Government policy and anti-landlord rhetoric are to blame for a 22,000 drop in rental homes across Scotland in one year, according to one organisation. A survey conducted by members of the Scottish Association of Landlords (SAL) reveals respondents have already withdrawn an average of 6.4% of their properties from the sector during 2023. Extrapolating this […]

Nearly four in 10 (38%) landlords are keen to add more properties to their portfolio in the next year, while two in 10 (20%) are planning to refurbish their existing properties, a survey reveals. The research from Lendlord found that 42% will focus on renting out their current properties, while 17% will seek to diversify […]

One million private renters who depend on Universal Credit are unable to cover their rent with the housing benefit they receive, the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) reveals. It has analysed government data and found that two-thirds of the 1.5 million households renting privately in Britain and receiving Universal Credit have a shortfall between their […]

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is expected to announce a £300 million tax crackdown on second-home owners who rent out their properties to tourists in the Budget, The Sunday Times reports. He will scrap a series of tax breaks for landlords who use the furnished holiday lets (FHL) regime, which allows them to deduct the full cost […]

Hi, as a landlord with over 20 years of experience in this business, I realise that we are not all made from the same cloth and we do not all hold the same political beliefs. Some of us are right-wing leaning and some left-wing but I hope we all have an interest in a balanced […]

Hi, I would like to know if my letting agent is in breach of contract.  This is the third time my letting agent has only paid half the amount of rent to me and then transfers the other half at a later date. This is not only frustrating but also disruptive to my financial planning […]

More than 30,000 renting households in London have faced a no-fault eviction claim since the government pledged to abolish them in 2019, according to new figures. Figures from the Ministry of Justice reveal the number of ‘no-fault eviction’ claims has risen 62% in the last year from 7,057 in 2022 to 11,457 in 2023 in […]

Landlords and residents are to be consulted on whether selective licensing schemes in six areas in one town should be extended. Burnley council introduced selective licensing in 2008 as part of its regeneration strategy to improve the quality and reputation of the private rented sector. According to a report by the council’s executive, selective licensing […]

2024 is set to be a challenging year for the private rented sector, according to new research. Propertymark says proposed legislative changes will greatly impact the rental sector. However, there is a glimmer of hope as an uptick in the number of properties available to rent is increasing easing the supply and demand burden. A […]

The Liberal Democrats are urging the government to act on its pledge to ban Section 21 no-fault evictions, as new data shows that homelessness has risen across the UK. According to the latest government statistics, 35,760 people faced the threat of homelessness between July and September 2023, a 3.1% increase from the previous year. Of […]

Tenants in Scotland are being advised to know their renting rights as the emergency measures to protect them from rent hikes and evictions will end on 1 April. The Scottish Government has launched an awareness campaign and the tenants’ rights minister, Patrick Harvie, said: “Our emergency legislation has led the way in the UK in […]

A friend has asked for my opinion, and help, however despite being a landlord I do not feel fully qualified to give proper advice as I have never experienced a problem with my tenants. All help will be gratefully appreciated and thanks in advance, please see below the tenants statement of events: – I wish […]

UPDATE – 03/03/2024 The Chartered Institute of Taxation has published and submitted the following to HMRC. LINK HERE ORIGINAL POST – dated 16th Feb 2024 HMRC has issued Scheme Reference Numbers for both the Substantial Incorporation Structure and the Capital Account Restructure under DOTAS legislation. The scheme reference number for the Substantial Incorporation Structure (SIS) […]

Council leaders from across the political spectrum have asked the housing secretary, Michael Gove, to support an amendment to the Renters (Reform) Bill that would give tenants more time to find a new home if they are evicted. Sky News says it has obtained a letter, signed by 103 local authority leaders, including the leader […]

Well, well, well, if it isn’t my old friend, the Ashton-under-Lyne foghorn Angela Rayner making headlines this week and turning uncharacteristically shy about her antics. Angela is the deputy leader of the Labour Party and the shadow housing secretary. She is also a former council house tenant who bought her home under the right-to-buy scheme […]

Hi, I am meant to have exchanged this week on a property which has had the attic converted to a holiday let (1 bedroom, Kitchen, Bathroom and Sitting Room) in either 1999 or 2000. It has been rented ever since and has separate council tax, a separate entrance and separate utilities so would count as […]

Foundation Home Loans, the specialist lender for intermediaries, has unveiled two new products for HMO landlords with fee assistance. The products are part of its buy to let brand, Buy to Let by Foundation. They have a 1.25% fee, no application fee and a free standard valuation and offer up to 75% LTV, with a […]

The UK’s housing market showed further signs of recovery in February, as house prices increased by 1.2% year-on-year, according to Nationwide. This was the first positive annual change since January 2023, when prices fell by 0.2%. On a monthly basis, prices rose by 0.7% last month, after adjusting for seasonal factors. House price rise is […]

Homeless families in one Welsh area will benefit from a new housing scheme launched by the local council, which has bought and renovated 17 properties with the help of Welsh Government funding. Caerphilly County Borough Council has used the Transitional Accommodation Capital Programme, an initiative to address and prevent homelessness, to buy and refurbish 17 […]

More landlords are struggling to pay their mortgages than ever before, new data reveals. Octane Capital, a specialist property lender, has analysed data from UK Finance which shows that 13,570 landlords fell behind on their mortgage payments in the last quarter of 2023. That’s a shocking 93% rise from the first quarter of the same […]

Social housing landlords will have to follow new standards from April, the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) has announced. The new standards are part of the Social Housing Regulation Act, a landmark law that aims to improve the lives of social housing tenants. The standards will cover tenant safety, complaint handling, accountability, fairness, respect, home […]