The government’s decision to drop its proposal that all rental properties must have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of at least C by 2028 has been welcomed by most landlords, according to a new survey by Landbay. The research, which polled more than 1,000 landlords across the UK, found that 74% of them were […]

The UK’s average house price will fall by nearly £25,000 in 2024 – and won’t recover their 2022 house price high until 2027, it has been revealed. The data from the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) also warns that house prices would drop by 4.7% next year – that’s after a modest 0.9% rise this […]

Hi everyone, I would really appreciate any sort of suggestions on what to do. I have had the same tenants for 10 years since 2013 and I want to move back into the property so I’m thinking of serving a section 21. I signed around 4 tenancy agreements over the 10 years. I’m aware I […]

Hello, last December, the police were called out to my rental property, due to a nasty domestic incident. The tenant was removed by the police, and not allowed back unless he was with a police officer. His (now ex) partner, a state registered nurse, wanted to take over the tenancy, but letting agents said she […]

The ban on fixed-term tenancies for students will create “severe consequences” in the private rented sector, warns expert. Calum MacInnes, chairman of the housing organisation, Student Accredited Private Rental Sector (SAPRS) demands the government treat private student housing the same as purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) by allowing the sector to continue to offer fixed-term tenancies. […]

Increasing council tax premiums on second homes will not solve Scotland’s housing crisis, claims a leading industry body. Propertymark gave evidence to the Scottish Parliament’s Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee and urged Scottish MPs not to implement the proposals arguing it does not represent an effective policy. Elsewhere in the Committee debate, Propertymark said […]

Hello, we are first-time landlords and we have nightmare tenants. They haven’t paid us any rent in the last 13 months and when we tried to evict them via section 8 they went into breathing space. There are 3 tenants and they are going into breathing space one after another which prevents us from getting […]

The Autumn Statement 2023 reveals some fantastic news for property investors and developers including a brand new permitted development (PD) right to allow a house to be converted into two flats. Join Ranjan Bhattacharya as he discusses all this and more in the video below.

Are you a landlord or homeowner who may benefit from the Chancellor’s plan to make it easier to convert houses into flats? Then, Alexa Phillips, the personal finance reporter for the Telegraph would like to speak with you. The Chancellor’s Autumn statement announced a consultation on a new Permitted Development Right for subdividing houses into […]

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has revealed that the Local Housing Allowance (LHA) will be unfrozen – and the rate will increase to the ’30th percentile of local market rents’. Mr Hunt told MPs ‘I have listened’ to landlords and tenant organisations before he unveiled the increase. The chancellor said that rent can account for more than […]

Renters wield more political power due to the surge in private renting, according to an activist group. According to a survey by Generation Rent, analysis of the census reveals that 194 constituencies in England have populations containing 20% or more private renters, up from 114 in 2011. At the time of the 2021 Census, the […]

Hello all, I’m seeking advice. Where an AST is due to expire in March 2024 is it possible/acceptable to provide the tenant with a new fixed term (eg. 6 months covering March to September 2024) in January 2024? ie. a bit early! I wanted to be sure this creates no issues regarding the current fixed […]

Landlords are more confident about their letting businesses and the private rental sector (PRS) after the government scrapped plans to introduce mandatory energy performance certificate (EPC) levels, a report reveals. The findings from Foundation Home Loans are based on 785 online interviews with landlords and they reveal that landlords are expecting higher rental yields and […]

The North of England has seen a surge of investors buying second homes compared to the rest of England. According to estate agents Benham and Reeves, buy-to-let landlords are targeting these regions in search of better yields. Benham and Reeves analysed the volume of additional dwellings purchased between the 2020-21 and 2021-22 financial years across […]

More than half of tenants in England would like to have their utilities included in their rent, but just 12% of rental properties on the market offer this convenience, a survey reveals. Zero Deposit, a tenancy deposit alternative company, asked more than 2,400 tenants about their preferences and stress levels regarding bills when renting. The […]

The Housing Ombudsman has revealed that it issued 52 orders to social housing landlords for failing to handle complaints properly in the last quarter. This is the highest number since the Ombudsman started publishing its reports in 2021. The orders, known as Complaint Handling Failure Orders (CHFOs), are given to social housing landlords who do […]

With the government’s Autumn Statement tomorrow, the property sector is keenly awaiting the Chancellor’s key announcements. Many in the sector are hoping housing will be at the front of the agenda and some tax cuts for landlords will be on the cards. Some in the property sector also hope the Chancellor will abolish Section 24. […]

Hello, I think we have seen cash strapped councils trying plenty of tactics to raise much-needed funds, the most obvious being the selective licensing scheme. What I have been invoiced for this month though, is new to me. My ground rent invoice this year was more than double what I was expecting (Ground rent = […]

Hi. I was looking at buying another two properties to add to the 3 I already have. The latest mortgage quotes I received mean that even if I go ahead and buy two more properties, I will be worse off with 5 properties due to the current interest rates. I’ve decided to use the savings […]

Landlords in the UK have seen a strong rebound in their confidence levels in the third quarter of 2023, according to a survey. The findings from Paragon Bank, which involved nearly 800 landlords, found that all aspects of landlord confidence improved compared to the second quarter, driven by more stable market and economic conditions. The […]

Despite inflationary pressures and rising interest rates, the UK’s portfolio landlords – those with five or more rental properties – are not deterred from growing their property holdings, research reveals. Shawbrook Bank surveyed more than 1,000 residential landlords and found that 88% of portfolio landlords had grown their portfolios in the past six months. Of […]