Page 268 – Property118

Compliance – what happens if you get it wrong?

13th November 2023

Did you know that fines can be over £30,000 now for non-compliance? And that there are 168 new regulations that have been introduced in recent years? Watch this live debate at the Property Investor Show in London a few weeks ago, which was hosted by Richard Jackson from Alphaletz, with Sean Hooker from the PRS, […]

Liberal Democrats demand tax perks for EPC upgrades

13th November 2023

Liberal Democrats are pushing the government for more EPC reforms in the PRS. The party proposes that all landlords should be allowed to offset their spending on insulation and energy-saving improvements against their income tax. The party has previously criticised the government for scrapping EPC C targets by 2025 calling it “unforgivable”. Incentives for landlords […]

UK house prices drop by 1.7% – Rightmove

13th November 2023

The average asking price of newly marketed properties in the UK has fallen by 1.7% (-£6,088) this month, according to the latest Rightmove house price index. The report suggests that sellers are adopting more realistic pricing strategies to attract buyers as the market transitions from the pandemic-induced frenzy to more normal activity levels. Despite the […]

Landlords slash borrowing amid rising interest rates

13th November 2023

Buy to let landlords have cut down their mortgage debt by almost 20% in a year of economic turmoil, according to a new report. Octane Capital has compared the total amount of borrowing among BTL landlords between Q3 2022 and Q2 2023 and the same period the year before. It found that landlords reduced their […]

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

Landlords in limbo as court chaos continues

13th November 2023

The courts are taking more than half a year to process possession claims, according to new research. New data released by the Ministry of Justice (MOJ), reveals it takes an average of almost 29 weeks between a private landlord making a legitimate possession claim to the courts and actually getting the property back. The figures […]

Woman in red dress smiling while seated in an office chair.

Landlord sell-off slows down as rents continue rising

13th November 2023

Landlords in Great Britain are holding on to their properties as rents soar to new heights, according to the latest Hamptons lettings index. The index, which tracks the activity and trends of the private rented sector, shows that the share of homes sold by a landlord fell from 15.7% in 2022 to 14% so far […]

Illustration of houses with the word eviction, symbolising Section 21 rental evictions

S21 expiry date?

13th November 2023

Hello, Can Property118 readers please help. The rules seem to have changed for what date to put for a S21 expiry date. The tenancy is a rolling contractual periodic tenancy which originally started in 2021. Do I have to give the 2 months’ notice to the end of the monthly rental period date or can […]

Section 21 evictions reach record breaking high

10th November 2023

Section 21 court proceedings have reached a record record-breaking seven-year high, according to new research. In figures released by the Ministry of Justice, between July and September this year, 8,399 landlords in England started Section 21 no-fault eviction court proceedings against their tenants – the highest number for seven years. The latest figures also show […]

pix of garages landlord to end tenancy agreement property118.com

Garage dispute?

10th November 2023

Hi, I rented a garage space in a block from a neighbour, we drew up an agreement from the internet, no problem. I erected a sectional garage on the space to store a car, I have receipts. Unfortunately, the neighbour has sold up. The new owner now wants the space back and the garage even […]

Someone (not the tenant) wanting to pay the rent?

10th November 2023

Hello all, we had an email from someone advising us that the husband of one of our tenants had died he provided a copy of the death certificate. He told us that he would be paying the rent. We responded by stating that we could only receive payment from a lawful tenant named on the […]

MPs urge government not to delay ‘no-fault’ evictions ban

10th November 2023

The government has been urged to commit to a timetable for banning section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions and reforming the court system by the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (LUHC) Committee. Section 21 allows landlords to evict tenants without giving a reason and the government promised to abolish it in the Renters (Reform) Bill, which was […]

BTL landlords in mortgage arrears rockets by 29%

10th November 2023

The number of BTL landlords who are behind on their mortgage payments has rocketed by 29% in the last quarter, UK Finance says. The trade body for lenders said that there were 11,540 buy to let mortgages in arrears in the third quarter of 2023. The current arrears figure represents 0.57% of all outstanding BTL […]

Government promises to cut ground rents

10th November 2023

The government has announced plans to slash ground rents and save homeowners thousands of pounds. Housing Secretary Michael Gove has launched a consultation that aims to cap ground rents at a so-called “peppercorn” rate for existing leaseholders, freezing ground rents at current levels and capping the ground rents at a percentage of the property value. […]

November 2023 – Property & Housing Market Update

9th November 2023

Latest housing & property market update for November 2023, including housing market predictions for 2024. This is a live presentation by renowned property expert, Andrew Roberts. It was delivered to an audience of over 300 property investors at the Baker Street Property Meet. The Baker Street Property Meet is the UK’s largest and No.1 Property […]

Real estate Sales manager giving keys to customer after signing rental lease contract of sale purchase agreement, concerning mortgage loan offer for and house insurance.

A new wave of investors rush in to buy properties off landlords looking to sell

9th November 2023

After a slew of bad news, this week’s headlines come as a welcome relief for landlords looking to sell. The Telegraph reported that despite higher rates and regulatory risks around rentals, a wave of new investors had entered the market, stepping in to take portfolios off landlords’ hands. These investors are cash rich, looking to […]

Property expert warns landlords rushing Section 21 evictions before ban

MP urges court reform to protect landlords before S21 is abolished

9th November 2023

Theresa Villiers MP has spoken in favour of the Renters (Reform) Bill and warned the government needs to address the court delays before abolishing Section 21 – ‘no-fault’ evictions. Ms Villiers was speaking during the debate following the King’s Speech to Parliament and said that she supports the Bill. However, she also stressed the importance […]

New report sheds light on racial discrimination in PRS

9th November 2023

People from ethnic backgrounds are more likely to be ignored when looking for accommodation in the private rented sector, new research claims.  A new study by Generation Rent reveals white people are 36% more likely to receive a positive response when applying to rent on SpareRoom than black people. The organisation created two fake profiles […]

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 […]