Scotland has seen an extraordinary surge in property prices since the pandemic, with average values rising by £43,381 in less than four years, according to a leading estate agency. DJ Alexander Ltd has analysed the latest data and found that between March 2020 and November 2023, average house prices in Scotland rose from £150,625 to […]

Holiday homes are not only making it harder for homebuyers to buy, but also for tenants to rent in England’s most sought-after holiday destinations, a report reveals. The findings from Zero Deposit found that the average rent for a holiday home is 292% higher than for a regular rental property, and in some places, this […]

A new report by the Housing Ombudsman has exposed the widespread failure of social landlords to make reasonable adjustments for their disabled tenants. The report, entitled Relationship of Equals, is based on more than 1,663 responses from social residents, landlords and advocacy services, such as Citizens Advice. It found 58% of respondents identified as having […]

Hello, We are currently dealing with a tenant who has complained to environmental health about the damp in their property. We have been instructed to re-decorate the whole property which we do not mind, but every time we go to the property, all the windows are shut, there is no central heating on, clothes are […]

Hi everyone, Newbie here and I am looking for advice on letting to my son and his partner. I know most will say not rent to family, but needs must and I’m well aware of the family issues it could cause. I have the opportunity to help my son by renting a property to him […]

Private landlords in Scotland have been warned by SELECT, the trade association for the electrical industry, to make sure their properties meet the new Repairing Standard guidance on electrical safety, which comes into effect on March 1. The guidance, issued by the Scottish Government, sets out the minimum level of repair that all private rented […]

Hello, Two out of four tenants on an AST with a Lambeth HMO licence have given individual notice until 31/3/24. I have reminded them that they are still jointly and severally liable for rent etc. until an agreement is reached. Problem: We have been thinking of selling the house and dividing the proceeds among our […]

Following a committee report calling for Awaab’s law to be extended to the private rented sector, one industry body argues qualifications are the only way to eliminate bad practices from the rented and social housing sectors.   Propertymark believes all letting agents should be trained across the social housing and PRS sector and is calling […]

More than half of renters have faced problems with their housing in the past six months – and 78% of agents and landlords quickly resolved them, a survey reveals. The findings from TDS Foundation, which interviewed more than 2,000 renters, found that only 40% of tenants had no issues with their rented homes, while the […]

Nearly half of mortgage brokers in the UK expect to see more buy to let business from landlords operating through limited companies in the next year, a survey reveals. According to Paragon Bank, more than 300 brokers were questioned and 49% of them are predicting an increase in buy to let mortgages for portfolio landlords […]

One landlord organisation has criticised the government for its “sticking plaster approach” in addressing the energy transition to net zero. ihowz wrote a letter to the Energy Security and Net Zero committee arguing landlords have a lack of guidance from the government regarding the new minimum energy efficiency (MEES) standards. Last year the Prime Minister […]

“A perfect storm” is how one legal expert describes the difficult position of landlords within the private rented sector (PRS), with the Renters’ (Reform) Bill playing a significant part in it. Gina Peters, the head of landlord and tenant at law firm Dutton Gregory, says many landlords of all ages are leaving the market due […]

Molo Finance has cut its buy to let fixed rates by up to 71 bps with products from 3.94% for two-year fixed and 5.19% for five-year fixed products. The digital lender says the offers are available to both individual and corporate borrowers at 75% LTV. Molo also caters to specialist segments, such as HMOs, MUFBs, […]

Hi, I have a question about filling out form N5B – specifically on Question 1 and statement of truth, where the landlord is a limited company: At the top of the form, it asks to ‘Enter the full name of the claimants’. Question 1 then asks the First claimant’s First name and last name The […]

Despite a pandemic-induced surge in demand for spacious and rural properties, London remains the undisputed leader in the £1 million home market, a new report by Savills shows. The property firm estimates that there are 670,100 homes worth £1 million or more in Great Britain, down by 8.3% from 2022, but still up by 28% […]

House sellers in the UK pocketed an average of £100,000 more than they spent on their property in 2023, according to new research by Hamptons. The estate agency said that 93% of sellers in England and Wales made a profit on their home last year, despite a decline in house prices. However, the average profit […]

Older renters are being forced out of their homes and communities due to sky-rocketing rents, according to new research. The charity Independent Age warns elderly people are facing having to move to deprived seaside towns exacerbating the strain on local services and leaving them isolated from friends and family. The charity is calling on the […]

Landlords and letting agents who break right-to-rent rules could be hit with huge financial penalties. In August last year, the UK government announced that agents and landlords who allow rental properties to be let to migrants who do not have the right to be in the UK will face much larger financial penalties. The legislation […]

Tenants are cutting back on necessities such as food and heating to pay their rent, a survey shows. Despite rents rising at a lower rate than inflation, Quotezone.co.uk says that 26% of tenants have switched off their heating to save money for their rent, while 15% have skipped meals for the same reason. Another 7% […]

MPs are calling on the government to extend the proposed Awaab’s Law, which sets new deadlines for social housing landlords to fix unsafe homes, to the private rented sector (PRS). The Health and Social Care Committee says that the legislation will improve the quality and safety of both social and private rented homes. The law […]

Hello, We are starting to build up our rental property portfolio again after being out of the PRS for a number of years. My question is, are tenants less likely to default on the rent if managed by a letting agent? When we managed our properties years ago, we seemed to always have some tenants […]