Councils in London are tightening their grip on landlords and letting agents who fail to comply with selective licensing rules as fines have already broken through the £10 million barrier this year, research reveals. This surge comes alongside a predicted record number of new licensing schemes aimed at improving tenant rights and housing standards. A […]

A sharp rise in rental market competition is fuelling a surge in tenancy application fraud, according to new data.  An analysis by tenant referencing firm Goodlord found a staggering 140% increase in fraudulent applications between 2022 and 2023. The most common tactic involves manipulating payslips, with applicants either inflating their income or altering the source […]

Poorly insulated homes will cost £340 more to heat from April, according to new research. Data by the Energy and Climate Change Intelligence Unit (ECIU) reveals homes with an EPC rating of F will face the biggest increase with a 50% rise in gas bills. Even homes rated as D will face a 15% hike […]

Hi, 18 years ago, we managed to rent our three bedroom, end of terrace property to the council but it left us with a financial burden. The council did the original contract and over the years the price of bills, and market rates all increased except our rental income. We ended up with a huge […]

A leading firm of property solicitors is reporting a rise in disputes between landlords and tenants – and points to a ‘media frenzy’ as being partly responsible. Dutton Gregory Solicitors says that media focus on disrepair complaints – particularly over damp and mould – and a lack of government support for the buy to let […]

Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie has defended Scotland’s rent cap saying that ‘many thousands’ of tenants have been helped and that predictions that landlords would leave the sector were ‘false’. The tenants’ rights minister was speaking at the Scottish Greens conference, and he offered a robust defence of the rent cap. Mr Harvie said his […]

Manchester’s M14 postcode, which includes Fallowfield, Rusholme, Old Moat and Ladybarn, is the UK’s most popular location for buy to let investors with four or more properties, research reveals. The findings from Paragon show that the area’s proximity to both Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan Universities makes it a prime location for student housing. The lender […]

Hello, We would like to revoke a Declaration of Trust currently in my husband’s name to reflect the usual 50:50 split as tenant’s in common. The tenants in one of our properties have told us they are going to move away – probably in the summer. With the Renters Reform Bill looming etc we have […]

First-time buyers in Britain still face a significant financial hurdle despite receiving help from family when it comes to saving for a deposit, research reveals. The findings from estate agents Yopa found that deposit contributions from the ‘Bank of Mum and Dad and substantial, but still leave buyers needing to save a considerable amount themselves. […]

The UK’s private rented sector (PRS) is seeing a surge in tenant demand, with a new report revealing a significant increase across most counties in England.  Zero Deposit analysed rental data and found tenant demand rose by 1.5% in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the previous quarter. This means nearly a third (31.8%) […]

London’s mayor, Sadiq Khan, says he is the ‘renter’s champion’ and is committing to building 6,000 ‘affordable’ homes by 2030 with rents tied to the earnings of key workers. Mr Khan was speaking at the launch of his third mayoral bid and will use powers he has already to cap the rent for these homes […]

Hi, apologies if this is a dumb question but my wife is the leaseholder on one of the fout flats in a converted double fronted terraced property. The freeholder also owns one of the other three flats. The frontal layout of the building has a central door with two flats on either side of the […]

Despite a recent cooling down in rent price growth, renters are likely to see their housing costs rise faster than their earnings in the coming years, a new report reveals. The think tank Resolution Foundation says average rents could rise by 13% over the next three years, as today’s high market rates work their way […]

As landlords, we are forever accommodating new changes, a major procedural one will be the switch to (Make Tax Digital) MTD – April 2026 for some and April 2027 for the rest. This is widely understood to increase workload? As someone with many years experience of being an IT programmer and systems architect I do […]

Hi, I am a new landlord and the police carried out a welfare call at the property. The police would not share any details with myself. When they forced entry the tenant was inside the property and the case was closed. There is now a damaged door which needs replacing. Do I pay for this […]

Hi, a recent inspection received from my managing agent revealed substantial water damage to the upstairs bathroom walls and flooring and also damage to the walls and ceiling of the downstairs cloakroom underneath. My builder believes the damage was caused over many months if not years by the tenants being careless when bathing/showering and some […]

Hi, just read a new article on the NRLA website. This one seems to come out of the blue to me. Never heard of it until now. Is anyone else none the wiser? Not heard about any consultation or anything yet this looks a done deal! Thoughts everyone? EPCs are changing: what does this mean […]

Join Ranjan Bhattacharya for a podcast with Immanuel Ezekiel, a seasoned veteran in the world of property development. In this exclusive episode, Immanuel shares his wealth of wisdom and insights on how to thrive as a property developer. From identifying lucrative opportunities to overcoming challenges, Immanuel’s expertise will inspire and empower aspiring developers. Whether you’re […]

A comprehensive review of the private rented sector (PRS) which was commissioned by Labour, is nearing its conclusion, the website LabourList reveals. The review is expected to be published soon after the local elections on 2 May. In early 2023, Lisa Nandy, the former Shadow Levelling Up and Housing Secretary, entrusted the review to Stephen […]

Hello Folks, I am in the process of completing the Leaseholder deed of certificate and I need some help. On question 1 of the qualifying lease criteria, I am confused, about whether additional properties purchased in Limited company should be considered. Here is my situation – 1 Leasehold BTL purchased from builder in 2017 1 […]

The average UK tenant is spending nearly 38.3% of their monthly income on rent which means many will be teetering on the edge of affordability, research reveals. Financial experts generally advise keeping the rent proportion of income below 40%. The findings from Canopy looked at tenant income and rent payments to calculate the rent-to-income ratio. […]