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 […]

Private rents in the UK reached record highs in January with the average rent paid by tenants rising by 6.2%. That’s according to the latest report from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and its rental index reveals this is the joint-highest since January 2016. The ONS said that the rise in private rents was […]

The UK’s housing market showed signs of recovery in December 2023, as house price falls slowed down and new-build values soared, according to the latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The ONS reports that the average house price across the UK was £285,000 in December 2023, a drop of 1.4% from the […]

Hello, in a last-ditch attempt to remain in property rental, I have discussed a 7-year lease with Serco to house asylum seekers. My property is on the market as I will not accept the abolition of section 21, tenant’s free legal advice, and Labour’s plans to sneak in tenancy for life, etc. They have offered […]

Hi, we ran a letting agency for a few years and are landlords ourselves. We used a referencing agency for referencing tenants and allowed a lady in our property based on her having no CCJs, a good credit history and an affordable income. In fact, we went further and took out a rent guarantee policy […]

Landlords are having to spend more than £1,000 every year on maintaining and repairing their rental properties. According to a report by Fixflo landlords spend an average of £535 a year fixing leak-related issues. The maintenance management company has compiled a list of the most common emergency repairs in the UK. Water and leak emergencies […]

A popular event for landlords is returning for its first show in 2024. The National Landlord Investment Show returns to Olympia London on 6 March 2024 bringing together thousands of landlords and property professionals. The jam-packed show now in its 11th year offers the latest advice and insight for landlords. Big year for the private […]

The government is being urged to take action to prevent a potential crisis in the student rental market as fed-up landlords increasingly look to sell, warns Propertymark. The professional body for the property sector points to a survey by Save the Student, a student money advice website, which found that nearly 40% of undergraduates have […]