Page 265 – Property118
Labour's Angela Rayner promises rental reform and the abolition of Section 21 'no-fault' evictions at the party conference.

Angela Rayner: Labour will deliver rental reform and abolish Section 21

9th October 2023

Landlords in the private rented sector (PRS) will have rental reform – including the abolition of Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions – imposed on them, Labour’s Angela Rayner has promised. The deputy Labour leader was speaking at the Party’s conference in Liverpool where she told delegates: “We will provide stability and certainty for the affordable and […]

Student properties in the North and Scotland offer the best returns for landlords

9th October 2023

Landlords looking for a lucrative investment opportunity should consider buying student properties in the North of England and Scotland, research reveals. The data from easyMoney ranks the top 100 UK universities based on the average yields of properties in their postcodes, using house price information and rents from various sources. The findings show that the […]

Tenant deposit values and disputes on the rise

9th October 2023

The UK’s private rented sector (PRS) has seen a significant increase in both the number and value of deposits protected by tenancy deposit schemes in 2022-23, according to the latest briefing by TDS Group. The report compiles data from various sources, such as Freedom of Information (FOI) requests and the Office for National Statistics (ONS). […]

Business professional in blue suit representing NRLA leadership on housing crisis.

Rental market crisis: NRLA urges Government to act

9th October 2023

The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) has called on the Government to take urgent action to address the supply crisis in the rental market. The call comes after new figures from Rightmove revealed that there are 25 tenants enquiring about each available rental home. According to the data, which covers newly let properties, rents in […]

Mayor of West Yorkshire blasts landlords for raising rents

6th October 2023

The mayor of West Yorkshire has launched a scathing attack on landlords, in a new interview. Labour mayor Tracy Brabin has criticised landlords who raise rents in a cost-of-living crisis. However, she does not advocate for the use of rent controls and instead wants to focus on building more affordable homes.  Avaricious and greedy Mayor […]

Knight-themed Landlord Crusader logo symbolizing landlord advocacy

The Conservatives hate landlords – Pass it on

6th October 2023

The Conservative Party used to be the party of property ownership and free enterprise, but its recent policies on housing have betrayed its core values and its loyal supporters. The Tories have broken their promises to reform the private rented sector (PRS), and have instead punished landlords with unjust taxes, soaring costs and stalled legislation. […]

UK house prices continue to slide in September

6th October 2023

The UK’s housing market showed further signs of cooling in September with the sixth consecutive monthly fall, Halifax says. The average house price fell by 0.4% month-on-month, and the annual rate of house price growth also slowed to -4.7%, the lowest since April 2021. Halifax said that house prices were still supported by the low […]

Scottish government rent control proposals slammed by expert

6th October 2023

The Scottish government’s recently launched consultation on a range of issues affecting the private rented sector (PRS), including rent controls and tenant eviction protections, has been slammed by one leading property expert. Neil Cobbold, the managing director of automated rental payment specialists, PayProp UK, says the consultation being carried out, is ‘not fit for purpose’. […]

Pic of fire hose and extinguisher tenant communication fire safety property118

New fire safety laws introduced in England

6th October 2023

Business premises including holiday lets and small blocks of flats are being affected by new fire safety measures in England. All businesses must record a fire risk assessment and fire safety arrangements in full. The Home Office has published guides which will help anyone who has a legal duty for fire safety in a relevant […]

Current pet confusion – pre tenancy?

6th October 2023

Hello, as it is not possible to ask for more than a 5 week deposit, and other fees are banned, what are the options available to a landlord if they are considering allowing a pet in the property? Is it actually ok to turn around and say a pet may be accepted BUT that as […]

landlord looking at epc on tablet property118.com

Government initiates consultation to enhance energy efficiency in social housing

6th October 2023

A consultation on energy efficiency standards in the social housing sector will take place next year, according to new reports. In its Energy White Paper in 2020, the government committed to a review of the Decent Homes Standard to consider how it could better support the decarbonisation and energy performance of social housing. The government’s […]

HMRC issues a spotlight article on hybrid partnerships

5th October 2023

We have written many articles about Hybrid LLP’s and how they have been abused. We also offered to help those who had fallen for a Hybrid LLP sales pitch to come clean with HMRC and correct matters before HMRC came knocking at their door. Today, HMRC issued Spolight article saying … Find out about a […]

Barclays credit nightmare!

5th October 2023

Barclays put bad credit on my file 154 times while the Financial Service Ombudsman are investigating them, even though I OVERPAY my mortgages! I am not the only person to be affected. Customer accounts managed with the bank’s Trinity IT system did not accurately record monthly loan repayments, resulting in the bank wrongly flagging customers […]

Multiple estate agent boards showing rental properties let in the UK housing market.

Rental market frenzy: Tenants face 25 enquiries per property

5th October 2023

The rental market in the UK is experiencing a frenzy of activity, as letting agents report an average of 25 enquiries from prospective tenants for every property on offer. And the chief executive of the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA), Ben Beadle, says the figures come as landlords see their lowest profits since 2006 and […]

Squatters – again!!

5th October 2023

Hello, can’t believe it – this is the second time we’ve had squatters move into one of our vacant rentals in Luton. The last time we agreed to pay a huge sum to the new owner of a property we sold, so we could walk away and leave the issue for him to deal with. […]

Boarded-up house representing a fixer-upper property opportunity.

England’s empty homes: a £212 billion waste of space

5th October 2023

As many people face difficulties in finding affordable housing, a new study reveals that England has 676,000 empty homes worth £212 billion. These properties account for 2.7% of the nation’s housing stock, which is already in short supply. The study was conducted by House Buyer Bureau, which found that the North East has the highest […]

Property expert outdoors discussing rising UK rent prices

Rents soar by up to 41% in five years

5th October 2023

Bristol is the most expensive city to rent a property in England with tenants paying 41% more than they did in 2018, a study reveals. The research from Zero Deposit looked at how rents have changed across the country in the past five years. It found that the average rent in Bristol is now £1,513 […]

Landlord working out service charge demands property118

Selling a property with a service charge due?

5th October 2023

Hello, I have a flat that I am now selling to raise funds for other flats I rent. I should have completed it on the 12th September, but due to the delay in getting the management pack, that sale will probably go through the first week of October. I have just received the service charge […]

Tenants face soaring rents as demand outstrips supply

4th October 2023

Renting a home in the UK has become more expensive than ever, as a new report reveals that the average rent for a new tenancy has risen by 10.3% in the past year. According to Zoopla, renters now pay £1,164 per month on average, which is £1,320 more per year than in September 2022. The […]