She – and most […]

A letting agent has been expelled from The Property Ombudsman (TPO) scheme for failing to address a landlord’s complaint and pay a £3,100 compensation award. The expulsion of Key Lettings and Property Management follows a series of issues including failing to register deposits, withholding rent payments, neglecting to provide crucial documents and ignoring the landlord’s […]

Paragon Bank has introduced new mortgage options for experienced landlords looking to expand their buy to let portfolios with a range of five-year fixed-rate products with both low fees and competitive rates. These new BTL deals are specifically designed for landlords who already own four or more BTL properties. Borrowers can choose between a fee […]

Despite calls for more regulation of landlords in the private rented sector (PRS), most tenants haven’t heard of the Renters (Reform) Bill which is currently going through Parliament. The Bill, which is the biggest change to the rental market in more than 30 years, proposes to end Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions and create a new […]

Tax season. Just the mention of it sends shivers down the spines of many landlords.  Paperwork piles up, receipts get lost, and the looming deadline of filing with HMRC creates a whirlwind of stress. But what if there was a way to transform tax season from a chaotic scramble into a streamlined breeze?  Introducing Lendlord […]

A landlord has told Property118 of his frustrations in dealing with the courts and rent tribunals – and warns that the abolition of Section 21 will bring in ‘tenancies for life’. Paul has 20 rented properties around the Fylde coast and says he is an ‘accidental landlord’ after a successful career with a Fortune 100 […]

Hi, I had a court hearing where we requested the judge to add the legal cost to the money order for 15 months of unpaid rent. As per the judge, this was not possible as my rental agreement does not have a clause for the tenant to pay the legal cost of eviction. Considering the […]

England’s county councils are urging the next government to establish a long-term housing strategy after research reveals a massive rise in rural renting over the past decade. The County Councils Network’s (CCN) report reveals that the rate of rural renting is outstripping that of London and major cities. In county and rural areas, households in […]

A fourth Scottish council has declared a housing emergency because of ‘extraordinary strain on its housing and homelessness services’. Fife now follows Glasgow, Edinburgh and Argyll and Bute after a full council meeting gave the call its backing. Cllr Judy Hamilton, the council’s spokesperson for housing, said: “We have worked very hard in recent months, […]

A charity is warning that a proposal under the Renters (Reform) Bill to introduce a property portal which could replace selective licensing will leave tenants at the ‘mercy of unscrupulous landlords’. Safer Renting believes that selective licensing shouldn’t be binned but the government should strengthen it with better enforcement and inspection. In a report based […]

Hello, Has anyone sued a letting agent? My daughter’s agent cost her almost £2,000 through their negligence. First, the tenant agreed to move out on 24/10/23, then asked the agents to extend his notice for another week and without consulting my daughter, the agents agreed to this. Meanwhile, she had set up repair work to […]

The ambitious overhaul of England’s leasehold system looks set to hit the buffers after Treasury officials quietly axed part of the reforms, The Times reports. The Housing Secretary, Michael Gove, has been pushing for leasehold reform saying leasehold is ‘outdated feudal system that needs to go’. However, it appears that the Treasury and Number 10 […]

“The Renters (Reform) Bill looms over most landlords like the Sword of Damocles”, is how one legal expert describes the current situation in the rental market. Gina Peters, head of landlord and tenant at law firm Dutton Gregory, says many landlords are on the verge of throwing in the towel as the Renters (Reform) Bill […]

Hello, I have received an email from Brent Council to apply for a landlord license, which I am working on now to meet the 1 April deadline. However, I remembered I haven’t heard from Ealing Council with regard to licencing a flat I am letting there. Upon checking Ealing Council’s website, I found out that […]

A journalist at The Sunday Times would like to hear from landlords who are in mortgage arrears or who have had a property repossessed, amid a surge in landlords being forced into the red by higher rates. Rachel Mortimer, the assistant money editor from The Times, would also like to speak with accidental landlords with […]

Scottish house prices have defied economic turmoil to surge by £12,379 in the last year, according to new figures.  Analysis DJ Alexander Ltd, Scotland’s largest estate agency, revealed a significant rise in average house prices from £177,949 in February 2023 to £190,328 in January 2024. This contrasts sharply with the rest of the UK, where […]

Hello, I currently have two properties, both of which have AST for 12 months. The current tenants have lived in the respective properties since 2020, pay their rent on time and keep the properties in a reasonable clean status. Since 2020, we have deliberately not increased the rent on either property, as we did not […]

While the controversial Renters (Reform) Bill is making its way through Parliament, most landlords don’t know what is in it, a survey finds. The Bill will deliver one of the biggest changes to England’s private rented sector. Among the issues are the end of fixed term tenancies and the abolition of Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions. […]

There has been a surge in Londoners leaving the capital with Epsom and Ewell, Epping Forest and Dartford topping the list of relocation hotspots, a survey reveals. The research from Savills found that between January 2022 and August 2023, 6% of all moves outside of London were from the capital. This figure jumps significantly in […]