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 The Housing Secretary, Michael Gove, has been pushing for leasehold reform saying leasehold is ‘outdated feudal system that needs to go’.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 […]

In a worrying turn of events this week, The Guardian reported alarming news for landlords who might still be holding on to their property portfolios. It heralded “The end of landlords” with the suggestion that the Government should start to veer towards a “surprisingly simple solution to the UK housing crisis” which could see them […]

Angela Rayner has slammed the allegations of tax evasion over her council house sale as a ‘smear’ in a BBC Newsnight interview. The deputy Labour Party leader insists there was ‘no wrongdoing’ or ‘unlawfulness’ in the sale of her Stockport home. The allegations first appeared in the Daily Mail and a biography by Lord Ashcroft, […]

Hello, any advice is much appreciated. I have an unlicensed HMO in Newham which I need to draw to an end with minimum financial ruin…. I was living there with 2 lodgers. 6 months ago I moved out and another lodger moved in. They are all on lodger agreements – are you understanding that this […]

Foundation Homeloans, are one of the more flexible lenders and recently had a bit of a shake-up.  Landlords will be interested in some of the quirks: They have a ‘solution’ based approach where they will consider most cases and let us know if they can help. Speaking to their lending manager recently, he has expressed […]

I think this might be of interest to landlords and others who feel under the cosh of government. A new book (albeit with an American perspective) Everyday Freedom: Designing the Framework for A Flourishing Society by Philip Howard has lessons for us. Howard explains why government functions so poorly and why bureaucracy and litigiousness have […]

Curious about how the Bank of England’s interest rate decisions sway property prices? In this video, Ranjan Bhattacharya breaks down the complex relationship between interest rates and the housing market. Discover the key factors driving interest rate changes and learn how they influence property values. From analysing historical data to predicting future trends, Ranjan offers […]

Landlords worried about tenants with pets might be interested in research about pet-loving Brits who are forking out millions on DIY repairs caused by their furry friends running amok at home. Under the Renters (Reform) Bill, landlords won’t be able to refuse a home to a tenant with a pet without good reason. Now, research […]

The average UK rent has risen by 7.8% to £1,223 in the past year, but the pace of growth is starting to slow, Zoopla reveals. The property portal says this growth slowdown will continue this year – it is predicting a 5% rise in rents in 2024. One reason for that is that tenant demand […]