A London council is set to spend millions of pounds repurchasing 310 council homes that were sold off under the Right to Buy scheme. Islington council reveals the programme is part of the council’s commitment to increasing the number of council-owned homes in the borough. The council homes will be a mix of one, two, […]

A council wants to hear from tenants and private rented sector (PRS) landlords as it prepares to adopt a new policy that will impose stricter penalties on those who rent out unsafe and substandard homes. Harlow Council’s cabinet agreed last week to launch a four-week public consultation on its PRS Housing Enforcement Policy. The policy […]

House prices in England and Wales have fallen at their fastest pace since 2009, according to new research. The e.surv house price index reveals that house prices have fallen by more than £1,100, the fourth largest monthly fall of 2023. The chartered surveyor company says the house price falls are down to higher mortgage costs. […]

Landlords need to work “proactively” with tenants to tackle the bed bug crisis, a leading property association has warned. The National Association of Property Buyers warning comes after reports of some landlords telling tenants to put their duvets in the freezer to deal with the problem. Data from pest control company Rentokil reveals a 65% […]

A coalition of 30 charities and non-profit organisations has called on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to deliver the Renters (Reform) Bill and end Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions. The group, led by homeless charity Shelter, say that the current system of Section 21 evictions is causing hardship and suffering for millions of tenants in England. Section […]

The Housing Ombudsman has published a challenging picture of social housing complaints with a 323% increase in severe maladministration findings against social housing landlords. The Annual Complaints Review also reveals a 28% increase in complaints received by the Ombudsman last year, reaching more than 5,000 for the first time. More than half of these complaints […]

Hello, I would be grateful for any advice from anyone who has had a similar experience or knows anyone who has. We experienced a fire at one of our rental properties recently, thankfully all regs’ were adhered to and no one died. The fire has destroyed the majority of the house. The fire service, police […]

Parents and pet owners are forking out £460 more on their rent and bills compared to other tenants. New research by Confused.com reveals, one in three renters (33%) share their homes with pets, while nearly three in ten (29%) have children. According to the survey, parents are the ones taking the biggest financial hit. They’ve […]

More people are struggling to pay their rent or mortgage in the UK, as housing costs have risen sharply in the past year, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reveals. According to the latest ‘Public opinions and social trends’ bulletin, 40% of adults paying rent or mortgage said they were finding the payments ‘very’ or […]

Dear Mr Neidle As you have refused to speak to me on a recorded Zoom call on two separate occasions I am publishing this open letter in the hope of appealing to your better nature. Before I emigrated to Malta in 2016 I lived in Norfolk for 30 years, just down the road from where […]

Councils have spent £1.7 billion on temporary accommodation in just one year, according to new government figures. The latest figures reveal a 9% increase in spending in just one year. It has increased by 62% in the last five years. One third of the total was spent on emergency B&Bs and hostels – £565 million. […]

Hi, I am a landlord in a block of apartments and have needed to claim block insurance for a large water leak. So far the management company is refusing to claim on the block insurance and has ceased communication with me. Does anyone know what steps I can take to force the claim as at […]

The profitability of buy to let properties in the UK has increased over the last year, according to new research. Letting and estate agents Benham and Reeves has analysed the gross and net rental yields of the average BTL property across the country, taking into account the costs of maintaining and furnishing a rental home. […]

Landlords are now paying £15bn in mortgage interest every year as their cheap buy to let mortgage deals end – and the rate rises could see BTL investors sell up, research reveals. According to Hamptons, that mortgage interest amount is 40% higher than it was a year ago – and 58% higher than November 2021. […]

Hi everyone, I have a tenant who was on an Assured Shorthand Tenancy contract which ran off from its written end date so has therefore gone on to a rolling monthly contract (based upon monthly rental points etc). Tenant was served notice incl S21 and is using local housing authority backing to refuse to leave […]

Hello, I want to send in the N325 via the online system – I have a court order and the tenant should move out on 18th October but I know he won’t, so I have to get the bailiffs in. I want to get this application set up even though I cannot send it until 19th. […]

The next General Election could see housing become a key issue, as all parties have shown interest in reforming the private rented sector (PRS) but one industry leader is warning that politicians should not make rash decisions without consulting the property sector. Neil Cobbold, the managing director of PayProp UK, said: “Housing finds itself higher […]

The average asking price of a newly listed home in the UK has increased by just 0.5% (+£1,950) this month to £368,231, according to the latest data from Rightmove. This is the smallest monthly rise for this time of year since 2008, and well below the average October increase of 1.4% over the past decade. […]

London’s rental market is showing signs of recovery after a pandemic-induced slump with news that the supply of new rental listings grew steadily in September, up 10% year-on-year. That’s according to estate agents Foxtons, which also warns that rents grew by 10% over the same period. However, demand for rental properties remains high, with an […]

Hello, my tenant has had a bad year, a failed suicide attempt in Feb led to a stay on hold at our local unit and she had stopped paying top-up months before so her arrears are now over £1200. She rang in August to tell me she had decided to go to stay with family […]

In a bid to protect its tenants from costly legal battles and mounting expenses, one council has issued a stark warning. City of York council has advised its tenants to report repairs to them instead of engaging in expensive legal claims. The move follows an incident where an unsuccessful claimant was ordered to pay a […]