Second home council tax premiums are costing the public purse an estimated £383 million a year, according to research from Colliers. The business rates specialist says councils trying to double bills on second homes are instead pushing more owners into the business rates system, where many then pay nothing. Colliers says 85% of local authorities […]

The government has announced new reforms to Right to Buy as part of efforts to overhaul and support councils. The flagship policy, introduced by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s, was designed to give council tenants in England and Wales the right to purchase their homes from local authorities. However, the scheme has proven […]

Social housing landlords will need to carry out mandatory electrical safety checks or face a £40,000 fine. Under new legislation, social housing landlords will need to have electrical installations, as well as any electrical equipment they supply, inspected and tested at least once every five years to confirm they are safe. Landlords in the private […]

Despite ongoing pressure in the private rented sector, landlords remain resilient, with new data showing most are still making a profit. Research by lender Foundation reveals that 84% of landlords report their lettings activity is profitable, with average rental yields edging up to 6.5%. The figures come after the Renters’ Rights Act came into force […]

There was a time when growth was the natural direction of travel for landlords. Acquiring more properties, refinancing to release equity and steadily expanding a portfolio was not just common, it was expected. Progress was measured in scale, but that is no longer the case. A growing number of landlords now find themselves in a very […]

The government claims its reforms will reduce the number of possession cases reaching the courts, despite industry experts warning of an overload in the court system. In answer to a written question, Baroness Leavitt said that because only cases with clear, well-evidenced grounds will be able to proceed, court demand should fall. However, as the […]

More than 1,000 landlords a day have been contacting a landlord association, with many feeling apprehensive now that the Renters’ Rights Act is in force. The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) told The Express that landlords are particularly concerned about fines of up to £40,000 for those who repeatedly break the rules. Under the Renters’ […]

Small landlords built the PRS, but rising costs, tougher rules and the loss of Section 21 are pushing many of the most experienced investors towards the exit. Reading Property118 this week, it appears that we are witnessing the beginning of the end for the ‘individual’ investor. To me, the backbone of the sector is not […]

An editorial opinion piece in the Guardian claims the Renters’ Rights Act is a “welcome step forward for the private rented sector, but there’s a long way to go”. The article claims “the rush by landlords to evict people and boost their incomes” shows why change was needed. However, as previously reported by Property118, industry […]

A surprising city has been named as the strongest location for tenants looking for homes to rent, according to Pepper Money. Its analysis reveals that Chichester, not London or Oxford, ranks first with 659 searches per 10,000 people, ahead of Exeter on 369 and Bath and North East Somerset on 340. The lender’s new rent […]

Tenant swaps may become one of the less glamorous, but increasingly problematic, bit of how the Renters’ Rights Act changes how tenancies operate, mydeposits has warned. The deposit protection provider says letting agents and landlords are likely to face more cases where one tenant leaves a shared home and another moves in while the same […]

Experience was once the biggest advantage a landlord could have. It meant better buying decisions, stronger relationships with lenders, and a clearer understanding of how to navigate the inevitable ups and downs of the market. Over time, that experience usually translated into larger portfolios, lower borrowing and a more resilient position overall. What is becoming increasingly […]

Landlords should begin preparing for the Decent Homes Standard sooner rather than later, a firm has claimed. Conveyancing firm Compare My Move is urging landlords to get ahead of the 2035 deadline to identify and address issues within their properties. Under the new standard, landlords will be required to meet certain criteria. These include ensuring […]

House prices dipped for a second month in April, with Halifax putting the average home’s price tag at £299,313. That’s £296 lower than in March, after values edged down by 0.1% during the month. The lender said annual house price growth slowed to 0.4%, down from 0.8% in March, following what it described as a […]

A landlord association has warned the Renters’ Rights Act could hamper energy efficiency improvement plans. In a post on its website, the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) said that previously landlords could wait for a tenancy to end or use Section 21 to create a void period in which to carry out improvement works. However, […]

A government consultation to tighten Right to Rent (RtR) checks, has led the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) to declare that revisions to the code would not address deeper issues within the policy. It said it “welcomes the updated code of practice, but we have serious reservations about right to rent checks and their discriminatory […]

Average rents rose for the second month in a row in April, with tenants paying £1,325 a month across the UK, according to the latest HomeLet index. The figure was up 1.1% from £1,311 in March and 2.1% higher than the £1,298 recorded in April last year. Outside Greater London, average rents reached £1,135, up […]

Nearly 700 former homes to rent are listed for sale every day as legislation piles pressure on landlords, according to new data. Research by Savills reveals that 254,000 previously let buy-to-let homes were listed for sale in the past 12 months to the end of March, equivalent to 697 properties per day. The amount of […]

A clear pattern is emerging within the private rented sector, and it is being shaped by experience rather than inexperience. The landlords most likely to reduce their portfolios are not new entrants testing the market. They are long-established investors who have already built, refined and, in many cases, de-risked their positions over time. These are […]

A Freedom of Information request reveals that the government’s mandatory Renters’ Rights Act information sheet was downloaded 153,000 times in the first four weeks after publication. That’s despite there being 2.3 million private landlords in England who are required to serve it on tenants by 31 May. The data was obtained by Landlord Studio from […]

Two very popular questions on Landlord Facebook groups at the moment are: QUESTION 1: Has anybody got a good CGT calculator? QUESTION 2: Where are landlords investing their surplus cash after selling their rental properties? My stock answer to these questions is: HMRC has the best free online CGT calculators. Book a consultation with Property118, […]