Several of the largest social housing providers in England are persistently ignoring official warnings from the housing ombudsman over how to improve their handling of tenants’ complaints – and the situation is getting worse. Landlords such as L&Q, Southwark Council and A2Dominion Group, who are responsible for 142,000 affordable homes, have failed to address issues […]

Hello, we have had a lot of problems from one set of neighbours who regularly display anti-social behaviour. They regularly have drinking/drug parties and light fires late at night when inebriated. The fires at times have been very dangerous and extremely close to our property. On one occasion they had a fire in their backyard […]

More than 71% of landlords are unlikely to buy a property which has an EPC rating of less than C, according to new data. The study by Foundation Home Loans and BVA BDRC, reveals the more properties a landlord has within their portfolio, the less likely they are to buy below a C rating. A […]

The NRLA is calling on the government to tackle the backlog of possession cases clogging up the courts. The association says that some landlords are having to wait more than six months to take back their properties. The NRLA has written to Justice Minister Alex Chalk calling on the Ministry of Justice to publish its […]

As Freshers week begins for thousands of students, one association is warning of the effects the Renters Reform Bill will have on the student rental market. York’s Residential Landlord Association (YRLA) warns that there are massive shortages in the student accommodation sector. According to the association, in York, purpose-built student accommodation only accommodates 30-35% of […]

The Renters Reform Bill may not see ‘the light of day before the end of the year’ according to new reports. Backbench MPs continue to push against the bill as parliamentary sitting days become scarce. Parliament is currently in recess due to party conference season and when MPs return on the 15th of October there […]

Hello, I have rented my house to a couple for 2 years with 2 children. The male tenant told me he’s split up with his wife and moved out, leaving the female tenant behind with their two children. The male tenant has a well-paid job as a driver and the wife is now on benefits. […]

Almost half of older private tenants had their rent raised in the past year, and more than one in five can no longer comfortably afford to pay their bills, a survey reveals. The ‘Hidden Renters’ report published by Independent Age, found that 45% of older private renters had experienced a rent increase, with more than […]

According to Foxtons, the average weekly rent for tenants in London last month was 11% higher than in August 2022, with rental prices remaining high for the third consecutive month. The average rental price has shown little change since June. Applicant registrations increased by 6% month on month, with August seeing the largest volume of […]

Hello, I was happy with my agent until they decided to retire and sold out to what turned out to be a rogue agent who against my wishes afforded an AST to someone not referenced, knowing she couldn’t pay the rent leaving me with £3000+ debt ignoring a mate living in the property. Another agent […]

The average asking price for homes in the UK rose by just 0.4% to £366,281 in August, Rightmove reports. It says that the price rise is smaller than the average of 0.6% recorded for the same month over the past 10 years. However, prices have risen at this time of year in all but three […]

The average rent in Great Britain has now passed £1,300 for the first time in a decade, according to new data. Hamptons say renters face having to fork out more than £1,000 in some areas in England whilst renters in Inner London see rents soar past £3,000. Rents in London have been rising at a […]

Lots of councils see selective licensing schemes as a way of improving housing stock in the private rented sector (PRS) and work hard at gaining government permission to set up and run these schemes. But many of the same councils that claim to need a licensing scheme to boost standards in private rented homes are […]

An updated version of the ‘How to Rent’ guide will be published next month with details of the new Housing Loss Prevention Advice Service. The move follows March’s update which saw various updates, including the installation of carbon monoxide alarms in rooms with fixed fuel-burning appliances. The newest version will focus on revising sections 15 […]

The average renter in the UK must spend 64% of their net monthly income just to pay the deposit on a new rental property, a study reveals. The findings from Zero Deposit highlight that for women, the proportion is even higher, at 77%. The study, which compared the average monthly earnings (net) with the average […]

This is a first for me so looking for some advice please! A tenant has contacted me to say they have put in all the paperwork to legally change their name. They are also undergoing transitioning from female to male. She/he asked me how this would effect their tenancy (in terms of the docuementation side). I […]

The Renters’ Reform Bill has been delayed yet again! The government confirmed that the second reading of the legislation will not take place until after the party conference season which ends on the 16th of October. There is a relatively short window of opportunity for a second reading before the King’s Speech outlines Parliament’s agenda […]

The BBC has challenged London Mayor Sadiq Khan’s claims that rents in the capital will rise to £2,700 per month – leaving renters to struggle since the average salary is £2,131. The mayor has called several times for a rent freeze to help tenants cope with the housing crisis – and used these figures as […]

Hello, I’m hoping for some advice please. I had rising damp treatment carried out beneath the bay window of a Victorian terrace and the firm I used recommended ‘tanking’ as the way to deal with it. The contractor’s 20-year guarantee now appears to be worthless on the sale of the property. (I had no sight […]

All tenants have a right to quiet enjoyment, but can councils still inspect a property if a tenant and landlord refuse? The answer to the question – which many landlords may find surprising – is ‘Yes’. Councils do have a legal right to entry and don’t need permission from the landlord or the tenant. In […]

A staggering five million households will be forced to spend more than a third of their income on housing by the end of the decade, according to a new study. The National Housing Federation reveals the sharp rise in renters struggling to meet housing costs. The report finds that by 2030, compared to the most […]