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Landbay's sales and distribution director, Rob Stanton wearing a light blue suit and white shirt

Landbay cuts BTL rates as swap rates fall

9th November 2023

Landbay has announced a second round of rate reductions in just over a week, taking advantage of the falling swap rates in the money markets. The specialist buy to let lender has cut its rates by up to 0.30% across its two and five-year fixed rate products, offering some of the lowest rates in the […]

Pic of old houses for HMO property118.com

Change to LA’s HMO quantity – valid reason for tenant’s action?

9th November 2023

Hi, the situation: Landlord has rented out their 4-bed house to 4 tenants for a number of years, but now needs to sell the property. S21s were issued, and all the tenants left. One ex-tenant has now threatened to sue the LL due to a recent change in the local authority’s occupant number that constitutes […]

Londoners face homelessness crisis due to housing benefit freeze

9th November 2023

Up to 60,000 Londoners who rent privately are at risk of becoming homeless in the next six years unless the government increases the housing benefit they receive, a new report warns. The report, commissioned by London Councils, a cross-party group representing the 32 boroughs and the City of London, estimates that between 16,500 and 22,000 […]

Section 24 tax grab?

9th November 2023

Hello, I’ll keep this short as those that know and those that don’t can find better explanations than I can give. Last year’s rent rise for my tenants was 10% based solely on the effect of S24, the same will happen this year for the same reason. What is being done by the industry to […]

Fleet Mortgages reduces rates on five-year fixed products

9th November 2023

Fleet Mortgages has lowered its rates on all five-year fixed products for standard and limited company borrowers. The rate cuts, effective from 8 November, are 20 basis points (bps) across the board. The products affected by the rate reductions are: Standard/limited company borrowers – five-year fixed-rate at 70% LTV now at 5.14% and 75% LTV […]

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No right to public funds?

9th November 2023

Hello, I have been approached by a wife and husband couple who are both skilled workers from abroad (care/nursing), they have been granted leave to enter (restricted work) but who have National Insurance numbers but no recourse to public funds, looking to rent my property. The visa expires Dec 2024. It looks like they have […]

UK rents rise as supply falls and house prices remain subdued

9th November 2023

The UK rental market is facing a supply-demand imbalance with rents expected to rise by 4% in the next year, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) reveals. Meanwhile, the house price outlook remains gloomy, with no signs of recovery soon. According to the RICS UK Residential Survey for October, tenant demand increased modestly in […]

King Charles confirms plans for abolishing section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions

8th November 2023

King Charles has delivered his first King’s Speech as monarch, setting out the government’s legislative agenda for the year ahead. The speech outlined 21 bills that ministers aim to pass in the next Parliamentary session, which will last until autumn 2024. Among the key proposals was confirmation that the Renters (Reform) Bill would progress and […]

Angela Rayner accuses Conservatives of neglecting housebuilding

8th November 2023

Labour has promised “to achieve more on housing in six months than the Tories have in six years”. Shadow Housing Secretary Angela Rayner vowed a Labour government would abolish no-fault evictions and support house building. In her commitment to addressing the housing crisis, Ms Rayner said “Labour is the only party serious about housing”. No […]

landlord news house prices uk property118.com

No crash in sight: UK house prices defy expectations of a fall

8th November 2023

Economists have revised their forecasts for UK house prices, saying they will not fall this year as the property market defies expectations of a crash, the Telegraph reports. Capital Economics, an economic research group, had previously predicted a 5% drop in house prices for 2023, but now says they will end the year with no […]

New management company appear out of thin air demanding thousands?

8th November 2023

Hello, I bought a 999 year leasehold flat in January 2015. Despite thorough searches by my solicitors, no management company was identified and the local London council who was the original freeholder wrote a reply stating that they were not the freeholder. Roll on to March 2023 and a Management Company that I have never […]

Airbnb survey sparks legal warning for UK tenants and landlords

8th November 2023

A survey by Airbnb, the online platform for short-term rentals, has revealed that most UK renters want to sub-let rooms in their homes to earn extra money. However, a leading landlord law expert has warned that this practice is illegal and highly risky for both tenants and landlords under current legislation. The survey, which was […]

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Resolving prepayment meter dispute?

8th November 2023

Hello, I repossessed my student property to find the main house electricity supply meter, situated in a bedroom, had been changed to a prepayment meter without my knowledge. I’ve renovated the house as an HMO (It’s in an Article 4 area), and now I want the utility company to return the credit meter. They say […]

Propertymark representative discusses rent control concerns in Scotland

Leading industry body slams rent controls in Scotland

8th November 2023

One leading industry body has warned that there are no advantages to introducing more rent controls in Scotland. In a discussion with Scottish government officials, Propertymark urged ministers to look at evidence of rent controls in other countries where rent controls are currently in place and are unsuccessful. Scottish ministers introduced a 3% cap on […]

One in three landlords are planning to incorporate

7th November 2023

A third of landlords who own rental property in their personal name are planning to switch to a limited company structure in the next three years, research reveals. Paragon Bank says it surveyed more than 1,000 landlords and also found that 37% said it was unlikely that they would incorporate. The main reason for not […]

Lawyer writing notes at desk with legal scales and gavel.

Section 8 query – do I need a solicitor?

7th November 2023

Hi, I’m new to the forum and can anyone help? I’ve got a lodger who has had a section 8 served on 20th Sept. The main ground is ‘landlord moving back into property’. There are other discretionary grounds including arrears but not 2 months or more, the assured tenancy period has lapsed and, sorry to […]

UK house prices bounced back in October after six-month slump

7th November 2023

The UK’s house prices rose by 1.1% in October to end a six-month slump of price falls. However, the Halifax house price index reveals that prices are still down by 3.2% in the year to September. The average house is now worth £281,974 – which is £40,000 higher than before the pandemic. Halifax says that […]

Right to manage company adding a director?

7th November 2023

Hi, We have a RTM (Right to Manage) Ltd company running our block, of which out of the 12 properties, 6 owners are directors who set up the company and paid all the fees to take over – approx £4k. My question is, if someone existing or a new owner wants to be a director, […]

Landbay's sales and distribution director, Rob Stanton wearing a light blue suit and white shirt

Landlords split on selling property amid rising costs

7th November 2023

Landlords in the UK have different plans for their portfolios in the next 12 months, with two-thirds (66%) of landlords not wanting to sell any of their property, research reveals. The findings from Landbay also show that one-third (34%) are considering selling some or all of their property – but just 10% of these landlords […]

Scottish housing minister denies rent cap is causing housing crisis

7th November 2023

The SNP’s housing minister has refuted claims that the government’s rent cap policy is exacerbating Scotland’s housing crisis. Paul McLennan denied claims the rent cap is driving up prices and reducing supply in Scotland. Scottish ministers introduced a 3% cap on private sector tenancies in October last year to help with the cost-of-living crisis, and […]