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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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, […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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%, […]

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, […]

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 […]

A law firm is warning landlords that they could face difficulties in evicting tenants if they fail to provide Gas Safety certificates before the start of the tenancy. Nelsons points to a recent County Court case, Byrne v Harwood-Delgado, which could offer more protection to tenants who have been served a Section 21 notice. According […]

A mortgage lender has launched a brand new mortgage portal now including buy to let mortgages. LendInvest’s new one-stop shop for all mortgage products provides brokers with a chance to easily access a comprehensive range of products. Following the latest redesign of the Mortgages Portal, buy-to-let customers can now find their updates and take steps […]

A tenant organisation is demanding new changes to the Renters (Reform) Bill claiming the current measures will still allow unfair evictions.  In a letter to Michael Gove, the Renters Reform Coalition wants tenants to be given four-month notice periods when being evicted, instead of the usual two months. The organisation is also calling for renters […]

Propertymark has urged the government to introduce specialist housing courts to handle eviction cases and other housing issues more efficiently and fairly. The organisation says that specialist housing courts, with expert judges, would reduce the burden on the County Courts, improve access to justice for both landlords and tenants, and speed up the resolution of […]

Buy to let lender Fleet Mortgages has unveiled a new look and website for its 10th year in business. The rebrand aims to show a modern image and reflect its increased size and scale, especially its recent expansion and its partnership with its owners, Starling Bank. Fleet’s chief commercial officer, Steve Cox, said: “We’re able […]

The Local Government Association (LGA) is urging the government to overhaul the Right to Buy (RTB) scheme which allows council tenants to purchase their homes at a discount, to address the acute shortage of social housing in the country. The LGA, which represents councils across England, said the current scheme was leading to a net […]

One firm is calling on the government to allow tax relief for landlords who improve the energy efficiency of their rental stock. Tax accountants Blick Rothenberg says landlords should claim income tax and or corporate tax relief if they improve EPC ratings on their properties. The firm is urging the Chancellor Jeremy Hunt to put […]

Hello, I recently let one of my properties on the basis that the prospective tenant had passed all the standard checks and was willing to pay 6 months rent upfront. I expected a statement and a deposit for 6 months rent into my account, less agent fees. Instead, I received a statement for 1 month […]