Page 255 – Property118

BoE leaves interest rate unchanged – property sector reacts

2nd November 2023

UK interest rates have been left unchanged at 5.25% by the Bank of England in a move economists had expected. The Bank had previously raised rates 14 times in a row to tame inflation, leading to increases in mortgage payments but also higher savings rates. Its Monetary Policy Committee, which decides the rates, voted by […]

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London’s rough sleeping crisis hits record high, councils warn

2nd November 2023

London is facing a rough sleeping crisis as new data shows that the number of people sleeping on the streets has reached a record high. According to the latest figures from the Combined Homelessness and Information Network (CHAIN), 4,068 people were counted sleeping rough in London between July and September 2023. This is a 12% […]

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London HMOs: A rare and lucrative investment opportunity

2nd November 2023

If you are a landlord or investor looking for a high-yield property investment in London, you may want to consider buying a house in multiple occupation (HMO). However, you may also face some difficulties in finding one, as a new study shows that London HMOs are rarely put up for sale. According to Octane Capital, […]

Michael Gove, Section 24 and Mars bars?

2nd November 2023

Last week Housing Secretary Michael Gove stated that he had been in discussions with HM Treasury to investigate the possibility of providing additional tax incentives for landlords. Mr Gove was asked at the NRLA conference whether the mortgage interest relief removed by George Osborne in 2015 would be reinstated. Mr Gove said: “I do recognise […]

The Idiot’s guide to Renters Reform Bill- UPDATE

2nd November 2023

Not sure what’s in the Renters’ Reform Bill? We’ve rounded up everything you need to know about the long-awaited bill below and will continue to keep updating the guide as we get more clarification. The government claim the reforms will help 11 million tenants across England benefit from “safer, fairer and higher quality homes thanks […]

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Number of UK’s unincorporated landlords rises to 2.82 million

2nd November 2023

The number of unincorporated landlords in the UK’s private rented sector (PRS) has increased to 2.82 million in 2021 to 2022, according to new data from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). The data, based on Income Tax Self-Assessment (ITSA) returns, shows that unincorporated landlords declared a total of £48.87 billion in property income from 2021 […]

Buy to let sign outside a residential property highlighting changes in mortgage rates

Council launches lettings agency to help homeless families

2nd November 2023

A new lettings agency has been launched by a council to work with private landlords and help homeless families find permanent homes. GBC Lettings is part of Gravesham Borough Council’s response to the rising number of local households living in temporary accommodation, which has reached more than 200. The council says high interest rates and […]

Stress Costs Taxes: Is it time to sell up?

1st November 2023

Many landlords are thinking about selling up due to additional stress, costs and additional taxes that landlords now face. However, it’s not all doom and gloom. Anyone taking a long-term view on property investing will understand all the benefits and do very well, however, can everyone weather the storm? Listen to this lively podcast hosted […]

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NRLA urges cooperation between landlords and tenant groups on rental reform

1st November 2023

The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) has appealed to the Renters’ Reform Coalition, a group of organisations that push for tenants’ rights, to work together on improving the private rented sector (PRS). The NRLA has sent an open letter to the coalition’s leading members, including Crisis, Citizens Advice, Generation Rent, Shelter and others. The letter […]

Unlicensed HMO’s for Asylum seekers?

1st November 2023

Hi, Housing asylum seekers in hotels was a very unpopular move with the public. Now the Government have announced they will be moving them out to alternative accommodation. They can’t all be going to the Bibby Stockholm Barge, so where are they going? According to Hansard “Draft Houses in Multiple Occupation (Asylum-Seeker Accommodation) (England) Regulations […]

N325 request for warrant of possession?

1st November 2023

Hi all, I’m looking for some help, please. I read somewhere that when sending/taking the N325 to the county court certain documents have to be attached to the form, but I cannot find anything more about this. Is there a way to speed up the process? I have sent an email to the court, but […]

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UK house prices rise in October – but see an annual fall

1st November 2023

UK house prices rose by 0.9% in October – but the annual rate of house price growth remained negative at -3.3%, the latest figures from Nationwide reveal. The average UK house price is still lower than it was a year ago and now stands at £259,423. Nationwide’s chief economist, Robert Gardner, attributed the monthly increase […]

Scotland’s private rent surge sparks fears of a wider rent cap

1st November 2023

Average rents in Scotland for new tenancies have risen by double digits for the fourth consecutive quarter, reaching up to 19% year-on-year growth in some regions, research reveals. The findings from Citylets point to the Cost of Living (Tenant Protection) (Scotland) Act 2022 which introduced caps on rent increases within tenancies as the reason for […]

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Landbay cuts the rates on its buy to let products

1st November 2023

Landlords looking to buy or remortgage properties can benefit from lower rates and more choices from Landbay. That’s because the specialist buy to let lender has made more than 80 changes to its product range, including rate reductions of up to 0.20% across various products. Landbay offers products for standard properties, small houses in multiple […]

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Rents fall and voids rise in England’s lettings market

1st November 2023

The lettings market in England experienced a post-summer slump in October, with rents on new tenancies falling by 11% and voids increasing by 29%, according to the latest Goodlord Rental Index. The report, which tracks key indicators of the rental sector across seven regions in England, shows that the average rent for a new tenancy […]

What Next For Interest rates?

31st October 2023

Ranjan is back with another video talking all about interest rates. With the Bank of England decision on interest rates expected this week, Ranjan shares his predictions for what lies ahead for interest rates and highlights the opportunities and threats for property investors. Check out the video below:

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Reshaping Property Management Through Technology

31st October 2023

Property management, whether you’re overseeing a handful of properties or a more extensive portfolio, can often present complex and demanding challenges. Balancing tenant communication, maintenance, rent collection, and cash flow tracking can quickly become overwhelming. Thankfully, property management technology is evolving to make this task more manageable. In this article, we will explore how technology […]

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Why a tenant’s furry and feathered friends can rejoice over a forgotten law

31st October 2023

With the Renters (Reform) Bill passing its second reading, one important detail many landlords and tenants will want to know is about tenants keeping pets in their rented home. However, a largely forgotten act already exists that allows tenants to keep a pet rabbit or chicken. The little-known Allotment Acts 1950 allows renters to keep […]

Housing law expert Phil Turtle discussing landlord enforcement and civil penalties

Council tax reform for HMOs: good news for some, bad news for others

31st October 2023

While the Government has announced a new policy to simplify the council tax system for houses of multiple occupation (HMOs), not all types of HMOs will benefit from the change, and many tenants and landlords will still face higher bills, one legal expert warns. Currently, the Valuation Office Agency (VoA) is re-assessing each room in […]