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Landbay's sales and distribution director, Rob Stanton wearing a light blue suit and white shirt

Landbay launches fee-free five-year fixed-rate BTL mortgages

20th February 2024

Landbay has announced the launch of two new fee-free five-year fixed-rate mortgages for landlords, with competitive rates and flexible terms. The first product is a standard five-year fixed-rate mortgage at 5.69%, which can be borrowed up to 75% of the property value, with a maximum loan amount of £1.5 million. The second product is part […]

professional portrait of a young man in a suit representing tenant advocacy in the Renters’ Rights Bill debate

Government’s holiday let crackdown ‘not enough’, warns renters’ group

20th February 2024

A renters’ group has criticised the government’s plans to curb the growth of short term lets, saying they are insufficient and could backfire. The Housing Secretary Michael Gove announced yesterday (Monday) that future short term lets would need planning permission. He also said that a national register would be set up to ensure safety and […]

Paragon launches new BTL mortgages for portfolio landlords

20th February 2024

Portfolio landlords can benefit from six new buy to let mortgage products launched by Paragon Bank which are part of a limited-edition range. The products offer five-year fixed rates at up to 65% loan-to-value (LTV). They have been designed for landlords who own four or more buy-to-let properties, either in personal name or through limited […]

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I need help with a personal injury claim against me?

20th February 2024

Hello, I am a landlord of a newly developed building. Due to a storm I had to move a tenant into one of my vacant flats. The flat had been completed 1 year prior and was in excellent condition. The tenant then had a friend staying, a rather large lady who, from what I gather, […]

Agent went bust without protecting client deposit!

20th February 2024

Hello, my agent (a company, so no chance of getting anything back) went bust without protecting my tenant’s deposit. I presume that I am still liable for reimbursing the deposit, even though I have not received it, and also lose protection because it wasn’t protected within 14 days of the receipt. What is the way […]

Joint landlord but single name on a PCOL application?

20th February 2024

Hello, we have both landlord names on the AST and other paperwork which is all in order. But when you register as an “Individual” on the Possession Claims Online (PCOL) website, there’s no option to add a 2nd claimant, i.e., the other landlord. Therefore, on the court application, there’s only one landlord named. The judge […]

UK housing market sees first value drop in a decade

20th February 2024

The total value of all homes across the UK has dipped for the first time since 2012. According to figures by Savills, the total value of UK homes now stands at £8.678 trillion. The analysis of the UK’s housing stock reveals that the total value has fallen marginally on 2022 – when values peaked – […]

Social housing tenant complaints could exceed 1 million

20th February 2024

The number of complaints being made by social housing tenants could be much higher than the official figures suggest, a new report reveals. Housing data expert Housemark says that complaints from residents who are dissatisfied with the service they receive from their landlord could exceed 1 million. The report, based on Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSM) […]

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Gove unveils new rules to curb short-term lets

19th February 2024

The government has announced new rules to restrict short-term lets and give local communities more control over housing. The changes, unveiled by Secretary of State for Levelling Up Housing and Communities, Michael Gove, will require planning permission for future short-term lets and create a mandatory national register to provide valuable information and help ensure accommodation […]

HMO licence – Consistency of the Public Register?

19th February 2024

Hello, I recently obtained an HMO licence and, to my horror, found out that my home address will be included in the public register. Anybody can search this register online and obtain my home address. There seems to be no consistency between various councils as to what is publicly published. Medway Council publishes online a […]

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How do I get access to fix a water leak?

19th February 2024

Hello, I have a ground floor flat with one flat above. I have water leaking through the bathroom ceiling from the flat above. The flat owner said he has no problem and has refused access to the flat for an independent plumber to check the pipes etc. The managing company do not want to know […]

Man reviewing tenant issue at desk with documents and laptop

Help needed to file N325 warrant of possession via PCOL

19th February 2024

Hi everyone, I got the possession order on 6th February and the tenant is ordered to leave by 20th Feb. I don’t think he will move out so I’m hoping to get the N325 ready and file it online via the Possession Claims Online (PCOL) process. However, I am unable to see any action available […]

Illustration of houses with the word eviction, symbolising Section 21 rental evictions

Do I need to serve Section 8 now or later?

19th February 2024

Hello, is there a time limit on how long landlords have to serve a Section 8 repossession notice for Rent Arrears? I have a property with a Universal Benefit tenant who has amassed 6 months’ worth of rent arrears. I believe her when she tells me that this is because the DSS has failed to […]

Call for landlords who have used rent-to-rent operators

19th February 2024

The Government is looking to regulate the practice of rent-to-rent under the Renters (Reform) Bill, where landlords let their properties to a third party who then sublet them to tenants. The move will see landlords being made liable for the behaviour of rent-to-rent operators and allow rent repayment orders to be issued against them. Now, […]

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Home sellers and buyers return to the market – Zoopla

19th February 2024

Lower mortgage rates and a backlog of demand from the last six months of 2023, which has continued into February, has seen the UK’s housing market begin the year with strong momentum, Zoopla reveals. The property platform says there is 11% more buyer demand than the same period last year. Also, those buyers are active […]

Housing market is showing signs of recovery as prices and sales edge up

19th February 2024

The UK’s housing market is showing signs of recovery, with prices rising slightly and sales surging, according to a report by Rightmove. The property website said that the average asking price for a new seller increased by 0.9% (+£3,091) this month to £362,839, reversing the downward trend of the previous six months. Compared to a […]

Letting agent slams ‘unrealistic’ safety rules for Scotland’s landlords

19th February 2024

A leading Edinburgh letting agent has criticised the new safety regulations for private landlords in Scotland, calling them ‘unrealistic’. Clan Gordon, which manages more than 650 rental properties in the city, says the latest changes to the Repairing Standard Guidance are unfair and impractical for landlords to comply with by the 1 March deadline. The […]

Matt Hutchinson discussing the government’s second homes policy and housing shortage

Spareroom urges reforms to tackle rental crisis

19th February 2024

Spareroom is demanding the government take action against the rental crisis. The flatshare website says residential lets have become a less appealing option for landlords due to government changes. The website has listed changes they would like the government to implement to tackle the challenges in the private rented sector. Raising the rent-a-room scheme threshold […]

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Rent price growth slows down – but rents will still beat inflation in 2024

19th February 2024

The annual increase in rents for new lettings in Great Britain dropped to 8.3% in January, the lowest level since December 2022, research reveals. According to a report by Hamptons, rent price growth has lost momentum since August 2023, when it reached a record high of 12%. In December 2023, it was still at 10.2%, […]

Knight-themed Landlord Crusader logo symbolizing landlord advocacy

When politicians use weasel words, tenants lose their homes

16th February 2024

Who knew that weasel words could leave tenants homeless? Who knew that weasel words can mean the opposite of what they do mean? I’m talking about Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions that are in the news, thanks to Michael Gove announcing they will be banned before the next election. But WHAT will be banned? Everyone, Gove, […]

Neighbours’ anti-social behaviour parking?

16th February 2024

Hello, Can someone help with advice on what we could do with neighbours who refuse to remove their parked cars from in front of their garages, which prevents our use of our garage. We own a holiday let cottage which is in a block of five properties, adjacent to the cottages there are our respective […]